Marble Palace, Museum palace on Palace Embankment, Saint Petersburg, Russia
Marble Palace is a museum on Palace Embankment in Saint Petersburg and a branch of the Russian Museum. The facade shows polished granite columns against walls of gray and pink marble, while inside staircases and halls combine different European stone varieties.
Catherine II commissioned architect Antonio Rinaldi to build this palace as a gift for Grigory Orlov between 1768 and 1785. After Orlov's death the imperial family acquired the building and used it as a residence for various grand dukes until the revolution.
The building takes its name from the 32 types of marble quarried in Italy, Greece, and the Ural Mountains that cover its walls and floors. Today visitors see Russian art from the 18th century to the present displayed in the former private chambers.
The entrance sits on Millionnaya Street within walking distance from Nevsky Prospekt metro station. Rooms spread across three floors with staircases connecting the exhibition halls.
The main staircase was carved from a single massive marble block cut and polished on site by Italian stonemasons. A bronze statue of Alexander III on horseback once stood in the inner courtyard before being moved to another location.
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