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Home , Alexander Nevsky Lavra, Alexandrinsky Theatre, Anichkov Bridge, Anichkov Palace, Carlo Rossi (architect), Catherine Park

I love you, Peter’s great creation, St. Petersburg is recognized as one of the most I love your view of stern and grace, beautiful cities in the world. This city of a unique fate The wave’s regal procession, The grayish granite – her bank’s dress, attracts lots of tourists every year. Founded in 1703 The airy iron-casting fences, by , St. Petersburg is today the cultural The gentle transparent twilight, capital of and the second largest metropolis The moonless gleam of your of Russia. The architectural look of the city was nights restless, When I so easy read and write created while Petersburg was the capital of the Without a lamp in my room lone, . The greatest architects of their time And seen is each huge buildings’ stone worked at creating and parks, cathedrals and Of the left , and is so bright The Admiralty spire’s flight… squares: , Jean-Baptiste Le Blond, Georg Mattarnovi among many others. A. S. Pushkin, First named in honor of the a fragment from the poem Apostle Peter, the city on the Neva changed its name “The ” three times in the XX century. During , the city was renamed Petrograd, and after the death of the leader of the world revolution in 1924, Petrograd became Leningrad. The first mayor, Anatoly Sobchak, returned the city its historical name in 1991. It has been said that it is impossible to get acquainted with all the beauties of St. Petersburg in 3 short days. And this is true, since St. Petersburg has an infinite number of unique monuments. The route developed by the guides of the City Tourist Information Bureau will help you get your first idea about St. Petersburg and feel the enchantment of it. During the tour you will not only see the grand avenues, architectural ensembles and magnificent embankments of the Neva, but also learn a lot about the history of St. Petersburg and the daily life of its citizens. 2 3 Saint Petersburg in 3 days DAY 1

Let’s start our way from metro station. It got its name for a reason: its entrance hall is located on the ground floor of the city’s oldest department store, called Gostiny Dvor. The construction of the largest store in Saint Petersburg began in 1758 following the decree “On construction of a stone shopping under the plan of the chief architect Rastrelli”. Gostiny Dvor was finished in 1785 upon the project of the architect J-B. Vallin de la Mothe. Upon getting out of the metro station, we find ourselves on the main of the city, , which stretches for about 4.5 km from the Admiralty to the Lavra. The facades of 240 buildings look out onto Nevsky Prospect. Among them are palaces, churches and theatres. On the left you can see the Kazan Cathedral (built by A. N. Voronikhin), a U-shaped building with lots of columns. This is the cathedral church of the city, wherein the unique Icon of Our Lady of Kazan is kept. The Cathedral was built prior to the war with and became an original memorial to that event. Inside the Cathedral, the famous Russian commander­in-chief was buried. Flags, standards and keys to the conquered cities are kept here. In 1837, on the 25th anniversary of the victory over Napoleon, the monuments to the Field-Marshals M. I. Kutuzov and M. B. Barсlay de Tolly were erected in front of the Cathedral.

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Having visited the Kazan Cathedral, we are returning Alexander II, the -Liberator, was killed by a bomb to Nevsky Prospect. The building on the thrown at him. left corner was built for the Singer Company at the After a visit to the Church, we now reach beginning of the 20th century. It was the first building Konyushennaya Square. In 1720–1723, the livery yard with metal framing in Saint Petersburg. Now, the was built on the riverside. The Church of the largest book store of the city, “The House of Books”, is Holy Image of the Savior Not Made By Hands located there. (Konyushennaya) occupies the center of the square. We are now crossing the Griboedov Canal and In this very Church the funeral service for A. S. Pushkin heading to the Square of Arts via Inzhenernaya Street. was performed. Here, we can see the ensemble of the square. It We are now walking along the embankment and consists of the Mikhailovsky (now it is the State admiring a wonderful building leftward. It is the Russian ), the , the building of the Saint Petersburg State Capella. Capella building of the Theatre of Musical Comedy, the is the oldest professional institution in Russia, which Russian Ethnographic Museum and the Big Concert establishment and development is closely connected Hall of Saint Petersburg Philharmonia named after with the fate of the whole Russian music culture. D. D. Shostakovich. The ensemble was created upon On the right, the Pevсhesky Bridge is spread out. the project of the famous architect in the A great view of the opens up from early 19th century. In 1957, a monument to this bridge. This monument was devoted to Russia’s A. S. Pushkin, created by the sculptor M. K. Anikushin victory in the Patriotic War of 1812. It is topped with and the architect V. A. Petrov, was raised in the middle the statue of an angel, spearing a snake. This Column, of the square. 47.5 m in height and 600 tons in weight, stays in place The State is a real treasury of the under the load of its own weight and does not fall due national art. Paintings, graphics, sculptures, a large to precise calculations. collection of engravings, drawings, applied art and Having enjoyed the ensemble of the , folk craft objects are exhibited in the museum. let’s visit the State – one of the Having visited the Russian Museum, we can return main sights of the city. to the Griboedov Canal Embankment via Italianskaya 1764 is considered as the date of the foundation of Street. The Church of the Savior on Spilled Blood the Hermitage. At that time the Empress Catherine bursts upon our eyes in all its beauty. It was built the Great purchased a large collection of foreign upon the project of A. A. Parland and I. V. Malyshev in artists’ masterpieces. She founded a small museum, 1883–1907. The Church stands on the very spot where she used to spend many hours in seclusion. where, on March 1, 1881, the Russian Emperor She called it Hermitage (the French word “ermitage”

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means “a place of seclusion”). Now it is the most The is a park and garden ensemble frequently visited museum of the city: every year, created at the order of Peter I in 1704 by the architects over 3 million visitors come here to admire its famous I. Matveev and M. Zemtsov and the gardeners collections. Y. Roozen and I. Surmin. Today, the State Hermitage Museum complex After walking through the garden, we reach the includes five buildings: the , the Small Moyka River Embankment, where the Mikhailovsky Hermitage, the Old Hermitage, the stands proudly. and the New Hermitage. The exhibitions with It was built for the Russian Emperor Paul I in 1801, numerous masterpieces are placed in the halls of replacing the old wooden palace, where the Emperor those buildings. The total number of the Hermitage’s was born. The Mikhailovsky Castle was encircled with exhibits, including the Museum Storage, exceeds moats with lift-bridges and protected by the guards. three million items. It was in this castle, where Paul I was cruelly killed in Having visited the Hermitage Museum, we are his sleeping room only 40 days after moving into the walking along the . We are palace, on March 11, 1801. Later, the Castle was passing the – a building decorated assigned to the Engineering School and got its second with marble pilasters, originally built for the minion name – the Engineer’s Castle. of , Count Grigory Orlov. 32 types We suggest that you go on a boat trip along the of marble were used for finishing the facades and the rivers and canals at the end of your first day in Saint interiors of the Palace. Petersburg. You can start this unforgettable trip We proceed to walk along the Palace Embankment from several wharves in the city. The nearest one is and now, on our right, we can admire the monument located on 23 River Embankment, in front of to a Russian commander-in-chief A. V. Suvorov. It was the , which is famous for the horse unveiled on May 5, 1801, on the first anniversary of sculptures created by P. C. Clodt. The statues Suvorov’s death, on the Field of Mars. The generalissimo depicting four stages of horse taming were erected is presented as Mars, the Roman god of war. in the middle of the 19th century. The Palace Embankment starts from the Summer Garden. From the Embankment’s side, it is decorated with a delicate cast-iron railing (the architects Y. M. Felten and P. E. Egorov). The poet A. A. Akhmatova wrote about that railing: I want to the garden, where I was not old, To roses and railing – the best in the world…

