The plot of land on which the current palace was built changed hands many times. The land in the very center of the new Russian capital was owned by many prominent individuals and influential noble families. The first buildings on the Palace Embankment appeared as early as the time of Peter I. Only houses of naval and army officers were allowed to be built on the embankment (among them was Peter's own palace). From the very early years of the city's existence (already in the 1710s), houses of various Russian dignitaries were constructed. The land and house in the immediate vicinity of the Korchmin Chambers belonged to the manager of the Monastery Order, re-established in 1701, Boyar I. A. Musin-Pushkin, as well as to General Field Marshal Prince V. V. Dolgorukov.

Later, Major Vasily Korchmin of the Preobrazhensky Regiment joined them. Due to his profession and position, he had full rights to land in the city center. It appears that Vasily Dmitrievich acquired the very plot between the Neva and Millionnaya Street where the Novo-Mikhailovsky Palace was later erected. From 1719 to 1732, under the direction of architect Domenico Trezzini, the Korchmin Chambers were built.

In 1731, Korchmin died, and his estate was sold off in parts. By the 1740s, the Korchmin plot was divided into several parts. One belonged to Lieutenant General M. Ya. Volkov, another was owned by the Dutch ambassador. The third was acquired by General-Anschef A. I. Ushakov, and the fourth was purchased by Prince A. M. Cherkassky, who had been the Chancellor of the Russian Empire since 1740.

The Chambers of A. M. Cherkassky were built on the site of the earlier chambers of V. D. Korchmin. It is possible that these "chambers of Major Vasily Dmitrievich Korchmin of the Life-Guard Preobrazhensky Regiment," which stood until 1732, were the first building on the Stone Embankment of the Millionnaya Line.

However, during the prince's lifetime, construction did not proceed. Alexey Mikhailovich died in 1742, and the land passed by inheritance to his daughter. Between 1745 and 1750, according to the designs of architect Pyotr Yeropkin (executed in 1740), under the supervision of architects G. D. Dmitriev and S. I. Chevakinsky, two three-story palaces were built here (one facing the Palace Embankment, the other on Millionnaya Street) on cellars with three risalits, connected by two courtyard wings. The buildings were executed in the style of the Italian Renaissance with noticeable Baroque elements. This palace is known as the Cherkassky Mansion.

Soon after, Alexey Cherkassky's daughter, Varvara Alexeevna Cherkasskaya, married Peter Sheremetev. By 1748, the mansion became the property of the Sheremetev counts. This family owned the house for about 60 years. By the beginning of the 19th century, a stone mansion "with 84 rooms" was already located on the plot. Due to its location on Millionnaya Street, the palace became known as the "Million House."

In 1797, according to the law on the "Establishment of the Imperial Family," to expedite the transfer of some state land locally into the possession of the imperial family, the Department of Estates was organized. In the 1800s, the Department of Estates purchased the "Million House" as well as neighboring buildings: the house of banker Livio and the city department building. Consequently, it was necessary to reorganize the entire building, adapting the living quarters and ceremonial halls for the needs of a government institution. From 1807 to 1809, the mansion was rebuilt according to the project of architect Andrey Voronikhin. Notably, the architect decided to preserve the facade structure rather than design a new one.

The rebuilt building featured special apartments for distinguished visitors to the capital. The interiors of the Department of Estates' house were distinguished by richness and luxury. It is known that furnishing the building with furniture alone cost 114,000 rubles. The wings of the department building housed the institution's archive and printing house, as well as the Land Surveying School. In April 1830, 21-year-old Nikolai Vasilyevich Gogol was hired to work at the department. Initially, he served as a copyist, then became an assistant to the chief clerk. The young writer's working day lasted six hours—from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Nikolai Vasilyevich served in the Department of Estates for only one year (until 1831).

On August 18 (September 18) 1857, the wedding took place between the Baden princess and margravine Cecilie Augusta (German: Cäcilie Auguste von Baden, in Orthodoxy — Olga Fyodorovna) and Grand Duke Mikhail Nikolaevich. The newly formed family needed a house, a grand ducal residence. The place of residence was considered before the wedding: the palace foundation ceremony took place on July 20, 1857, 29 days before the grand duke's wedding. The palace for the couple was decided to be built in the city center—on the Palace Embankment, roughly opposite the Peter and Paul Fortress. The residence project was developed by the court architect of Nicholas I, Andrey Stakenschneider. By that time, he was already an experienced architect, with many ensembles among his works, such as the Beloselsky-Belozersky Palace in Saint Petersburg and the Leuchtenberg Palace in Peterhof.

