Address: 15 Universitetskaya Embankment, St. Petersburg
http://www.hermitagemuseum.org/

The palace of Alexander Menshikov, an assistant of Peter the Great, is located on Vasilyevsky Island. It is the first big brick building constructed in St. Petersburg. Unlike Peter the Great who was very modest in his everyday life, Menshikov wanted to demonstrate his riches. At that time, his palace was the biggest and the most luxurious building in St. Petersburg, much more luxurious than the Czar's palaces. The palace was designed by the architect Giovanni Fontana. Its construction began in 1710. The construction works supervised by the architect Gotfried Schodel were completed in 1720. In the 1730s, the palace facade was considerably changed. Reconstructions continued later in the 18 th century, which resulted in considerable changes in the outdoor and indoor views of the building. Thorough restoration permitted to restore the original views of the majority of the palace premises. When Menshikov was imprisoned and exiled in 1727, his palace became the State property. The palace housed several State institutions until 1981, when it was given to the Hermitage and became a museum. The exhibits of the museum contain materials connected with the history of Russian culture of the 1 st quarter of the 18 th century.

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