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St. Michael's Castle — €12

St Michael’s Castle is a former royal residence in the historic centre of Saint Petersburg, Russia. St. Michael’s Castle was built as a residence for Emperor Paul I by architects Vincenzo Brenna and Vasili Bazhenov in 1797-1801.

The St Michael’s Castle occupies a special place among the palaces of St Petersburg. Bringing to a close the first hundred years of construction in the Imperial capital, the building is a unique fusion of the finest achievements of eighteenth-century architecture. It is named after St Michael the Archangel (patron saint of the House of Romanov).

All four facades of the St Michael’s Castle are different. Decorated with massive marble obelisks, the southern facade was particularly expressive and monumental. A porphyry frieze hung above the entrance, proclaiming in gilded bronze letters: Your home is befitting of an object of worship for years to come.

In the early 1990s, St. Michael’s Castle became a branch of the Russian Museum and now houses its Portrait Gallery, featuring official portraits of the Russian Emperors and Empresses and various dignitaries and celebrities from the late 17th to the early 20th century.

Open: 10:00 - 18:00. Closed on Tuesday.

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