Tauride Palace :: ENCYCLOPAEDIA OF SAINT PETERSBURG

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Tauride Palace

TAURIDE PALACE (47 Shpalernaya Street), an architectural monument of Neoclassical. It was constructed in 1783-1789 (architect I.E. Starov) for Prince G.A. Potemkin-Tavrichesky (hence the name). The central two-storey building with a low cupola on a low drum is adorned with a six-columned Doric portico with a three-cornered pediment. Galleries connect the main building with the second-storey wings that are decorated with a four-column portico. Modest facades of the Tauride Palace harmonized with its splendid interiors: behind the main entrance hall, there was a domed hall, opening on the grand columns gallery (74.5 metres long), behind which a winter garden was located. The gala premises (the Picture Hall, the Tapestry Sitting Room, the Sofa Room, the Chinese Hall and others) have partly retained the original artistic decor (polychrome wall-paintings, figured stoves). On 28 April 1791, in the Tauride Palace a holiday described by G.R. Derzhavin was held. After the death of its owner, the Tauride Palace was brought into the possession of the treasury and rebuilt in 1792-1793 (architect F.I. Volkov) as a summer residence for Empress Catherine II. In the eastern wing a theatre hall was arranged, in the western wing - a church. From the Neva to the Tauride Palace, a canal with a ladle-shaped harbour was dug (in 1858-1863 on their site a Central city waterworks were constructed; architects I.A. Merz, E.G. Shubensky). In 1799, Emperor Pavel I commissioned the Tauride Palace to be adjusted to become the barracks of Cavalry Life Guards Regiment. In 1802-03, the Tauride Palace was restored (architect L.I. Rusca) as an Imperial palace. Later architects K.I. Rossi and V.P. Stasov worked on its finishing. In the 19th century in the Tauride Palace members of Imperial family, Russian state figures and foreign guests lived; celebrations, balls and exhibitions were arranged regularly. In 1906-17, the State Duma met on the premises of the Tauride Palace (interiors were refashioned in 1906-10, architects A.R. Bach, P.I. Shestov, engineer N.V. Smirnov). After the February revolution of 1917 the Provisional Government and Petrograd Soviet of Workers' Deputies stayed for a certain period of time in the Tauride Palace; here on 5(18) January 1918 the Constituent Assembly was opened. In 1920-91 the Tauride Palace was used for the High Party School. Since 1992 it has housed the Inter-Parliamentary Assembly of the countries of Commonwealth of Independent States. The architectural complex of the Tauride Palace also encompasses a manor house of garden master W. Guld (1792-94, architect F.I. Volkov). From the name Tauride Palace the names of Tavrichesky Garden, Tavricheskaya Street and Tavrichesky Lane originate.

References: Дьяченко Л. И., Кротов М. И. Таврический дворец: (Прошлое и настоящее). СПб., 2002; Шуйский В. К. Таврический дворец. СПб., 2003.

S. V. Boglachev.