In the center of St. Petersburg, on the Square of Arts, there is the Mikhailovsky Palace, which was once the residence of the great dukes and is a magnificent monument of architecture in the Empire style. Emperor Paul I decided to build the Mikhailovsky Palace for his youngest son, Prince Mikhail Pavlovich, and ordered to save money for this.
Despite the fact that Paul was killed during a palace coup and was not a witness to the embodiment of his idea, Emperor Alexander I built a palace for 21-year-old Mikhail designed by the famous architect Carl Rossi. Grand Duke Mikhail Pavlovich, and after his death his wife Elena Pavlovna, arranged balls in the Mikhailovsky Palace, which were in no way inferior to the imperial ones. All the foreigners who visited there were impressed by the brilliance of these balls and receptions, the number of guests, music and dances.
Elena Pavlovna was the owner of the famous salon in the Mikhailovsky Palace, which was visited by the most prominent people of that time: writers, artists, musicians, scientists, politicians. She loved festivities with their splendor and variegation. Contemporaries noted her passion for music; her yard has always been a haven for foreign and Russian musicians and singers. Wherever she was, her stay was accompanied by concerts and musical evenings.
