They say that when Austrian Emperor Joseph II visited Russia, Empress Catherine II introduced him to notable nobles. Pointing to Count Stroganov, she said:

“Here is a lucky man! He is so fabulously wealthy that he cannot imagine ways to squander his fortune!”

The design and construction of the palace were entrusted by Sergey Grigorievich Stroganov to Francesco Bartolomeo Rastrelli, who was already a renowned court architect at that time. Although he had never taken on the construction of private houses before, an exception was made for the baron. The wealth and splendor of the Baroque style were evident in everything—from the facade, lavishly decorated with stucco, elegant columns, sculptures, to the Stroganov family coat of arms in the form of two sables, and the interior decor. The side facing the Moika River was less ornate but looked graceful. Above the windows of the first floor, the architect placed medallions with unknown antique profiles. Who they represent remains unclear to this day. One hypothesis suggests that Rastrelli immortalized himself in this way. According to other sources, this male image depicts Stroganov himself.

As a token of gratitude, the count commissioned the court painter to paint a portrait of Rastrelli. The portrait hung for a long time in the palace’s art gallery, and thanks to this, the image of the great architect has come down to us.

Historical facts tell us that the plot on Nevsky Prospect for the future palace originally belonged to tailor Johann Neumann. He began building a stone house, which was adjacent to the residences of the court cook Shestakov and the adjutant of General Saltykov-Yankov. Stroganov bought all the plots, but Shestakov did not want to part with his house. This likely led to one of the first documented cases of raider seizure in St. Petersburg: a fire, possibly arson, occurred, after which the cook moved to a rented apartment, and the neighboring land passed to Stroganov.

Construction began in 1753 and was completed in 1754. Some sources claim the palace was built in six weeks. This was facilitated by building on the foundations of previous houses. In reality, during reconstruction it was found that the palace was built in one and a half or even two years, which is still unusually fast. It is said that this speed was due to Rastrelli borrowing materials from the construction of the palace for Elizabeth, which was being built opposite the Stroganov Palace across the Moika. However, this is impossible—the royal palace was wooden. Another version says that rumors circulated that an evil spirit visited Rastrelli in a dream and threatened him with punishment if the construction was delayed, driving him mad and making him obsessed with the building.

Alexander Stroganov, son of Sergey Grigorievich, is famous for recognizing the talent of his serf, Andrey Voronikhin, who later built the Kazan Cathedral. Alexander Sergeyevich gave Voronikhin an education and then granted him freedom. However, it is said this was not out of philanthropy but because Voronikhin was actually Stroganov’s illegitimate son. This explains the boy’s upbringing in the palace, the excellent education he received, trips abroad, and career advancement in the Academy of Arts. From the early 1790s, Voronikhin was responsible for further reconstruction of the palace, entering into a kind of dialogue with his brilliant predecessor, perceiving the palace as a cohesive ensemble.

Many legends surround the famous dish—beef Stroganoff. There is no doubt it was invented in the Stroganov household. The Stroganovs were famous for their “open dinners,” which any neatly dressed townsman could attend. According to one version, the French cook invented beef Stroganoff to save meat. Indeed, finely chopped meat with sauce visually created the illusion of a larger portion than there actually was. Although this is unlikely, as the Stroganovs were generous. The second version of the origin of “beef à la Stroganoff” is that Alexander Sergeyevich Stroganov, in old age, lost almost all his teeth and could not chew meat. That is when he came up with finely chopping the beef.

Excavations during the restoration of the Stroganov Palace led to unexpected discoveries. Historians found secret basement rooms of Count Alexander Stroganov, hidden from sight for more than a century and a half. Interestingly, the basement is older than the palace itself; it remained from previous buildings on this site. Rastrelli decided to keep only the foundations and cellars from them. Each brick here was handmade, often bearing the craftsman’s stamp. The purpose for which the count used these secret rooms remains a mystery. One theory suggests he had mental health problems. The basement was a place where he could rest completely alone from people. There is much evidence for this; the existing building was restored after a fire. This story still raises doubts among many experts. Some believe he set the palace on fire himself. On that day, his beloved left him, and to ease his suffering, he decided to destroy what reminded him of her the most—the palace.

The fashion for sphinxes in St. Petersburg began here; the Stroganov sphinxes were the first installed, placed at the palace’s main entrance. Although initially they adorned the descents to the water at the Stroganov Dacha, built by Voronikhin on the shore of the Bolshaya Nevka. They are depicted in Voronikhin’s painting “View of the Stroganov Dacha.” Later, the granite sphinxes were moved to decorate the palace. Their author is unknown, and they look rather naive, but after their appearance, granite guardians began to appear all over the city.

Source:

https://spbinteres.ru/stroganovskij-dvorec.html

https://www.rusmuseum.ru/stroganov-palace/history/