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Let’s start our new day in Saint Petersburg at Gorkovskaya metro station. The St. Petersburg Mosque is located across the street. It is one of the largest mosques in and it can hold over 5 thousand people. The building of the Mosque was constructed within 11 years (1909–1920) upon the project of the architect N. V. Vasiliev with participation of the engineer S. S. Krichinsky and the architect A. I. von Gogen. Near the Mosque, at the crossing of Kuibyshev Street and Kronverksky Avenue, you can see a very beautiful building. It was a mansion of a great ballet dancer Matilda Kshesinskaya. This building, constructed in 1904–1906, is impressive in its magnificence. Today, the State Museum of Political is located here. We are crossing the Troitskaya Square, the oldest square of Saint Petersburg and its first administrative center. Long ago, it was the heart of the city. The shopping arcade, the customs, the market, the public and printing houses, the colleges were located around the square. However, it has lost its status of the central square since 1730s. We are approaching the Petrovskaya Embankment, where we can see the oldest building in Saint Petersburg – the Cabin of Peter I. It used to be the first wooden building in the city, the temporary residence of Peter I from 1703 till 1708. The Cabin was built within just three days – from May 24 to May 26, 1703. In 1930, a museum was opened in the Cabin: there you can see the artifacts and the household items that belonged to Peter I.

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Having visited the Cabin, we continue walking along designed many buildings here, including the Peter the Petrovskaya Embankment to the famous Aurora and Paul Cathedral. cruiser. The construction of the cruiser began in May, The Peter and Paul Cathedral is an architectural 1897, and in May, 1900 it was heaved off. The cruiser dominant of the historical center of the city. The bell participated in the Battle of Tsushima and in 1917 tower of the Cathedral is topped with a gold-plated the salvo from its gun served as a sign to begin the spire with a “flying” angel, which is a symbol of Saint storming of the Winter Palace. Petersburg. In accordance with the decree of Peter I The nearby blue building with white columns is the the Cathedral became a family vault of Russian Nakhimov Naval School. It was built in 1909–1910. The Emperors. The family vault of grand dukes is located school was named after the outstanding Russian near the Cathedral. naval commander, the hero of the Crimean War of For a long time the Fortress served as a political 1853–1856. prison for state prisoners and revolutionaries. In Having visited the Aurora Cruiser, we can return 1924, it became a museum. The exhibitions are placed back to the Petrovskaya Embankment. We can notice in the numerous buildings on the territory of the some strange stone animals there. These Foo Dogs Fortress. are made of the monolithic Manchurian granite. The After getting acquainted with the Peter and Paul weight of each statue amounts to 2400 kg, and their Fortress you can relax and have a meal in one of the height is 4.5 meters. restaurants on its territory. We are leaving the Let’s continue our walk along the Embankment to Zayachiy Island along the Kronverkskaya Embankment, the unique historical and architectural monument of and heading for the Birzhevoy Bridge and then Saint Petersburg – the . further to the to see the famous The Fortress was founded on the small Zayachiy ensemble of the Spit of Vasilyevsky Island and the Island in 1703 during the Northern War. The Fortress well-known . has a shape of an oblong hexagon and consists of It was Peter I who started to design and build over 6 bastions (the Menshikov Bastion, the Golovkin Vasilyevsky Island. He decided to make it a cultural Bastion, the Zotov Bastion, the Trubetskoy Bastion, and administrative center of the city. For those the Naryshkin Bastion and the Tsar Bastion), purposes D. Trezzini created a project that included connected with curtain walls, 2 ravelins and a construction of some governmental buildings – the crownwork. Peter I supervised the construction along Twelve Colleges buildings, the Stock Exchange, the with his confidants. Shopping Arcade and the Cathedral. When you stand inside the Fortress, you are amazed The new Stock Exchange was built upon the with the genius of the architect D. Trezzini who project of the architect Thomas de Thomon. It was

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designed in the high classicism style and reminds right there is a monument to M. V. Lomonosov on a us of an ancient naos. In front of the building, the granite pedestal, made in a traditional style. architect placed two Rostral Columns with the Rightward of the monument there is the Twelve allegoric figures at the bottom symbolizing the Colleges building, which currently houses the Saint great rivers of Russia: Volga, Dnieper, Neva, and Petersburg State University. Volkhov. The ensemble is finished by the aisles of The construction of the Twelve Colleges building the Southern and Northern pack-houses, divergent began in 1722 under the decree of the Emperor from the Exchange Stock building. Currently, Peter I, as part of a plan to create an administrative Zoological Museum and the Soil Science Museum quarter on Vasilyevsky Island. It was supposed to are located in those pack-houses. include the buildings of Senate, Synod and 10 colleges. Rightward at the Neva River embankment, in the The construction was designed by D. Trezzini, historical center of Saint Petersburg, the Kunstkamera T. Schwertfeger and M. Zemtsov. building, constructed at the beginning of the 18th We are moving further towards Trezzini Square. To century, is located. The Museum was founded under the right, we can see a sand-colored mansion. It is the the decree of Peter I to collect and explore rarities palace of A. D. Menshikov, the first governor of Saint created by nature and by people. Its doors opened to Petersburg. This building is a perfect example of welcome the first visitors in 1714. Currently, the architecture of Peter’s time. museum storage of the Peter the Great Museum of On the Universitetskaya Embankment there is one Anthropology and Ethnography under the Russian more educational institution – the Saint Petersburg Academy of Sciences (Kunstkamera) includes more State Academic Institute of Painting, Sculpture and than one million items. Architecture named after I. E. Repin – the oldest and On the other bank of the river, the spire of the first largest art university in Russia, which history goes Admiralty building is upcast to the sky. At first it was back to the . planned by Peter I just as a dockyard. The Admiralty The wharf in front of the Academy of Arts is guarded was required for building the ships for the Baltic by the Sphinxes. These statues, created by ancient Fleet. The ship atop of the spire of the Admiralty sculptors, were carried from Egypt to Saint Petersburg building is regarded as one of the symbols of Saint in 1832. The Sphinxes on the Universitetskaya Petersburg. It was the Admiralty which gave birth to Embankment serve as unofficial symbols of Saint the fleet, shipbuilding development and sea power of Petersburg. Russia. We turn to the Blagoveshchensky Bridge and once We continue walking along the Universitetskaya again come to the left bank of the Neva river. The Embankment to the Blagoveshchensky Bridge. On our Blagoveshchensky Bridge is the first permanent

