BUT The second of this work sets itself the task of peering into the reality of Palace Square in order to meet the reality of the Russian European who formed in Russia in its Petersburg period. This goal did not arise by chance, it was dictated by the events that are currently taking place on the Palace Square and beyond. They demonstrate to us a complete misunderstanding by people of the meaning and significance of this place, thereby revealing our general remoteness from Petersburg Russia and a misunderstanding of this very Russian European.

On the pages of this work, we will try to understand how people who belonged to the culture that created it perceived (consciously or intuitively - this is not so important). Through this, perhaps, at least to some extent, we will be able to understand their inner world and see how it differs from our inner world with you. This will help us better understand ourselves and determine our place and attitude towards those people whom we used to call our ancestors.

Historical reference

Palace Square - main square St. Petersburg.

Its geometrical area is about 5 hectares (about twice the size of Red Square in Moscow).

The existing fifth Winter Palace (1754-1762, architect B.F.Rastrelli) became the basis for the development of Palace Square. Facades Winter Palace facing the Neva, the Admiralty and Palace Square. The southern one, closing the square, is cut by an arch. In 1819-1829. a grandiose arched building of the General Staff was erected (architect K.I. Rossi) with a triumphal arch. Two buildings, connected by an arch, cover the space of the square, in the center is the Alexander Column (1830-1834, architect Auguste Montferrand, the figure of an angel was made by the sculptor B.I.Orlovsky). Like the Triumphal Arch of the General Staff Building, the monument is dedicated to the victories of Russian arms in the war with Napoleon.

1. Idea of ​​center, centering

Palace Square in St. Petersburg was conceived as the central square of the Russian Empire. Formations and parades of guards took place on Palace Square. There the emperor went out to his soldiers, personifying the entire Russian people. This is emphasized by the very architecture of the square, its hemispherical shape, which creates a feeling of complete completeness, completeness, and cosmic space.

The fact that Russia is centered in this place, that is, converges together, is finally manifested in the Alexander Column that appeared here on August 30, 1834, erected in honor of Emperor Alexander I and in honor of the victory of the Russian army in Patriotic War 1812 The column began to point to the center of the square, that is, the country. The Alexander Column, although it was ordered to the architect Montferrand by Tsar Nicholas I, was not erected on behalf of the emperor or soldiers of the Russian army or any part of the Russian people. The Pillar of Alexandria was erected on behalf of all of Russia, as a whole. The inscription on the base of the column reads: "Grateful Russia to Alexander I". Here, without exaggeration, we see the "autograph" of Russia.

As we have already said, Palace Square reveals the spiritual and cultural unity of the Russian Empire, this place centers it. The question immediately arises: what is the center pointed to by the Alexander Column? We immediately dismiss the incorrect answer that Russia is the center. It is impossible to center yourself. The center is always something that lies deep inside, but at the same time, one way or another goes outside. You should not try to figure out and answer this much defining question from the summer.

First, you need to decide what is going around this center. As we have already said, this is Russia, manifested in subjects, soldiers, lining up on the square in anticipation of the moment when the emperor will come out to them in complete silence.

The figure of a king, an emperor, at least in the Christian world, presupposes the presence of God, who, in fact, gave him power. The emperor himself is the only and irreplaceable figure that combines a person with colossal earthly power, and at the same time an intercessor and primate for his people before God. In this sense, the emperor is both a ruler and a subject at the same time. Ruling over the people, he also serves them in his appeal to God.

Thus, the king-emperor contains two realities: earthly - human and sacred - divine. Therefore, serving the emperor also presupposes serving God. This is the uniqueness of the king's figure. But back to Palace Square.

Based on the foregoing, we can accurately determine that in the center of the Palace Square there is an indication of the emperor, and this can be seen not only in the inscription on the column, but also in its entire being. A six-hundred-ton stone monolith on a pedestal, crowned with the figure of an angel with a cross in his hands, like an emperor, connects heaven and earth.

We see that the Alexander Column indicates the presence of the emperor, but this does not exhaust its semantics. The column is crowned with a bronze figure of an angel with a cross. Since the column was erected to the glory of Tsar Alexander I, many see in the face of the angel a portrait resemblance to Alexander I. There are reasons for this, but we would not reduce everything to this.

It is unlikely that the whole point of the column is that Emperor Alexander was an angel in the flesh. Moreover, then it would be more logical to put a statue of the emperor himself on a column instead of an angel. And there are many examples of this, starting from the monument to Napoleon (Vendome Column) in Paris (which, incidentally, served as a model for the creation of the Alexander Column, although it is worth noting that the Vendome Column is inferior in grace and beauty to the Alexander Column) and the Trafalgar Column in London, ending with the Column of Aurelius in Rome. In pre-Christian times, there was also a statue of the emperor on it.

And yet, why is it an angel standing on the Alexander Column? An angel with a cross, the lower part of which squeezes a snake, wriggling in agony around the crossbar. This is a rather clear and understandable image for a Christian: the angel here clearly acts as a messenger carrying a message, a kind of call. In Holy Scripture, we often find the example of a messenger angel. It is enough to remember that it was an angel who brought the news of Christ's resurrection to the first people: “The angel, speaking to the women, said: do not be afraid, for I know that you are looking for Jesus crucified; He is not here - He is resurrected, as He said. " Mt. 28: 5-6. The angel stands, slightly touching the hemisphere with his feet, holding the cross with his left hand, and pointing to the sky with his right, his face tilted down towards the people on the square. In all his movement, in the gesture of the pointing finger, in the tilt of the head, in the developing clothes, we see an appeal to people, a call. Holding the cross, the angel seems to say: "In this way, conquer" and "take up your cross," pointing to heaven. At this moment, the entire center is concentrated on the tip of the pointing finger of an angel, further and higher - God.

2. Palace Square, as a reference to Rome

In general, if we talk about the purpose of the Palace Square, it is worth noting that squares of this type were formed in the Roman Empire. We are talking about the imperial forums. As a rule, the imperial forum was a rectangular square surrounded by a colonnade, on the opposite side from the entrance there was an imperial place with steps descending from it. There the Roman emperor greeted the army in all his splendor. It was here that the legionnaires felt all the power and greatness of their emperor, and the emperor, in turn, felt himself an emperor in full measure. When the emperor and the soldiers left the square, it remained in complete silence, awaiting the next emperor's exit, because this was precisely what the square was created for. On such a square, it is impossible to imagine either shopping stalls or happy holidays: this would be a blasphemy against the universe, a trampling on culture.

The Palace Square of St. Petersburg is exactly the type of the Imperial Square. Everything in it speaks of the presence of the emperor. When you enter the square from the side of the main entrance - the arch of the General Staff building, the vastness of the royal palace and the towering Alexander Column above it opens up. All this is intended to bring us a sense of the presence of the emperor. Indeed, when you enter the square, everything that you saw and heard before seems to leave, and the noisy Nevsky Prospect, and people, and cars, and advertising - as if none of this had happened. An unprecedented expanse opens before you: there is so much air, space and light, clarity and regal silence reign around you. Suddenly, the previously unavailable reality of the empire is revealed. The reality of the Russian Empire. For a moment it becomes clear where the novel "War and Peace", the poem "Eugene Onegin", the works of Dostoevsky, the music of Tchaikovsky and Mussorsky came from. All this arose from the incredible freedom that is expressed through the stones of the Palace Square in a man-made space, where height and breadth do not press and squeeze, but vice versa. You begin to feel that you are not a small person, not a "trembling creature", since you look at all this and feel, it means that you are no longer dust in the wind. You involuntarily stretch out, a desire to serve arises. All this is the reality of the Russian Empire.

