Aleksandr Danilovich Menshikov was the first governor-general of St. Petersburg. At the direction of Peter I Duke mansion was built here.It was built just two palaces : the stone ( which was the first stone building in St. Petersburg) and the temporary wooden , and there were lavish receptions king, not available at that time his own palace for this purpose. Construction lasted from 1710 to 1727 of the year .Its construction and decoration involved European architects and craftsmen : Giovanni Mario Fontana , Johann Gottfried Schadel , Domenico Trezzini , Carlo Bartolomeo Rastrelli , Georg Johann Mattarnovi , Jean- Baptiste Leblond Alexander .
Menshikov Palace in the early XVIII century became the most prominent residential building in the city.Even the Palace of Peter I then had only one storey. Luxurious Menshikov spared no expense in the interior of the palace, the extremely rich and equipped to svoremenny European manner. The walls of rooms faced the Dutch ceramic tiles, while in Russia it is not produced at all. Got it from Menshikov Dutch merchants in the form of gifts.The furniture was entirely French and Italian .
The second floor was considered the main . There was a large hall or Assambleyny where Peter I have tunable their balls (the Assembly) , which gathered 200 people. The first floor of the palace was intended for the performance of public duties of the owner.
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After the disgrace in 1727, MenshikovAll his property was confiscated to the royal treasury and palace on Vasilevsky Island passed the First Cadet Corps - the first Russian higher educational institutions , from the walls of which many prominent XVIII - early XIX century. : Generals PA Rumyantsev Transdanubia , AV Suvorov, playwright and poet P.Sumarokov , the first Russian actor FG Volkov and others.
Since 1981, the palace is a branch of the Hermitage , the main exhibition , housed in it, called the Culture of Russia in the first third of XVIII century.Items that make up the decoration of the palace have been selected mainly among collections Ermitazha which remains the property not only of the Russian Tsars , but also the largest noble families , including those seized from Prince Alexander Menshikov .
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