The Imperial Palaces that adorn St Petersburg include such gems as Peterhof, Pavlovsk, Pushkin, Gatchina, Oranienbaum. Until recent times another palatial masterpiece, the Konstantin Palace at Strelna was mentioned only with lament and regret; being as it was almost an abandoned relic of past imperial glamour. However, the dilapidated building has recently undergone a complete transformation.
     The make-over was carried out in time for the “Russia-EU” summit, which was held in the Palace during St. Petersburg’s 300th anniversary and attended by statesmen and public figures from all over the world. Peter the Great’s intention to establish “the Russian Versailles” in Strelna as a di plomatic “window on Europe” was implemented in the XXI century. In 2001, according to the decree of the Pressident of the Russian Federation, Vladimir Putin, the Palace’s ensemble received State Complex Status as “the Palace of Congress”. Now, the revived Palace complex, which is situated on the southern shore of the Gulf of Finland only 23 kilometers from St Petersburg, is not only an architectural wonder but also a modern business centre, which is used for various high-profile meetings, conferences and often hosts distinguished guests. The ensemble also includes a new 5-star hotel “The Baltic Star” and 20 two-story luxury cottages, one of which Sir Paul McCartney hired for his 63rd birthday in June 2004. There is also a Conference Centre and some other buildings, such as the Former Stable and Pavilion of negotiations.
     The construction of the earliest parts of the complex started in 1707 under the direction of Peter the Great himself. There was a small wooden palace-homestead where he would stay on his way to Kronstadt. Soon, other elements were added, including a wooden Palace, a church, two fountains and a garden. A more ambitious building campaign started in 1714. Peter the Great personally made drafts and gave precise instructions concerning the design and layout of the Lower Regular Park in Strelna, which had a network of channels going to the Gulf of Finland.
     Many of the celebrated foreign architects of the 18th century, such as Rastrelli, Le Blanc, Chiprianni, Micketty, were invited to take part in the construction of this ensemble. The actual construction of the Palace began in June 1720 and continued for twenty years under the direction of the Russian architect M. Zemtsov. It was the largest Palace on the shore of Gulf of Finland. Construction was delayed because Peter the Great focused his main attention on Peterhof, where he managed to create his beloved “Kingdom of Fountains”. From 1743-50s Peter’s daughter, the Empress Elizabeth, wishing to realize her father’s plans, tried to revive the construction of The Konstantin Palace by inviting the Court architect F.B. Rastrelli to complete the overall project. After a series of delays, partly due to a lack of funds, the Big Palace in Strelna (its original name) was forgotten. Contemporaries reported that the wind was whistling through the palace halls.
     The big Palace in Strelna, however, underwent continued improvement under its later owners - the Grand Dukes Konstantin Pavlovich and Konstantin Nikolaevich. Other notable architects associated with the continuing expansion of the ensemble in the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries include V. Brenna, A. N. Voronikhin, who designed the zigzag ladders on the both sides of the sloping terraces and A. I. Shtakenshneider. The latter worked in the middle of the 19th century and presented considerable alterations in the interior design of the Palace halls and the decor of a number of other rooms.
     In 1797 the Strelna Palace became the property of Konstantin, the son of Tsar Paul I. Under the guidance of architects Vilster and Voronikhin, the Palace was reconstructed and adapted to serve as the Grand Prince’s residence. But in 1803 the Big Strelna Palace was seriously damaged by fire and over the next two years it was restored by architect Luiggi Ruska. He introduced considerable changes to the interior decoration of the Palace, creating a classic style. The creation of a belvedere was a noted feature; the tower added the finishing touch to the Palace silhouette. In 1831 Emperor Nicholas I gave the Palace to his son, Grand Prince Konstantin. In his post as General Manager of the Russian Marine Department, Grand Prince Konstantin contributed a lot to the rearmament of the Russian Navy. His actions greatly assisted the rise of Russia as one of the strongest maritime powers. Grand Prince Konstantin made Strelna his summer residence. Since that time the estate has been known as the Konstantin Palace.
     The country estate of the Konstantin Palace is connected with the lives of some of the greatest Russians. Natalie Pushkina, the widow of poet Pushkin, held her wedding ceremony in the estate’s Church of Reincarnation when she got married for the second time to Lanskoy. The confessor of the Royal Family Iohahn Kronshatdtskii and the great Russian writer Dostoevsky also were visitors to the estate. The singer Feodor Shalyapin, poets Alexander Block and Anna Ahmatova also visited the Palace. The terrace looking onto the Bay was the site for many musical performances and concerts. The Grand Prince’s Family liked to drink tea here and admire the beautiful views.
     After the Bolshevik revolution the buildings of Strelna came under the control of the Soviet Government in 1918 and were gradually deprived of the ongoing care and protection required to maintain the complex. Children’s educational organizations, a labor settlement and a secondary school were housed in the Palace. Neglect led to rapid deterioration of the Palace and the park.
     During World War II the Strelna grounds were within the German occupation zone from September 28, 1941 to January 19, 1944 and were subjected to massive bombings, resulting in extensive damage and destruction of the Konstantin Palace-and-park ensemble.
     The wooden church of the Petrine period was lost along with Peter’s wooden Palace and the main Palace, of which only the walls survived. Restoration started soon after the war, but slowly and only in 2003 did the work culminate in complete reconstruction of the Konstantin Palace.
     In 1990 the unique Palace-andpark ensemble of Strelna was added to the historical and cultural list of the UNESCO Global Heritage Committee. In 2000 the control of the Strelna complex was transferred to the President’s Office for its further use as a State museum.
     The restoration of the demolished Palace-and-park ensemble was realized in a short space of time: it started in November 2001 and was completed in May 2003. The project of architectural renewal at Strelna was itself a fascinating and far-reaching effort which made use of many historical descriptions, watercolors, paintings and photographs to assist in visualizing the lost splendour. After the protracted planning and construction of the Strelna ensemble, it was decided to return the interiors to the style of the nineteenth century - a significant phase in the complex reconstruction of the Konstantin Palace. Hundreds of restorers and thousands of craftsmen working in three shifts took part in the restoration efforts.
     There was severe damage to the roof and walls, but even more ominous were the ramshackle foundations that supported the structure. For a building located on sloping ground, this is a critical defect. A sophisticated set of artificial grottoes had previously propped up the Palace, forming an underground arcade from the sea-front side. These subterranean vaults provided a supporting wall three and a half meters thick, which also served in earlier times as an enclosure for a cascade of enormous cellars that used to hold imperial and ducal wine collections. By 2001 the system of diverting underground waters from the Palace building no longer worked and the structure began to slide toward the sea. Not surprisingly, the essential part of the rebuilding effort included the reconstruction of this underground system. The whole-scale restoration thus proceeded above and below ground.
     The scale of this reconstruction project was grand: the floor area of the interior spaces alone is 5800 sq. m. but given the rebuilding of the foundation and the recreation of the park as well as the additional cottages, the overall costs topped 280 million USD.
     Today the road from the centre of St Petersburg to the Konstantin Palace is a smooth wide boulevard and on arrival at the Palace of Congress one is presented with one of the best kept secrets in Europe. Indeed the impressive ensemble is worthy as a location for hosting world-leaders and Heads of State. Tourists should not turn down the opportunity to visit this impressive estate. They can attend musical concerts which are often held in the Palace and visit the Museums of Heraldry and Rewards which were recently opened in the Konstantin Palace.