PALACE SQUARE Palace Square

1:56

Palace Square is one of the main squares in St. Petersburg, and one of the most beautiful in the world.

Originally a military zone, it was turned into an area used for celebrations and banquets by Tsar Peter the Great. The 18th century saw the construction of  the palaces you can admire today, making the square the most important in the city.

To appreciate the square to the full, stand towards the center, next to the  Alexander Column, built in 1834 in honor of Tsar Alexander I for his victory against Napoleon's troops in 1812.

This pink granite monolith, 47 and a half meters high and weighing 600 tons, stands on an elegant gray granite pedestal, adorned with bas-reliefs, supported simply due to its huge mass. It is topped with an angel holding a cross.

 

From here, you can admire the semicircular monumental complex of the General Staff Building, spread out over an impressive 580 meters. The building is separated in the center by the elegant 28-meter-high, 17-meter-wide triumphal arch, topped with a Chariot of Victory, sculpted  in 1829 to celebrate the defeat of Napoleon. One wing of the building currently hosts part of the exhibitions of the Hermitage.

On the opposite side of the square is the Winter Palace, completed in 1761 and the residence of the tsars from 1762 to 1917. Today it is the main building of the Hermitage.

 

Let me leave you with an interesting fact: This square, where military parades often took place in imperial times, was the scene of a number of historical events of fundamental importance, such as "Bloody Sunday" in January 1905, when dozens of workers died at the hands of the tsar's guards during a peaceful demonstration, and the coup d'état in 1917 during the Russian Revolution, which led to the fall of the tsar.

 

 

 

TravelMate recommends
Choose the option
that suits you
Buy Saint Petersburg
Permanently unlock the app with all content of Saint Petersburg for
€ 7,99
Buy
Promotion
Unlock audio content of all available cities for 3 years at the promotional price
€ 19,99
Buy
Don't miss out!
SAINT PETERSBURG INTRODUCTION
1 Audio

SAINT PETERSBURG INTRODUCTION

The city was founded on May 27, 1703, when Peter the Great ordered excavations to commence for the Peter and Paul Fortress on Hare Island, in the middle of the Neva River, at the point where the river...
THE WONDERS OF LOCAL CUISINE
1 Audio

THE WONDERS OF LOCAL CUISINE

Most of the specialties you can enjoy here are very popular throughout the country, and you’ll find endless variations. Classic accompaniments to any dish are yogurt and sour cream, which bring...
PETER AND PAUL FORTRESS
3 Audio

PETER AND PAUL FORTRESS

The fortress was founded as a military citadel during the Great Northern War, which lasted from 1700 to 1721. Peter the Great had a splendid cathedral built within; it was here that he wanted his...
NEVSKY PROSPEKT
2 Audio

NEVSKY PROSPEKT

Nevsky Prospekt is 4.5 kilometers long, starting out from the Admiralty in Palace Square, crossing the Moyka, Fontanka and Neva rivers to the railway station and ending at the Alexander Nevsky...
PALACE SQUARE
1 Audio

PALACE SQUARE

Originally a military zone, it was turned into an area used for celebrations and banquets by Tsar Peter the Great. The 18th century saw the construction of  the palaces you can admire today,...
HERMITAGE
15 Audio

HERMITAGE

The initial core of this priceless collection of artworks dates back to 1764, when Empress Catherine the Great purchased an impressive number of paintings from a Berlin merchant, including works by...
ST. ISAAC'S CATHEDRAL
2 Audio

ST. ISAAC'S CATHEDRAL

The basilica we can admire today is the fourth to be built on the same site, where Peter the Great had already erected a church dedicated to his patron saint. As the city grew, however, Tsar Alexander...
KUNSTKAMERA
1 Audio

KUNSTKAMERA

The building was designed by Georg Johann Mattarnovy, in a mix of architectural styles typical of Northern Europe that Tsar Peter the Great was so fond of that it became known as Petrine Baroque. Work...
SUMMER GARDEN
2 Audio

SUMMER GARDEN

There were fountains, marble busts, gilded sculptures, a maze, a beautiful artificial cave, groves, hedges, and aviaries. Of the buildings erected later, only the Summer Palace of Peter the Great has...
YUSUPOV PALACE
1 Audio

YUSUPOV PALACE

The palace was initially built around 1776, by the French architect Jean-Baptiste Vallin de la Mothe, but over the following decades it was repeatedly altered, expanded and enhanced by the work of...
KAZAN CATHEDRAL
1 Audio

KAZAN CATHEDRAL

The construction of the cathedral, which began in 1801 and lasted for ten years, was commissioned by Tsar Paul I to replace the Church of the Nativity of Mary.In accordance with the wishes of the...
CHURCH OF THE SAVIOR ON SPILLED BLOOD
1 Audio

CHURCH OF THE SAVIOR ON SPILLED BLOOD

Work on the church began in 1883, and continued for 24 years, above all on the extraordinary decoration of the interior, consisting of almost 7,000 square meters of mosaics by 32 of the finest artists...
PETERHOF
5 Audio

PETERHOF

Shortly after founding St. Petersburg, Peter the Great planned to build a country residence, but had to postpone its construction as a result of the Great Northern War, decisive for imposing Russian...
TSARSKOYE SELO
3 Audio

TSARSKOYE SELO

In 1937, the estate was officially named Pushkin, to mark the centenary of the death of the great Russian poet and writer, who attended high school and later composed some of his works here.The main...
ALEXANDER NEVSKY MONASTERY
1 Audio

ALEXANDER NEVSKY MONASTERY

The monastery was founded in 1710 at the behest of Tsar Peter the Great, who named it after Alexander Nevsky, Prince of Novgorod and Vladimir, a Russian saint and national hero.Following the...
RUSSIAN MUSEUM
1 Audio

RUSSIAN MUSEUM

If you have time, however, I suggest you buy a ticket to visit the other locations, all of them in the city center, to admire the interiors of these beautiful buildings: the Marble Palace, the...
TravelMate App
DOWNLOAD NOW
THE TRAVELMATE APP
Purchase your activation code, download the TravelMate App, and turn your smartphone into your personal travel companion!
Listen to audio guides about the wonders of the world with TravelMate.
HAVE FUN!