Mikhailovsky or Engineer Castle was built as a residence for Emperor Paul I, son of Catherine the Great, by architects Vincenzo Brenna and Vasili Bazhenov in 1797-1801. It was named after St.Michael, the patron saint of the royal family.

Paul l also participated himself in the designing of the castle. Being the Grand Master of the Maltese Order, he had in mind to create a medieval castle that would protect him against possible assassination, commissioned by his mother who had deprived him of the throne and to whom he had no trust.

Paul I was assassinated only 40 nights after he moved into his newly built castle.

Price: 7300 RUB

Duration: 1-2 hours

Type of excursion: auto-walking

Excursion is available on English and Russian

Description:

The building with rounded corners is surrounded by the waters of the Moika River, the Fontanka River and two specially dug canals (the Church Canal and the Sunday Canal), transforming the castle area into an artificial island which could only be reached by drawbridges. Not only is this a historical and architectural monument but the mystical palace of the poor emperor, that predicted his death. He was killed in a brutal manner in his bedroom, falling a victim to a palace coup.

Legends of past centuries hover around him, and even now there are still many inexplicable things happening in the castle.

The castle is now a subsidiary of the Russian museum, hosting a rich portrait gallery both of the Holstein-Gottorp-Romanov dynasty and many prominent people of the Russian Empire. Of great interest are the Marble Gallery, the Throne Room of Maria Fyodorovna and the Georgian Hall.

Contents of the tour:

• Normally this tour can be a part of a Sightseeing tour;
• We will have a walk around the castle. This place is special to me, and I hope you will also feel its special wonderful vibe! Here you will hear the main story of the foundation of the castle and about the assassination of the son of Catherine the Great, emperor Paul l;
• We will talk about the castle's variety of architectural styles such as French Classicism, Italian Renaissance and Gothic, and of course the mystics behind it.

Included:

• VIP tours for 1-3 persons;
• In all the tours are included my services as an English speaking tour guide;
• Business class auto ( Audi A7);
• Picking up at the hotel;
• Refreshments on board.

Please be advised that tickets to the museums can be purchased in advance once agreed with my guests.