So, the imperial spirit, pronounced in the architectural space of the Palace Square, just makes it akin to Rome. By the way, it is worth noting that he has in common not only with the ancient, but also with the new Rome - Christian. And here, I think, it is worth paying attention to the Rid in the heart of the Christian, and the Cathedral of St. Peter, erected over the tomb of the Apostle. All the joyful majesty of the cathedral emphasizes the idea that there is no death for Christians, and therefore, like all holy people, the Apostle Peter is alive. Moreover, in his union with God (deification), there is much more life in him now than in those living on earth today. But back to the square, the square of St. Peter. Of course, the main focus of the Vatican is not the square.

As we noted, the main center is St. Peter's Cathedral, but nevertheless the square in front of the cathedral is also the center. And here it is worth emphasizing that there is no opposition or dualism here. It's just that the square is central only because it points to the Apostle Peter. The Cathedral of St. Peter over the tomb of the Apostle is, if you like, a center out of centering, it does not need pointers and symbols, Peter rests there, and everything else is secondary. A similar scheme is to some extent guessed at the Palace Square with the Winter Palace - the house of the emperor. The reference of Palace Square to St. Peter's Square is not accidental and can be traced in the architectural design of the square's ensemble. The General Staff building is designed in the form of an irregular semicircle, which, in combination with the Alexander Column, gives us a feeling of similarity or even a hint of St. Peter's Square, surrounded on both sides by semicircles of colonnades and an ancient Egyptian obelisk in the middle, which in turn refers us to the prophet Moses, who brought out the people god from Egypt. But at the same time, the fact that the ancient Egyptian obelisk was not in the museum, but found new life in the center of the Christian world, indicates that the Lord, incarnate, did not leave the ancient Egyptians, he extended the hand of salvation to them. Palace Square, referring us to the Square of Rome, thereby points to the Apostle Peter, which is justified by our city itself, bearing the name of the Supreme Apostle. Awareness of this fact makes St. Petersburg in a certain way a sacred city in a person's mind, at least a special one, as Rome has always been and remains a special and sacred city.

Palace Square, pointing to Rome, not only emphasizes that Russia is an empire, but reveals the very essence of this concept. All this connection with New and Ancient Rome, with the exodus of the people of God from Egypt, with the ancient Egyptian world, reveals the universality of the empire, its scale. Being in the center of an empire, we actually find ourselves in the center of world history. This is the pathos of imperialism.

3. Purpose of Palace Square and its historical significance

I did not erect a monument to myself,
The folk path will not grow to it,
He ascended higher as the head of the rebellious
Of the Alexandrian pillar.
A.S. Pushkin

Pondering these lines of Pushkin's poem, I cannot avoid bewilderment: here Pushkin opposes his genius to the tsar, thereby violating the world order. But by abolishing the tsar, Pushkin, in fact, deprives himself of soil as a poet. Despite this dubious gesture, the following fact remains irrevocable. For Pushkin, the height of the Alexander Column is a measure of a certain spiritual height. He compares the Alexander Column with the most expensive not only for Pushkin himself, but also for us, with his genius. Thus, we see how the Poet assigns an important place in his soul to the center of "Great Russia", no matter how much he exalts himself over it. And this fact obliges us to a lot.

Speaking about what the space of the Palace Square is, we should pay attention to what surrounds it, if you like, forms it. Here we do not mean those buildings that are adjacent to the square, limiting and creating its space, but those that are located to the side. These buildings, standing in the distance, form the background of the square, but their role is actually great, because it is they who create the "air" of the Palace Square, they give it space. These are, first of all, St. Isaac's Cathedral and the Admiralty. These buildings also form the square in the second semantic point, in their meaning.

It turns out that around the square are located: a temple, royal palace, the main headquarters of the army, the naval department.

It is clear that this is the center of the state. However, a significant place in the perception is occupied by the golden dome of the temple of St. Isaac of Dalmatia. Combined with the angel and the semicircular shape of the square, the cathedral illuminates the place. The fact that this place is sacred is emphasized by the very shape of the square. When we enter from the side of the main entrance, the facade of the Winter Palace opens up like a baroque iconostasis. The iconostasis of the Orthodox Church is always crowned with a cross, which is highest point structures. Iconostases in baroque forms are usually accompanied by figures of angels at the top. And on Palace Square, the iconostasis is completed by the figure of an angel with a cross towering over the Winter Palace. That is why the author of this work, when passing through the arch of the General Staff, always had an unconscious desire to cross himself. The second moment that gives the Palace Square meaning sacred place, this is just the opposite side from the facade of the Winter Palace.

This is the building of the main headquarters, forming an irregular semicircle. And there is no doubt that this is the traditional form of the altar of an Orthodox church. The altar stands in royal silence until the priest enters there to perform the service. In the altar, the priest stands before the Face of God, stands behind his parishioners, uniting them with himself. A clear parallel is built here with the tsar coming out onto the square, who, as we have already said, stands before God for his people. Thus, we are shown that the military parades that took place on the square were part of a sacred action. This is manifested in the collection of all the listed symbols. It is at such a moment that the complete semantic completeness of the Palace Square occurs.

Based on the foregoing, one cannot at least touch on the edge of the topic of military parades and regularly held reviews. It should be noted that in terms of its population, St. Petersburg was mainly a city of military and officials.

Moreover, out of ten residents of St. Petersburg, one or two were guards. Participation in daily formations, exercises and reviews was almost the main task of a soldier in peacetime, in addition to carrying out guard duty. The soldiers performed the actions so well that it sometimes resembled a ballet movement, it looked like "passing through the line", when battalions, changing places, passed through one another. Here is what Grand Duke Konstantin Pavlovich, who knew a lot about military service about the inspection of one of the guards regiments, wrote: glorious, that should be likened to moving walls and in general should say that they do not march, but they float in a word too well and rightly glorious guys and true children of the Russian Life Guards. " It is clear that lining up, bearing, setting the leg was not useful for a soldier in battle. All this was needed not to protect the king and not in case of war. It was needed for other purposes.

At that time, the army was not only the guardian of the fatherland. She represented the power and greatness of the Russian Empire. And this power was not only in the number of soldiers and weapons, but to a greater extent in the valor, honor and splendor of the figure of the Russian soldier. Therefore, discipline for a soldier had to be combined with a sense of the Fatherland and beauty, which, as the ancient Greeks said, "is the convincing power of truth." After all, an empire is not only freedom, space and power, it is also splendor. All this is perfectly expressed in the verses of Alexander Pushkin:

I love the warlike liveliness
Amusing fields of Mars,
Infantry men and horses
Monotonous beauty
In their slender, unsteady ranks
The rags of these victorious banners,
The shining of these brass hats,
Shot through and through in battle.
I love, the military capital,
Thunder and smoke of your stronghold
When the full-bodied queen
Grants a son to the royal house,
Or victory over the enemy
Russia triumphs again
Or cracking your blue ice
The Neva carries it to the seas
And, sensing spring days, rejoices.

The splendor of the young Power, rapidly moving forward, through the elements, like a powerful river, rapidly flowing to the vastness of the seas. Everything is in this verse. The same can be felt in the music of the March of the Preobrazhensky Life Guards Regiment, which for a long time was unofficial, the first anthem of Russia. The same impetuous Petrine gait.

4. The ensemble of the Palace Square as a part of European culture. Russian in the Palace Square ensemble

Of course, on the pages of this work, enough has been said in order to draw a conclusion about the involvement of the Palace Square of St. Petersburg in European culture. Moreover, even a person who is completely inexperienced in history and art, being on the square, will say that this is Europe. And, nevertheless, we consider it important to consider this issue separately.

