The palace was built upon the order of the tsarine Ekaterina II in the XVIII century on the land belonging to the High-Peter convent, hence goes the name of the palace. The 10th July of 1774 a very long and cruel Russian-Turkish war was over, Russia received an access to the Black and Mediterian sea. To celebrate the victory the tsarine decided to build a travelling palace on the way connecting the two capitals where she and other nobles could rest from a long trip from Saint-Petersburg to Moscow.
The architecture Matvey Kazakov with a huge group of other masters made their work perfectly! All the decorative elements were made by a famous German master Johann Just who arrived to Moscow with other masters to build the Kremlin Palace.
The elements of the different epochs and architectural styles are combined in the Petrovsky palace. It ressembles the boyar terem and fortress and the classical estate at the same time. There had to be also some eastern motifs remebering about the victory of the Сhristians over the Ottomans.
Ekaterina liked the palace. She stayed in it first in 1785 going from Veliky Novgorod and visited it quite often afterwards.
In 1797 the son of Ekaterina Pavel I stopped in Petrovsky palace before his coronation. Since then the palace became an obligatory place of the coronation festivities which were by all means orgalized in Moscow.
During the war of 1812 Napoleon headquarters was located in the palace. From here Napoleon was observing unsubdued Moscow burning.
The palace destroyed after the escape of Napoleon was restored during the reign of Nikolay I. In the renew halls of the palaces again stayed the members of the imperial family and the pompous receptions in honour of noble delegations were organized.
After the revolution of 1917 the Palace was passed through many hands: here was located the Red aviation museumand later Air academy. In 1999 the historical monument was given back to the city and a huge restauration lasting 10 years was started.
Fully conserving its historical view, the palace was refitted considering all the modern tendencies.
The Moscow authority decided to turn the tsar palace into an elite hotel Peterhoff Palace and Moscow government Reception House where foreign delegations would stay.
You can also be a guest of this luxury hotel or just come as a tourist to listen to the interesting excursion or organ music concert.
Announciation cathedral behind the Petrovsky palace.
