The Vorontsov Palace in Alupka is a magnificent piece of 19th century architecture that has survived to this day. Vorontsov Palace Vorontsov Palace Chapel
The Alupka Palace, a masterpiece of romanticism architecture, was built for almost 20 years, from 1828 to 1848, by order of the powerful Governor-General of the Novorossiysk Territory, an aristocrat and Anglomaniac Count Mikhail Semenovich Vorontsov. The count personally chose a place for his Crimean residence on a picturesque stone promontory at the foot of Mount Ai-Petri in the little-known Tatar village of Alupka. The Englishman Edward Blore, the author of Walter Scott's castle in Scotland and the court architect of the British crown, managed to organically fit the palace building into the surrounding landscape. In the architecture of the Vorontsov Palace, Blore combined different styles - English, neo-Moorish and Gothic, paying tribute to the secular fashion of the time for the novels of Walter Scott and oriental tales.
History of creation
Initially, the famous Italian architect Francesco Boffo, who had already built a palace in Odessa for the count, was appointed to build the residence. The Englishman Thomas Harrison, an engineer, an adherent of neoclassicism, was supposed to help him. Work began, and by 1828 the foundation, which was filled with lead for earthquake resistance, as well as the first masonry of the portal niche of the central building were ready. But in 1829, Harrison died, and two years later, the earl decided to suspend the construction of the palace, apparently abandoning the idea of building a neoclassical residence.
Vorontsov turns to the Englishman Edward Blore, a brilliant historian of architecture, graphic artist and fashionable architect in his homeland. Most likely, the Earl of Pembroke recommended him to Vorontsov. It took almost a year to wait for the new drawings. But Mikhail Semenovich liked the result, and in December 1832 the construction of the buildings began. Blore brilliantly solved the problem in a historical perspective: the architecture of the palace demonstrates the development of medieval European and Moorish architecture, from the forms of the early Middle Ages to the 16th century. The building of the palace is deployed in such a way that it repeats the outlines of the visible mountains. It is surprising that the architect himself, who so accurately entered the building into the surrounding nature, never visited the Crimea, but used only numerous landscape sketches and relief drawings that were sent to him in England.
The resulting castle could well serve as an illustration for historical novels: five buildings, fortified by defensive towers, different in shape and height, are interconnected by many open and closed passages, stairs and courtyards.
The construction was carried out from local greenish-gray stone - diabase, which is not inferior in strength to basalt, which was taken from natural placers in Alupka. When processing it, considerable efforts were required, since the complex decoration of the exterior of the house could ruin one wrong blow with a chisel. Therefore, for the most complex masonry work, they invited Russian stone cutters, who built white-stone churches in Central Russia.
The main decorative decoration of the Vorontsov Palace - the motive of a shallow pointed keeled arch - is repeatedly repeated in the cast-iron balustrade of balconies, and in the carved stone lattice that encloses the roof, and in the decorative decoration of the portal south entrance, made in the Moorish style of the Alhambra palace.
In the design of the southern entrance facing the sea, a Tudor flower pattern and a lotus motif are intertwined, which end with an Arabic inscription repeated six times over the frieze: “And there is no winner but Allah,” just as it is written in the Granada Alhambra.
In front of the façade is the Lion's Terrace and a monumental staircase in white Carrara marble by the Italian sculptor Giovanni Bonanni. On both sides of the steps there are three pairs of lions: the left one below is sleeping, the right one below is awakening, above is a pair of awake ones, and the third pair is roaring.
The rear facade of the palace and its western part, a variation on the theme of Tudor England of the 16th - early 17th centuries, resemble the austere castles of English aristocrats.
By the way, this palace was one of the first in Russia to be equipped with a hot water supply system and sewerage system.
The construction costs of the palace complex amounted to about 9 million rubles in silver - an astronomical amount for those times. But Count Vorontsov could afford it, because after his marriage in 1819 to Elizaveta Ksaveryevna Branitskaya, he doubled his fortune and became the richest landowner Russian Empire... Elizaveta Ksaveryevna, the one with whom, according to one version, Alexander Pushkin fell in love in Odessa exile, personally supervised the creation of the building's interiors, took care of the decoration of the park and often paid for the work.
Inhabitants of the palace
Mikhail Semenovich did not manage to live for a long time in the Alupka Palace. Another appointment followed - this time to the Caucasus. But in the late 1840s, his daughter, Countess Sofya Mikhailovna, settled in Alupka with her children. Then, after the death of Prince Vorontsov (he received the title of prince in 1845), the palace, by right of enthronement, passed to his only son, Semyon Mikhailovich. In 1882, his widow, Maria Vasilievna Vorontsova, went abroad and removed many valuables from the palace. She had no children, the palace was abandoned, and by the end of the 19th century, the building, park and economy fell into complete decay.
