It is no coincidence that Saint Petersburg is called the cultural capital of the country; here, many magnificent buildings, palaces, and estates have been preserved, whose walls remember the feats of their owners and all the twists and turns of history.

One such building is the Grand Hotel Europe, the oldest hotel in Saint Petersburg, located in the very heart of the city, at the corner of Nevsky Prospect and Mikhailovskaya Street.

On August 24, 1739, this plot on Nevsky Prospect was granted for watchmaking to journeyman Johann Gottfried Bergman. Half of the plot on the Mikhailovskaya Street side was transferred by Bergman in 1741 to the Tula merchant Fyodor Volodimerov. This territory was later used for laying out Mikhailovskaya Street. A two-story house on a high basement was built by the watchmaker no earlier than 1746, as on Bergholz’s drawings made by that date, the plot was still empty. The Saint-Iller plan shows the existing development here as it should have been created according to the standard projects of architect Zemtsov. Possibly, these projects were made when the plots were allocated in 1739 but were implemented later.

In the 1740s, Bergman built a two-story house here. Then, in 1824–1825, under the guidance of architects Gabertzettel and Melnikov, a four-story building was constructed at the corner of Nevsky Prospect and the future Mikhailovskaya Street for merchant Rogov. Behind this building, a house was built for the German G.K. Klee, who soon began using the building as a hotel. Merchant Rogov’s house became a revenue house, housing the Mikhailovsky tavern.

In 1824–1825, according to a project by Carlo Rossi, a new street—Mikhailovskaya—was laid from Mikhailovskaya (Arts) Square to Nevsky Prospect. Rogov’s plot became a corner one, with its long side facing this new thoroughfare.

A hotel is a living organism that must constantly be renewed. Maintaining a hotel in order is a troublesome and expensive matter, and as Mark Twain noted: “Any saint could work miracles, but only a few of them could run a hotel.” Let’s leaf through the pages of the building’s history. Houses stood both on Nevsky Prospect and on Italian Street, and the courtyard space was occupied by utility buildings. In the 1830s, these houses were reconstructed according to Carlo Rossi’s plan. Their facades acquired a classical appearance, becoming a continuation of the unified ensemble of Mikhailovskaya Square.

The first hotel here was opened in the late 1830s by Heinrich Klee, who took restaurateur Jean Coulon as his assistant. Judging by surviving notes, famous guests did not always understand who owned the hotel. In the owner’s absence, Jean Coulon took management into his own hands, which created such an impression.

The hotel constantly expanded. In the 1850s, it was called “Russia,” had about 200 rooms, security, and a huge staff of servants. Fyodor Mikhailovich Dostoevsky called it an “American machine.” The hotel grew and developed, and this continued until 1870. But the owner, Heinrich Klee, died, and six months later a fire occurred. Klee Jr. realized he was not ready to take over the hotel’s management and sold it. Buyers were found very quickly—they were large Swiss entrepreneurs. In 1873–1875, based on the former Klee hotel and Rogov’s revenue house, they rebuilt the building into a single hotel in eclectic forms according to the project of architect Ludwig Frantsevich Fontana. The building became four stories high, and the facade was decorated with eclectic forms. The room stock was completely changed, and several restaurant venues were organized. By the end of the 19th century, the director of the “European” hotel was Colin Linsberg, a German entrepreneur. At that time, all board members were Germans.

In 1905, to create the “Europa” restaurant, Mackensen was invited and was given the mandatory condition—to learn Russian. The architect created the restaurant in Art Nouveau style, which was still rare in Petersburg at that time.

From 1907 until August 19, 1914, under the direction of architect Fyodor Lidval, repair work and partial reconstructions were carried out (main staircase, bel étage hall, reading room), the fifth and attic floors with the “Roof” restaurant were added. Interiors and interior finishes were also changed. All metal structures were created by Vladimir Andreevich Barev, a famous railway engineer. After opening, the “Roof” and “Europa” restaurants were very popular.

1914 damaged the hotel’s reputation. World War I began, and all board members of the hotel were Germans. Deportations began despite their letters of apology to the emperor stating that “they were already Russian citizens and had long served for the good of Russia.”

The hotel continued to operate, although Prohibition was in effect and there were sugar shortages. Its activity sharply ceased in 1918 when the crisis overwhelmed Russia.

In 1918–early 1920s, the hotel building housed the Central Children’s Quarantine and Distribution Point. Homeless children found on the city streets found shelter here. Young Alexander Alexandrovich Bryantsev, the future founder of the TYuZ (Theater of Young Spectators), came here as an educator. He heard children crying into their pillows at night, and the sound echoed through the corridors. Many of them had their parents shot before their eyes; they had survived hunger and the cold of basements. Bryantsev realized that it was not enough to warm and feed them; leisure activities had to be organized so that these children could forget the horrors of the Civil War for a while. Then, for the first time, he tried on the role of actor and director and began performing shows for the children. Later, he organized the Theater of Young Spectators in Petersburg.

After the Civil War ended, the NEP period began, along with the development of the new economic policy. The hotel was put in order and became part of the “Intourist” system.

In 1932–1934, a complete redevelopment of the building was carried out, creating a system of identical rooms. The hotel was always monitored by the relevant authorities, and many rooms had listening devices installed.

In 1933, the hotel was transferred from the joint-stock company “Hotel Limited” to the joint-stock company “Intourist.”

There is a legend about a treasure in the hotel. It is connected with a millionaire who once fled abroad but beforehand hid a good part of his fortune under the parquet in one of the rooms. His son came to Petersburg but got the wrong room number (the numbering was changed after the revolution), dismantled the floor, came across an iron plate and a huge screw... After struggling to unscrew the nut, he thought he would lift the metal cover and find the treasure, but it was the chandelier mount, which fell into the restaurant one floor below. Fortunately, no one was killed...

