|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Scale Model of the Menshikov Palace On 15 February 2006 a presentation of model of the residence of the first governor of St Petersburg was made in the Hermitage Theatre. A quarter of a century ago, the director of the State Hermitage at that time, Boris Piotrovsky, opened the first exhibitions in the Menshikov Palace devoted to the culture of Russia in the first quarter of the 18th century. To mark the 25th anniversary of this event, Hermitage restorers V.V. Kashcheev, V.A. Gradov and A.V. Kashcheev have created a scale model of the palace based on plans especially prepared by architect V.K. Galochkin. The model of the Menshikov Palace took into account engravings made by A. Zubov in 1714 and a drawing of the "Palace of His Excellency Prince Menshikov" made at the site in November 1725 by H. Marselius. The reliability and accuracy of these depictions were tested using archival sources and on-site archeological investigations by A.N. Petrov ànd Yu.V. Trubinov. On the basis of these investigations, restoration work in the Menshikov Palace begun by the architect A.E. Gessen was later continued by a group consisting of K.A. Kochergin, G.V. Mikhailov, V.K. Galochkin and I.V. Burkovskaya, with technical consultancy furnished by A.A. Kedrinsky, N.V. Kalyazina, Yu.M. Denisov, and Yu.V. Trubinov. Construction of the Menshikov Palace began in 1710 and already in 1711 Prince A.D. Menshikov celebrated his move into the new residence. However, the building was not yet completed. As a result of the growth of Russia's new capital and the growing role of its governor Alexander Danilovich Menshikov in the administration, the palace was enlarged. Nowadays researchers speak of five stages of the palace's construction during the first quarter of the 18th century. The model shows the palace as it looked at the fifth stage of construction, when it reached its largest size and grandeur. The model of the palace shows the service wings which were built onto the main structure. The two-story eastern wing with gates for passage extends to the north; together with the other wings it closes off a large courtyard. The western side of the main building abuts "corner and lateral chambers," which were intended for service use. The new balcony, or "grand gallery," appeared in 1725 and unites the south risolits. The way down from the palace to the water is built into supporting walls of the wooden quay. The palace's facade was painted a golden ochre, with decorative elements in pale yellow. In order to make it as easy to move among the various building parts as possible, and to reduce the number of servants in state rooms as much as possible, a wooden gallery was built on timbers anchored by brick columns. A balustrade enclosed the gallery; its balusters were elegant products of the turner's craft. A.D. Menshikov himself often strolled along the gallery in the company of guests who admired the courtyard, which was paved in fine brick or ceramic tiles. The model is on a scale of 1:125 (to the 1725 building), and is made of hard varieties of wood tinted to match the original historic colors. Using a turner's lathe, 1500 wooden balusters 8 mm high and 3 mm in diameter were crafted, as well as 600 carved capitals. The facade is adorned with six figures, crowns and vases. The window sashes for 700 windows have been made of silk thread. Model trees and bushes surrounding the palace have been carved from wood. In the near future the model will assume its place in the exhibition of the Menshikov Palace. |
|
|||||
|
Copyright
© 2011 State Hermitage Museum |