In 1904, new owners appeared at the castle - relatives along the line of the Vorontsov-Dashkovs. The wife of the governor of the tsar in the Caucasus, Countess Elizaveta Andreevna Vorontsova-Dashkova, nee Countess Shuvalova, energetically set to work. She leased land for sanatoriums and boarding houses and built more than 120 summer cottages on the estate.
After the revolution and the establishment of Soviet power in Crimea, the lands of the Vorontsov-Dashkovs were nationalized. And on February 22, 1921, a telegram from Lenin arrived in Crimea: "Take decisive measures to effectively protect art treasures, paintings, porcelain, bronze, marble, etc., located in Yalta palaces and private buildings, now assigned to the sanatorium of the People's Commissariat of Health ..."
In the early 20s on South Bank Crimea, in some of the largest noble estates museums were created, among them the Alupka Museum. The collection of the museum was seriously damaged during the Great Patriotic War: a lot was taken out by the invaders, including 537 paintings and drawings. Only a small part of the paintings were found after the war and returned to the palace.
In February 1945, during the Crimean (Yalta) Conference, the Alupka Palace became the seat of the British delegation. Meetings of the heads of the allied powers - Stalin, Churchill and Roosevelt - took place in the ceremonial dining room of the palace.
Later, the palace became the state dacha of the NKVD. In 1952, a sanatorium was located there, and only in 1956, by decision of the Soviet government, the Crimean State Museum was opened here. visual arts... Since 1990, the palace has been part of the Alupka Palace and Park Museum-Reserve. Its collection today includes works of painting, sculpture and applied art, as well as documents, old drawings and lithographs introducing the history of the palace's construction.
English park
The English park of the palace is the work of the German gardener-botanist Karl Kebach, whom Vorontsov invited to Crimea in 1824, when there was no project of the palace itself. He eagerly set about creating a park, taking into account the relief, climate and local flora, combining, however, everything with the latest achievements of gardening art. About 200 species of trees and bushes were brought here from all over the world. Parcels with seeds and seedlings came from America, Italy, the Caucasus, Karelia, China and Japan. It was said that more than two thousand varieties of roses bloomed here at the same time. The German gardener became so famous in the Crimea that landowners began to invite him to create or improve their parks and gardens along the entire coast.
Karl Kebach clearly planned the park according to the principle of an amphitheater, retaining in its structure connections with the main palace and other architectural objects. The coastal highway (Yalta - Simeiz) divides the park into Upper and Lower.
The lower park is decorated in the style of Italian Renaissance gardens with fountains, marble sculptures, Byzantine columns, vases and stone benches. The upper one was created on the principle of English landscape parks of the Romantic era - more natural and natural: in it rocky fragments, shady ponds and preserved areas of the Crimean forest are interspersed with picturesque glades, a unique system of lakes, waterfalls, cascades and grottoes. Kebakh created the Upper Park as a place for contemplating the sea and Mount Ai-Petri, towering above the park and the palace, like the ruins of a castle of giants.
A carefully thought-out drainage system and individual care of the plants did their job - many, even very rare and whimsical plants, rooted well. In total, 250 species of trees and shrubs grew on the territory of the park by the end of the 19th century. The plants of Vorontsov Park were so popular that the seedlings were even sold to other gardens and estates.
The glory of Vorontsov Park as a masterpiece of landscape architecture was strengthened by the artists who worked here on sketches: Isaac Levitan, Vasily Surikov, Aristarkh Lentulov ... Alushta to Foros.
Address: Russia, Republic of Crimea, Alupka, sh. Dvortsovoe, 18
Build date: 1840 year
Architect: Furasov P.I.
Coordinates: 57 ° 19 "07.5" N 43 ° 06 "40.4" E
Short story
The luxurious palace, named by Vorontsovsky in honor of Count M. Vorontsov, is a unique structure that has become the embodiment of the era of Romanticism. It is located on the Crimean peninsula in the city of Alupka.
The beginning of its construction dates back to 1828, when the Governor-General Vorontsov, responsible for the Novorossiysk Territory, chose the site for the construction of the future main building and drove pegs on it. However, the palace did not appear quickly - it took 20 years to build it.
Initially, the project of the future Vorontsov Palace was developed in the style of strict classics, and the famous Italian architect Francesco Boffo and his colleague from England Thomas Harrison worked on it.
