Mikhailovsky Castle (also known as the Engineering Castle) was constructed by order of Emperor Paul I. Paul I designed this building himself with the help of his teacher, the architect Vasily Bazhenov. The construction works were supervised by the architect Vincenzo Brenna. Other architects, such as Yegor Sokolov, Grigory Pilnikov and Johan Hirsch also contributed to the construction of this building. The Emperor dedicated this castle to his Heavenly Patron, Archangel Michael after whom the castle was named.

The palace was luxuriously decorated. It was a real treasury of art with its walls painted by Italian artists, bronze decorations and chandeliers, designed by French artists, Flemist tapestries, numerous sculptures, pictures by Rembrandt, Rubens, Tiepolo, Robert, Vernet, Fragonard, Greuze, Van Loo and the Russian painters Alexeyev, Ugryumov and Shchedrin. The castle was a real treasury of art. In the Empress's Bedroom, the walls were decorated with golden garlands. The fireplace was covered with amethysts and decorated with other precious stones.

In front of the southern facade of the building, an equestrian statue of Peter the Great by Carlo Bartolomeo Rastrelli, father of the famous architect, was installed. It was written on its pedestal: "From the great-grandson to the great-grandfather".

Yet the owner did not live in the castle for a long time: in the night of March 12, 1801 , Paul I was murdered by conspirators.

In 1819, the building was given to the Main School of Engineering and was subsequently named the Engineering Castle . Under the Soviets, it housed the Central Naval Library. In 1991, Mikhailovsky Castle was given to the Russian Museum .

At present, the castle houses a branch of the Russian Museum displaying a permanent exhibition of official portraits. There are portraits of Russian Czars from Peter the Great to Nicholas II, outstanding Russian military commanders and State officials.

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