34, Naberezhnaya Reki Fontanki
Subway: Nevsky Prospekt/Gostiny Dvor
Tel. +7 (812) 272-4441
Open: Wed- Sun 12- 7pm
Closed: Mondays and Tuesdays
The Sheremetev Palace, also known as the Fountain House (Russian: Шереметевский дворец, Sheremetevskiy dvorets, or Фонтанный дом, Fontanny dom), is a magnificent Baroque palace located at Fontanka River Embankment 34, Saint Petersburg, Russia, just steps from Nevsky Prospect. Built in the mid-18th century for the influential Sheremetev family, one of Russia’s wealthiest noble dynasties, it is a rare example of an urban mansion that has retained its historical and cultural significance for over three centuries. Today, it serves as a branch of the Saint Petersburg State Museum of Theatre and Music, housing one of the world’s largest collections of musical instruments, and includes the Anna Akhmatova Memorial Museum in its southern wing. Known for its opulent interiors, musical heritage, and literary connections, the palace is a hidden gem that offers a glimpse into the aristocratic life of imperial Russia and the cultural vibrancy of Saint Petersburg.
The Sheremetev
Palace’s history begins in 1712, when Peter the Great
granted a large plot of land along the Fontanka River to
Field Marshal Boris Sheremetev (1652–1719), a loyal
commander who distinguished himself in the Great Northern
War. The Sheremetev family, with possible Prussian origins
(their coat of arms resembles 15th- and 16th-century Danzig
coins), was among Russia’s oldest and richest noble
families, owning estates like Kuskovo and Ostankino near
Moscow. The Fontanka site, initially a country estate due to
its distance from the Sheremetevs’ main residence on
Vasilievsky Island, was developed as a single-story wooden
house for Boris’s son, Pyotr Sheremetev (1713–1788), in the
mid-1710s.
In the late 1730s, as the Fontanka area
became more urbanized with Empress Elizabeth’s nearby
residences, architect G. Dmitryev built a one-story stone
palace. By the 1740s, Pyotr Sheremetev, known for his love
of arts and extravagant lifestyle, commissioned architects
Savva Chevakinsky and Fyodor Argunov (a talented serf
architect from the Sheremetev family) to construct a
two-story Baroque palace, completed around 1750. There is
speculation that sketches by Bartolomeo Rastrelli, the
master of Russian Baroque, were used, given the palace’s
stylistic similarities to his works. Over the next two
centuries, architects including Ivan Starov, Giacomo
Quarenghi, Andrei Voronikhin, Geronimo Corsini, Nicholas
Benois, and others contributed to its interiors and
outbuildings, creating a layered architectural ensemble.
The palace, nicknamed the Fountain House for its
once-opulent garden fountains, was a cultural hub in the
18th and 19th centuries. The Sheremetevs’ passion for the
arts transformed it into a center for theatrical
productions, concerts, balls, and literary soirees. Count
Nikolai Sheremetev (1751–1809), Pyotr’s son, established a
renowned serf theater and orchestra, staging operas that
rivaled Europe’s finest. His marriage to Praskovia
Zhemchugova, a serf soprano, in 1801 was a scandalous yet
celebrated romance, immortalized in Russian cultural
history. Literary figures like Vasily Zhukovsky, Alexander
Turgenev, and Alexander Pushkin frequented the palace,
cementing its role as a nexus of intellectual and artistic
life.
After the 1917 October Revolution, the palace
was nationalized. From 1918 to 1931, it housed the Museum of
Noble Household, showcasing the Sheremetevs’ private art
collection, accumulated over 200 years. In the 1930s, the
collection was dispersed to major museums like the Hermitage
and Tretyakov Gallery, and the palace was repurposed as a
research institute, with its interiors largely destroyed.
During the Soviet era, the southern wing became home to poet
Anna Akhmatova, who lived there from the mid-1920s to 1952,
enduring personal and political hardships under Stalin’s
regime. Her apartment, now a memorial museum, adds a
20th-century literary dimension to the palace’s legacy.
In 1989, the palace was transferred to the Saint
Petersburg State Museum of Theatre and Music, and
restoration began to revive its 19th-century gala interiors.
