St. Petersburg without reason called the Venice of the North - all of it is located on the islands. Yelagin Island - one of those who are in the delta of the Neva River, occupies a special place in the history of landscape art and Russian architecture. The development of the island began simultaneously with the construction of St. Petersburg. In those days, the area was heavily wooded and swampy. In the late 1770s, when the island became the property of the chief chamberlain court of Empress Catherine II I.P.Elagina, he was named Yelagin.

Since the beginning of the XIX century the island belonged to the imperial office. By order of the Emperor Alexander I on it we have started to build a palace for his mother, the Dowager Empress Maria Feodorovna. The construction of the palace was entrusted to the famous Carlo Russia. In 1818-1822, the architect reconstructed house, built in the project allegedly Elagina Giacomo Quarenghi. Next to this main mansion was placed a few more services that together with the palace made a beautiful architectural ensemble.

The main attraction of the ensemble is the Elagin Palace, situated on a hill and is therefore seen from afar. It has two front facade. The main facade is decorated with six-central portico and two Four-side. For it is a grand staircase that is decorated with iron bars and statues of lions. The second front, turned towards the Central Nevka, is designed as a circular protrusion with columns.

Architectural complex of office buildings - Kitchen and Stable housing - makes him one. These buildings of economic purpose Rossi performed in full accordance with the ceremonial character as the elegant palace park pavilions. The ensemble also includes two small pavilion - in the eastern direction of the island and on the coast of the Central Nevka, music intended for brass band.

Lovely interior of the palace. On the ground floor there is a suite of state rooms. Luxury central oval hall features magnificent columns and caryatids supporting the dome painted ornaments. It adjoins Blue and Crimson Drawing Room. Then there is dining room, parlor of Maria Fyodorovna, her bedchamber and toilet. On the second floor living quarters. On the third - the home church of St Nicholas.

Ever since the construction of the palace Yelagin Island became the summer residence of the kings, and the end of the XIX century it was a favorite place for walks Petersburg bourgeois. After the Revolution, the park was transferred to the People's Commissars of the Petrograd. Since 1932, its territory was organized by the Central Park of Culture and Recreation workers. During World War II the park was badly damaged by bombing. From the magnificent palace there was only a skeleton, but after the war, thanks to years of laborious work of a large team of talented restorers and master builders were returned to the life of one of the most beautiful architectural structures of St. Petersburg.

In the early 60s the park was re-opened to the public, and the palace was established base for a day of recreation for residents of the city. In 1987 Elaginsky Palace regained the status of the museum, started work on the search and return of lost items, completing the palace collection.

Elagin Palace Museum Russian arts and crafts and interior XVIII-XX centuries still quite young, but I want to believe that he has a great future. Already, the museum's collection numbers about 12,000 unique pieces of arts and crafts, painting, drawing, and sculpture. Today the palace is systematically tested a variety of temporary exhibitions of works of art, organized various events in the style of Peter, Elizabethan, Catherine's time.