Today, in 1825, the Mikhailovsky Palace, the residence of Grand Duke Mikhail Pavlovich, the youngest son of Emperor Paul I, was consecrated. Construction, designed by architect Karl Rossi, took place from 1819 to 1823, with finishing work continuing for another two years.
The palace was the cultural center of the capital—the music of Tchaikovsky and Rubinstein was played here, Pushkin and Tyutchev read their poems, and Aivazovsky and Turgenev visited. It was within these walls, thanks to Grand Duchess Elena Pavlovna, that the first St. Petersburg Conservatory was founded, with Anton Rubinstein opening music classes in the palace.
In 1895, the palace was given a new lease of life when the Russian Museum was founded here, whose collection of masterpieces, ranging from ancient icons to Repin and Bryullov, is known throughout the world.