Palace of Grand Duke Vladimir Alexandrovich
One of the last Imperial palaces to be built in St. Petersburg, the Palace of Grand Duke Vladimir Alexandrovich was built between 1867 and 1872 for the third son of Emperor Alexander II. Just east of the Winter Palace and the Hermitage on Dvortsovaya Naberezhnaya ("Palace Embankment"), the Vladimir Palace was designed by a team of architects lead by Vasily Kenel. The palace's simple, somewhat dour facade is in stark contrast to the wonderfully preserved interiors, where the architects employed a hugely eclectic range of styles and periods, from neo-gothic to rococo to oriental.
Fortunately, soon after the October Revolution, the Vladimir Palace was assigned as the Maxim Gorky House of Scientists, a social and cultural club for the scientific intelligentsia. For this reason, it has probably the most authentic and best preserved interiors of any of St. Petersburg's royal residences. While much of Vladimir's art collection has gone to the Hermitage collections and elsewhere, his impressive collection of fine porcelain is still mostly intact and on display in the palace.
Grand Duke Vladimir was a fervent collector and patron of the arts and with his wife, Maria Pavlovna, he hosted soirees where the guests included Rachmaninov, Rimsky-Korsakov, and Chaliapin. This tradition is reflected in the regular concerts, as well as lectures and screenings, hosted in the palace.
| Address: | 26, Dvortsovaya Naberezhnaya |
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| Metro: | Gostiny Dvor / Nevsky Prospekt |
| Telephone: | +7 (812) 315-8814 |
| Opening hours: | Guided tours of the Vladimir Palace are available daily except Sundays. Call in advance. |
