Petrovsky Travel Palace
About museum
During the War of 1812, Napoleon Bonaparte established his headquarters in the Petrovsky Travel Palace. It was from here that he watched the city, which had not surrendered to him, burn. The palace, plundered after Napoleon's retreat, was restored during the reign of Emperor Nicholas I. In 1896, during the coronation of Emperor Nicholas II, a deadly crush occurred on Khodynka Field, located opposite the palace; many people lost their lives. After the 1917 Revolution the palace changed hands several times: it housed the Museum of Red Aviation and later the Air Force Academy. In 1999 the historic and architectural monument was returned to the city. A full-scale restoration of the palace began, lasting ten years. Today the Petrovsky Travel Palace is the Reception House of the Moscow Mayor's Office and, as in earlier times, receives guests of the highest rank.