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bridge across the Neva River, connecting Vasilyevsky The Cathedral is named after Saint Isaac of and Admiralteysky Islands. Dalmatia, whose encaenia day, in accordance with Upon going down the bridge we turn to the left the Orthodox Calendar, coincided with the and walk along the English Embankment. Here, the birthday of Peter I. ensemble of Senate Square, that consists of the The height of the building is 101.5 m. The complex of Senate and Synod buildings, opens up Cathedral is tiled with natural grey marble and its to us. Initially, they were built by the architect Carlo porticos are decorated with red monolithic Rossi to house two governmental bodies of the columns. Putting up 48 columns that are 17 m high Russian Empire: the Senate and the Holy Governing and weigh 114 tons was the greatest feat of Synod. engineering. The Cathedral is decorated with nearly Since May 2008, one half of the building has 400 sculptures, depicting iconographic scenes. In housed the main subdivisions of the Constitutional 1858, the Cathedral was consecrated and became Court of the Russian Federation. In May 2009, the the main church of the capital. Currently the B. N. Yeltsin Presidential Library moved into the Cathedral has a status of a museum, though the other half. church services are also held there for the most In the center of Senate Square, there is a important Orthodox holidays. monument to the founder of the city, Peter I (by The Cathedral is located on the Square of the E. M. Falconet). This monument is one of the highest same name. In the center of the Square the achievements of the European art of the 18th , built in 1856–1859, is century. The message and the image of the located. The project of the monument was monument were ingeniously reflected in the poetry developed by A. Montferrand and the horse of A. S. Pushkin. The name of the monument, The sculpture was created by P. C. Clodt. The base is Bronze Horseman, took root thanks to the famous decorated with allegoric female figures, poet’s “Petersburg story”. symbolizing Wisdom, Strength, Faith and Justice, Behind the Bronze Horseman you can see the Dome whose faces resemble those of the Emperor’s wife of the wonderful St. Isaac’s Cathedral, fascinating in and daughters. The alto-relievos depict the main its majesty. We will come closer to it after passing events of Nicholas I’s rule. through the Alexander Garden. The is located behind the The golden dome of the Cathedral can be seen monument. It was built in 1838–1844 by the from almost all parts of the city, as it is the architect A. I. Stackenschneider for the daughter of second highest historical building of Saint Nicholas I, called Mary. In 1907 L. N. Benois Petersburg after the Peter and Paul Cathedral. constructed an Assembly Hall for the State Council

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in this building. The orders and medals, which were awarded to the Hero-City Leningrad, are depicted on the facade of the Palace. Currently the building is occupied by the Legislative Assembly of Saint Petersburg.

You can finish this eventful day by having dinner in one of the restaurants, located near the St. Isaac Square, or walk to Nevsky Prospect and choose a cozy place to have a meal there.

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We are now starting the new day of our acquaintance with Saint Petersburg and its sights. Today we suggest a visit to one of the suburbs of the city, at your discretion: the famous palace and park ensembles of Peterhof, , or Pavlovsk (the last two are located side by side; that is why you can visit them at a time). If you decided to go to Peterhof, you can travel there from Avtovo metro station by mini buses No. 224, No. 300, No. 424, No. 424A or by buses No. 200 and No. 210. You can also go to Peterhof by water on board of a hydrofoil called “Meteor”. You can take it at the following address: 2 Admiralteyskaya Embankment. Peterhof is the former summer residence of Russian emperors. Today it is a museum and park complex, which impresses with its luxury and brilliance. It’s better to visit Peterhof in summer so that you could admire its famous fountains. Peterhof was constructed in accordance with the wish of Peter I to create a country seat which would be as luxurious as the French . The complex consists of two parts – the Upper Garden and the Lower Park. The Upper Garden occupies the area of 15 ha. Its gems are the fountains of fascinating beauty called Mezheumny and Dubovy, as well as the Neptune fountain and a cascade with a statue of Apollo. Several interesting are located in the older buildings of the park: the Imperial Bicycle Museum, the Museum of Collections and the Benois Family Museum. The Upper Garden and the Lower Park are divided by the Grand Palace.

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The Grand Palace is the central building of the There are eight palaces and halls in the Lower whole complex. The Grand Palace and the Grand Park. The most famous of them are the Monplaisir Cascade fountain constitute the compositional Palace (the first building in Peterhof and also Peter center of the and park ensemble. I’s favourite) the Hermitage Hall, the Imperial Personal belongings of Russian emperors, unique Yachts Museum, the Bath Block and the Marly porcelain, paintings, furniture and other items are Palace. exhibited in the Palace. If you decided to visit Tsarskoye Selo, you can travel The Lower Park with its museums and fountains there from Moskovskaya metro station by mini-buses fascinates visitors with its splendor. No. 342, No. 545 (the stop is called the State Museum Reserve Tsarskoye Selo) or from Kupchino metro The fountains calmly splash the water, station (bus No. 186). The garden breathes with sleepy chill… One of the main sights of Tsarskoye Selo is the F. I. Tyutchev Сatherine Palace. Here the best masterpieces of the age of the Empresses Elizaveta Petrovna and The sights of the Lower Park, the area of which Catherine the Great are gathered. You may see a exceeds 112 ha, are often placed on the photos and wonderful collection of paintings and sculpture postcards, depicting Peterhof. The main highlight displayed here. In the Palace you would also be able of the Lower Park is its fountains, which brought to visit the reconstructed , which global fame to Peterhof. The first fountains were fascinates with its unique and unparalleled beauty. launched way back in 1721, during Peter I’s rule. In The exposition devoted to the Romanov dynasty is of 1735 the Samson fountain appeared. Later, the particular interest. great architect C. Rastrelli created his famous On the territory of the there are statuary. The famous Higher and Lower Grottos are several museums, such as the Turkish Bath, the Grotto, located under the Grand Cascade fountain. The the Creaky Arbor and the Concert Hall. Grottos make up the center of the fountain Near the there is the Alexander complex. They were constructed in 1720 in Lyceum, the exclusive educational institution for the accordance with the idea of Peter I. The Grottos children of the nobility, founded by the Emperor amaze with their domes, decorated with marble Alexander I in 1811. From 1811 till 1817 A. S. Pushkin and gold-plated sculptures. In the Lower Grotto was the Lyceum’s student. you can see the exhibition, devoted to the fountain masters of the past.

