The Arts Square (, ''Ploshchad Iskusstv'') is an open public square in the center of

Saint Petersburg Saint Petersburg, formerly known as Petrograd and later Leningrad, is the List of cities and towns in Russia by population, second-largest city in Russia after Moscow. It is situated on the Neva, River Neva, at the head of the Gulf of Finland ...

, Russia.

History

Before the construction of the Square, the land was the hunting grounds of the Empress

Anna of Russia Anna Ioannovna (; ), also russified as Anna Ivanovna and sometimes anglicized as Anne, served as regent of the Duchy of Courland and Semigallia from 1711 until 1730 and then ruled as Empress of Russia from 1730 to 1740. Much of her administratio ...

. Then Russian architect

Francesco Bartolomeo Rastrelli Francesco Bartolomeo Rastrelli (; 1700 – 29 April 1771) was an Italian architect who worked mainly in Russia. He developed an easily recognizable style of Late Baroque, both sumptuous and majestic. His major works, including the Winter Palac ...

(1700–1771) created a garden maze on the site. In the early 19th century, the Russian architect Carlo Rossi (1775–1849) was commissioned to develop the land between the Field of Mars and the

Nevsky Prospect Nevsky Prospect ( rus, Не́вский проспе́кт, r=Nevsky Prospekt, p=ˈnʲɛfskʲɪj prɐˈspʲɛkt) is a main street ( high street) located in the federal city of St. Petersburg in Russia. Its name comes from the Alexander Nevs ...

. The

Mikhailovsky Palace The Mikhailovsky Palace () is a grand ducal palace in Saint Petersburg, Russia. It is located on Arts Square and is an example of Empire style neoclassicism. The palace currently houses the main building of the Russian Museum and displays its c ...

, which now houses the main building of the

Russian Museum The State Russian Museum (), formerly known as the Russian Museum of His Imperial Majesty Alexander III (), on Arts Square in Saint Petersburg, is the world's largest depository of Russian fine art. It is also one of the largest art museums in ...

, stood out as its most prominent building. Rossi also designed the Square, and the facades of the buildings facing Italianskaya Ulitsa and Mikhailovskaya Ulitsa. His work was completed by other architects with the

Mikhailovsky Theatre The Mikhailovsky Theatre () is one of Russia's oldest opera and ballet houses. It was founded in 1833 and occupies a Brulleau-designed building on 1, Arts Square in Saint Petersburg. It is named after Grand Duke Michael Pavlovich of Russia. ...

, the Jaquot House, the

Saint Petersburg Philharmonia Saint Petersburg Philharmonia (), officially the Saint Petersburg Academic Philharmonia Named After D. D. Shostakovich (), is a music society located in Saint Petersburg, Russia, and is the name of the building where it is housed. Also there is ...

, and the Mikhailovsky Square Garden at its center. From 1834 to 1918, the square was known as the Mikhailovskaya Square (), and as the Lassalle Square () from 1923 to 1952. In 1902, when the Mikhailovsky Palace was turned into the

, the eastern wing became the

Russian Museum of Ethnography The Russian Museum of Ethnography (Российский этнографический музей) is a museum in St. Petersburg that houses a collection of about 500,000 items relating to the ethnography, or cultural anthropology, of peoples of ...

, a new address on Arts Square. In August 1939,

Isaak Brodsky Isaak Izrailevich Brodsky (, ; – 14 August 1939) was a Russian painter and draughtsman of Jewish descent best known for his portrayals of Vladimir Lenin and other Soviet leaders, renowned as blueprint examples of the Socialist reali ...

died in his apartment on Arts Square, which then became a national museum. SquareOfArts1737.jpg, Location of territory of future square of Arts on the 1737 year map. Mikhailovskaya square (Arts Square) and the Mikhailovsky Palace in St. Petersburg in the 19th century.jpg, Mikhailovskaya square and the Mikhailovsky Palace in the 19th century, lithograph after a drawing by Joseph-Maria Charlemagne-Baudet.

Buildings

Central to the Square is the Mikhailovsky Square Garden with a statue of

Alexander Pushkin Alexander Sergeyevich Pushkin () was a Russian poet, playwright, and novelist of the Romantic era.Basker, Michael. Pushkin and Romanticism. In Ferber, Michael, ed., ''A Companion to European Romanticism''. Oxford: Blackwell, 2005. He is consid ...

. Around the square are the following buildings: *

(world's largest museum of Russian art) *

* Jaquot House * Kutuzov House * Vielgorsky House * Lazarev House * Church of St. Catherine (its residential building) * The

Grand Hotel Europe The Grand Hotel Europe () is a historic Hotel rating, five-star luxury hotel on Nevsky Prospect in Saint Petersburg, Russia. History The Grand Hotel d'Europe was built from 1873 to 1875, to designs by Swiss/Russian architect Ludwig Fontana. I ...

Spb_06-2012_MichaelTheatre.jpg,

. Sankt-Petěrburg 119.jpg, The doric colonnade, building housing the

and the

. Grand Hotel Europe 4.jpg,

. Spb 06-2017 img22 Arts Square.jpg, Aerial photo of Arts Square in Saint Petersburg.

Events

Every year, the

organizes the Arts Square International Festival in Saint-Petersburg. The event is free.

References

Carlo Rossi buildings and structures Parks and open spaces in Saint Petersburg Tourist attractions in Saint Petersburg Squares in Saint Petersburg Cultural heritage monuments of federal significance in Saint Petersburg {{SaintPetersburg-stub

History

Buildings

Events

See also

References