The Palace of count Stroganov Baroque
This Baroque masterpiece was designed in 1752-1754 by Bartolomeo Rastrelli. Commissioned by very wealthy Count Sergey Stroganov, the palace was occupied by his descendants until the October Revolution of 1917. The vast Stroganov fortune was amassed mainly through the monopoly the family held on salt, which they mined from their territories in the north of the Russian Empire.
Museum about the life of the aristocracy
The pink and white palace overlooks both Nevsky prospect and the Moika River.
The Stroganovs were noted collectors of everything from Egyptian antiques and Roman coins to icons and Old masters. The palace was nationalized after the Revolution and then preserved for ten years as a museum of the life of aristocracy. When it was closed, some of the objects were auctioned in the West, and the rest were transferred to the Hermitage. The building now belongs to the Russian State Museum. It is used for temporary exhibitions.