During construction, several earlier buildings were demolished. This was a fairly common practice in Saint Petersburg at that time. In the mid-19th century, plots in the city center were cleared for the construction of grand ducal palaces for the children of Nicholas I. For example, the Nikolaevsky Palace was built for Nikolai Nikolaevich, and the Mariinsky Palace for Maria Nikolaevna. According to the architect's plan, nearby buildings were to be united into a single structure with a unified facade facing the Neva.

To realize the architect's plans, it was necessary to transfer not only the Department of Estates building to the treasury but also to purchase the estates of N. S. Golitsyna and O. A. Zubova. The palace was constructed over five years from 1857 to 1862. The structure incorporated the foundation and substantial sections of the walls of the Cherkassky mansion (the Department of Estates' house), as well as remnants of Princess Golitsyna's house and the Land Surveying School. The land near Millionnaya Street and the Moika River embankment, belonging to Countess Zubova, was adapted for some palace services: carriage house, stables, and smithy. The residence occupied a significant territory from the Neva to the Moika.

The technologies used in the construction of the Novo-Mikhailovsky Palace were unique for Russia at that time. Metal trusses and beams were used in the palace's construction—a new method for Saint Petersburg in the second half of the 19th century, even though this technology appeared in the 1820s–1830s and was mainly used for covering large spaces (in palaces, mansions, public buildings). Metal trusses offered fire resistance and durability. It was precisely in the 1840s–1850s that this method became standard practice: brick walls served as supports for vaults as well as wooden and iron beams. The residence, also one of the first in the city, was equipped with plumbing. Another technical innovation was heating, which was carried out by supplying heated air to the palace rooms. The cost of construction amounted to 993,525 rubles. On December 9, 1861, the new city estate was solemnly consecrated.

In 1862, the palace construction was completed. The Novo-Mikhailovsky Palace became the residence of Grand Duke Mikhail Nikolaevich and his family.

However, already in December 1862, the emperor appointed Mikhail Nikolaevich as viceroy in the Caucasus. The grand duke and his family had to leave the capital. In 1881, the prince returned to Saint Petersburg, as Alexander III appointed Mikhail Nikolaevich chairman of the State Council. The grand duke held this post until 1905. In his later years, Grand Duke Mikhail Nikolaevich often sat by the windows on the first floor. Passersby noticed him and sometimes saluted.

On December 5 (18), 1909, Grand Duke Mikhail Nikolaevich died. The palace passed to the eldest son of the previous owner—Grand Duke Nikolai Mikhailovich.

The new owner was a prominent historian, a member of the Imperial Russian Geographical and Historical Societies (he chaired the latter from 1909 to 1917), and authored numerous works and monographs.

Nikolai Mikhailovich, like his father, possessed a large library, which included historical atlases, musical editions, works by Dostoevsky, Leskov, Saltykov-Shchedrin, as well as books on military affairs. After the 1917 revolution, the library did not survive: part of the collection was distributed among libraries across the country (some books ended up in the provinces), and many items were taken abroad.

In 1911, a museum was established in the rooms occupied by Mikhail Nikolaevich during his lifetime. The exhibition, featuring about 5,000 items, concerned the grand duke's personal life and was dedicated to his military and state activities.

The exhibition covered four rooms. In the former grand duke's reception room, the "General Hall" was arranged. It displayed portraits of Mikhail Nikolaevich's associates, a collection of weapons, manuscripts, official documents, as well as models and photographs of fortresses previously owned by the grand duke. In the "Personal Life Hall," portraits adorned the walls, and personal documents and even childhood school notebooks were exhibited in showcases. Icons, orders, and regalia (including a field marshal's baton) were also presented there. The grand duke's office was left unchanged. The "Hall of the Last Days" exhibited items related to Mikhail Nikolaevich's illness and death.

After the October Revolution in 1917, the nationalized palace housed the Communist Academy. Among the four grand dukes who were executed was Nikolai Mikhailovich, the historian of the Alexandrovsky era, who lived with his brother Georgy in the Novo-Mikhailovsky Palace.

In 1949, a decision was made to transfer the Institute of Oriental Studies of the Academy of Sciences (founded in 1930, now the Institute of Oriental Manuscripts of the Russian Academy of Sciences, abbreviated as IOM RAS) to the Novo-Mikhailovsky Palace. Previously, the institute had been located at various times in houses 3 and 5 on University Embankment and in the building of the Academy of Sciences Library. However, on June 1, 1950, the Presidium of the Academy of Sciences resolved to "request the Council of Ministers of the USSR to permit the Academy of Sciences to transfer the Institute of Oriental Studies of the USSR Academy of Sciences from Leningrad to Moscow." Nevertheless, the institute's fundamental library and collection of oriental manuscripts were allowed to remain in the northern capital.

In 1951, the Institute of Electromechanics of the Academy of Sciences (now the Institute of Electrophysics and Electric Power Engineering of the Russian Academy of Sciences, abbreviated as IEEP RAS) was established, also located in the former grand ducal residence. The institute conducts both applied and fundamental research in physics.