The year 1829 marked the beginning of the implementation of their joint project, and as all the preparatory work was completed, the foundation was immediately laid and the first masonry was made. However, an unpleasant surprise soon happened - in the midst of preparing the working drawings, the architect Harrison died.
For construction to go on as usual, Boffo needed a new partner. It was Edouard Blore, a young architect working in the romantic direction of English architecture.
Stone staircase with white marble sculptures of lions
Why did Count Vorontsov choose him and decided to make changes to the project of the future palace in the Crimean Alupka? The fact is that in those years he was in England, and he was impressed by the local architecture and the new fashion trends in the construction of buildings. Therefore, the count revised the already developed project and entrusted the new architect to adjust it so that the result of the work was a real castle, combining the severity of English architecture and the luxury inherent in Indian palaces.
And since 1832, construction work on the construction of the Vorontsov Palace in Crimea has already been carried out according to an updated project, but without distorting the previously passed stages. The execution of all the work was entrusted to the best craftsmen - masons, modelers, stone and wood carvers, artists, furniture makers and other workers who responsibly approached the orders entrusted to them. As a result, the construction of the palace cost Vorontsov 9 million rubles..
From left to right: front dining room, winter Garden
Vorontsov Palace layout
The entire palace complex, built by order of Vorontsov, is represented by several solid buildings, designated as:
- central;
- dining room;
- guest;
- library;
- economic.
The building, intended for receiving guests, was later named Shuvalovsky, since on its right side there was a room for Vorontsov's daughter, who after marriage became Countess Shuvalova.
North facade of the main building
Oddly enough, the construction of the palace began with the construction of the dining building, and this work took 4 years (from 1830 to 1834). The construction of the central building took 6 years - 1831 - 1837. From 1841 to 1842, work was carried out on the construction of a billiard room, which supplemented the building of the dining room. It also took a lot of time to erect the guest building, all the towers, outbuildings, outbuildings and the decoration of the Main Courtyard (these were 1838 - 1844). And finally, the library building, built from 1842 to 1846, joined the palace complex.
The central staircase is decorated with sculptures of lions, the production of which was entrusted to the Italian master Giovanni Bonnani. And the entire luxurious palace ensemble ended with a lion's terrace, that is, with many figures of lions.
Right - Clock Tower
Features of the architecture of the Vorontsov Palace
Vorontsov Palace, which became the decoration of Alupka in the Crimea in the middle of the 19th century, was a kind of innovation that violated some architectural and construction principles. In those days it was customary to arrange the buildings of the palace ensembles in a strict geometric grouping, but the architect Blore deviated from this rule and distributed all the buildings that make up the Vorontsov Palace on the terrain so that they stood in the direction from west to east, as if in accordance with with the movement of the mountains. This approach allowed all buildings to harmoniously fit into the local landscape - the Vorontsov palace complex found its place in the Crimean expanses.
Moving from case to case, you can visually trace the stages of development of medieval architecture, from its earliest forms to the traditions of the 16th century.
Shuvalov building
However, the emphasis in the development of projects for all structures was still placed on the English style. Why is so attractive Vorontsov Castle in Crimea? Its feature is appearance, reminiscent of a castle-fortress from the ancient VIII-XI centuries... Getting into the courtyard of the utility buildings, you involuntarily stumble upon blank walls and find yourself in confined spaces, and when you try to get to the central building, you find yourself surrounded by round watchtowers. Further general impression inaccessibility is complemented by narrow loopholes and high rough masonry walls. But suddenly there is an openwork suspension bridge made of cast iron and brings a festive touch to this austere composition. And so, as you move away from the arch of the western entrance, the signs of architecture of the following eras are more and more manifested.
West Entrance Towers
Having climbed over the openwork bridge and getting rid of the feeling of isolation, you can find yourself in the Front courtyard, from which you can see the Ai-Petri mountain. But this is not just a view - it is a kind of picture, because the landscape is, as it were, limited by the architectural frame, represented by the clock tower, the eastern wing and retaining wall with a fountain.
The architecture of the main building of the Vorontsov Palace in Crimea is also interesting. Its walls are pushed out of the plane at different levels, as required by the English Tudor style. The central part is decorated with a main entrance and is framed by bay window ledges and side projections. Onion domes serve as the roofs of the towers. The northern facade of the building is decorated with narrow polyhedron semi-columns, the crowns of which are pinnacles (decorative tops).
Chapel
Graceful pinnacles and battlements, domes and chimneys, decorated with flower-shaped tops, smooth out the roughness of the stone texture of the walls and their massive luggage.
