St. Michael's (Engineers') Castle

Highlights / General details

The St Michael's Castle is a silent witness to some interesting episodes in the dramatic story of the short-lived reign of Emperor Paul I, son of Catherine the Great. Paul was 42 years old when he has taken over the mantle of power from his mother after her death in 1796. However, neither the nobility nor the royal guards liked or respected Paul and he lived his life in constant fear of assassination. In order to allay these fears he ordered a fortified palace (a castle surrounded by deep ditches) to be built for him. According to a legend, one of the soldiers guarding the construction site experienced a vision of the Archangel Michael guarding the castle alongside him. This was reported to the Emperor and the castle was given the name Mikhailovsky (St Michael's). The paranoid Emperor Paul did not live in his new palace for long. In 1801 he was assassinated in his own bedroom by a group of officers who organized a coup, inspired by Paul's son Alexander. Later the castle was used for the Army Engineers School and became known as the Engineer's Castle. Today the building hosts a branch of the Russian Museum.

Inclusion

Entrance Fees, Guided Tour (Languages available: English, French, German, Spanish and Italian), Taxes and Transportation (from selected hotels).

Hours of operation

Available: Daily except Tuesdays and Thursdays at 13:00.

Duration

2 hours

Location Meeting Point: client's choice

Location

Meeting Point: client's choice

Policies Pick up time and location is arranged during reservation.

All information requested must be supplied or booking is subject to automatic cancellation