In 1703 Peter was founded Petersburg.In just nine years, he becomes the capital of the state. With the direct participation of its patron, the main city of the country begins to be actively settled and improved. One of the first to come to the banks of the Neva was a relative of the tsar, Count Field Marshal Boris Petrovich Sheremetyev. He under the construction of the estate was allocated plot number 34 on the Fontanka embankment.
The site on the one hand limited the riverFontanka, on the other - Liteyny Prospect. At the time of the construction of the family estate, the count with his family was located on Millionnaya Street. Over time, a wooden house and service outbuildings appeared on the site. The new estate was destined to become the family nest of Sheremetievs. In place of a wooden house in the 1730s, a one-story stone palace was erected. In 1750-1755, the second floor of the building was built, the design of which was done by S. I. Chevakinsky and F. S. Argunov.
Owned by the estate of a descendant of Boris Petrovich inconnection with the sudden death of his wife and daughter in 1768 decides to move to Moscow. While there, he begins to master the estate. It inherited from his wife. Subsequently, already with his son, the Sheremetyevsky Palace in Ostankino was completely completed. He, like the North, is one of the family estates and, in the absence of the owner, is repeatedly rented and continues to be rebuilt.
The next owner of the estate in St. Petersburgbecomes the son of Peter Borisovich Nikolai. At first, the new owner preferred to live in Moscow, rarely visiting his Northern estate. However, in 1796 he moved to St. Petersburg. Under the guidance of architect I. E. Starov, a significant renovation of the interior of the house on Fontanka begins. Nikolai Petrovich was a big fan of theatrical art. In the palace they organized a theater, the actors of which served the serfs. He even gave his freedom, and in 1801 he married one of his actresses, Kovaleva Praskovya Ivanovna. During his tenure, the estates were occupied by Kvarengi and Voronikhin. The Garden Pavilion and the Summer House, as well as the Coach House, appeared on the estate.
After the death of Nikolai Petrovich in 1809the estate passes to his son Dmitri, who at that time was only six years old. A board of trustees is created, headed by the chief trustee M. I. Donaurov. Active restructuring continues: In the 1810–20s, the Stationery, the Fountain, the Hospital, and the Singing Outhouse appeared. The authors of the projects are H. Meyer and D. Kvardi. Under Dmitry Nikolayevich, who served in the Kavalergardsky regiment, the owner’s co-workers become regular visitors to the palace, and the expression “live at Sheremetyevo account” appears. There are also often the artist Kiprensky and Pushkin. In 1837, the Count binds the knot with the maid of honor of the Empress Anna Sergeyevna. From this marriage in 1844, the son Sergei is born. In 1838, a cast-iron fence with a gate, decorated with the coat of arms of Sheremetyevs, appeared on the estate. Architect I. D. Corsini, who worked for twenty years at the estate, radically rebuilt all the palace premises. In the 1840s, the Garden Wing appeared on its territory. The estate itself becomes one of the most visited places in the capital. It hosts musical evenings that adorn Glinka, Berlioz, Liszt and Schubert with their performances. The first wife of Dmitry Nikolaevich dies from poisoning in 1849. Ten years later, in 1859, he marries a second time. A son, Alexander, is born. To the Sheremetyevsky Palace in 1867, the Northern Outhouse is attached. The author of the project is N. L. Benoit.
In 1871, Count Dmitry Nikolayevich died. As a result of the division of property Sheremetyevsky Palace inherited Sergey Dmitrievich. In 1874, on the estate appearnew five-storey buildings (architect AK Serebryakov). From the side of Liteiny Prospect, tenement houses are being built, the front part on Fontanka - 34 is left unchanged. The beginning of the twentieth century is marked by destruction. Grotto, Hermitage, Garden Gate, Orangery, Chinese arbor are destroyed. Playpens and Stables are being rebuilt in the Theater Hall - now it is the Drama Theater on Liteiny. Appear in 1914, two-storey trade pavilions (architect M. V. Krasovsky).
In the post-revolutionary period, Sheremetyevsky Palacewas transferred to Sergei Dmitrievich at the disposal of the new government. In one of his outbuildings from mid-1924 to 1952, A. A. Akhmatova lived. The main parts of the building were redone. Until 1931 the museum was located here. In 1984, Sheremetyevo Palace received the Research Institute for the Arctic and Antarctic. As a result of improper use and care, the interiors of the halls lost their former grandeur and beauty, and some of the outbuildings became residential apartments. At the end of the 20th century, attitudes toward the estate gradually began to change. Sheremetyev Palace undergone restoration.The main purpose of this event was to recreate the atmosphere of the XVIII century. The first exhibition in the Sheremetyevo Palace was represented by exhibits belonging to the family of the owners of the estate. Among them are completely unique samples. Here are collections of paintings and art objects, musical instruments. The house on Fontanka, 34 traditionally hosts concerts and art exhibitions. Since 1989, the A.Akhmatova Literary and Memorial Museum has been operating. It recreates the working room of the poetess. The general public is presented with her books, photographs and personal items. In 2006, a monument to A. Akhmatova appeared on the site at the Sheremetyevo Palace. His discovery was timed to the fortieth anniversary of the death of the poetess.
The Museum of Music, located in the building of the estate,has in its store a huge collection of old instruments. She is considered one of the best in the world. The collection includes unique tools created by Russian and European masters in the 16th - 18th centuries, belonging to the royal dynasty of the Romanovs, as well as unique samples from around the world that have no analogues. Also in the museum are Russian bells and recreated copies of various antique instruments. You can visit the museum as part of the daily excursions there. Their themes are very diverse. For example, in the framework of the excursion "Earls of Sheremetyevo" you can learn a lot about the creators of the estate, their life and destiny. There are other programs. For example, "Fountain House. Palace and Manor". This tour is dedicated to the architectural monument-estate and its creation. Within its framework, you can learn many fascinating details about the life of the palace, for example, one of the legends that in designing the house, FB Rastrelli’s drawings were used. Still, most of the excursions that take place in the Sheremetyevo Palace are devoted to music: "The Evolution of Keyboard Instruments", "Wind Instruments - Folk and Professional", "Outstanding Names in the Collection of Musical Instruments" and others.
Sheremetyevsky Palace, was a matter of pridefive generations of his masters, their family nest. For several centuries, each of the owners preserved and multiplied the property of the genus. Art objects, an art gallery, antique sculptures, a numismatic and weapon collections, a rich library - this is not a complete list of what the owners of the manor owned until 1917. Sheremetyevsky Palace, the photo of which is presented above, for several centuries was a meeting place for the intelligentsia. Today he has not lost his former greatness and continues to attract millions of people.
