Palace of Grand Duchess Olga Alexandrovna (Baryatinsky Mansion)
This is the house where Grand Duchess Olga Alexandrovna (1882-1960) spent her last days in Russia. Alexandrovna was the youngest daughter of Tsar Alexander III and the last of the Romanov grand duchesses. She was also a patron of the arts and eventually emigrated to first Denmark then Canada. In 1901 she married George Frederick Peter, the Duke of Oldenburg. The marriage proved unsuccessful and they were divorced in 1916. She moved into the palace in 1896 and, although it had had several other owners before her, it is nonetheless most commonly associated with her name.
This grandiose, crimson mansion was built in several stages. First, there was a small house for the artillery specialist Feodor Aprelev. Then in 1837, the building came into the possession of the Baryantinsky family, who could trace their lineage all the way back to Rurik, the 9th century Vangrian chieftain seen as the father of the Russian nation. In the 18th and 19th centuries, the Baryantinksy family occupied a prominent position in society. Alexander Baryatinsky served in the Caucasus and with the capture of the Shamil, leader of the mountain tribes there, was promoted to field marshal. The house was rebuilt for Baryatinsky by the architect Yegor Dimmert in 1837. In 1858, Harald Bosse created a new design greatly expanding the mansion, but he only managed to erect the eastern part. The western part was built in 1874 by the architect Ivan Merz and was used as a large concert hall.
For the new owners - the Grand Duchess Olga Alexandrovna and George, Duke of Oldenburg - the mansion was once again remodeled, this time by Stefan Krichinsky. He also created the bas-relief on the front of the house which incorporated the coat of arms of Oldenburg. After the October Revolution, the interiors of the palace were almost completely lost when shared apartments were created there. The famous children's author Samuel Marshak lived in one of these apartments. Currently, the different parts of the building are occupied by administrative agencies. The sculptures, ceiling paintings, door decorations, and fireplaces have all been restored and can all be viewed on guided tours of the palace.
| Address: | 46-48, Ulitsa Tchaikovskogo |
|---|---|
| Metro: | Chernyshevskaya |
| Directions: | Exit Chernyshevskaya metro station and turn right on Propskekt Chernyshevskogo. Take the second right onto Ulitsa Tchaikovskogo, and the palace is on your left. |
| Interior tour: | http://excurspb.ru/inter/palace/17-barjatin.html |
| What's nearby? | Tavrichesky Sad (Tauride Garden), Prince Kochubey Mansion, Kirochnaya Ulitsa, Shpalernaya Ulitsa |
