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The Mikhailovsky Palace, the Rossi Wing and the Benois Wing

The Mikhailovsky Palace,
the Rossi Wing and the Benois Wing area - 30 308,0 sq.m.

Constructional volume - 260 718 cube m.

The Mikhailovsky Palace is one of the most complete monuments of Classical architecture in the centre of St. Petersburg. It was built between 1819 and 1825 according to the will of the deceased Emperor Paul for his youngest son - Grand Duke Mikhail Pavlovich - by the genius Karl Rossi, creator of the leading architectural ensembles of St. Petersburg.

A whole host of artists, both famous and not-so-famous, helped create the palace's sculptural, pictorial and other fittings. Vasily Demut-Malinovsky and Stepan Pimenov created sculptures, Giovanni and Pietro Batiste Scotti, Antonio Vighi, Barnaba Medici and Friedrich Brullo painted, Nikita and Sergei Sayegin modelled, Vasily Zakharov and Vasily Bobkov made carvings and Stepan Tarasov and Mikhail Znamensky laid the parquet floors. "This palace is an undeniable triumph of modern architecture", wrote the English scholar Grenvile, when he visited Russia in 1826, "it not only surpasses everything seen at the Tuileries and other royal palaces on the Continent, but is absolutely one of a kind".

For the period from 1991 to 1998:
There were restored 40 exposition halls, entrance halls and parade vestibule with the total area 5 930 sq. m., there was carried out restoration of rafter system of the Mikhailovsky Palace and Rossi Wing including replacement of the roof costing - $ 25 300 000 .

To 2003:
Reconstruction, restoration of exposition halls, fund rooms (including replacement of engineering nets), court d'honeur, cast-iron fence, restoration of the Mikhailovsky Gardens including mounting of the 30 bronze sculptures, equipping "Russian Treasury" golden chamber, reconstruction of 8 lanterns in the Benois Wing.

Cost of the works - $ 23 100 000.

To 2008:
Making overhead cover in internal yards, restoration of the private chapel, equipping the porcelain and glass open funds, the Benois Wing facades restoration, building underground vestibule under the court d'honeur, fitting out exposition and fund rooms with artificial microclimate maintenance system.

Cost of the works - $ 62 500 000

Total cost of the works to 2008 - $ 85 600 000