Grand Hotel Europe

Categories / City Services/Housing and Communal Services
GRAND HOTEL EUROPE (in 1875-1991, Evropeyskaya (European); 7/1 Mikhailovskaya Street; since 1991 Grand Hotel Europe). Opened on 28 January 1875. The building was built in 1873-75 (architect L.F. Fontana), reconstructed from the former Klee Hotel and the apartment A.S. Rogov building. New interiors in the Art Nouveau style were created in 1905 on the initiative and under the guidance of hotel director I.I. Wolflisberg (architect K.E. Makkenzen). In 1908-14, architect F.I. Lidval completed the decor with the front staircase, the reading room, the first floor hall and restaurant halls. In 1906-07, architect V.A. Shchuko decorated the cafe on the first floor. In 1908, the fifth floor was added, where, in 1910, the Krysha Restaurant was opened with a summer hall and garden. Stained-glass windows, cut according to drawings by L. N. Benois (1905), have been preserved. Many prominent figures stayed at the Grand Hotel Europe, including I.S. Turgenev, P.I. Tchaikovsky, American journalist G. Kennan, I.K. Aivazovsky, V.S. Solovyev, V.M. Bekhterev, Y. Kubelik, C. Debussy, and King Gustav V of Sweden. In 1918 - early 1920s, the hotel building housed the Central Children's Quarantine and Distribution Centre (in 1920 the Centre was visited by H. G. Wells); A.A. Bryantsev was a teacher there, and B.B. Piotrovsky was one of the pupils. In 1932-34, the building was fully redesigned and all guest rooms were made identical (architect M. N. Anolik). In 1933, the hotel was given over to the Intourist Joint-Stock Company. Prominent figures who stayed at the hotel before 1941 include I. A. Bunin, J. Dos Passos, A. V. Lunacharsky, V.E. Meyerhold, V.N. Yakhontov, V.V. Mayakovsky, S.S. Prokofiev, M. Gorky, and K.E. Voroshilov. In September of 1941 - April of 1942, the hotel accommodated Evacuation Hospital № 991, with 1,300 beds (in 1941, A.A. Fadeev visited and described the hospital). After the restoration of the mid 1940s (architect I.G. Kaptsyug, V.K. Jacoby, S.V. Popova-Gunich), the hotel had 257 rooms for 437 guests. In 1946, the Oriental Restaurant (named Sadko since 1967) was opened at the hotel. After 1945, celebrities who stayed at the Evropeyskaya include А.A. Galich, A.N. Vertinsky, I.O. Dunaevsky, K.G. Paustovsky, V. Cliburn, J. Aldridge, I.F. Stravinsky, H. von Karajan, and Sir Elton John. In January 1989 - December 1991, complete reconstruction was carried out on the building (architect V.E. Struzman led the project). The modern Grand Hotel Europe boasts 301 guestrooms and 7 restaurants (Rossi, Chopsticks and others). In 1991-2001, many important figures stayed at the hotel, including the USA Secretary of State M. Albright, actress J. Fonda, singers M. Caballe and P. Domingo, President of France J. Chirac, ex-President of the USA J. Carter, British Prince Charles, ex-President of the USSR M.S. Gorbachev.

References: Богданов И. А. Гранд-отель "Европа" в Санкт-Петербурге. СПб., 1999; Богданов И.А.. Старейшие гостиницы Петербурга. СПб., 2001.

I. A. Bogdanov. Aivazovsky Ivan Konstantinovich
Albright Madeleine
Aldridge James
Anolik M.N.
Bekhterev Vladimir Mikhailovich
Benois Leonty Nikolaevich
Bryantsev Alexander Alexandrovich
Bunin Ivan Alexeevich
Caballe Montserrat
Carter James Earl
Charles, Prince of Wales
Chirac Jacques
Cliburn Harvey Lavan Van
Debussy Claude Achille
Domingo Placido
Dos Passos John
Dunaevsky Isaak Osipovich
Fadeev Alexander Alexandrovich
Fonda Jane
Fontana Ludwig Frantsevich
Galich (real name Ginzburg) Alexander Arkadievich
Gorbachev Mikhail Sergeevich
Gorky Maxim (Alexey Maximovich Peshkov)
Gustav V Adolf, King
Jakobi W.K.
John Elton
Kaptsyug Ivan Georgievich
Karajan Herbert von
Kennan George Frost
Klei G.
Kubelik Jan
Lidval Fedor (Iogan Friedrich) Ivanovich
Lunacharsky Anatoly Vasilievich
Makkenzen Karl Ernestovich
Mayakovsky Vladimir Vladimirovich
Meyerhold Vsevolod Emilievich
Paustovsky Konstantin Georgievich
Piotrovsky Andrian Ivanovich
Popova-Gunich Sofia Vladimirovna
Prokofiev Sergey Sergeevich
Rogov A.S.
Shchuko Vladimir Alexeevich
Solovyev Vladimir Sergeevich
Stravinsky Igor Fedorovich
Struzman Viktoria Emmanuilovna
Tchaikovsky Peter Ilyich
Turgenev Ivan Sergeevich
Vertinsky Alexander Nikolaevich
Voroshilov Kliment Efremovich
Wells Herbert George
Wolflisberg I.I.
Yakhontov Vladimir Nikolaevich
Mikhailovskaya St./Saint Petersburg, city, house 1/7
Богданов И. А. Гранд-отель "Европа" в Санкт-Петербурге. СПб., 1999
Богданов И. А. Старейшие гостиницы Петербурга. СПб., 2001 1875
1991