The connection between Russian and European culture in the 19th century was internal and deep. If the Europeans treated Russia with caution, they nevertheless perceived it as having recently emerged from barbarism, but their own, while trying to discern in the Russian yesterday's barbarian. On the contrary, a Russian person, coming to Europe, felt completely free, like a European, not inferior to the latter either in enlightenment or in freedom of secular communication, which is confirmed by the notes of Europeans traveling across Russia in the 19th century.

So, the ensemble of Palace Square reveals the deep connection between Russia and Europe. First of all, this is manifested in a reference to antiquity and Rome. Among other things, the architectural forms of the square tell us about this. For example, the building of the General Staff building is designed in the classicism style, which is based on the return to antiquity, which is always relevant for a European. The statues and bas-reliefs on the arch of the building are made in the Empire style, which emphasizes the idea of ​​the empire and is an imitation of Ancient Rome, up to the image of Roman soldiers and weapons, and the Alexander Column itself is a semblance of Roman columns. In general, the feeling of connection with antiquity is the focal point of European self-awareness.

There is a second point, which we have already talked about, and, nevertheless, he does not let us go with his unresolvedness. For European architecture, it is not at all a characteristic feature when an angel stands towering over the central square. As we have already said, the figure of the emperor on the column is quite familiar, both for Europe and for Ancient Rome.

The third point is the centrality of the square by the royal palace, which is also not typical for squares in Europe. There, the squares were formed by a temple or a town hall, but not by a royal house. Royal Palace on central square countries are a unique phenomenon. This distinguishes the Palace Square from the rest of the main squares of European states.

The central square of the Russian Empire was the square in front of the Tsar's house. The emperor's house became the center and focus of the empire. This fact is certainly not accidental and testifies to a special perception of the tsar's figure in Russia. The sovereign was perceived as the father of the Fatherland and the main organizer of the state. It was from him that the main creative impulses emanated. This is perfectly expressed in the equestrian statue of Peter I by the sculptor Falcone. Here I want to draw a seemingly strange parallel between the statue of Peter and the Winter Palace on Palace Square.

The statue of Peter the Great by Falcone is unique, unique because it expresses a special, Russian spirit and understanding of the tsar's figure. It depicts an autocrat who does not powerfully hold the reins of government in his hands, as it was depicted on most statues of sovereigns, both in Europe and in Ancient Rome, but quite different. The emperor on a reared horse stands over an abyss (the pedestal is made of a solid stone of a natural form), a coarse bearskin serves as a saddle for the king. It depicts the king restraining the elements of nature, the king is the organizer.

This perception of the tsar's figure was imprinted in one way or another on all subsequent sovereigns in Russia. Therefore, it is not surprising that the royal palace stands in the center of the Russian Empire, forming the main square of the country. Forming the square, he, as it were, forms the country, being in its heart. It was from this heart that the basic and life-giving impulses emanated, giving the possibility of the normal existence of the state.

It is interesting that the Winter Palace itself, with all the harmony, proportionality and "lightness" of its architecture, is rather heavy "sits" on the Palace Square. The square itself, as it were, “flows out” from under it, the palace, as it were, “incubates” the square. This sensation arises from the exorbitant breadth of the palace, which adds to the feeling of the height of the building, if you perceive it as a whole, squatness. And this reveals a certain degree of archaism unusual for Western architecture.

The figure of the Angel, as we have already said, serves as an indication of the presence of God. It is no coincidence that one of the conditions of Emperor Nicholas I when designing the Alexander Column is to put the figure of an Angel facing the Winter Palace. The figure of the Angel rises above the palace and is clearly visible from its windows. This serves as a reminder to the emperor that no matter what happens in his house and kingdom, the Lord sees everything and is responsible to Him for everything. In general, there is a tradition in Russian iconography established by Andrei Rublev, according to which the Persons of the Holy Trinity are depicted as three men with wings; we think that a Russian person who contemplated the Alexander Column could have remembered images of a Russian icon, which undoubtedly served as a definite indication of the ultimate spiritual height expressed by the column.

This work could not cover the fullness of the space and reality of the Palace Square. I hope, however, we managed to get a glimpse of it, at something important and essential in it. Experience shows that the reality of the Palace Square and the objects associated with it will not be revealed to us without special efforts. The events that took place in 1917 and after, cut us off from understanding many things, moreover, vital ones.

And the last thing. One way or another, more or less explicitly, referring to Palace Square, we touched on theological topics, since our goal was to outline the theme of the presence of God. That is, the presence of divine reality in Russian culture. This question is important for understanding Russia as an established reality and for understanding the people who formed it. Indeed, often the degree of God's presence determined the actions of the people who created Russia.

Magazine "Beginning" No. 22, 2010

Address: Palace Square

As they say, all the roads of St. Petersburg lead to the main square, which is called Palace Square and which occupies worthy place on the World List cultural heritage UNESCO. The dimensions of Dvortsovaya Square are more than twice the size of Red Square.

Palace Square is a concentration of several historical and architectural monuments federal scale. This and the colossal semicircle of the building General Staff and his beautiful Triumphal Arch, and the harmonious construction of the headquarters Guards Corps, and the famous Alexander pillar and of course the stunning, world famous Winter Palace.

History of Palace Square in brief

The emergence and formation of the square is directly tied to the history of the construction of the Admiralty, which was created according to the laws of wartime as a fortress-shipyard. This means that the territory of the Admiralty shipyard was surrounded by ramparts and ditches, in front of which an open esplanade(flat space) for better observation of the advancing enemy.

But the Admiralty fortress soon lost its military relevance, and part of the flat space began to be used for folding the Admiralty equipment, while part of it was gradually overgrown with grass, turning into Admiralty meadow.

In times Anna Ioannovna on meadow lands were sometimes carried out holidays for the common people - temporary pavilions for entertainment were built, wine drinking and feeding of fried bulls to the people were organized. Then, during the construction of the third and fifth Winter Palaces, the meadow space was used for warehousing building material. It also hosted sometimes military training, and the imperial cattle grazed.

The idea of ​​organizing the square in front of the fifth Winter Palace under construction belongs to F.Rastrelli... He created first draft closed palace territory, with a colonnade surrounding the monument to Peter the Great, in its center. In the 60s of the 18th century, an architectural competition was held for the master plan for the development of the city, based on the results of which the architectural design by A. Kvasov for the improvement of the Palace Square.

Starting from the dominant of the Winter Palace, in which they cut through arched exits to the square, Kvasov gave the main geometric boundary of the areal space in the west, rounding it in the northern direction. Gradually, the area around the palace is being shaped by the buildings of the Southern Pavilion of the Small Hermitage (architect Felten) and the Free Economic Society (architect Vallen-Delamot), as well as the Glazovsky House and the mansions of A. Lansky and J. Bruce.

Arches of the Winter Palace

All these structures are distributed along the arcuate line outlined by A. Kvasov, surrounding the Winter Palace with a kind of amphitheater. At the end of the 18th century, changing of the guard's guards and folk festivities, similar to the festivities under Anna Ioannovna, took place on the formed areal space at the end of the 18th century.

Early 19th century the last happens redevelopment area ( architect A. Moduy), which has survived to this day. The buildings opposite the Winter Palace are being demolished and replaced The main headquarters consisting of two buildings (architect K. Rossi) interconnected Triumphal arch... This fundamental structure - solemn and monumental - gave the square a logical completeness.

Later, the building of the Economic Society will be stylized as the General Staff, and the eastern side of the palace space will be closed Guards Corps Headquarters(architect A. Bryullov). The Alexandrian Column, installed in the center of the square ( architect O. Montferrand). After the final design, the palace square became the venue for military reviews and ceremonial military processions.

