The eighties of the eighteenth century were steeped in the glory of victories of the Russian army and navy over Turkey. It was during those years in St. Petersburg, built a palace for the most well-known favorite of all the history of the Russian imperial house - Grigory Potemkin Tauride, a diplomat, a great statesman and military leader. Architect IE The oldest in the design of the palace sought to embody the idea of ​​the greatness of the Russian state. And he succeeded: the palace became the most extensive and rich estate of the northern capital of the late 18th century.

The building, following strict canons of classicism, its simple appearance. It is a strictly axial composition, when moving away from the central body symmetrical wings, forming the front yard, which is located in the back of the main entrance to the palace with a six-Roman Doric portico. Through it, you can go to a central body with its front rooms forming a suite, which is oriented along the main axis of the building leads to the winter garden of the palace with windows facing the park. Side body put forward to the street, connected to the central one-story housing intermediate parts of the building. They have their own entrances with four-column portico of the Tuscan order from the front yard. The main building of the palace, decorated with powerful dome and portico with a pediment, is opposed to a low outbuilding and dominates in the ensemble.

Facades side hulls strict style, they lack decor, rectangular windows without frames, wall smooth. However, this simple exterior of the building hides a luxury interior state rooms of the palace, which brought him worldwide fame.

Just beyond the lobby opens eyes octagonal domed hall, next to him on its long side is columned hall - A large gallery. Then the magnificent evergreen winter garden - a rectangular room with a semi-circular projection with a glass roof and the walls, which are full of exotic and tropical plants. It is a continuation of a magnificent park, located behind the building of the palace. This park, which spreads once the territory of 30 hectares, designed by the English master Gould, was defeated along with the palace.

In 1906, Czar Nicholas II gave the palace to the State Duma. Half of the premises of the winter garden was rebuilt amphitheater, there was arranged a meeting room. After the February Revolution in the Tauride Palace in session Provisional Government, and after 1918 there were congresses of the Bolshevik Party.

Since 1992, in the Tauride Palace housed the headquarters of the Interparliamentary Assembly of the CIS member states.