The Palace of Grand Duke Vladimir Alexandrovich

We continue the discovery of Saint Petersburg through its many palaces dating from the imperial era.

Today I present to you a glimpse of the magnificent palace of Grand Duke Vladimir Alexandrovich, son of Emperor Alexander II, which means the uncle of the last emperor of Russia, Nicolas II. I have wanted to visit it for a very long time, finally it happened, and I am delighted.

C’est magnifique !

*It's magnificent !

About the Palace Owners

Located on the waterfront of the South bank of the river Neva, an area extremely prized by the Russian aristocracy, opposite the Peter and Paul Fortress, next to the Winter Palace, The Vladimir Palace was one of the last imperial palaces to be constructed in Saint Petersburg.

The opening of the palace was timed for a solemn event - the marriage of Grand Duke Vladimir Alexandrovich with the Duchess of Mecklenburg-Schwerin in 1874, later known as Maria Pavlovna. Vladimir and Marie met in Germany in 1871 and quickly fell in love, but the marriage happened after a three-year delay due to Marie's refusal to convert to Orthodoxy and remain Lutheran.

Vladimir followed a military career but, always showed deep artistic and intellectual pursuits. He was therefore appointed President of the Academy of Fine Arts and was also a trustee of the Moscow Public Museum and the Rumyantsev Museum. As a patron of many artists and as a sponsor of the Imperial Ballet, he notably financed Sergei Pavlovich Diaghilev's troupe "Ballets Russes".

Being a painter and fervent collector, along with his wife, Maria Pavlovna, in their apartments, we can discover a large collection of Russian paintings by the best artists of his time, from Ilya Repin, Ivan Aivazovsky, Fyodor Bruni, Vasily Vereshchagin, Ivan Kramskoy, Mikhail Vrubel, to Nikolai Sverchkov.

Both Grand Duke Vladimir and his wife were witty and ambitious. They enjoyed entertaining, hosted soirées where the guests included Rachmaninov, Rimsky-Korsakov, and Chaliapin.

Their residence in Saint Petersburg became the heart of the Imperial capital's social life.

History of the Palace

The building of the Palace is designed in the original and fashionable style of that time: eclectic, which means it mixes and matches different periods, cultures, and materials, resulting in a unique and personalized look. From a Florentine Renaissance exterior to a Moorish, Gothic, Neo-Classic, Rococo and even Russian-style interior.

The palace is a museum by itself, which was a popular practice during the Victorian era.

The place where the palace is located, had previously been occupied by the house of Count Vorontsov-Dashkov, and it was enlarged by purchasing the neighboring house of Madame Karatinga.

In 1830, the mansion was first completely rebuilt by the architect Glinka, in 1896, it was sold to the Cabinet of His Imperial Majesty; and for the Grand Duke Vladimir Alexandrovich, the place was partially rebuilt in the Art Nouveau style by the architect Meltzer.

After the October Revolution of 1917, the property was confiscated by the Soviet government and became then the place for the Russian Academy of Sciences (Дом Учёных).

Thankfully, the palace has been preserved to a greater extent than other Romanov family residences.

The Main Staircase

Chinese porcelain Vase

The Entrance

The White Room

The Raspberry Living Room

Another Living Room

The Boudoir

The Green Bedroom

The Winter Garden

The Dance Hall

The Palace in detail

The Neo-Renaissance facade of the 360-room palace resembles an Italian palazzo of the 15th century and looks rather modest, until you step inside.

The magnificent inside staircase leads you to luxurious interiors, a palace considered by art historians a major monument to the 19th-century passion for historicism.

Each room differs significantly from each other in the nature of its decoration.

When you come to visit, you will see :

The Majestic Main Staircase : Made in the style of the French Renaissance, it is gracefully curved with twelve steps and decorated with sumptuous sculptures, ornaments, and sparkles of gold.

The Raspberry Living Room : Made in the Italian Renaissance style, this is the largest room of the palace. The ceiling is decorated in the same way as the ceilings in the Doge's Palace in Venice, and the chandelier was made at the Murano factory from milky Venetian glass. The walls are decorated with paintings from the Grand Duke collection, a fine collection.
The White Living Room : Decorated in the style of Louis XVI, it follows The Raspberry Living Room.
The Boudoir : This room, exclusively reserved for women, is an example of the Moorish style. The vaulted ceiling and walls are painted with an oriental, gilded pattern, one window in the boudoir faces the Palace Embankment. Above the fireplace is a portrait of Vladimir Alexandrovich's daughter, Elena Vladimirovna, in oriental attire.
The Green Bedroom : It overlooks the inner courtyard and allows you to see the grandeur of the palace, which extends all the way to "Millionaire Street"
The Winter Garden : A winter garden with a large collection of plants and flowers was laid out in the palace at the beginning of the 20th century.
White or Dance Hall : In the Rococo style or a la Madame Pompadour, with a picturesque ceiling representing "The Triumph of Flora" by V.P. Vereshchagin, It's surrounded by white and gold molding.

What exists, but was not opened to the public :

The office of Grand Duke Vladimir Alexandrovich : The interior is in Art Nouveau style, and shows a strict, finished look.
The Golden Staircase : This smaller staircase is decorated with Lyon silk with velvet edging, large mirrors in elegant "rococo" frames, bronze floor lamps, and Baghdadhan lapis lazuli.
The Oak Hall : In the "Russian" style, it's one of the most elegant rooms in the palace. The walls are decorated with panels painted by V. P. Vereshchagin on the subjects of Russian epics and fairy tales.
The Lower Banquet Hall : Made in Venetian style, it used to be the original family dining room.