This square remembers the day of Bloody Sunday 1905 and the night of 1917, when the Winter Palace was captured by armed sailors. She also remembers the ceremonial and demonstration processions held in the Soviet period, theatrical performances of many thousands on socialist and other topics. For example, in 1924 fighters of the Red Army played the role of chess here.

Live chess - 1924 photo

After the October events 1918 year when Uritsky was killed in the halls of the General Staff, the square got his name. In the same year, in the Winter Garden, monument to A. Radishchev made of plaster, however, it did not last long - overturned by the wind, it crashed.

In the last period of the Great Patriotic War, the square, like many other St. Petersburg objects, gets back its historical name. In the late 70s, the area was reconstructed, on which diabase paving stones were laid. They also installed recreated lampposts.

Today the territory of the square is not only a venue ceremonial celebrations... Various city events take place here - Day of the city, sports marathons, music concerts, bard song days and more.

Description of attractions

As already mentioned, all structures of the Palace Square are integral architecturalensemble, which took shape as a result of the work of many famous architects. But the main attraction of the square, for which many tourists come here, is, of course, the famous Winter Palace.

Winter Palace

A wonderful monument of architectural palace architecture mid 18th century- The Winter Palace is the most famous sight Petersburg. This is a beautiful specimen Russian baroque executed F.Rastrelli and the main palace of Russian emperors, starting with Catherine the Great.

Winter Palace

Russian tsars are here lived, arranged balls, held official receptions, decided the fate of Russia. In the interiors of the palace, they tried to express the power and heroism of the country, to show its untold riches and the skill of domestic craftsmen.

In the Winter Palace, the foundation was laid for the famous collection of the Hermitage, one of the richest in the world, for the storage of which special buildings were built, which together with the palace made up a single architectural composition of Palace Square and Palace Embankment. These are the Small and New Hermitages, the Hermitage Theater.

South Pavilion of the Small Hermitage

Today, in the palace halls you can see both exhibition expositions and restored residential and front premises of Russian rulers. The most famous and beautiful rooms with recreated interiors are located On the second floor... These are the private chambers of the former Empresses Alexandra Feodorovna and Maria Alexandrovna, the Military Gallery, the Armorial and Petrovsky Halls, the Great Throne George Hall and many others.

On the ground floor you can see Egyptian, Mesopotamian, Scythian and other rarities obtained during archaeological research. On the third - objects of art of Byzantium, the countries of the Near and Far East.

Facing the Winter Court, in a wavy silhouette of two wings, there are two buildings of the General Staff building. The most monumental Arc de Triomphe became the junction of the headquarters buildings.

The main headquarters and the Arc de Triomphe

The hull structure of the General Staff was erected in the 20s of the 19th century the famous architectural master K. Rossi. As the name implies, these buildings housed the military headquarters. There was also a place for the military, finance and other ministries. Today Western part the building corresponds to its purpose, it is placed at the disposal Western Military District... And the territory eastern part since 2013 has been at the disposal The Hermitage, who placed there collections of modernists and abstractionists of the early 20th century.

The western wing differs from the eastern one by the presence of a metal-glass domes, built at the very beginning of the 20th century. This dome provided natural light for the headquarters specialized library below.

Triumphal Arch of the General Staff Building

The famous decoration of the headquarters buildings is the monumental Triumphal Arch, erected by 1828. This is not just a passage from Nevsky Prospekt to the square, but also a sculptural one. monument in honor of the victory in the Patriotic war of 1812... The Arc de Triomphe consists of three parallel arches, decorated with bas-relief drawings and a wonderful sculptural group glorifying Russian military glory.

Expressive composition of triumphal chariots, harnessed by six horses, located at a height of 36 meters, performed S. Pimenov and V. Demut-Malinovsky... It is clearly visible from the square. Beautiful sculptures and two armed warriors in Roman attire, restraining hot horses, and winged Niki with a banner in his left hand and a laurel wreath in his right.

Leitmotif military glory it is present both in the bas-reliefs and in the ornaments that adorn the arch. Wreaths with laurel leaves and trophies of war, goddesses of glory with palm branches, sentries in antique armor, frozen in a welcoming pose - all glorify the Russian military victory as expressively as possible.

The famous Alexander Column completes the theme of the victorious triumph over Napoleon.

Alexander Column

There is a unique architectural monument in the center of the square early 19th century, great work O. Montferrand... With this monument alone, he has already perpetuated the memory of himself. Made in the best triumphal examples of antiquity, the laconic columnar silhouette clearly and rapidly soars up.

Alexander Column

The Alexander Column or, as A.S. Pushkin called it, Pillar of alexandria, is also a memorable perpetuation of the victorious triumph of the war of 1812, and a commemorative stele AlexandruThe first, and the glorification of the heroism of the Russian army. All the attributes of the pedestal and columnar decoration are filled with symbols Glory and Victory.

Bas-relief of the pedestal of the Alexander Column

Four-year History of creation and the erection of a 600-ton column is worthy of a separate writing, for this is also heroism - creative and labor heroism. The granite column stands without special fasteners, held only by own weight for almost two hundred years, since 1832. The Pillar of Alexandria has stood the test of time, wars, revolutions and regime changes.

Today the Alexander Column is one of the most famous city ​​symbols, its visiting card, one of the key attractions not only of the Palace Square, but of the entire city.

Guards Corps Headquarters

A little after the establishment of the Alexandrian pillar, instead of the former Manege, the eastern outskirts of the square were built up by the headquarters building for the Guards Corps (architect A. Bryulov). This construction was carried out within the framework of the program for the architectural completion of the ensemble design of the square.

Guards troops, established by Peter the Great at the very beginning of the 18th century, played a significant role in political life Russia. Well known shelves Semenovsky, Preobrazhensky, Izmailovsky, etc. The ruling dynasty relied on them, they repeatedly helped the Russian emperors, and the construction of their Headquarters near the main royal residence was fully justified.

The classical building, located with the letter G, faces the square and the Moika embankment with its facades. Front facade of the four-storey building, overlooking the square, is decorated with a twelve-column portico and stucco interwindow bas-reliefs. The structure of the Guards Headquarters harmoniously blended into architectural complex square, not pulling the "blanket" over itself, not standing out, but complementing and completing the architectural appearance of the square from its eastern side.

Decor of the Main Facade of the Headquarters

The interior of the Headquarters was designed using guards paraphernalia- these are images of checkers, helmets, shako and other things, even the wall ornaments resembled the sewing of guards collars.

In the October days of 1917 The headquarters of the Guards Corps was occupied by the headquarters of the Petrograd Military District, which, led by Lenin, was involved in the defense of the city. A memorial plaque tells about these events.

With the construction of the Guards headquarters building, the town-planning design of the Palace Square ended, finishing option, which all tourists see today. But there is also a small park between the Winter Palace and Palace Proezd to the Palace Square, about which I would also like to say a few words.

Winter Garden

After completion of construction imperial palace in its winter version, this small area on its western side was used for raising guards, so he called himself - Wrenchsquare.

But by the end of the 19th century, Nevsky Prospekt was connected with the Palace Embankment by a new street - Dvortsovy passage, which soon began to enjoy the attention of the townspeople, and turned into a lively urban area. The noise of the crowded city passage was not very comfortable for the royal family, whose chambers looked towards the Palace passage.

Therefore, it was decided to create a small buffer zone in the form of a square between the imperial residence and the city street. The work on the construction of the garden was supervised by the architect N. Kramskoy, and he was directly involved in garden planting. R. Katzer.