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And in days spent far in secret valleys 600 ha. This is an outstanding masterpiece of garden In spring, where swans have a dying call, and park art of the late 18th and the first quarter of Near waters where the quiet lights fall, the 19th century. The Muse began to visit me. The Park has a perfect proportion of natural A. S. Pushkin landscape and architectural constructions, which are in harmony with the human world and the Here you can see the exposition devoted to the surrounding nature. youth of the poet, the nascence of his poetry and also a special exhibition on this advanced educational I still dream of the hills in my Pavlovsk, institution of the 19th and early 20th century. Round meadows, inanimate water, The museum reconstructs the atmosphere, in Very languish and full of the shadows. which the first Lyceum graduates, who appeared to It can be never ever forgotten. be the most brilliant ones as well, and were later A. A. Akhmatova called “the Pushkin classmates”, lived and studied. The Lyceum Museum was opened in Pushkin Town in 1974. Pavlovsk is located close to Tsarskoye Selo. It is another pearl in the necklace of Saint Petersburg suburbs. The and Park make up an ensemble of the late 18th and early 19th century. The Pavlovsk Palace was founded in 1782. The famous architect Ch. Cameron spent 10 years creating the Pavlovsk ensemble. His idea served as the basis not only for the Palace itself, but also for the whole design and composition of the villa with the park, the bridges, the alleys and the pleasances. The Palace was used as a summer residence of the Emperor Paul I and his family. The interiors of the Pavlovsk Palace are deemed as some of the best achievements of . The Pavlovsk Park is one of the largest landscape parks in Europe and occupies the area of more than

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If you decided to visit Gatchina, you can travel there platform of the Signal Tower offering picturesque from Moskovskaya metro station by either route views over the park and town. taxies No. 18, No. 18A or by bus No. 431. Located not far from the is another The State Museum-Reserve “Gatchina” is one of palace – the Priory. Built for the Emperor Paul I by the the most spectacular palace and park ensembles architect Nikolay Lvov in the 18th century, the Priory in the suburbs of St. Petersburg. At the heart of it Palace is the only architectural monument in Russia lies the Gatchina Palace, the former beloved built in rammed earth technique. To learn what residence of Paul I, Russia’s most enigmatic rammed earth technique is, visit the exposition emperor, “the Russian Hamlet”, whose spirit is opened in the Priory museum halls. said to still inhabit the ancient underground tunnel that connects the palace and the park. Not only can you descend into the mysterious underground, but you can also chat there with the “Echo nymph” – a mysterious voice that can tell you about rulers of the past, which plants are susceptible to frost, and so much more. From the magnificent halls of the grand suite of the 18th century, where luxurious furnishings are combined with the perfection of classical proportions, you can access the recently restored Greek Gallery – a kind of “museum within the museum” dedicated to the epoch of antiquity. Take the Light-filled Passage leading into the Arsenal Wing to see the Marble Staircase, a masterpiece by the Russian 19th century architect Roman Kuzmin Our tour around the city and its suburbs is over. During your stay in Saint who created one of the main Neo-Renaissance Petersburg, you have visited the most famous museums, palaces, churches and ceremonial interiors in the palace. parks. We tried to make every one of your days spent in the wonderful City on the Stop by the exposition of Alexander III’s private Neva eventful and unforgettable! rooms to discover the palace in a different way – as a cozy home where the emperor and his family lived, We hope that you will visit us again and enjoy worked, and relaxed. To conclude the tour of the the magnificence and hospitality of Saint Petersburg! Gatchina Palace, climb up 191 steps to reach the open

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Theater district It is the oldest Russian drama theater preserved to this day. The legendary Al- The excursion route will provide an op- exandrinsky Theatre, fully titled the Russian State Academic A. S. Pushkin Drama portunity for townsmen and guests of the Theatre, is the oldest national theatre in Russia. Established by a special order Northern Capital to go on an exciting jour- of the Senate, signed on Saint Al- ney through the theater district. Its length is exandre Nevsky day, August 30, only 800 meters and it lasts for one hour. 1756, by Peter the Great’s daugh- This trip promises to give a complete picture ter Empress Elizabeth, it became of the theatrical life of the Northern Capital. the common ancestor of all future Russian theatres, so the date it “Theater quarter” is a new direction of cul- was founded on is recognised as tural and educational tourism, which will be the Birthday of professional theatre very popular not only among the guests, but in Russia. The Alexandrinsky The- also among the residents of our city. The atre foundation had also laid the route is filled with memorable places associ- grounds for Russian state policy ated with famous historical events and per- towards theatrical art. For the two sonalities. It is important that any guest and hundred and fifty years of its existence, the Russian State Drama Theatre has al- resident of the northern capital can enjoy ways been the symbol of the Russian State. Since its foundation and until 1917 it the objects of the route from different points used to be Russia’s main imperial theatre, with the Emperors taking great personal of view: creative, educational and historical. interest in its affairs. Synthesis of culture and tourism is another example of familiarity with the history of the In 1832, the Russian State Drama Theatre moved to a magnificent new building, city. designed by great Carlo Rossi and located in the very heart of Saint Petersburg’s main street Nevsky Prospect. The building was christened the Alexandrinsky The- Along the route you can see Alexandrinsky atre after the wife of Emperor Nikolai I, Alexandra Fyodorovna, and has been part Theater, Museum of Theater and Musical of the world’s theatre history ever since. The unique building, with its five-tier au- Art, Theater Library, Vaganova Ballet Aca- dience hall, enormous stage, Tsar’s lobby and the splendid façade which is one demy. All objects fit perfectly into the context of old St. Petersburg and are within of the symbols of Saint Petersburg, is included into the list of world architectural walking distance from each other. In fact, this is one quarter bounded by Ostrovs- treasures protected by UNESCO. ky Square, Rossi Street (Zodchego Rossi street / Architect Rossi street / Rossi street), Lomonosov Square and the Fontanka River. It was here in the Alexandrinsky Theatre that practically every premiere of Russian classical theatre plays took place: from Woe from Wit by A. S. Griboyedov to the

