Sheremetev Palace

Categories / Architecture/Architectural Monuments/Palaces
Sheremetev Palace (Fountain House) (34 Fontanka River Embankment), monument of Baroque architecture, family residence of the Sheremetev Counts. The lot was granted in 1712, by Tsar Peter the Great to Field Marshall, Count B.P. Sheremetev, who built a clay-walled house on it in the mid-1710s. His son, Count P.B. Sheremetev constructed a two-storied Baroque stone building with an attic, richly decorated by modelling in the late 1740s (architect thought to be S.I. Chevakinsky); plafonds in the front suite of rooms were painted by artist Legren. Behind the palace, a regular garden with a grotto, Hermitage pavilion, Chinese summer house (1750-60s, architect F.S. Argunov) were situated. The interiors of the Sheremetev Palace were reconstructed in 1795-96 (architect I.E. Starov), 1798-1801 (architect G. Quarenghi and A.N. Voronikhin), 1830s (architect I.D. Corsini). In 1811-13, two auxiliary wings were built (architect K. Meyer), in 1821-23 - Pevchesky (architect D. Quadri), in 1845 - Sadovy (architect I.D. Corsini) wings. According to Corsini's design, in 1838, a cast-iron patterned fence was installed at the side of the embankment. In 1867, a single-storey wing with the Sheremetev coat of arms over the gates was added to the palace on the left side (architect N.L. Benois). Since the early 19th century, Sheremetev Palace was one of centres of St. Petersburg’s cultural life. The concerts, in which the Counts Sheremetev chapel under the guidance of S.A. Degtyarev and G.Y. Lomakin took part, and literary soirees with participation of V.A. Zhukovsky, A.I. Turgenev, A.P. Bartenev and others were often held here. The Society of Ancient Literature Amateurs was situated in the palace, sessions of Russian Genealogic Society and Archeographic Committee, of which Count S.D. Sheremetev was a member, took place there. Count S.D. Sheremetev gave Sheremetev Palace with its art collections to the Soviet Government in 1918 (until 1929, the Museum of private life was located there). In 1940-88, the Arctic and Antarctic Institutes were situated in the palace; in 1990, the building was given to the Museum of Theatre and Musical Arts, which restored the front suite. In 1924-52, A.A. Akhmatova lived in one wing of the Sheremetev Palace in the apartment of her husband N.N. Punin (since 1989, it has been converted into a literary and memorial museum to Anna Akhmatova).

Reference: Матвеев Б. М., Краско А. В. Фонтанный дом. СПб., 1996; Попова Н. И., Рубинчик О. Е. Анна Ахматова и Фонтанный дом. СПб., 2000.

V. V. Antonov. Akhmatova Anna Andreevna
Argunov Fedor Semenovich
Bartenev Peter Ivanovich
Benois Nikolay Leontievich
Chevakinsky Savva Ivanovich
Corsini Jeronim Domenikovich
Degtyarev Stepan Anikievich
Lomakin Gavriil Yakimovich (Ioakimovich)
Meyer Christian Filippovich
Peter I, Emperor
Punin Nikolay Nikolaevich
Quadri Domenico
Quarenghi Giacomo
Sheremetev Boris Petrovich, Count
Sheremetev Peter Borisovich, Count
Sheremetev Sergey Dmitrievich, Count
Starov Ivan Egorovich
Turgenev Alexander Ivanovich
Voronikhin Andrey Nikiforovich
Zhukovsky Vasily Andreevich
Fontanka River Embankment/Saint Petersburg, city, house 34
Матвеев Б. М., Краско А. В. Фонтанный дом. СПб., 1996
Рубинчик О. Е., Попова Н. И. Анна Ахматова и Фонтанный дом. СПб., 2000 Archaeographical Committee
Arctic and Antarctic Institute
Museum of Theatre and Music Art
Anna Akhmatova Literary and Memorial Museum
1750
1935