Garden fence in the Rastrellian Baroque style by an architect R. Melzer... By itself, this cast-iron fence was a work of art... In the patterns of the cast-iron lattice, images of acanthus leaves, the monogram of the royal family, the imperial coat of arms were used. The fence was closed by a gate decorated double-headed eagles and lanterns, and the pillars were decorated vases... The exhibit of the fence was a participant in the world exhibition in Paris 1900 where he received what he deserved The Grand Prix.

After the exhibition, the fence was installed on granite foundations in the place intended for it, thus outlining the territory of the Winter Garden, which by that time was planted with trees, shrubs and flowers. The garden was mounted and fountain... However, the royal family did not have to use this garden at the beginning of the 20th century. Nicholas II and his family moved to Tsarskoe Selo, and the townspeople were not allowed into the garden.

Under the new government, some time after the revolutionary events, the Winter Garden practically ceased to exist - fence with royal emblems broke, the flower beds have been trampled. There was an attempt to install a plaster bust of Radishchev on one of the fence supports, but it was unsuccessful - the bust fell and shattered.

May 1, 1920 the historic "Leninist" subbotnik, during which all the decoration of the Winter Garden was literally swept off the face of the earth. Everything that was left of the fence, support pillars, gates, etc., was removed from the territory of the Palace Square as rubbish. Only trees and a non-working fountain have survived. Only in the first decade 21st century the historical view of the square was restored and as a green island entered the stone composition of the Palace Square.

Among which Palace Square is invariably dominant, it is one of the most beautiful pearls in a number of European urban masterpieces. It was formed and acquired a modern look as a result of the successive creative activity of several generations of Russian architects. But the most significant was Rossi's work on the redevelopment of Palace Square, carried out over a whole decade. Developing the urban planning principles of Russian classicism, he created an architectural composition of outstanding artistic impact, which to this day is considered one of the most ingenious in the world history of urban planning art. The historical and artistic value of Palace Square, its role and place in the spatial composition of the city center remain extremely important.

Palace Square was intended for military parades associated with the movement of large military masses, so its space (before the layout of the Admiralty Garden) passed into Admiralty Square and then connected with Senate Square, thereby creating a single town-planning ensemble

The beginning of the formation of Palace Square dates back to the 1710s, when the first buildings appeared that defined its northern border. The vast "meadow against the chambers of Apraksin", the most significant structure on the site of the future Winter Palace, was not built up. After the construction of the Anna Ioannovna Winter Palace on this site in 1732-1735, the meadow acquired the character of a ceremonial square. In 1753, a year before the laying of the last Winter Palace, which played a major role in the formation of the ensemble, FB Rastrelli completed a project for the architectural design of Palace Square. According to him, the square was interpreted in the form of a circle, decorated with a colonnade with a wide gap opposite the main entrance to the palace. In its geometric center was supposed to be a monument to Peter I, executed by the architect's father, the sculptor B. K. Rastrelli. The project met the main task for that time - to arrange a front driveway in front of the palace. Palace Square, unfinished during the life of the Italian master, was subsequently designed several times, including due to changing urban planning tasks. The idea of ​​creating an ensemble of three squares in the city center - Dvortsovaya, Admiralteyskaya and Senatskaya - was put forward in 1762 by the Commission on the stone structure of St. Petersburg, the main role in the design activities of which was played by the outstanding urban planner A. Kvasov. In the 1760s, the architect planned new quarters near the Admiralty, eliminating its earthen ramparts. This plan predetermined the smooth curvilinear outline of the western part of the Palace Square.

Rossi said this about the creation of the ensemble of the central squares of St. Petersburg: "This monument should become eternal ..."

In 1779, proceeding from the general plan of the Commission, the Academy of Arts announced an open competition for the planning of the square, in which the simple and original proposal of J. Felten won. In the 1780s, he erected three buildings, equal in height to the Winter Palace, with the same type of "exemplary" facades on the site of a part of the future General Staff Building. They were adjoined by undesirable old buildings, stretching to the Moika embankment. With the construction of houses by the architect, one for J. Bruce and two for the favorite of Catherine II A. Lanskoy, the future arched shape of the square was outlined, which received a more regular outline of the boundaries.

To prove the accuracy of his design calculations, Rossi stood on the arch when the supporting structures were dismantled, vouching with his life for its strength

Felten's design of the Palace Square existed until the construction of the grandiose buildings of the General Staff and the Ministries of Foreign Affairs and Finance in 1819-1829 by the architect Rossi, which are connected into a single whole by a magnificent double triumphal arch thrown over Bolshaya Morskaya Street and making a fracture near the square. This street, secondary in itself and specially transferred by the architect to the center of the arc to fix the axis of the square, formed the front link of the ensemble with Nevsky Prospekt. Because of its turn, the majestic expanse of the main square of St. Petersburg unexpectedly opened, striking the viewer with an almost theatrical effect. With the construction of these structures, which form its southern part as a giant niche, the Palace Square was finally formed. Its creation became one of the most important works of Karl Ivanovich, in which he proved himself to be an innovative architect.

Palace Square is one of the largest in the world. Its dimensions are from the arch of the General Staff to the Winter Palace - 230 meters, from the building of the Headquarters of the Guards Corps to the Admiralty Garden - 340 meters

The main headquarters corresponded to the dimensions of the Winter Palace in arc width and height, as well as the line of the middle axis. In style, they are complete opposites. The architect's intention was to contrast the gracefully magnificent Winter Palace and the stately grandiose General Staff building and at the same time to architecturally balance the two monumental facades facing each other. However, Rossi managed to achieve their indissoluble unity and complementarity. Thus, the center of gravity of the entire composition was transferred to the square itself. It became an integral urban planning and architectural composition, representing a truly classic example of a high ideological embodiment of ensemble methods of forming a city. In addition, due to the intensive development of the state apparatus, its role in politically: now the houses of representatives of noble families could not be adjacent to the palace, and government agencies were to concentrate around the imperial residence. Nevertheless, the Winter Palace was still of great importance.

As noted by the doctor of architecture G. G. Grimm, Rossi approached the solution of urban planning and architectural problems fundamentally different from his contemporaries: "... Rossi will look for a solution based on the characteristics of the site itself."

Reconstruction of the main square of the city in a built-up area required the greatest professional tact and strict consideration of economic factors from the architect. Rossi used Felten's buildings rationally, preserving part of their walls and even the interiors, which were distinguished by their splendor despite all the monotony of the outside. He left in the original forms the facades facing the inner circular courtyard. At the same time, the master created a new composition of an unprecedented urban scale, distinguished by its simplicity: the facade from the side of the square, with a huge length, was based on only three axes: the main one in the center of the arch and two side ones, emphasized by the porticos of the Corinthian order. With ingenious courage, Rossi swept the south side of the "correct square" with a single ribbon of the facade, torn in the middle by a huge arch. Its 580-meter line slides along a parabola, then turns into rectilinear segments, breaks at a very sharp angle at the Moika embankment, where the building of the Ministry of Finance, which is slightly different in composition, adjoins the main building. Surpassing the length of the Admiralty, the composition of the main facade of which is built on seven axes, the facade of the General Staff building is distinguished by an even more restrained design. Its appearance was conceived by the architect emphatically strict and laconic, with the monotony of the rhythm of an "infinitely" extended building, due to which the contrast with the central arch was more sharply accentuated. The facade tape is not interrupted by protrusions. Even the entrances to the building are made almost invisible. The rows of half-columns of the Corinthian order are merged with the wall in submission to the solemnity of the arch and extend the architectural design of its lateral abutments to the entire enormous length of the southern side of the square. The plastically rich composition of the arch, crowned with the chariot of Victory, is dedicated to the military might of Russia, which won the war with Napoleon. In contrast to the rest of the building, it is richly decorated with sculpture: a 20-meter bas-relief in the attic, figures of warriors between the columns, military fittings, figures of the flying geniuses of Glory. The sculptural decoration was made by V. Demut-Malinovsky and S. Pimenov. With the triumphal composition of the arch, one of the peaks of the St. Petersburg Empire style, which is a remarkable example of the synthesis of the arts of architecture and sculpture, Rossi created the focal point of the ensemble. The composition and proportions of the arch with its emphatically wide span, the horizontal strip of the frieze, and the low stepped attic carrying the sculpture are inextricably linked with the general horizontal line of the extended facade.