Considering the carved stone decorations that decorate the Vorontsov Palace, it is worth noting their pronounced similarity with some elements of Western and Eastern architecture. So, true connoisseurs of architecture immediately notice the Gothic chimneys and minarets of the mosque, and it is precisely this compatible incompatibility that makes the palace complex special. This similarity is especially acute as one moves to the southern facade of the building named as the main one. In the rays of the sun, its outlines seem unusual, bizarre.
From left to right: front dining room, winter garden, main building
But the main motive for the design of the palace is the arches of the most diverse forms - they are gentle, and keeled, and horseshoe-shaped, and lancet. And you can see them everywhere, from the balustrade of balconies to the decoration of the portal of the southern entrance to the Vorontsov Palace. Besides, architectural ensemble, erected by the order of the Governor-General, has its own "zest" - these are 6 identical lines in Arabic, indicating that only Allah is the winner. You can see the inscription in a niche decorated with a Tudor flower and Indian lotus.
Description of the park surrounding the Vorontsov Palace
During the years of the construction of the palace, work was also carried out on the laying of the adjacent park. But if the construction of the Vorontsov Palace took two decades, the work on the creation of the park does not stop to this day. A wide variety of plants brought from all over the world harmoniously coexist on an area of 40 hectares.
Shuvalovsky passage with a view of the openwork bridge
In general, the palace park is subdivided into Upper and Lower. The upper park is decorated with several glades - Kashtanova, Kontrastnaya, Solnechnaya. And each of them is remarkable for its trees (Italian pine, oriental plane tree, berry yew, Himalayan cedar, Chilean araucaria, or monkey tree, etc.). In addition, on the territory of the Upper Park there is Swan Lake, where these beautiful birds really live, the Upper and Zerkalnoye Lakes and a waterfall.
In the Lower Park, surrounded by the most beautiful and rare representatives of the flora, there is a small teahouse, which the Vorontsov family used to spend their holidays on the seashore. Then this place was often lit with salutes and fireworks.
Shuvalovsky passage overlooking the western gate
Being here, you can really feel the atmosphere of the holiday, because it is not without reason that the architect chose the place for the construction of the house here. Surrounded by many unique plants, it creates the feeling of being in a fairy tale, since the entire territory of the Lower Park is conducive to creating an enchanting mood. And the lower part of the Vorontsov Park in Crimea is decorated in the Italian style of a regular park.
The use of the Vorontsov Palace complex in different years
Since 1990, the Vorontsov Palace in Alupka has become a palace and park museum-reserve... Several interesting exhibitions are located in nine state rooms. Thanks to their content, everyone can get acquainted with the way of life of the count's family, who lived in the palace before the October Revolution, and the nature of the palace's interiors.
Exit from the yard
But in 1990, the opening of the Vorontsov Palace as a museum was secondary - for the first time its building was used as a museum in 1921.
But with the beginning of the Great patriotic war 1941, valuable museum exhibits could not be saved, and the building itself was repeatedly threatened with destruction. However, thanks to the efforts of one of the employees of the museum Shchekoldin S.G. The Vorontsov Palace Museum still survived. Of course, many art treasures were lost during the war years, but after its end, some of the paintings were still found and returned to the museum.
And we continue the quiz Golden Fleece 2017, and now we have a question - V architectural complex this palace includes a Catholic chapel.
Answer options:
A) Stroganovsky
B) Tauride
C) Vorontsovsky
D) Anichkov
The correct answer to the question is C) Vorontsovsky
The Catholic chapel is part of the Vorontsov Palace complex in St. Petersburg. Built according to the project of the famous Rastrelli, it is distinguished by exquisite architecture.
The Vorontsov Palace went to the treasury for debts in the second half of the 18th century. Paul took over the patronage of the Order of Malta and handed it over to the knights. The Order included both Catholics and Orthodox. A separate Catholic Chapel was built for Catholics. For the Orthodox knights, the house church served as the Temple. And the Maltese Cross as a symbol of the Order.
Although, in fact, the types of the cross are already a human fantasy. Orthodox, Catholic, Maltese - not the essence. Christians worship not the form of the Cross, or even the Cross itself, but the power of Christ crucified on the cross.
One of the most interesting buildings in St. Petersburg is the Maltese Catholic Chapel, hidden from the eyes of townspeople and tourists behind the facade of the Suvorov School.
How the Maltese Chapel appeared in St. Petersburg
By the end of the eighteenth century, the Russian navy had become the main threat to the Ottoman navy. This led to the rapprochement of the Order of Malta with the Russian Tsar. In 1797, Paul I organized a new main priority of the order on the territory of the Russian Empire. The Hospitallers needed a patron since Napoleon drove them out of Malta.
