Beloselsky-Belozersky Palace

Situated in the Northern part of Saint-Petersburg, on a separate island, this refined edifice accomplished in classical style is named after a court official Ivan Elagin who used to have his estate in the 18th century here. The year 1817 appeared to be the turning point in the history of this complex. The emperor Alexander I acquired this palace for his mother, empress Maria Fedorovna who entrusted the prominent Italian architect Carlo Rossi with rebuilding of the fa?ade and redecoration of the palace’s interiors. Till October Revolution of 1917 it used to be a royal residence that together with the rest was nationalized by the Bolsheviks and the whole island became the Central Park of culture and rest. During the WWII this harmonious union of art and nature didn’t escape the tragic fate of the rest of the imperial residences. Due to the countless disastrous bombardments not a single structure was left habitable. It took the restores decades of enormous work and effort to restore the former facades and stunning interiors. Since 1987 it began to function as a museum thus visitors can marvel the ravishing beauty of the Oval Hall, Porcelain Room and Dinning room and attend temporary exhibitions that are held in the interiors of the palace.

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