28 29 Routes Theater district plays by A. N. Ostrovsky and A. P. Chekhov. During the 2005/2006 season, the Al- in the museum’s collection are: directors Vs. Meyerhold and A. Tairov, actresses exandrinsky Theatre underwent a thorough reconstruction, which both contributed M. Savina and V. Komissarjevskaya, artists A. Benois and L. Bakst, K. Malevich to restoring its historical image and at the same time gave it one of the best state- and V. Tatlin, composers N. Rimsky-Korsakov and D. Shostakovich, singer F. Cha- of-the-art stages in the world. liapin, ballet masters M. Fokine and F. Lopukhov, dancers V. Nijinsky and M. Bary- shnikov, A. Pavlova and G. Ulanova – to name but a few. Among the exhibits there are also private belongings of great composers, singers, and actors that help to Saint-Petersburg State Museum of Theatre and Music reconstruct the atmosphere, in which they lived and worked. The unique collection In the Museum of Theatre and Music and its branches visitors will learn interesting of videotapes gives a chance to meet actors of other countries. The Museum of facts about the history of Russian Theatre. There is a large collection of manu- Music in the Sheremetev Palace preserves the memory about theatrical and musi- scripts, playbills, theatrical portraits, miniatures, etchings, set and costume designs cal traditions of the celebrated noble family of Sheremetev. Here one of the world’s St.Petersburg State Museum of Theatre and Music is located in the building of biggest collections of musical instruments is also located. the former Management, erected in the 1st half of the 19th cen- In all the buildings of the museum there are halls where concerts and performan- tury by the great architect Carlo Rossi. This building remains one of the principal ces, meetings with famous actors and singers, musicians and artists, take place. exhibits of the museum. The facade windows of the museum overlook the Alexan- Museum’s aim is to connect the past and the present. The museum not only pre- drinsky Theatre – the centre of the architectural ensemble, – created by Rossi serves the memory of the old art, but also is a hospitable house for the modern specifically for the theatre. The mission of the museum is to preserve and revive art and probably a cradle for the art of the future. Non-surprisingly, a considerable theatrical legends for every visitor. number of productions, subsequently famous, were first presented here, and many In the museum and its branches (the N. A. Rimsky-Korsakov Museum, the future celebrities made their debut here. F. I. Chaliapin Museum, the Samo- The Memorabilia Department (8,000 exhibits) contains actors’ personal belon- ilov Family Museum, the Museum gings, decorations, orders and memorial medals, conductor’s batons, articles of of Music in the Sheremetev Palace) the 18-20th centuries theatre life, touching gifts of the audience to its idols – bal- you can see portraits of famous the- lerinas , Tamara Karsavina, conductor Eduard Napravnik, singers atre personalities of the past, the- Nikolai Figner and Ivan Yershov. atre designs by well-known artists, The gem of the Museum collection is a set of ballet shoes – from Maria Taglioni’s posters, manuscripts, theatre pro- to Natalia Makarova’s. It allows one to trace the evolution of the female dancing ps, set models – everything that will technique. help you imagine the legendary dra- ma and musical productions which There is also an extremely rare Collection of Theatrical Costumes, 2,000 in num- no longer exist. Among the most si- ber. It reflects the artistic versatility of the different theatrical epochs. Here there gnificant personalities represented are costumes of the legendary first night performance of M. Petipa’s “Sleeping Be- auty” (1890); the costumes of Fokin’s ballets, designed by Benois, Bakst, ­Anisfeld,

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­Golovin, Roerich; as well as the costumes for the experimental ballets of the Vaganova Ballet Academy 1920’s– 1930’s of the choreographic innovator Fyodor Lopukhov. On May 4, 1738 in St. Petersburg, the young capital of Russia, an event took place which was to have a great significance to the culture of the world. St. Petersburg State Theater Library By Imperial Decree of Empress Anna, the first Russian School of Theatrical For two and a half centuries, the Theatre Library has remained faithful to Dance was founded. Known as the Imperial Theatre School, it was establis- its purpose of supporting the domestic theatre. Many generations of rea- hed through the initiative of the French ballet master and teacher Jean-Bap- ders and employees have invested knowledge, work and love in its creation tiste Landé. Twelve girls and boys began to study ‘the foreign steps’ on one and development. St. Petersburg State Theater Library is one of the oldest of the upper floors of the Winter Palace. In 1801, Charles Didelot came to depositories in Russia. The date of its foundation is August 30, 1756 when St. Petersburg and took over the direction of the ballet company and its Empress Elizabeth established the first professional Russian theater. Origi- school. He taught at the Imperial Theatre School for over 20 years, pro- nating as a repertory library of the Russian theater troupe, Theater Library ducing many ballets and raising the level of ballet education to a very high was later transformed into the Central Library of the Directorate of Impe- standard. Following Didelot, other ballet masters of the French School came rial Theaters. For more than two hundred years the library has collected and carefully stored everything that is related to the national theater. Today the library fund includes a huge number of exhibits. It consists of valuable manuscripts and rare theatrical publications, documentary and creative ar- chives of theater-goers, pro- grammes and posters of performances, photographs, sketches of stage costumes and scenery. The whole his- tory of the Russian and So- viet theater fits in the halls of the Theater Library. It is very important that the collection is replenished continuously.

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to St. Petersburg: Jules Perrot, whose ballets Giselle and Esmeralda are church was restored in the part of the house adjacent to Lomonosov Squa- still performed to this day, Arthur Saint-Léon, who produced Coppelia and, in re. The temple was founded in 1806 and was the home church of the drama 1847, a teacher who was to profoundly influence the School – Marius Peti- school and the Directorate of Theaters. pa. During his sixty-three years in St. Petersburg, the prolific Petipa created forty-six original full-length ballets as well as countless divertissements and ballets for the opera stage. In collaboration with P. I. Tchaikovsky, Petipa Zodchego Rossi Street created the three greatest classical masterpieces of the 19th century, Swan The first name of the Architect Rossi Street was Teatralnaya (“Theatre”) street. Lake, Sleeping Beauty, and The Nutcracker. Today, these ballets still form It was designed by the architect Karl Rossi in the 1820s when redevelopment the repertoire cornerstone of classical ballet companies throughout the wor- of the entire space around the took place. The creation of the ld. Many of Petipa’s works were specifically choreographed for the Imperial architectural ensemble of this street began in 1828 when the relevant project Theatre School students. was approved by Emperor Nicholas I. The construction of houses and their exterior design was followed by the assistant of Rossi, architect V. Glinka. Agrippina Vaganova graduated from the School in 1897 and, after comple- ting her performing career, began to teach there in 1921. A masterful and astute teacher, Vaganova developed a codified and comprehensive syllabus that established a new era in ballet education. In 1957, six years after Vag- anova’s death, the School was named after her. The building of the Academy was originally constructed as an apartment building for the Department of Provinces of the Ministry of the Imperial Court. In 1836, following the highest order, the building was transferred to the Directorate of the Imperial Theaters. After the facade and interiors were altered by architect A. K. Kavos, the St. Petersburg Imperial Theater School moved in here. Due to this, house number 2 became one of the centers of the theater life in St. Petersburg. Until 1917 the Directorate of Imperial Theaters in a part of the building adjacent to Ostrovsky Square. Now it is occupied by the St. Petersburg Museum of Theatre and Music. Besides, today in this part of the building there is the St. Petersburg Theater Library. In the middle part of the building there is a Musical Library of the , founded in the early 19th century. In 1998 an Orthodox Holy Trinity

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Houses № 2–4 were intended for the Department of Provinces of the Ministry was a need to clean up certain areas of the city. Architect K. I. Rossi of the Imperial Court. In houses No. 1–5 it was planned to place the Office of was entrusted with the redevelopment of the Anichkov Palace estate Military Schools. But the house was given to the Ministry of Public Education (by the middle of the 18th century, it was the territory from the Fontan- and the Internal Affairs. On the first floor of the buildings Rossi designed open ka River to along Nevsky Prospect) and the adjacent arcades for shops. In 1835 Nicholas I decided to transfer the ballet school here. territory between Nevsky Prospekt and Chernyshevsky Lane (modern In the 1890s, Anna Pavlova, Mikhail Fokin, Agrippina Vaganova graduated Lomonosov Street). A small garden in this square was laid out in the from the school. In October 1923 the street was renamed Architect Rossi 1870s. In 1892, a bust of M. V. Lomonosov by sculptor P. P. Zabello was Street. Since 1957 the ballet school has been called the Vaganova Ballet installed at its center. Academy. House on the Fontanka river embankment, 55 Lomonosov Square Famous artists lived in the apartments of this house and important mee- Lomonosov Square (until 1948 – Chernyshev Square) is situ- tings in Russian history were held here. The previous apartment house ated between Architect Rossi Street and the embankment of was built in the eclectic style by architect R. E. Bergman in 1863–1865. the Fontanka river. It was named in honor of M. V. Lomonosov. The house was built in 1901 by architect P. I. Gilev. Lomonosov Square is the bridgehead area of ​​the Lomonosov Bridge. From 1916 to 1955 an outstanding actress E. P. Korchagina-Aleksandrovs- the Fontanka River Embankment, Architect Rossi Street, Lomonosova kaya lived in this house. She Street, and Torgovy Lane converge here. At the beginning of the 18th acted on stage of the Alexan- century, the process of con- drinsky Theater. In her memory centrating the most important a memorial plaque was instal- architectural structures on the led on the facade of the house banks of the Neva and in the (sculptor M. T. Litovchen- surrounding areas took place. ko, architect V. V. Fedotov). The future square of Lomono- After major repairs in June sov was a city suburb, until the 2007, this building houses a middle of the century this place boutique hotel. was occupied by the manor of Anichkov Palace. By the midd- le of the 18th century, there