By 1990, it opened as the Museum of Music, with a permanent
exhibition launched in 1995. Restoration efforts, ongoing
into the 2010s, have restored much of the Baroque splendor,
making the palace a vibrant cultural venue once again. In
2014, Swiss jeweler Willi Inauen donated his “Monte
Generoso” composition to the museum, symbolizing its
international cultural ties.
The Sheremetev Palace is a rare surviving example of a Baroque urban
mansion in Saint Petersburg, distinguished by its elegant facades,
lavish interiors, and extensive grounds. Located on the Fontanka River
Embankment, its yellow-and-white exterior, framed by ornate wrought-iron
railings, exudes aristocratic charm. The palace’s architecture reflects
the transition from Petrine Baroque to the more refined Elizabethan
Baroque, with later neoclassical additions.
Exterior: The
two-story palace, built around 1750 by Savva Chevakinsky and Fyodor
Argunov, features a Baroque facade with stucco moldings, pilasters, and
an attic level. The river-facing front, the palace’s primary facade, is
adorned with decorative flourishes and a central pediment, emphasizing
its waterfront prominence. Geronimo Corsini’s traced iron railings
(1838), with intricate floral and geometric patterns, are a standout
feature, complementing the Baroque aesthetic. A single-story wing, added
by Nicholas Benois in 1867, bears the Sheremetev coat of arms over the
gates. The palace’s gardens, once dotted with fountains, a grotto,
Hermitage Pavilion, and Chinese Summerhouse (designed by Argunov in the
1750s–60s), have largely vanished, but the remaining courtyard retains a
sense of grandeur.
Interior: The restored interiors, particularly the
ceremonial halls, recreate the mid-18th to 19th-century ambiance. Key
spaces include:
White Hall: The principal concert venue, this hall
features delicate stucco moldings, gilded accents, and a coffered
ceiling, ideal for showcasing Baroque instruments like harps, viols, and
harpsichords. Its acoustics and aesthetic make it a favorite for
classical music performances.
Gala Halls: Restored to their
19th-century splendor, these rooms display rare paintings, porcelain,
and decorative arts from the Sheremetev collection, with contributions
from architects like Ivan Starov and Giacomo Quarenghi. The halls’
chandeliers, parquet floors, and silk wallpaper evoke aristocratic
opulence.
Anna Akhmatova Museum: Housed in the southern wing, this
modest apartment contrasts with the palace’s grandeur, preserving
Akhmatova’s personal belongings, manuscripts, and photographs in a
poignant tribute to her life under Soviet repression.
Outbuildings:
The palace complex included a hospital, theater, and choir chapel (famed
across Europe), though only fragments survive. The theater, where
Nikolai Sheremetev’s serf troupe performed, was a cultural landmark,
later replaced by modern structures.
The palace’s Baroque
architecture, with its emphasis on theatricality and ornamentation,
contrasts with the neoclassical restraint of landmarks like the
Tavrichesky Palace. Its proximity to the Fontanka, framed by Rastrelli’s
nearby residences, integrates it into Saint Petersburg’s UNESCO World
Heritage-listed historic core. However, Soviet-era damage and incomplete
garden restoration limit its original scope, as noted in sources
describing the lost fountains and pavilions.
Since 1990, the Sheremetev Palace has been a branch of the
Saint Petersburg State Museum of Theatre and Music, housing three permanent
exhibitions organized in collaboration with institutions like the Hermitage,
Russian National Library, and Tretyakov Gallery. These exhibitions, launched in
1995, focus on the Sheremetev family, musical heritage, and private collections.
History of the Sheremetev Family and Russian Nobility (18th–20th Centuries):
This exhibition traces the Sheremetevs’ legacy through archival materials,
personal items, photos, and artifacts. It highlights their cultural
contributions, including Nikolai Sheremetev’s serf theater and his marriage to
Praskovia Zhemchugova. Displays include family portraits, documents, and
furnishings, offering insights into aristocratic life.
Collection of
Musical Instruments:
The museum boasts one of the world’s largest collections
of musical instruments, with over 3,000 pieces from the 17th to 20th centuries.
Highlights include:
A Stradivari violin, a rare masterpiece of craftsmanship.
Grand pianos played by Dmitri Shostakovich and Anton Rubinstein, reflecting
Russia’s musical heritage.
