State Complex 'Congress Palace' (Konstantinovsky Palace)

About museum

Strelna is one of the oldest suburbs of Saint Petersburg, located on the southern shore of the Gulf of Finland. Everyone driving along the Peterhof Highway involuntarily stops their gaze on the majestic building — formerly the Great Strelninsky, then the Konstantinovsky Palace, and now the State Complex "Congress Palace." The palace's history is connected with Strelna for more than 300 years. Here Peter I (Peter the Great) decided to build a triumphal residence commemorating the victory in the Great Northern War. However, construction was not completed. From 1797 Strelna became private property and passed to Paul I's son Konstantin Pavlovich, and in 1837 to Konstantin Nikolayevich, son of Nicholas I. In 2001–2003 the ruins of the building were restored, producing a new ensemble that soon became a symbol of Saint Petersburg. Today the palace is an active state residence, a museum, and a cultural and business center. It houses a permanent exhibition of Russian art from the 17th to the 20th centuries.