Priory Palace in Gatchina

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• Leningrad Oblast
• Holstein-Gottorp-Romanovs

Architect Nikolay Lvova was allowed to erect a palace in any convenient place in Gatchina. However, at the insistence of the commandant of the city, Pyotr Khrisanfovich Obolyaninov, who was subsequently accused of intrigues against Lviv, a marshy site on the shore of Black Lake was allocated for construction.

Before starting excavation work, Lvova have to proves the reliability of the technology itself, so the first buildings were built on the architect's estate. Then in 1797 near Gatchina, in the village of Aropakkozy (modern Aropakkuzi), which was part of the estate of maid of honor E.I. Nelidova, an earthen house was built.

And just before the start of work, Lviv built near the Gatchina Palace a corner of a peasant hut from an excavator, which was examined by the emperor and courtiers. The wall was strong enough, and Pavel І approved the construction project.

From the memoirs of Elizabeth Nikolaevna Lvova (1788-1864), daughter of Nikolay Aleksandrovich Lvova (1753-1804), architect of the Priory Palace: "The earth-moving building was occupied by Sovereign Paul; he immediately ordered from each of our provinces to send two men to study with us in Nikolskoye, which was fulfilled in the spring; with more than a hundred people appeared and from the beginning that they began to build a barracks for themselves, in which they later lived. The sovereign, seeing the finished corner in the Gatchina garden, told N.A. Lvova to choose a place in Gatchina where he wants and build him a Priory. "

In the fall of 1797, preparations began for the construction of the Earth Abbot.

Work was carried out to drain the swamp, erect the foundation into the base, to a depth of more than two meters, logs with a diameter of about 30 cm were laid, and limestone slabs on them, on which a base had already been erected; a drainage system was thought out.

In the three summer months, from June 12 to September 15, 1798, the walls of the Priory and courtyard structures were built. The land for this was supplied from the vicinity of Gatchina.

"The whole structure is of clean land, without any impurity and without any other connection, except for floors and ceilings, in a special way arranged for this... The main building, above the stone foundation, was built all of the land filled with portable machines, neither inside nor outside (except for windows) plastered, but overstuffed only on the ground with turpentine water "(Nikolai Lvov).

According to reports, about 27 thousand rubles were spent on construction, which testified to the economic profitability of such structures.

Around the architect created a landscape park, forming a single ensemble with a palace reflected in the water of the lake.

On August 22, 1799, the Priory was received by Emperor Paul I and the next day was granted a special decree to the Order of Malta. Evidence of a visit to the palace by members of the order was not found.

After the death of Paul I, the Priory became a spare palace of the imperial family, where they stayed for lunch or rest. But they did not come here so often, and therefore it was used for a variety of needs. In the 1820s, the palace hosted services of the Lutheran community; under Nicholas I, apartments were provided to the general during military maneuvers. It was in the Priory that the future wife of Tsarevich Alexander Nikolaevich, Princess Maximilian of Hesse, was met.

In the 1880s, the palace was restored according to the architect N.V. Dmitriyev project: the sagging ceiling ceilings were strengthened with cast-iron pillars, sewers and water supply were carried out.

For some time, court singers lived in the palace, and at the beginning of the twentieth century they organized exhibitions of Russian artists, often of a charitable nature.

The park around the Priory turned into an urban one: there were festivities, concerts, it was possible to rent boats.

During the First World War, the palace housed a hospital.

After 1917, when the property of the royal family was nationalized, an excursion station was first opened in the Priory Palace, and then recreation centers of Leningrad factories were located.

During World War II, the Priory miraculously survived, and after repair work it housed first the military construction unit, and then the House of Pioneers. In 1968, a museum of local lore was opened in the palace.

Only in 1981 did a full-fledged restoration begin, which dragged on for a long twenty years. In 2004, the palace reopened to visitors.

The Priory in Gatchina is the only building in Russia built using excavation technology.

The next step was to be the founding of a school of an earth-laying building in Moscow, near the Simonov Monastery, which would make the earth-laying building traditional for many regions.