The Konstantinovsky Palace is situated some 19 kilometers to the South of St. Petersburg, on the coast of the Gulf of Finland, in Strelna village — one of the oldest suburbs of the city. Originally the palace and the surrounding park ensemble belonged to the royal family.

Inspired by the picturesque landscapes of the area, Peter the Great played with the idea of creating here another country residence that would compete with the French Versailles in its splendor. He planned to build in Strelna a magnificent palace, surrounded by cascades of fountains, and to lay out a huge park decorated with grottos and pavilions.

These works were completed long after Peter I’s death, in 1750s, but Strelna never became the official royal residence. Instead, in 1797 Paul I presented the palace to his second son, Grand Duke Konstantin Pavlovich, thus giving the palace its present name. The history of the palace and the park ensemble is full or dramatic and fascinating events.

In the early XIX century a terrible fire devastated the palace — it was later restored, then renovated again, but during the World War II it was almost completely destroyed.

The Konstantinovsky Palace was rebuilt quite recently. It took modern architects and designers only 1.5 years to study old drawings and recreate the palace’s historic facades and interiors. The park and the canal system were also brought back to life by 2003, when the country celebrated the 300th anniversary of St. Petersburg. Today the KonstantinovskyPalace combines the functions of both a state residence in St. Petersburg, and a historical and cultural museum.