Currently, the Novo-Mikhailovsky Palace houses the Institute of the History of Material Culture of the Russian Academy of Sciences (or the Institute of Archaeology). Initially, the Russian Academy of the History of Material Culture (the institute's predecessor), founded in 1919 and transformed in 1926 into the State Academy of the History of Material Culture (GAIMK), was located at 5 Khalturina Street. However, in 1937, the academy became part of the USSR Academy of Sciences and was reorganized into the Institute of the History of Material Culture (IIMK). Four years later (in 1943), the institute's management moved to Moscow, while only a branch remained in Leningrad. In 1991, the Leningrad branch became an independent institution. The institute houses the largest archaeological library in Russia (with about 200,000 volumes), an archive of drawings and manuscripts (containing approximately 70,000 storage units), and a photo archive (about 1,200,000 storage units).

Between 2005 and 2008, as part of the city's restoration program, the front facade of the Novo-Mikhailovsky Palace was repaired. The restorers themselves rate the work done throughout the city as "a B minus." In particular, the condition of the sculptures on the upper tier of the Novo-Mikhailovsky Palace facade caused serious concern among specialists. These figures had to undergo a separate, expensive but necessary restoration.

Since 2009, the building also houses the Institute of Oriental Manuscripts of the Russian Academy of Sciences. Currently, the collection, formed over two centuries, contains about one million volumes in the orientalist library, no fewer than 40,000 folders in the archive, and more than 100,000 storage units in 65 living and dead oriental languages in the manuscript collection. Funds for the building's reconstruction will be donated by Sultan Qaboos bin Said of Oman.

The facade decoration and decor feature a characteristic eclecticism and intertwining of different architectural styles and directions typical of Stakenschneider's work. The architect used motifs and individual details of Rococo, Baroque, as well as many references to the Renaissance and the "Louis XIV style." The facade decoration employed an abundance of various decorative elements. The finer detailing of the building's surfaces distances the residence's architecture from the ideals and principles of Russian Classicism, which repeatedly manifested in the architect's earlier and later works. Besides Andrey Stakenschneider, sculptor Daniil Ivanovich Jensen also worked on the palace facade, creating terracotta figures for its decoration. Compositionally, the building resembles more an income house than a grand ducal residence.

The main facade facing the Palace Embankment and the Neva is distinguished by lavish decoration. Carrara marble was used in the construction. The facade is highlighted by three risalits: a central one and two lateral ones. All risalits are crowned with triangular pediments filled with various figures, with the central risalit's pediment positioned higher than the lateral ones. The stucco decoration on the central and side pediments is identical. The central risalit is decorated more luxuriously and with greater detail than the sides. It features two symmetrical projections. A balustrade and decorative vases standing on a wide entablature crown the facade.

At the third-floor level, all three risalits are adorned with caryatid figures standing in various poses and supporting triangular pediments (in the case of the side risalits), semicircular pediment-arches, or cornices. At the third-floor level in the central risalit, between the caryatid figures, is a marble grand ducal coat of arms; in the side risalits between the caryatids are monograms of Mikhail Nikolaevich, supported by women in laurel wreaths. The third-floor windows are rectangular, decorated with simple casings, and topped with keystones or cornices. The third-floor walls are adorned with pilaster panels with capitals and small sculptural panels.

At the second-floor level, the facade is evenly divided by fluted pilasters or Corinthian order columns in the spaces between the risalits. The architect used a rather striking motif of Corinthian columns continuing into caryatid figures supporting the entablature. The risalit windows are rectangular with semicircular tops. The central windows of the risalits are decorated with casings, and the window cornices are in Baroque style. The other windows are crowned with triangular or semicircular pediments. The risalit windows open onto small balconies enclosed by wrought-iron railings. At the first-floor level, the facade is decorated with rectangular panels and sculptural panels above the windows. All windows are wide and rectangular, except for two in the central entrance. The central entrance is decorated with a triple openwork canopy and wrought-iron grilles resting on twisted columns with lanterns.

The interior arrangement of the residence harmoniously matched its exterior appearance. The interiors, executed in the Classicism style, included references to Rococo, Gothic, and Eastern art. The demolition of old walls and some ceilings allowed for the creation of more spacious palace halls and rooms. A significant part of the original decoration has been preserved to this day.

The first floor houses the ceremonial entrance (main vestibule, grand staircase), as well as the private quarters of the grand ducal family (boudoir, bath, bathroom, study). The walls of the private rooms were covered with patterned fabric, and the ceilings and vaults were decorated with stucco. All rooms were equipped with fireplaces. The grand duke's study was luxuriously furnished. The room's walls were paneled with walnut wood, and it had a carved (also walnut) fireplace.

