Palace of Grand Duke Alexei Alexandrovich ("House of Music," "Alexeevsky Palace")

The choice of location for the construction of the palace in the old, traditionally maritime district of Petersburg, near the forest warehouses of New Holland, the barracks of the Guards Fleet Crew, and shipbuilding yards, is connected to the fact that Grand Duke Alexei Alexandrovich headed the Naval Department and was the supreme commander of the Russian fleet. The area was quite densely built-up, but there was a need to create an extensive estate.

Before the land plot was allocated for the construction of the palace on the territory between the Moika River, English Avenue, and Shafirovskaya Street (now Pisareva Street), there were buildings belonging to former owners — the master of ceremonies Saburov, Major General Albrecht, and others. From 1872 to 1882, the mansion was owned by the owner of engineering plants, Isaac Mironovich Malkiel; after I. M. Malkiel’s death, his widow Raisa Yakovlevna sold the mansion. In 1882, the plot was acquired by the Palace Department for the appointed supreme commander of the fleet and naval department, the son of Alexander II — Grand Duke Alexei Alexandrovich.

Already in 1883, architect M. E. Mesmakher began designing the new palace. To save costs and speed up construction, the surviving buildings on the site were incorporated into the new building. At the Grand Duke’s request, a style was chosen that slightly resembled French châteaux. After the Grand Duke’s death, the Alexeevsky Palace was inherited by his brothers — Vladimir and Pavel, as well as his nephew Mikhail Alexandrovich. The new owners rented out the vacant palace and the adjoining garden and greenhouse. For example, the German embassy occupied it for 18 months.

Three years later, the residents of Saint Petersburg were presented with a true architectural masterpiece, embodying elements of different eras and styles. The architectural solution of the Alexeevsky Palace reflected not only the creative signature of its architect Mesmakher but also, to a large extent, the personal taste and inclination of Grand Duke Alexei Alexandrovich towards a comfortable and pleasant life. The Grand Duke wished to live in a mansion reminiscent of the old romantic castles of medieval France in the Loire Valley, but with all the possible comforts typical of the late 19th century. On the grounds of the last estate built in Petersburg, near the palace, there were: a private power station, laundry and kitchen buildings, stables, a house for the retinue, greenhouses, and a private estate garden.

The interweaving of styles in the Alexeevsky Palace was like a journey through countries and eras. Moving from hall to hall, guests found themselves in the atmosphere of medieval times in the English (knightly) Hall, the carefree elegance of the Ballroom, the oriental exoticism of the Chinese Drawing Room. The dining room immerses one in the Baroque era, the Bath is designed in the Pompeian style, the Oak Study with its wood carvings and silver-embossed "Cordovan" leather on the walls returns to the era of the European Renaissance, and the lower dining room resembles the painted terem of old Moscow.

The formal dining room evoked special admiration from guests. Specifically for its unique interior, academic painter Ernst Lipgart created wall panels — 10 genre scenes in the manner of the 17th-century "Little Dutch Masters" — and decorative overdoor compositions depicting cupids with fruits and flowers. It is believed that the artist’s wife posed for some of the paintings, and one of them even features a self-portrait of Lipgart.

All these halls and drawing rooms have conveyed to us the tastes of the last General-Admiral of the Russian Empire.

The design of the Alexeevsky Palace, in its overall compositional concept, sense of style, detailing, and execution of decorative elements of the façade and interiors, is one of the best works of Mesmakher, a brilliant draftsman and outstanding master of mid-19th-century architecture.

After the revolution, the modern House of Music was the House of Pioneers, a driving school, and during the blockade it housed a warehouse; by 2005, the building was in a state of disrepair.

By decision of the Government of the Russian Federation in 2005, the building was transferred to the Saint Petersburg House of Music.

Sources:

https://www.spdm.ru/alekseevskiy-dvorec

https://ru.wikipedia.org/wiki/Palace_of_Grand_Duke_Alexei_Alexandrovich

https://www.citywalls.ru/house792.html