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New Stage of the Alexandrinsky Theater ge could be transformed into an auditorium for 300 seats. It is the most mo- dern theatre venue in Russia in terms of technical equipment. A unique multifunctional theatre center opened in 2013. The field of activity of the New Stage of the Alexandrinsky Theater is not The architectural design carefully integrates the ensemble of the New Stage limited to the theater art itself: in the future the complex should become not buildings into the historic urban environment between Ostrovsky Square only the all-Russian center of the modern theater process but also one of and the , next to the main building of the Alexan- the main modern art venues in St. Petersburg. On the territory of the New drinsky Theater. Stage contemporary art exhibitions will be held regularly, programs in the The ensemble of the New Stage of the Alexandrinsky Theater consists of field of video art will start to be implemented, a discussion club will be ope- three buildings: a performance venue, a media center and an educational ned with lectures, master classes, and workshops of specialists in the field complex for postgraduate training in key theater professions. The main sta- of contemporary art. Among the most important activities of the complex is the implementation of an educational outreach program that emphasizes and develops the idea of the complex as an institution aimed at searching and experiment.

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balls which were saved by a his- ʺBalls, champagne wine, valets, cadets…ʺ torical memory of 18th and 19th (the Russian Empire ball life) centuries. Vintage child’s play asks the question: ʺMistress sent a dres- sing-table. In a dressing-table there is 100 Rubles. Buy what you want, but don’t tell ʺnoʺ, don’t take black and white. In which dress will you go to a ball?ʺ You can go on this child’s play: where could you go to a ball in Saint Petersburg? In the time of a new capital foundation on the Neva river shore, dances were in- herent part of European society life which was the ambition of Peter the Great. It was not only an entertainment and a kind of leisure activity. It was widely thought that dance helps to work out a deportment distinguishing a noble person from a bumpkin and it also helps to learn and hone manners. One could tell person could become a good courtier from the way person danced. In the new capital first balls comes out quite early, in 1711. In 1718 after his re- turn from Europe, Peter the Great issued his famous edict about Assemblies which became prototype of splendid Russian balls. Also he brought into vogue dancing skill – imperial couple loved to dance and knew a lot of dances. Saint Petersburg was a capital of the Russian Empire. It was the place where all In the days of Anna Ioanovna dances flourished. Namely this Empress opened public life was concentrated – policy, culture, entertainments. In this vortex of high Overland nobleman site where all Russian noble sons dreamed to learn and whe- society conventionalities balls were their important part – from splendid balls at re dances was a compulsory subject; dancing school famous nowadays as the gorgeous palaces of emperors and nobles to cosy chamber balls at private com- Russian Ballet Academy named after A. Ya. Vaganova. During the reign of Anna moner’s houses. Ioanovna made appearance a tradition of a regular imperial balls – each year at the same feasts, for example at the patron saints Remembrance days of Russian Actual route invites you to seat in a virtual carriage and visit the most exquisite orders St. Andrew the First Called and Alexander Nevsky, at the Christmastide, at

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the Empress Name day and at the didn’t wasting the opportunity to use day of her enthronement – at these public feasts to liquidate a wides- days there were the balls at the Win- pread society vices: for example, in ter Palace or another imperial resi- December 1764 guests of the public dence. As the years passed during fancy-dress ball had an opportunity the reign of other emperors some of to watch a few moral performances the celebration days were changed, before it’s starting. Gained populari- but tradition of annual imperial balls ty in a high society fancy-dress balls dedicated to important calendar mi- however didn’t push out traditional lestones remained constant. balls. Ball was organizing at the ʺElizabeth was the joyful queen, court on each Sunday and it was she sing and joy…ʺ – wrote Aleksei starting with a Minuet: the Grand Tolstoy about the reign of Peter the Great’s daughter. For real, at the days of this Prince with the Grand Princess, after them courtiers and guard officers holding the Empress all Saint Petersburg danced, moreover at the books of that times was rank not lower than Colonel. After that were following contradances and ʺpolishʺ written that all novelties featured at the Versailles appeared in Petersburg within 4 dances. Grandees organized private balls every day. According to the Komarovsky, weeks only. Foreigners admiringly imaged that 15 pairs were organically and con- on Wednesdays balls had princess Golitzina, on Sundays – countess Saltykova temporaneous stepping a Minuet ahead of the Empress. At the days of Elizabeth and so on. Merchants also organized balls and fancy-dress balls at their assem- fancy-dress balls were remarkable popular. In fairness it must be said that usual- blies. ly all balls for which were prepa- During the reign of Emperor Pavel situation changed. Balls and fancy-dress balls red special dancing dresses was became disfavor, especially it concerned a new dance appeared at that period – called “fancy-dress balls”. Faces waltz, which was temporary forbidden by the Emperor. There was issued a directi- were masked not in every instan- ve binding to turn off the light at 10 p. m. and therefore to finish all entertainment. ce. According to the directive policemen watched at all fancy-dress balls which were Loving of fancy-dress balls also marching on at private houses and theaters. For five years fancy-dress balls were was inherited by Catherine the liquidated substantially. Great. At her reign public court The beginning of Alexander’s reign was marked by splendid celebrations in both balls and fancy-dress balls didn’t capitals – Saint Petersburg and . Fancy-dress balls became one of the budge on the splendor of similar most popular entertainment in 19th century by reason of their freedom and in-game feasts in the days of Elizabeth. As- origin. Public fancy-dress balls traditionally took place at the Winter Palace on the piring for enlightenment Empress January, 1. Delegates of different classes got together at the feast with more than