Nicholas II’s horn orchestra, a unique imperial
ensemble.
Baroque instruments like harps, viols, and harpsichords, displayed
in the White Hall to complement the palace’s architecture.
Replicas of
ancient Etruscan instruments, copied in the 19th century from archaeological
finds.
Interactive tours allow visitors to play select instruments, a rare
feature that enhances engagement. The collection, sourced from Russia, Europe,
and beyond, is a testament to the Sheremetevs’ patronage of music.
Private Collections:
The museum showcases donated collections, such as A.
Sarayeva-Bondar’s 700+ works of 18th–20th-century fine and applied arts,
including paintings, porcelain, and sculptures. The 2014 “Monte Generoso”
donation by Willi Inauen adds a contemporary Swiss perspective. These
collections complement the Sheremetevs’ original art holdings, parts of which
are now in major museums.
Anna Akhmatova Memorial Museum:
Located in
the southern wing, this museum opened in 1989 to honor the poet, who lived here
from the 1920s to 1952. It features her personal belongings, manuscripts, and
artworks, alongside tributes to her son, Lev Gumilev, and friend Joseph Brodsky.
The museum’s intimate setting contrasts with the palace’s grandeur, offering a
20th-century counterpoint to its imperial narrative.
The palace also hosts
temporary exhibitions, such as a 2003 display on Prokofiev and a
mask-and-costume show tracing Russian theater history. Classical music concerts,
held regularly in the White Hall, feature Baroque and Romantic repertoire,
drawing locals and tourists. The museum’s integration of music, history, and
literature makes it a unique cultural space, though its focus on Russian-only
signage limits accessibility, as noted in Tripadvisor reviews.
The Sheremetev Palace is a cultural monument that
encapsulates Saint Petersburg’s evolution from Peter the Great’s nascent
capital to a global cultural hub. Its significance lies in several
dimensions:
Aristocratic Culture: The Sheremetevs’ patronage of
the arts made the palace a center for 18th- and 19th-century high
society. Their serf theater, one of Russia’s finest, democratized opera
by showcasing talent from enslaved performers, while Nikolai’s marriage
to Zhemchugova challenged social norms. The palace’s balls, attended by
Pushkin and Zhukovsky, reflect the literary and artistic vibrancy of the
era, akin to the Literary Café’s role as a writers’ salon.
Musical
Heritage: The palace’s transformation into the Museum of Music honors
its historical role as a musical epicenter. The collection’s Stradivari
violin and Shostakovich’s piano link it to global and Russian musical
traditions, while concerts in the White Hall revive the Sheremetevs’
legacy of performance. The choir chapel, famed in Europe, underscores
the palace’s international influence, paralleling the cultural reach of
the Tavrichesky Palace’s events.
Literary Legacy: The Anna Akhmatova
Museum adds a 20th-century layer, connecting the palace to Russia’s
Silver Age poetry and Soviet-era resilience. Akhmatova’s life under
Stalin’s purges, documented in her apartment, mirrors the palace’s own
survival through revolution and neglect, echoing the Spaso-Konyushenny
Church’s post-Soviet revival.
Architectural Value: As a Baroque urban
mansion, the palace is a rare counterpart to Saint Petersburg’s
neoclassical landmarks like the Tavrichesky Palace or Marble Palace. Its
riverfront setting and iron railings integrate it into the Fontanka’s
picturesque landscape, complementing nearby Anichkov Bridge and
Beloselsky-Belozersky Palace. The involvement of architects like
Chevakinsky, Argunov, and Quarenghi ties it to Russia’s architectural
golden age.
Post-Revolutionary Transformation: The palace’s
nationalization in 1917, followed by its use as a research institute,
reflects the Soviet reconfiguration of aristocratic spaces, similar to
the Zoological Museum’s repurposing. Its restoration since 1989 aligns
with post-Soviet efforts to reclaim pre-revolutionary heritage, as seen
in the Blagoveshchensky Bridge’s renaming. The Akhmatova Museum, opened
in 1989, symbolizes this cultural reclamation, honoring dissident voices
suppressed under Soviet rule.
The palace’s nickname, Fountain House,
evokes its lost gardens, a reminder of the transient nature of
aristocratic splendor. Its survival through revolution, war, and fire,
like the Kunstkamera’s endurance, underscores Saint Petersburg’s
resilience as a cultural capital.