Among the living quarters, the room intended for water procedures with a "pool" stands out. The pool, a depression in the floor, has not survived to the present day due to its limited functionality. The walls were faced with pink artificial marble framed with green marble details. The stone blocks were also separated by fluted pilasters of the Doric order. The frieze consisted of bas-reliefs depicting antique scenes and heroes. The doors were decorated with gilded dolphin figures.

The ceremonial entrance consists of the main vestibule and grand staircase. The main vestibule (also known as the reception hall) was decorated with eight columns and eighteen pilasters made of gray granite, topped with white stucco capitals. The grand staircase was made of marble and framed by a series of mirrors. On the second floor, one of the staircase walls was glass, through which the winter garden was visible. The staircase led to the second floor, to the enfilade of other ceremonial rooms. The winter garden occupied space on the first and second floors beneath the house church.

The second floor housed the ceremonial enfilade rooms. Here were arranged living rooms (yellow, white, crimson), a reception room, an oak dining room, as well as banquet, dance, and green halls. The dining room featured a tall fireplace decorated with carved oak and adorned with the grand duke's coat of arms. The room's walls were covered with embossed leather and paneled with the same carved oak. The living rooms were more elegant. The walls were covered with silk damask fabric. The ceilings were decorated with gilded stucco. Parquet floors and doors were made from various valuable wood species. Mirrors framed in carved frames hung above the marble fireplaces.

The two-story green hall is of particular architectural interest, richly decorated and adorned with stucco. However, the most lavishly and luxuriously furnished rooms are the two-story dance and banquet halls. The architect used a single technique for both ceremonial rooms. Around the perimeter of the walls of the two halls, two-tier colonnades were constructed, expressed by white fluted Corinthian columns.

The Church of the Archangel Michael was located on the third (top) floor of the palace, right in the middle of the building's facade, and served as the house church of the grand ducal family. Outside, it was crowned with a single gilded dome, which was the highest point of the palace. The church was consecrated on December 9, 1861, in the name of Archangel Michael—the patron of the grand duke. The wall and vault paintings of the church were executed in the Russian style of "golden arabesques on a blue background."

In 1917, during the October Revolution, the premises were nationalized, and the church was closed amid anti-religious policies. Neither the icon nor the paintings have survived to this day. The gilded dome is missing.

The plot on which the grand ducal residence was located was rectangular, almost square. In addition to the Novo-Mikhailovsky Palace itself, the estate of Mikhail Nikolaevich included a complex of service buildings. Some buildings related to the residence (carriage service, smithy) were located on both sides of Millionnaya Street and near the Moika River embankment. The servants were housed in the rebuilt Zubova House. Other services (the grand duke's office, the riding hall built in 1877, and stables) were located in the inner courtyard of the residence, "sandwiched" between the palace itself and the stablemaster's corps.

The stablemaster's corps of the Novo-Mikhailovsky Palace faces Millionnaya Street with its facade. It is separated from the main building by a courtyard. At one time, the stablemaster's corps housed the quarters of Georgy Mikhailovich—the middle son of Grand Duke Mikhail Nikolaevich. In addition, apartments of some persons serving at court and in the grand duke's retinue were located in this part of the palace.

As a result of the revolutionary events of 1917, the building was transferred to the Petrograd (Leningrad) Military District. Its organizational structures were housed here (in the 1920s, the Office of the Chief of Military Communications of the Military District was located here), as well as apartments for high-ranking military officers.

At various times, the house was home to Mikhail Nikolaevich Tukhachevsky (1928–1931), August Ivanovich Kork, Vitaly Markovich Primakov, Boris Mironovich Feldman, Boris Mikhailovich Shaposhnikov (1925–1927). The young composer Dmitry Dmitrievich Shostakovich occasionally visited Tukhachevsky's apartment. In 1932–1933, rocket technology developers Boris Sergeevich Petropavlovsky and Ivan Terentyevich Kleymyonov lived in the house. The building remained under military jurisdiction until 1960. Currently, the building at 19 Millionnaya Street is residential.

The facade of the stablemaster's corps on Millionnaya Street is executed more modestly and restrainedly than the main facade of the Novo-Mikhailovsky Palace facing the Neva. The corps was built based on the palace of A. M. Cherkassky, erected in the 1740s, as evidenced by the curved wall of the courtyard-facing facade. Its curvilinear composition is recognized as unique for early Saint Petersburg architecture and reflects the influence of Italian Baroque. Overall, the corps resembles more an income house, which is explained by the building's function and architectural solution.

Sometimes the architectural style of the building is characterized as "retrospective stylization based on early Russian and French Classicism motifs."

Sources:

https://ru.wikipedia.org/wiki/Novo-Mikhailovsky_Palace

https://www.citywalls.ru/house797.html