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30000 guests. Feasts were stately, halls were decorated with great painters’ works was equal immodestly to put on street clothes or evening dress at a party – guests which inspired societarian beauties to compose a life paintings. Balls were opening had to primp slightly. Party atmosphere was easy and joyful, evening program de- with the ʺPolonaise danceʺ, after there were following anglaises, ecossaises and pended on host’s flair: it could be dances, dinners or card plays, discourses or argu- quadrille. Mazurka appeared in Saint Petersburg in 1810. ment conducts. Sometimes guests played skip rope and forfeits or danced waltzes. In the days of Nicholas I balls were given all year round except abstinence period. In the days of Alexander II, in mid-to-late 19th century public balls in aid of a charity As before winter was a main ball time. Balls were held at the Bolshoi Theater and with entrance fee or special police permission became more popular. Public fan- Nobility Assembly. They started at 9 or 10 p.m. to the strains of the polonaise from cy-dress balls and concerts were organizing by the Imperial Theaters Directorate, Rossini’s opera ʺHermionaʺ and commonly continued till daybreak. Carousels – about six fancy-dress balls were organizing by Petersburg Nobility Assemble and horse dances – come into vogue reflecting interest in past. ʺBall with a peasantsʺ Moscow Honorable Assemble. Charities couldn’t organize fancy-dress balls. They as a tribute to the times was held on the 1st of January 1828 at the Winter Palace. was able to organize only public balls with lotteries, bazaars and auctions no more More than a half of the ball guests were St. Petersburg bourgeoisies. Also at those than once in a year at the days coordinated with the Imperial Theaters Directorate. days dancing parties were very popular, not only balls. The difference between At educational institutions and private clubs fancy-dress balls were organizing wi- dancing party and ball lied in that dancing party didn’t claim a lot of guests. There thout entrance fee. Also there were children balls. In the halls of Nobility Assemble on 16th of February 1878 the charity ball was given by French colony to support of families of killed and wounded in the war. The ball ingathered about 5000 guests in spite of entrance tickets high price. Court balls of the last quarter of 19th century in the reign of Alexander III were fundamentally symbolic and they had strongly pronounced political character. On January 24, 1888 famous Green or also known as Emerald ball took place at the Winter Palace. At that ball most of women wore emerald jewelers had color of ever- green hope. Growing animosity between Russian and Austro-Hungarian Empires reflected in so called Black ball which was given on January, 26 1889 at the Anich- kov Palace in Saint Petersburg. “Black dresses, black hand fans, black gloves and black shoes – all of dresses were delightful. White diamonds and pearls on black satin, silk, gauze and dark tulle shimmered bright. Music program consisted of Vi- ennese music only.” Guests waltzed to the ʺWiener Blutʺ, had supper to the strains of the ʺHungarian danceʺ analogous to czardas. In the early 20th century in the days of Russian last Emperor, capital ball life aba- ted in steps. Dancers continued their ʺlightʺ dances repertoire with mazurka and waltz only. Usually after waltz there was the Hungarian dance, cracovienne, pas

44 45 Routes «Balls, champagne wine, valets, cadets…» de patineurs, pas d’Espagne and pas de quatre. Polka, mazurka and others were Cadet Corps. Already in 1731 the building and the entire vast plot of land were extruded step by step with more reposeful dances in which dancers could show handed over to the Cadet Corps. Soon a complex of new buildings was built on the their grace and exquisiteness. Pas de quatre and chaconne resembled the idea territory (1, 3 and 5 building on the Cadet line). and tempo of ʺFêtes galantesʺ old dances – the period of court culture flourishing. Children of noblemen entered to the First Cadet Corps, where they were given a very In the end of the First World War cosy family parties became popular. Tango and good education. One of the disciplines was dancing with the teacher Jean-Baptiste fox-trot were novelty. However fox-trot wasn’t counted as a real dance, tango role Landé. Under his leadership, the cadets staged ballet performances, performed by wasn’t sizable and there were a lot of indelicate anecdotes about this dance. them in the Winter Palace before the Empress Anna Ioannovna. But since the ca- dets, leaving the corps, left the troupe, Anna Ivanovna granted Landé a petition for the creation of a special dancing school, whose students would have to learn how 1. Menshikov Palace to dance as well as graduates of the First Cadet Corps. Universitetskaya naberezhnaya, 15 It was here, in the Menshikov Palace, that the assemblies and balls of Peter the 2. Academy of Arts Great were held, including his wedding ball. Later, the First Cadet Corps was loca- ted here, the first institution of higher education in the country, where was taught, Universitetskaya naberezhnaya, 17 including dancing, in order to shine at the balls. From the second half of the 19th century, professional societies began to emerge The Menshikov Palace was built for the close of Emperor Peter I, the first gover- for social protection, assistance in finding employment and material support for its nor of St. Petersburg, Alexander Danilovich Menshikov. The palace was built in poor members. These societies often arranged their own charitable holidays. The the style of the , it is the first stone building of St. Petersburg. costume balls of the architects were distinguished by their relaxed atmosphere and Authors of the project – are invited dance programs. architects Giovanni Mario Fontana Most of all, traditional masquerades and Johann Gottfried Schädel. The of artists, which appeared in the construction of the palace began in early 1860s and were originally held May 1710, according to the design in the halls of the Academy of Arts, of Giovanni Mario Fontana and Jo- became famous. Here they raised hann Gottfried Schädel. By 1714, funds to help ʺinsufficientʺ students most of the construction works were in institutions. These balls united completed, but the interior decorati- students and teachers in leisure on was conducted to 1727. In 1731, time. At the peak of their populari- the architect Domenico Trezzini re- ty, in the late 1880s – early 1900s, constructed the building for the First these costume balls began to be or-

46 47 Routes «Balls, champagne wine, valets, cadets…» ganized in the best halls of the capital: in the Noble Assembly building, in theaters as Jean-Baptiste Vallin de la and in the . All St. Petersburg came to the artists’ balls: members of Mothe, Andrey Mikhailov II, Ber- the royal family, writers, artists, art critics and St. Petersburg artists – from students nard de Simon, Ippolit Monig- of the Academy to famous artists. hetti, Vasily Kenel, Aleksandr Stepanov, Andrey Vajtens, Preparations for the masquerade ball went on for several months: the scenery, Andrey Beloborodov were wor- costumes, invitation cards, living pictures and art processions were created in king on the palace. accordance with the chosen theme of the ball. So, for example, in 1892, the ball was called ʺKupala Eveʺ, in 1900 – ʺThe Triumph of Beauty, or Phryne at the The palace belonged to five ge- Eleusinian Festivalʺ, in 1901 – ʺBall-Fairy Taleʺ, in 1906 ʺBall-Springʺ, in 1907, the nerations of the Yusupov nob- ballrooms depicted the Athenian Acropolis and the Greek market. A ball in the sty- le dynasty from 1830 to 1919. le of Louis XV, held in 1908, in addition to decorations that imitated furniture and Many important events of Rus- decorations of that time, corresponding to music and costumes, included the per- sian and St. Petersburg history formance of dances from the 18th century. In the year of the century of Alexander are associated with the family Pushkin, on February 22, 1899, in the halls of the Noble Assembly, the Academy residence on the Moika embankment. organized a ball in memory of the poet, decorated with illustrations to his writings. The Palace went down in Russian history as the place of the assassination of Gri- At the balls, artists often painted blitz portraits, participated in costume contests, gory Rasputin, a Siberian peasant who became the spiritual mentor and friend of with prizes to which were paintings by renowned masters – and the family of Emperor Nicholas II. The tragedy took place on the night of Decem- . Students who did not wear tail-coats chose their costumes in the aca- ber 17, 1916 in the living quarters of the young Prince . demic dressing room. The last such ball took place in 1917. Throughout its history, numerous luxurious balls were held in the palace. The ball- room of the palace is used even now. 3. Yusupov Palace naberezhnaya reki Moiki, 94 4. Theater Square The Yusupov Palace is a unique architectural ensemble of the 18th–20th centuries Teatralnaya pl., 3 and a cultural and historical heritage site of federal importance known as the ʺEn- cyclopediaʺ of St. Petersburg aristocratic interior. Theater Square appeared three decades after the foundation of the city in the 1730s. At the beginning of the 18th century it was called Brumbergskaya or Brumbergova The history of the palace and manor house traces its origin to Peter the Gre- square, by the name of the owner of the nearby Brumberg saw mills. at’s epoch, the time of foundation of the ʺNorthern capitalʺ. The complex was built almost two centuries. The prominent Russian and foreign architects such This square was formed during the reign of Catherine the Great because of