The premises of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, according to the tradition of that time, were located on the front (here - the third) floor and were distinguished by the splendor of decoration. Particularly distinguished were the reception rooms and living quarters in the apartment of the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Count K. Nesselrode, which have survived to this day in their original form, like few of Rossi's interiors. Impressive is the Ballroom in the corner of the building, which was finished with artificial marble: the walls are white, and the pilasters, herms and the frieze are blue. Grisaille painting with allegorical and historical subjects naturally completed the composition. The premises of the General Staff were much more modest because of their purely official purpose. Constructive innovations were reflected in the use of metal structures made by engineer M.E.Clark to cover the archives and the dome of the library of the headquarters.

The Palace Square ensemble has become one of the most complete and perfect in the world, despite the fact that it was not created immediately and with the participation of several generations of architects. In terms of the breadth of the idea and the high skill of its implementation, the central square of St. Petersburg is the crown in the development of ensemble urban planning techniques of classical architecture. The completed architectural center of St. Petersburg amazes with the scale and grandeur of the ensembles of the Palace and Senate squares, far surpassing the works of Western European classicism.

I don't know if many people know this, but for me personally it was a revelation that Palace Square in St. Petersburg is twice the size of Red Square in Moscow!

Palace Square- the main square in St. Petersburg. Its geometrical area is about 5 hectares.

The existing fifth Winter Palace (1754-1762, architect B.F.Rastrelli) became the basis for the development of Palace Square. The facades of the Winter Palace face the Neva, the Admiralty and Palace Square. The southern one, closing the square, is cut by an arch.

Winter Palace

In 1770-1780, several buildings were erected along the southern border of the square according to the project of Yu. M. Felten. In their place in 1819-1829 was erected a grandiose arched building of the General Staff (architect K.I. Rossi) with a triumphal arch. Two buildings, connected by an arch, cover the space of the square, giving its appearance a solemnity and monumentality. Rossi brilliantly solved the urban planning problem, creating a composition within the complex plan of the site, set by Felten of the arched line of the border of the square and the acute angle of the square with the Moika River.

On the east side of the Palace Square there is a large building of the headquarters of the Guards Corps (1837-1843, architect A.P. Bryullov), in the center - the Alexander Column (1830-1834, architect Auguste Montferrand, the figure of an angel was made by the sculptor B.I.Orlovsky) ... Like the Triumphal Arch of the General Staff Building, the monument is dedicated to the victories of Russian arms in the war with Napoleon. Buildings of different styles perfectly organize the space, consistent in scale.

From the southwestern side, until the 1840s, at the corner of Palace Square and Nevsky Prospect, there was the building of the Free Economic Society. In 1845-1846, a building was built on this site, the facade of which is in harmony with the facade of the General Staff. On the northwest side, between the Admiralty and the Winter Palace, there was a Razvodnaya Square until the end of the 19th century. In 1896-1901, a square with a fountain was laid out in its place in front of the palace. In the 1920s, the fence of the square was dismantled and used to decorate the park on Stachek Avenue. The fountain itself was reconstructed in 2007-2008 with the restoration of its historical appearance.

During the restoration of Palace Square in 2001, archaeological research was carried out. As a result of the excavations, the foundation of the wing of Anna Ioanovna was found. At one time, it was a three-story palace, built according to the project of Rastrelli in 1746. In accordance with the restoration plan of the square, the foundation was examined, photographed and re-buried with earth. As one of the options, the idea was considered to leave a fragment of the foundation for viewing, covering it with thick durable glass.

Remember from school “I erected a monument to myself not made by hands ...”?) On the Palace Square is the very Alexandrian pillar, about which Alexander Sergeevich wrote in his “Monument”. In fact, it is called the Alexander Column and is perhaps the most famous monument of St. Petersburg.

January 9, 1905 at Palace Square a peaceful demonstration of workers was shot by the tsarist troops. In memory of this event Palace Embankment was renamed the Embankment on January 9th.

On the night of October 25-26, 1917, the decisive battle of the October armed uprising in Petrograd took place on Palace Square.

In Soviet times, Palace Square was the venue for demonstrations and parades during revolutionary holidays. For about twenty years, Palace Square was officially called Uritsky Square (in honor of M. S. Uritsky, who was killed near Palace Square). The historical name was restored in January 1944.

In 1977, significant reconstruction works and decorative paving were carried out on the Palace Square. In 2006, the restoration of the Alexander Column was carried out.

Palace Square

Palace Square (from 1918 to 1944 Uritsky Square) is the main square of St. Petersburg, an architectural ensemble that arose in the second half of the 18th - first half of the 19th century.

The square is formed by monuments of history and culture of federal significance: the Winter Palace, the building of the headquarters of the Guards Corps, the General Staff Building with the Triumphal Arch, the Alexander Column. Its size is about 5 hectares (according to other sources - 8 hectares; for comparison, the Red Square in Moscow has an area of ​​2.3 hectares). As part of the historical buildings in the center of St. Petersburg, the square is included in the World Heritage List.

History of the name

The original name Admiralteisky Meadow (also included the territory of the modern Alexander Garden) has been known since 1736. Given by the Admiralty Shipyard. The name existed until 1772.

The name Palace Square has been known since 1766. Given by the adjacent Winter Palace, the southern façade of which overlooks the square. In October 1918, the square was renamed into Uritsky Square (in honor of M.S. Uritsky, one of the organizers of the storming of the Winter Palace in 1917, the chairman of the Petrograd Cheka, who was killed on August 30, 1918 at the entrance to the General Staff building). On January 13, 1944, a decree was issued on the return of 20 historical names, including Palace Square

History

Prehistory of the square

The prehistory of the square is connected with the foundation of the Admiralty fortress-shipyard on November 5, 1704. According to wartime requirements, the Admiralty was surrounded by ramparts and a moat. Before him stretched a vast open space - the glacis necessary for the actions of fortress artillery in the event of an enemy attack from land. Soon after its foundation, the Admiralty lost the function of a military fortress and with it the fortification significance of glacis gradually faded into the past. At first, its territory was used for warehousing and storage of shipbuilding timber, large anchors, and other admiralty supplies. From about 1712 to 1717, on the part of the former glacis, the Sea Market was located, and the territory was overgrown with grass and turned into the Admiralty Meadow.

In 1721, on the initiative of Peter I, the main planning scheme of St. Petersburg was laid in the form of a trellis emanating from the Admiralty. Two rays (present-day Nevsky and Voznesensky avenues) appeared under Peter I, and the third ray (modern Gorokhovaya Street) appeared in 1736-1737. The rays of these three highways divided the huge Admiralty meadow into several parts. Since the reign of Anna Ioannovna, festivities with fireworks and folk festivals have been organized in this place at public expense. Amusing pavilions, palaces, wine fountains were erected in the meadow during the celebrations, according to the highest decrees, gigantic carcasses of bulls were fried, which were then given to be eaten by the people. Until the 1760s, the Admiralty Meadow served as an auxiliary construction site for the Imperial Winter Palace. In the intervals between the rebuildings of the palace, the meadow was used for drill exercises of military units and for grazing court cattle.