Emperor Paul was very kind to the Maltese. On the territory of Russia, he provided the members of the Order with "all those distinctions, advantages and honors that the famous Order enjoys in other places." Three commanders were organized, the head of the Main Priory in Russia was introduced to the State Council. The entry of Russian nobles into it was encouraged in every possible way.
In 1799, Emperor Pavel granted the commander's cross to the commander Alexander Suvorov. Hospitallers open the Corps of Pages in St. Petersburg, which has graduated many military leaders. The Corps of Pages later became the Suvorov School. It was then that the Catholic (Maltese) chapel appeared on the territory of the military school.
However, Paul's flirtation with catholic church, his rapprochement with Rome did not like the ROC (Russian Orthodox Church) and the entire policy of the emperor in relation to a foreign religious order was another, among many others, the reason for his murder in the Mikhailovsky Castle in St. Petersburg on the night of March 13, 1801.
The new emperor Alexander I, in the very first months of his reign (August 1, 1801), renounced the title of Grand Master of the Order and ordered the removal of the Maltese cross from the state emblem.
However, the Corps of Pages (now the Suvorov School is based with the building) and the Maltese Chapel remained in St. Petersburg. She has recently served as concert hall... So in order to look at this building, unusual for our latitudes, you need to buy a concert ticket.
p.s. Unfortunately, the chapel is currently being renovated and no concerts are being held. But there are excursions. The official website of the chapel:
Vorontsov Palace is one of the main attractions of St. Petersburg. The palace is located on the territory of the estate owned by Count Mikhail Illarionovich Vorontsov. The palace coup of 1741 (in which Vorontsov took an active part) elevates Empress Elizabeth to the Russian throne. Elizaveta Petrovna did not fail to thank Mikhail Illarionovich for his merits, assigning him the rank of general.
The design and construction of the palace was carried out by F.B. Rastrelli - Russian architect, Italian by origin. The estate is located between Fontanka and Sadovaya street in the southwest direction and occupies a significant territory. The facade of the palace is separated from the street by a fence, which is an example of artistic casting. Behind the fence is a vast palace with the main building and symmetrical two-storey wings brought forward. In the back of the courtyard there is a three-story main building, far from the city noise. To decorate the main facade, Rastrelli uses double rusticated columns, above which there is a balcony. Arched windows on the ground floor are framed with decorative trims. The ceremonial hall is located on the second floor.
The impression of solemnity and splendor of the palace, inherent in the Baroque style, is created at the first moment, as soon as one enters the estate. According to the testimony of contemporaries, the inner content of the fifty state rooms, located along the main facade, was distinguished by dazzling luxury. Unfortunately, the interior of the buildings has not survived to this day. The garden, which was located behind the main building, was decorated with numerous fountains, well-groomed alleys, pools and other "whims". In the garden, which stretched to the Fontanka, one could observe fireworks, which certainly accompanied the festivities in the Anichkov Garden.
In 1817, the garden was shortened according to the project of Karl Rossi. An open terrace, located above the one-story building, opened up a beautiful view of the river. In the central part of the palace there was a large two-story hall. One of the halls housed the library of M.I. Vorontsova, who was rightfully considered the best in St. Petersburg. The construction of the palace required no small investment. And holding regular balls and receptions led to the fact that the financial situation of M.I. Vorontsov was no longer allowed to spend money on its maintenance.
In 1763, the palace was transferred to the treasury for debts. During the reign of Paul I, the palace was renamed the Castle of the Knights of Malta and was transferred to the Order of Malta. This is due to the fact that Emperor Paul was elected Master of the Order of Malta in 1798, and the former Vorontsov Palace became his residence. The coat of arms of the order - a white Maltese cross - was installed above the gate. According to the project of D. Quarenghi, the construction of the Catholic chapel of the order began in 1798, in which the meetings of the Order of the Knights of Malta were held. An Orthodox church was built in the left wing.
Under Alexander I, the estate with all its property was transferred to the disposal of the state and soon the Corps of Pages was located in it. The Corps of Pages trained the officers of the Guard; the second floor housed the cadets' bedrooms.
The October Revolution led to the closure of the Corps of Pages. In the early 1920s, military educational institutions were located on the territory of the Vorontsov Palace. In 1928, some of the items were donated to the museums of Leningrad. Since 1958, the building has been given to the Suvorov School.
In 2003, in honor of the anniversary of St. Petersburg, the interior of the Maltese Chapel was restored. Today, excursions, organ music evenings are held in the chapel, and a museum on the history of cadets is open.