During the Siege of Leningrad from September 1941 to April 1942, the building housed Evacuation Hospital No. 991 with 1,300 beds. Afterward, the hotel was mothballed, and repairs began only after the war. The hotel was not seriously damaged; it was quickly repaired and operated for several decades for its intended purpose. It was especially popular in the 1960s–70s, during Khrushchev’s “thaw.” Famous jazz bands played here, and the “Eastern” restaurant (renamed “Sadko” in 1965) operated. It was a special place: a solemn atmosphere, elegant and beautiful guests, and all employees were remarkably courteous.

In 1945, after repairs, the building began functioning again as a hotel.

The most famous guests of the city stayed here—princes and diplomats, writers and artists. The hotel’s staircases remember the light step of Anna Pavlova; Bernard Shaw, Turgenev, and Tchaikovsky lived here.

From 1989 to 1991, a major reconstruction of the old building was undertaken. The restoration project was developed by Victoria Emmanuilovna Struzman. She adhered to the old school and sought to preserve everything possible in its original form. Much remains from architect Fyodor Ivanovich Lidval, who supervised the repair work from 1907 to 1914. As a result, the hotel was filled with modern comfort, while the Art Nouveau interiors and the elegant 19th-century facade were carefully preserved.

The list of famous guests brilliantly continues the chronicles of the past. Members of royal families from the United Kingdom, Denmark, Norway, the Netherlands, Malaysia, descendants of the Romanov family, well-known politicians—Bill Clinton, Jacques Chirac, Helmut Kohl, Mikhail Gorbachev—many artists and musicians, including Galina Vishnevskaya and Mstislav Rostropovich, Claudio Abbado, Montserrat Caballé, Plácido Domingo, Julio Iglesias, Elton John, Jane Fonda, Sharon Stone, Whitney Houston, and many others stayed at the Grand Hotel Europe.

The hotel has 301 rooms, 260 of which were recently completely renovated and decorated in a classical style using the latest technologies. On the hotel’s historic floor, there are 10 named luxury suites, including the “Fabergé,” “Pavarotti,” “Romanov,” and others. On Fridays, the famous Tchaikovsky evenings take place in the “Europa” restaurant, and the jewel among the restaurants is the “Caviar Bar,” where guests are served icy vodka and pancakes with caviar as a snack. It is worth noting that dishes in the restaurant are prepared according to original recipes. For example, Beef Stroganoff is made according to the family recipe of the Stroganov family, gifted to the hotel by Baroness Helene de Lüdinghausen-Stroganova herself.

In the early 20th century, ballerina Anna Pavlova often visited the hotel. The prima lived nearby on Italian Street and often celebrated premieres in the Marble Hall of the hotel (now the site of the “Caviar Bar” restaurant). In honor of the famous guest, the “Grand Hotel Europe” serves a dessert of the same name—the very airy meringue cake created by an Australian chef after the ballerina’s tour on the distant continent. In the “Caviar Bar,” the delicate dessert is decorated with strawberry berries.

The interior of the “Caviar Bar” restaurant impresses with the combination of decorative crystal elements and exquisite furniture with copper finishes, transporting guests to the era of Tsarist Russia. The interior of the “Caviar Bar” is of historical value. It was created at the end of the 19th century and, being an architectural monument, is protected by KGIOP, like most other premises of the Grand Hotel Europe. It was not for nothing that the hall was formerly called the Marble Hall: it features an old marble floor, marble columns, and walls decorated with marble panels. Interior details—the capitals of the columns, the gilded cornice with images of shells and daisies, wall stucco panels with figures of centaurs—are characteristic features of the neoclassical style widely used at the turn of the 19th–20th centuries. The historic “Gargoyle” fountain and the stucco panel above it in Greek style, depicting the festival of music and wine, have been carefully restored.

Another event that entered the history of the “Grand Hotel Europe” is connected with Anna Akhmatova. In the summer of 1922, Akhmatova spent an evening in the hotel restaurant, where avant-garde composer Arthur Lourié was celebrating the success of his concert. It was there that one of the decisive meetings in the poetess’s life took place—with Nikolai Punin, who became her third husband. In September, he unexpectedly received a note from her: “I will be at the ‘Sounding Shell’ today. Come. Akhmatova,” and from that moment their long and complicated romance began. In memory of that summer evening, the “Akhmatova” cocktail is served in the lobby bar of the Grand Hotel Europe—a female version of James Bond’s famous “Vesper” drink with gin, vodka, and citrus aperitif. The cocktail is served in a wide martini glass and garnished with an orange slice.

The famous Soviet theater and film actress Faina Ranevskaya also chose the “Grand Hotel Europe.” A funny incident is associated with the stay of the People’s Artist of the USSR here. Once, in the middle of the last century, she came to Leningrad on tour and settled in the “European” hotel—that was the hotel’s name at the time. Staying in one of the best rooms with a view of the Russian Museum and Arts Square, Ranevskaya often invited friends with whom she discussed various topics and freely talked about everything, including politics. Soon, the hotel administrator came to the actress and offered her a room on another floor. “There are many rooms, but you are the only Ranevskaya here,” she refused. Then the hotel director came to persuade her. He called Ranevskaya to the bathroom and, under the noise of running water, informed her that a high-ranking guest was arriving at the hotel and that this room was the only one equipped with a listening device. After these words, the actress quickly packed her suitcase and moved.

Sources:

https://club.silver-ring.ru/posts/997-grand-otel-evropa-proshloe-i-nastojaschee.html

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

https://www.theartnewspaper.ru/posts/8960/

https://walkspb.ru/istoriya-peterburga/zd/nevskiy36