On June 16, 1766, the famous Petersburg Carousel took place on Palace Square, which was distinguished by its special luxury, imagination and scope. The participants of the Carousel were divided into four quadrille: Roman, Slavic, Turkish and Indian. Each group had appropriate outfits, horse harness, weapons, special chariots for the ladies participating in the competition, and even different musical instruments- all this was done specifically for the holiday. According to Antonio Rinaldi's design, a five-tiered wooden amphitheater for several thousand spectators with separate boxes for Catherine II and the twelve-year-old Grand Duke Pavel Petrovich was built on the square, which at that time was a meadow overgrown with grass. Above there was a balustrade decorated with vases, and the barrier was decorated with garlands, military armor, and lion heads. The participants in the Carousel were in luxurious toilets. Spectators saw an iridescent mountain of wealth and abundance in precious stones and cavalry and equestrian gold and silver attire, at a cost of many millions of rubles. Countess Natalya Chernysheva became the winners among the ladies, and Grigory Orlov, dressed as a Roman soldier on a chestnut horse, among the cavaliers.

The emergence and development of the area

Ҥ 113. The palace square in front of the winter palace is surrounded by three houses built by the EMPRESS in 1788, like an amphitheater. On one of them there are two pavilions with enclosures and benches made of wild stone under an iron roof, in which a fire is laid out in winter for the coachmen who stand in the street during the congress at the court. On this square, the guards are changing, coming on guard, and at great celebrations, fried bulls and fountains of wine are given to the people here. On solemn days from the guard and other teams, congratulations are made on this by music and drumming. " 1794 year.

The existing fifth Winter Palace (1754-1762, architect B.F.Rastrelli) became the basis for the development of Palace Square. The facades of the Winter Palace face the Neva, the Admiralty and Palace Square. The southern one, closing the square, is cut by an arch. In 1779-1784, four houses were erected along the southern border of the square, designed by Yu. M. Felten. In their place, in 1819-1829, an arched building of the General Staff was erected (architect K. I. Rossi) with a triumphal arch. Two buildings, connected by an arch, cover the space of the square, giving its appearance solemnity and monumentality. Rossi solved the urban planning problem by creating a composition within the complex plan of the site, set by Felten of the arched line of the border of the square and the acute angle of the square with the Moika River.

In 1837-1843, on the eastern side of the Palace Square, on the site of the Exerzirgauz (1797-1798, architect V. Brenna), a large building of the headquarters of the Guards Corps was built according to the project of the architect A.P. Bryullov. In 1830-1834, in the center of the square, according to the project of the architect Auguste Montferrand, the Alexander Column was erected (the figure of an angel was made by the sculptor B.I.Orlovsky). Like the Triumphal Arch of the General Staff Building, the monument is dedicated to the victories of Russian arms in the war with Napoleon.

From the southwestern side, until the 1840s, at the corner of Palace Square and Nevsky Prospect, there was the building of the Free Economic Society. In 1845-1846 a building was built on this site (architect ID Chernik), the façade of which is in harmony with the façade of the General Staff Building. On the northwest side, between the Admiralty and the Winter Palace, there was a Razvodnaya Square until the end of the 19th century. The square was used for the divorce of the guard, was formed after the destruction of the canal and the bastions of the Admiralty fortress. In 1896-1901, a square with a fountain was laid out in its place in front of the palace (architects N.I. Kramskoy, R. Schmelling, gardener R.F.Katzer). In the 1920s, the fence of the park was dismantled and used to decorate the park. January 9 at Stachek Avenue. The fountain itself was reconstructed in 2007-2008 with the restoration of its historical appearance.

In the ΧΙΧ-early ΧΧ centuries, Palace Square was the site of military reviews and parades. On January 9, 1905, a peaceful demonstration of workers was shot at Palace Square by the tsarist troops. In memory of this event, the Palace Embankment was renamed the Embankment on January 9 (until 1944). On the night of October 25-26 (November 7-8), 1917, the decisive battle of the October armed uprising in Petrograd took place on Palace Square.

At the beginning of the 20th century, Manezhnaya Square was located on the territory of the Admiralty Police Unit.

Before the First World War, all buildings on Palace Square were painted in red-brick colors, against which the events of 1917 took place. In the 1940s, the buildings were again repainted in their characteristic light colors.

Soviet time

In Soviet times, Palace Square was the venue for demonstrations and parades during revolutionary holidays. Since October 1918, Palace Square was officially called Uritsky Square (in honor of M. S. Uritsky, who was killed in the General Staff building).

In 1918-1921, large-scale theatrical performances “Action of the Third International”, “Mystery of Liberated Labor”, “Towards the World Commune”, “Taking of the Winter Palace” (stage directors - Nikalay Evreinov, Yuri Annenkov and others) were held on the square. On November 7, 1920, scenes depicting the events of the October Revolution were played out on Uritsky Square in front of 100 thousand spectators. The performance was attended by 6 thousand people.

On July 20, 1924, a performance of "living chess" was held on the square with the participation of soldiers of the Red Army (white) and the Navy (black); played by chess masters Ilya Rabinovich and Peter Romanovsky.

Since 1935, the finish of the Pushkin-Leningrad race, the oldest race in the USSR, has been held on the square.

Interestingly, during the Great Patriotic War, in the fall of 1941, the option of placing a fighter aviation regiment on the airfield area was considered, while the Alexander Column was to be moved and the Admiralty Garden was cut down, but the idea was abandoned.

The historical name was restored on January 13, 1944. In 1977, significant reconstruction work was carried out on Palace Square and decorative paving was carried out, the asphalt pavement was replaced with diabase paving stones, and 4 lanterns in its corners were recreated in their original forms.

On August 20, 1991, a spontaneous rally took place on Palace Square in protest against the actions of the so-called GKChP of the USSR. The rally was attended by about 100 thousand people.

Modern period

During the restoration of Palace Square in 2001, archaeological research was carried out. As a result of the excavations, the foundation of Anna Ioannovna's wing was found. At one time, it was a three-story palace, built according to the project of Rastrelli in 1746. In accordance with the restoration plan of the square, the foundation was examined, photographed and re-buried with earth. As one of the options, the idea was considered to leave a fragment of the foundation for viewing, covering it with thick durable glass.

In 2006, the restoration of the Alexander Column was carried out.

Since the 1990s, the Palace Square has hosted concerts, annual sports and social events:

City Day parade.

Annual international athletics races such as the Pushkin - St. Petersburg Run and the White Nights Marathon.

An unofficial festival of lovers of bard songs takes place annually on September 1 at the walls of the Winter Palace.

Concerts of musicians. Composite concert during the August putsch of the State Emergency Committee (1991); blues performer Joe Cocker (September 15, 2005); Opera tenor Placido Domingo (June 16, 2001); ex-Beatles Paul McCartney (June 20, 2004); English rock singer Elton John (6 July 2007); British rock band Rolling Stones (28 June 2007); German rock band Scorpions (June 13, 2007); anniversary concert of Edita Piekha (4 August 2007); The Time Machine group (September 23, 2007; British rock musician Roger Waters (June 6, 2008); English pop rock group Durand Durand (June 4, 2009); American pop singer Anastacia (June 4, 2009); singer Madonna, (August 2, 2009)

In November 2007, a paid skating rink was built on Palace Square with artificial ice... The skating rink immediately attracted the attention of numerous public organizations of the city, which protested against the construction of the skating rink, limiting access to a part of Palace Square and the approach to the Alexander Column, access to which should be free. The skating rink was closed in March 2008.