As of 2025, the Sheremetev Palace operates as the
Museum of Music and Anna Akhmatova Memorial Museum, open daily except
Tuesdays from 11:00 AM to 7:00 PM (last entry 6:00 PM). Located at
Fontanka River Embankment 34, it is a short walk from metro stations
Gostiny Dvor or Mayakovskaya, near landmarks like:
Anichkov
Bridge (0.5 km), with its iconic horse statues.
Beloselsky-Belozersky
Palace (0.6 km), a neo-Baroque residence.
Literary Café (1 km),
Pushkin’s final stop before his duel.
Church of the Savior on Spilled
Blood (1.5 km), a Russian revival icon.
Admission costs approximately
300–400 rubles ($3–4 USD) for the Museum of Music, with separate tickets
(200 rubles, $2 USD) for the Akhmatova Museum. Discounts apply for
students and children, and guided tours in English (~6,500 rubles, $65
USD for groups) are available through agencies like Petersburg 24.
Classical concerts, held several evenings weekly in the White Hall, cost
500–1,500 rubles ($5–15 USD), with tickets sold separately.
Visitors can explore the ceremonial halls, musical instrument
collection, and Akhmatova’s apartment in about one hour, as the museum
is uncrowded, even at midday. The White Hall’s concerts, featuring
Baroque and Romantic music, are a highlight, praised for their intimate
atmosphere. The Akhmatova Museum offers a poignant contrast, with
personal artifacts like her typewriter and photographs evoking her
struggles. Boat tours along the Fontanka provide a scenic view of the
palace’s riverfront facade, enhancing the experience.
Tripadvisor
reviews (4.5/5 from ~200 reviews) laud the palace’s “gorgeous interiors”
and “unique instrument collection,” though some note the “confusing
entrance” (the main gate is not the visitor entry, per Russian
tradition) and limited English signage. The Akhmatova Museum is
described as “moving” but “small,” best for those familiar with her
work. The palace’s location, steps from Nevsky Prospect, makes it an
easy addition to a central Saint Petersburg itinerary, though its
offbeat status compared to the Hermitage or Winter Palace appeals to
music and literature enthusiasts.
The Sheremetev Palace is a cultural triumph,
preserving the Baroque elegance and musical legacy of one of Russia’s
noblest families while embracing 20th-century literary history through
Akhmatova’s museum. Its strength lies in its multifaceted identity: a
historical mansion, a world-class music museum, and a literary shrine.
The instrument collection, with treasures like the Stradivari violin,
rivals global peers like the Metropolitan Museum’s musical holdings,
while the White Hall’s concerts revive the palace’s artistic spirit,
akin to the Literary Café’s live performances.
However, the
palace faces challenges. Soviet-era damage and the loss of its gardens
and outbuildings, as noted in sources, diminish its original grandeur,
unlike the fully restored Tavrichesky Palace. The focus on the
Sheremetevs’ musical and theatrical contributions risks sidelining other
aspects, such as their role in imperial politics or serf ownership,
which included controversial practices like Zhemchugova’s enslavement
before her marriage. The Akhmatova Museum, while powerful, feels
detached from the main palace, with separate ticketing and a stark
stylistic contrast that may confuse visitors.
The lack of
English-language resources, a recurring issue in Saint Petersburg
museums like the Zoological Museum, limits accessibility for
international tourists. Modernization, such as multimedia displays or
virtual tours, could enhance engagement, particularly for the instrument
collection, which relies on static cases. Funding constraints, evident
in ongoing restoration needs, mirror those of other post-Soviet
institutions, though the palace’s partnership with the Hermitage and
private collectors mitigates this.
The palace’s Baroque
architecture, while stunning, is less iconic than Rastrelli’s Winter
Palace or Stroganov Palace, making it a niche attraction. Its “Fountain
House” nickname, tied to lost gardens, evokes a sense of nostalgia but
also loss, as the estate’s full scope is no longer visible. Compared to
the Kunstkamera’s scientific focus or the Tavrichesky Palace’s political
weight, the Sheremetev Palace’s emphasis on music and literature is
intimate but less universally recognized, potentially limiting its
tourist draw.