Lobanov-Rostovsky Palace
- Not to be confused with the Lobanov-Rostovsky House at 43, Myasnitskaya Street, Moscow.
Coordinates: 59°56′05″N 30°18′29″E / 59.93472°N 30.30806°E
Lobanov-Rostovsky Palace, also known as the Lobanov-Rostovsky Residence, is a historic building at 12 Admiralteysky Avenue in Saint Petersburg, Russia, constructed in 1817-1820 for Prince Alexander Yakovlevich Lobanov-Rostovsky.[1] The building now houses a luxury hotel in the Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts chain, under the name of Four Seasons Hotel Lion Palace,[2] referring to the two Medici lions at the main entrance.
Architecture
The Neoclassical or Empire style building is an early work of the architect Auguste de Montferrand.[1] The triangular building faces Admiralty Garden, Voznesensky Avenue and Saint Isaac's Square.
The main entrance, on the Admiralteisky Avenue, has an eight-column portico facing the Admiralty building, and its porch is guarded by white marble Medici lions by sculptor Paolo Triscorni on granite pedestals.[1][3] Triscorni's sculptures were made famous by Pushkin in his last long poem, The Bronze Horseman.[4]
History
In 1824, the mezzanine and the first floor of the residence[1] were rented to the Ministry of War of the Russian Empire for 63,000 roubles a year. On 23 June 1828, the entire building was bought by the State Treasury for one million roubles, and in 1829-1830, it was renovated to meet the Ministry's needs. It housed the principal establishments of the Ministry until its dissolution in 1918.
After October 1917, there was a Military-Political Academy, aeronautical museum and dormitory located in the building. From 1946, Project Institute no. 1, the head organisation for designing industrial buildings and complexes, was located here.[1]
In 2009, a project to renovate the building for the Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts chain started,[5] which was originally scheduled to open in 2011, then postponed to early 2012 and later to mid-2013.[6] The project was subsequently completed, and the hotel began operating as the Four Seasons Hotel Lion Palace.[7]
References
External links
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- Four Seasons Hotel Lion Palace St. Petersburg - official website
- lionpalace.ru - project site for the ongoing Four Seasons' renovation
- http://eng.nimrah.ru/exhibitions/old/51/