In 2005, Aleksey Kovalev presented to the Legislative Assembly of St. Petersburg a draft law "On the use of Palace Square during mass events." It was supposed to determine the territorial boundaries of the Palace Square and establish rules for regulating the use of the Palace Square during mass events. However, the bill was not supported by the assembly. In 2008, after the story with the ice rink, it was announced that the World Club of Petersburgers was going to develop a bill on the status of Palace Square and the permissible parameters for its use.

Square layout

1 - Winter Palace.

2 - The building of the headquarters of the Guards Corps.

3 - Alexander Column.

4 - General Staff Building.

5 - Triumphal Arch of the General Staff Building.

6 - Admiralty.

Formation of an architectural ensemble

Palace Square is a single architectural ensemble. The northern border is the facade of the Winter Palace, the southern border has a semicircular outline formed by the General Staff building, two three-story buildings of which are connected by a triumphal arch crowned with a chariot of victory. The Alexander Column is installed in the center. On the eastern side, the square is framed by the building of the Headquarters of the Guards Corps.

The construction of the Winter Palace by B.F.Rastrelli in 1754-1762 marked the beginning of architectural ensemble Palace Square. K.I. Rossi made a huge contribution to the formation of the architectural appearance, bringing the ensemble to its logical conclusion. The erection of the General Staff building with a triumphal arch by Rossi in 1819-1829 emphasized the ceremonial character of the central square of St. Petersburg. The classical colonnades of the facades of the new building formed a compositional unity with the Baroque forms of the Winter Palace. Especially effectively Rossi calculated the perception of the palace facade from the side of Bolshaya Morskaya Street leading to the arch of the General Staff Building. The formation of the ensemble was completed by the construction of the Alexander Column in its center according to the design of O. Montferrand and the erection of the building of the Headquarters of the Guards Corps according to the design of A.P. Bryullov.

Alexander Column

Main article: Alexander Column

I erected a monument to myself not made by hands,

The folk path will not grow to him, He ascended higher as the head of the rebellious Alexandrian pillar

It was erected in the Empire style in 1834 in the center of Palace Square by the French architect Auguste Montferrand by order of Emperor Nicholas I in memory of the victory of his older brother Alexander I over Napoleon in the Patriotic War of 1812.

The project was approved by the highest in 1829, the monument was opened in 1834. The sketches of the pedestal were made by O. Montferrand. The bas-reliefs on the pedestal of the column in allegorical form glorify the victory of Russian weapons and symbolize the courage of the Russian army; the casting was carried out at the plant of Ch. Byrd. A monolith of pink granite was made in the Pyuterlak quarry near Vyborg in 1830-1832. With great difficulty, he was transported from the Puterlak quarry in 1832 on a barge specially designed for this purpose to St. Petersburg. The monolith is not fixed and is held only by its own weight. The monument is crowned with the figure of an angel by Boris Orlovsky. In 1876, the architect K. K. Rachau added decorative lanterns at the column.

The column (often called the Pillar of Alexandria, according to the poem by Alexander Pushkin "Monument") is one of the most famous monuments of St. Petersburg.

Winter Palace

Main article: Winter Palace

The current building of the palace (the fifth) was built in 1754-1762 by the Italian architect B. F. Rastrelli in the style of the magnificent Elizabethan baroque. From 1732 to March 2, 1917, the official winter residence of the Russian emperors. On December 29, 1837, a fire broke out in the Winter Palace. They could not extinguish it for three days, all this time, the property taken out of the palace was piled around the Alexander Column. In 1838-1839, the palace was restored according to the projects of architects under the leadership of V.P. Stasov, A.P. Bryullov and others. From July to November 1917, the Winter Palace served as a meeting place for the Provisional Government. In 1918, part, and in 1922 the entire building was transferred to the State Hermitage.

The modern building is in the shape of a square with courtyard and facades facing the Neva, the Admiralty and Palace Square. The splendor of the building is given by the magnificent decoration of the facades and premises. The main facade, facing the Palace Square, is cut through by the arch of the main passage. In the southeastern part of the second floor there was one of the Rococo monuments, the legacy of the fourth Winter Palace - the Great Church of the Winter Palace (1763; architect B. Rastrelli)

The building of the headquarters of the Guards Corps (houses 2-4)

From the east, the ensemble of Palace Square closes the facade of the building of the former Headquarters of the Guards Troops, built in the late classical style by the architect A.P. Bryullov in 1837-1843. From the end of the 5th century on this place was the Exerzirgauz building, erected by V. Brenna. It stretched along Millionnaya Street. In 1827, a competition was announced for a project to build a theater near the Exerzirhaus, with a single "decent" facade. But then the plans were abandoned.

Bryullov was faced with the task of closing the gigantic perimeter, connecting the incompatible Baroque Rastrelli building with the classic Rossi building. And he found a solution by placing a 4-storey building that is both elegant and harmonious, but at the same time neutral.

Now the headquarters of the 6th Leningrad Red Banner Army is located in the building of the Headquarters of the Guards Corps. air force and air defense.

General Staff Building (houses 6-10)

Main article: General Staff Building (St. Petersburg)

From the south, the square is framed by the General Staff building, built in the Empire style by the architect K.I.Rossi in 1810-1829. The building consists of three buildings (two in the eastern part and one in the western), which together make up an arc with a total length of 580 meters, connected by a triumphal arch, which is the compositional center and opens the main entrance to the square from the side of Bolshaya Morskaya Street. The arch is crowned with the victorious chariot of Glory (sculpture architects V.I.Demut-Malinovsky and S.S.Pimenov).

The buildings, in addition to the General Staff, housed the Ministry of War, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Ministry of Finance (in the eastern building). After the October Revolution, the building housed the People's Commissariat for Foreign Affairs, and later a police station. Currently, part of the building belongs to the Leningrad Military District. In 1993, the eastern wing of the General Staff building was transferred to the Hermitage.

Transport

Near the Palace Square, the history of public transport in St. Petersburg began: on August 27, 1863, the 1st route of the horse-drawn railway was opened from the Nikolaevsky (now Moscow) railway station past Palace Square to the Spit of Vasilyesvsky Island. Then the trams began to run from Palace Square to the 6th line. Vasilievsky Island across the Nikolaevsky (now Annunciation) bridge. The first run of the St. Petersburg land tram started on September 16 (29), 1907 from the Aleksandrovsky Garden, and on November 11, the first bus departed from there along the route Aleksandrovsky Sad - Baltiysky Station. After a long break under Soviet rule, on December 24, 1926, buses were resumed from the square along the route Uritskogo Square (Palace Square) - Zagorodny Prospekt - Vosstaniya Square.

As of January 1, 2011, no public transport passes through the square. Nearest metro stations:

The station "Nevsky Prospekt" on the line has an exit to the Griboyedov Canal at the corner of Nevsky Prospekt. This station is a transfer to the Gostiny Dvor station of the line, and passengers of this line can also use this exit. The distance from the metro exit to the center of the square is about 800 m.

After the scheduled opening for 2011, the nearest metro station will be Admiralteyskaya, which will be located on the line between Sadovaya and Sportivnaya stations with an exit to the corner of Malaya Morskaya Street and Kirpichny Lane. The distance from the metro exit to the center of the square in a straight line will be about 300 m, but taking into account the peculiarities of the location of the metro exit, the path from one point to another is 500 m.

On Dvortsovy Proyezd there is a ground public transport stop called “Dvortsovaya Ploshchad”. Buses of social routes No. 7, 10, 24, 191 and a number of commercial routes and trolleybuses No. 1, 7, 10, 11 stop there.

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