48 49 Routes «Balls, champagne wine, valets, cadets…» the ­construction of the Big (or Stone) Theatre. The theatre, which could hold up 5. Engelhardt’s house to 3,000 spectators, was the most significant theatrical construction in Saint Pe- (nowadays – The Small Hall of the St.Petesburg Philharmonia) tersburg at the time. In the evenings the Kolomna district attracted St. Petersburg elite. Nevsky pr., 30 At this address in the years 1759–1761 a three-storey mansion was built for Ge- A new building of the Mariinsky neral A. N. Vilboa. The building beca- theater of Opera and Ballet was me the property of Prince A. M. Go- built in the 1860s. The stars of litsyn in 1766. At the end of the 18th St. Petersburg ballet still shine century, his widow rented a house to on the stage of this theater. In French emigrant Lyon; he arranged the place of the Big Theater, masquerades and concerts here. In the Conservatory was erected. 1799 the building passed to the mil- It had its own opera and ballet lionaire merchant M. S. Kusovnikov. theater. The house belonged to O. M. Engel- hardt, daughter of the merchant Ku- In Russia ballroom dance tea- sovnikov, when from 1829 to 1832 it chers were mostly dancers and was rebuilt by the architect P. P. Jaco dance masters of the Bolshoi in the forms of late classicism. The Theater, later – the Mariinsky Theater. Dance trainings began at the age of 5–6, and building became four-storied, at the by the age of 8 children were already familiar with the most popular dances. Dance level of the third and fourth floors the classes were held either individually or in groups with children from several families at central part of the facade is marked by a portico. Among the new premises, the concert hall with excellent acoustics stood out. Colonel V. V. Engelhardt, the hus- once. It was believed that ʺstraightening of the body straightens the soulʺ. band of the hostess, continued by tradition to arrange musical evenings. In the At the beginning of the 19th century, the method of teaching ballroom dancing was 19th century, commercial balls spread in Russia. Masquerades were often held in characterized by severity and consistency: children were forced to repeat various this house in the 1830s (before banning private balls). It is on such a ball that the dance movements. The old school teachers taught with them the minuet a la reine action of Lermontov’s ‘Masquerade’ takes place. and were not in a hurry to move on to the development of new dances until the minuet Engelhardt held the evening of the Noble and Small Burgher meetings. In the was not performed perfectly. Dancing allowed young people to gain grace and ʺregal Philharmonic Hall were Berlioz, Wagner, Strauss, Liszt, Schumann, Glinka, Ru- postureʺ. The famous dance masters and dancers such as Le Picq, Yuar, Auguste, binshtein and Polina Viardo. In the 1845–1850s, the bookstore of A.F. Smirdin Didelot, Kolosova, Novitskaya, Dyutak, Ebergard taught in St. Petersburg. By the end was located on the first floor. of the century many ballet dancers were engaged in teaching dance. It is necessary In the early 1880s after the restructuring of the building a bank vault was built in to mention Leonid Stukolkin and Nikolay Gavlikovsky, who danced in the corps-de- the courtyard (architects Berngard and Alish). In 1895–1896, the bank premises ballet and issued special reference books on dances ʺfor all interested peopleʺ. were reconstructed (architect Benois).

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6. St. Petersburg Assembly with their wives and daughters, young officers – “dancers”, and some persons under the special instructions of their majesties were invited to attend. The tsar went out of a of the Nobility polonaise, a waltz was followed by a polonaise, and a dinner began after a mazurka. Mikhailovskaya ul., 2 The last costume ball in the Winter Palace was held in 1903, it was stylized as Assembly of the Nobility was the cen- Russia of the 17th century. On the eve of the Russо-Japanese War, the appeal to ter of ball life in the nineteenth century. the Russian theme was particularly relevant. They prepared for these balls with The halls were not only used by the particular diligence and even held a kind of temporal rehearsal in the Hermitage Assembly itself, but were also leased Theater. to other societies (for example, the so- The last ball was given in the Winter Palace in January 1904. ciety of artists). In this building in St. Petersburg, a Christmas ball was tra- ditionally held for children. 8. Taurida Palace Balls were a place where young peo- ple were introduced to society; it was here that their adult life began in the elite. The Shpalernaya ul., 47 girl began attend balls at the age of 16‒18, when she was considered like a bride. The Taurida Palace was built on the A young man of the same age went only to private balls. The first appearance of a orders of Catherine II for her favorite, young nobleman at big balls was already connected with his obtaining an officer’s the His Serene Highness, G. A. Po- rank or state position. The first ball was an examination for the confirmation of matu- temkin. About 400,000 rubles in gold rity, luck on it ensured further success in the world. was spent on the construction and decoration of the palace. The palace 7. Winter Palace was named after the title of Prince Dvortsovaya pl., 2 of Tauride, which was granted to the It is certain, the imperial balls were the temporary worker in 1787, after the most luxurious in the city. Since the annexation of the Crimea (Tavrida) to time of Anna Ioannovna, whose pala- ce situated here, they were subject to the Russian Empire. One of its de- strict regulations and on the same da- corations was the antique statue of tes every year. The high society was Venus of Tauride, brought to Russia invited to the imperial balls on special in the time of Peter I. lists, where everyone strove to go. In this palace in 1791, the most famous ball of the 18th century was given in honor of During the last reign, the court ball in the capture of Ismail (and in fact – a gift from Potemkin to Catherine II in the hope of re- the Nikolaevsky Hall was given once turning her favor). In addition to incredible expenses, the ball was known for preparing a year. Foreign diplomats with their fa- the whole high society for it: the most eminent aristocrats performed a quadrille dance, milies in one of the four classes, the for which the wonderful choreographer Charles Le Picq composed dances, the music oldest officers of the guard regiments of Osip Kozlovsky, and the poetic accompaniment – Gavriil Derzhavin. 52 53 54