The Church of St. Panteleimon the Healer is the oldest of the Oranienbaum churches that have survived the years of militant atheism and have come down to us. For more than two and a half centuries (in 1994, the church celebrated its 267th anniversary), this holy House of God has risen above Oranienbaum, and although for more than 60 years no Divine service has been held there and its doors are closed, the cross crowning its dome testifies that this is a house of God. The Church of St. Panteleimon is located on the western side (the Church wing) of the Great Oranienbaum Palace and is connected to it by a covered stone gallery. The history of the oldest Oranienbaum shrine dates back to the beginning of the 18th century, when during the Great Northern War Russia reclaimed the Irinovskie, Izhora, and Baltic lands, and the military governor-general of Ingria became the closest associate of Emperor Peter the Great, General Field Marshal His Serene Highness Prince Menshikov.

Construction of the Church pavilion of the Menshikov Palace began in 1719. Located on the western side of the palace, to the left of the central entrance, this pavilion served as the palace church. The church was consecrated in honor of the holy great martyr Panteleimon in 1727. Emperor Peter II was personally expected at the church consecration ceremony, but at the last moment, under the influence of Menshikov’s political enemies, he canceled the trip. This event marked the beginning of the great prince’s disgrace, after which, a year later, his estate was confiscated and passed to the treasury — along with the church.

The interior decoration of the church was created according to the design of the artist Ivan Vishnyakov and the architect Ivan Zarudny. It amazed with exquisite luxury. The central part was occupied by a four-tier iconostasis with carved columns, decorated with silver and gilding, and adorned with sculptural compositions.

Among the relics of the Church pavilion of the Great Palace was a particle of the relics of Panteleimon, as well as an icon of this saint in a precious setting. It was believed to have healing properties, and therefore the icon was often brought to the homes of the sick among the parishioners of the church.

After the arrival of Soviet power, the church was looted by the Bolsheviks, and most of the relics were irretrievably lost. First of all, supposedly for the fund to help the starving, the setting of the icon of St. Panteleimon was confiscated. One of the parishioners tried to save the icon itself, but on the city street he was stopped by the chairman of the military equipment repair cooperative, who took away the sacred image. The further fate of the icon is unknown.

In 1934, when the palace was transferred to the Navy, the unique iconostasis of the Church pavilion was dismantled, and the interior space of the church was divided into two floors, used for administrative needs. The iconostasis, sent for storage to Peterhof, was destroyed during the Great Patriotic War. There is some irony of fate in this, since unlike Peterhof, Oranienbaum itself was not damaged by military actions.

Since 1995, restoration work has begun in the Church pavilion. Currently, the interior of the church has been restored to its historical appearance of the mid-18th to early 20th centuries. Historically, the palace church complex also included the premises of the warm (Winter) church, the owners’ lodge, and the sacristy, the decoration of which has not been preserved. Today, the main part of the museum exhibition dedicated to the history of the church and its parish is located here, covering the period from the 1700s to the 1900s.

Sources:

https://peterburg.center/maps/oranienbaum-cerkovnyy-pavilon-bolshogo-menshikovskogo-dvorca.html

https://russian-church.ru/viewpage.php?page=4165