The Marble Palace in St. Petersburg, Russia

The Marble Palace, tucked away between the vast Field of Mars (Marsovo Pole) and the mighty Neva River, boasts some formidable architecture and an interesting history. Thirty-two different types of marble were used to decorate the building's facades and interiors, hence its name. In the last few years the palace has seen a major transformation and has become part of the Russian Museum and home to its excellent collection of Modern and Pop Art. At about the same time the Bolshevik armored car that had stood in the palace's courtyard for years, was replaced with a sturdy equestrian statue of Emperor Alexander III.

The palace features several very diverse collections.

Visitors to the Marble Palace can enjoy the museum's very popular permanent collection of Modern and Pop Art, featuring paintings, graphics and sculpture and a couple of well-known canvasses by Pop Art idol Andy Warhol.

Another regular feature of the Marble Palace is the "Peter Ludwig Museum at The Russian Museum". This collection of 20th century art originated as a gift from the famous European art collector Peter Ludwig. If you like modern art - this is the place to go.

Those who love traditional European art will certainly enjoy the exhibition "Foreign Artists in Russia (the 18^th and the 19^th centuries)". Numerous foreign artists flocked to Russia and were greeted with enthusiasm by the Imperial court and encouraged to settle here. This exhibition displays some interesting canvasses painted by foreigners, many with Russian themes and a fascination for Russian history and folklore.

The History of the Marble Palace

The Marble Palace building was commissioned by Empress Catherine the Great for her favorite Count, Grigory Orlov. The palace was designed and built between 1768 and 1785 by the Italian-born architect Antonio Rinaldi. The solid, stern-looking palace was richly and expensively decorated with a staggering 32 different types of marble. Although the majority of the palace's interiors were reconstructed, the Marble Hall still features its original decorations and is a fine credit to Rinaldi's artistic work.

When Count Orlov died in 1783, the palace was given to the last Polish king Stanislaw Ponjatovsky, who was then living permanently in St. Petersburg. Upon his death the palace became one of the official residences of the various Grand Dukes, prominent members of the Russian Royal Family.

In 1937 the Museum of Vladimir Lenin moved into the Marble Palace and the historic armored car used in the Bolshevik Revolution was mounted in the courtyard. During the early 1990s the palace was given to the Russian Museum and the armored car was replaced by a sturdy equestrian statue of Emperor Alexander III.