Priory Palace (Gatchina)

 palace, museum, interesting place, listed building / architectural heritage, 1790s construction

Priory Palace is an original palace in Gatchina (Гатчина), Russia. It was built in 1799 by the architect N. A. Lvov on the shore of the Black Lake (Chyornoye ozero / Чёрное озеро).

Priory Palace is an architectural symbol of Gatchina, its peculiar business card.
This unique structure was built on a plan of the architect N.A. Lvov for knights of the Maltese award. It is the only monument of construction, that is built from the pressed ground, of the end of the 18th century in Russia.
When the Russian emperor Paul I assigned to himself duties of the trustee of the Maltese award and became its prior, hi immediately felt the need of building a residence for performing his new duties. The emperor charged to the court architect N.A. Lvov to build the palace for this purpose.
Being the enthusiast of earth construction N.A. Lvov designed and personally directed the construction, with soil chosen as material.
The outstanding educator of the 18th century, the talented engineer and the inventor N.A. Lvov proved himself in different areas. The designer and the musician, the poet and the fireworker, the historian and the geologist, the artist and the composer, he left a trace in each of these areas of the activity and still during lifetime deserved the rank "the Russian Leonardo's".
The palace was built within two months in 1798 and costed within 200 years on the bank of the artificial Black lake.

Opening hours:
- from May to September (summertime) from 11.00 till 19.00 (cash desk till 18.00);
- from October to April (winter time) from 10.00 till 18.00 (cash desk till 17.00).

Day off - the first Tuesday of every month.
Phone: 8 (813)7176467
E-mail: priory.palace@gatchinapalace.ru