The Angliyskaya (English) Embankment is one of the oldest in the city. The architectural look of St. Petersburg took shape very quickly, and 30 years after its foundation by Peter the Great the English Embankment was fully developed. It got its name in the second half of the 18th century prior to that it was called first Nizhnaya, and then Galernaya. Amongst the owners of the houses and mansions there were many foreigners, including some Englishmen. At that time the English church was also situated at number 56, and there was also an English pub and shop on this embankment. Soon after getting its present name Angliyskaya a granite facing was added to the embankment, acquiring a fascinating and festive appearance. During Soviet times it was renamed Red Navy Embankment. The pre-Revolutionary name Angliyskaya was returned in 1996 during the visit of Elizabeth II, Queen of Great Britain.
Many houses situated on the embankment have an interesting history. For instance, the house at number 4 is well-known among Petersburgers as the House of Lavaille, named in honour of its second owner. It was built in the year of the citys foundation (1703) and later reconstructed by Tomas de Tomone in the beginning of the 19th century. Both its exterior and interior are known for their style and elegance. Its walls remember such interesting guests as Pushkin, Krylov, Lermontov, Karamzin and Griboedov.
Some of the more noteworthy buildings on the embankment include the mansion of Baron Stieglitz (66-68), the owner of a sugar refinery, Sheremetyevs Palace (12) (see Issue of Neva News at the www.nevanews.com), and the house of the Naryshkins (14) which was famous for its hospitality and luxurious balls during receptions a floating orchestra entertained guests from the Neva River. Specialists in the study of literature think that Leo Tolstoy had in mind Naryshkins house, or possibly the house of Ostermans- Tolstoys (10) in his novel War and Peace, when he depicted the first ball of Natasha Rostova.
One of the most well known mansions today is 28 English embankment, the Palace of Grand Duke Andrey Vladimirovich, cousin of Nicholas II. In the 1830s this house was bought by Nikita Vsevolozhsky, founder of the famous literary society The Green Lamp, who was a good friend of Alexander Pushkin. In 1854 Pavel G. Derviz, a well known businessman who was busy with the building of railroads, purchased the palace for his youngest son. The building was then remodeled in the Florentine style under the supervision of Alexander Krasovsky, a Russian architect. This was an innovative, although increasingly popular style at the time.
Pavel G. Derviz was a very interesting individual, and many of his contemporaries noted him as possessing an attractive and charming personality, as well as being an extremely successful businessman. Russian newspapers even called him the Russian Count of Monte Cristo as he became incredibly rich due to his intelligence and enterprise. In contrast to Dumas character, he first married for love, and thenbought several mansions in St. Petersburg (including two on the English embankment), Moscow and in more remote parts of the country. The manner in which he acquired his wealth is interesting in itself. He possessed a broad range of skills, and many of his ideas were ahead of their time. He was born in Lebedyany town, in the Tambov area. He graduated from the St Petersburg College of Jurisprudence with honors and then started working for the Senate, in the Department of Herald. However, such work didnt fit with his restless nature, and he began searching for a business where he could really extend himself. At that time in Russia railway building was very much in its infancy. Derviz took out a loan and invested this money in the building of the Moscow-Ryazan Railway. Due in large part to his probing mind and unstained honesty this project was completed in half a year instead of three years as expected.
Derviz also achieved much success in the building of the Kursk-Kiev Railway in conjunction with a talented engineer, Carl fon Mekk. The magazine Birzhevye Vedomosti (Exchange Bulletin) informed its readers: This railway was first in quickness of building and also exemplified the quality of new technical parameters. The experience of Derviz was the first Russian example of a professional business organization and private initiative in the building of railway communications. Very shortly Derviz acquired such remarkable profits that he became one of the richest men of Russia. It was then newspapers christened him the Russian Monte Cristo. The money he earned was often used for the welfare of the people, and the country itself Derviz bought property and enterprises of great importance for Russias development. For example, he bought the biggest metal ware factory in St. Petersburg which produced horseshoes, nails and calks and invested in expanding it. As a result thousands of Russian horses were shoed with the production of the factory.
In 1902 the first Russian exhibition of Faberge art works was organized in this Palace. It excited great curiosity amongst Petersburgers, even the Emperor Nicholas II and his family honoured it with their presence. Many came to view the items from the private collections of members of the royal family, which has been presented to them on their birthdays, weddings and other family celebrations.
In 1903 the Palace was owned by a new person Andrey Vladimirovich, the Emperors cousin, who was the son of Grand Duke Vladimir Alexandrovich. There Andrey Vladimirovich used to spend his free time organizing evening parties, where the remarkable dancers of the Mariinsky Theatre performed. However, the revolution touched him as everybody else. In 1918 he emigrated from Russia, and the Palace on The English Embankment was nationalized. Later different public organizations were resident there, and during the siege of Leningrad an orphange was situated there.
It seemed as if the mansion which had witnessed so many glamorous balls and receptions was merely waiting to become not just the first Wedding Palace in St Petersburg, but the first in the whole of Russia. This finally happened at the end of the 1950s. It was a very interesting and progressive time in the citys history, a time of discoveries with advances in culture and the arts. This period was known as ottepel (thaw), when the pressure of the regime lessened, and people felt a fresh interest in different holidays and traditions, and they began to feel a need for the simple beauty of everyday life. On the 1st of November, 1959 the English Embankment (called Red Navy Embankment at that time) was a bustle of activity. The Palace of Happiness (the nickname bestowed by local citizens) opened that day in the house at number 28.
Since that time thousands of brides and grooms have registered their marriage in the Palace. It is still the most popular place for matrimony registration for St Petersburg couples. By 2001 more than 380,000 registrations had been made there, among them such well known persons as Ninel and Josef Kobzon, Ekaterina and Andris Liepa, boxer Nickolay Valuev and his wife,
figure skaters Evgenia Shishkiva and Vladimir Naumov and many others. More than 280 couples have celebrated their golden wedding, and over 700 have celebrated their silver marriage. That is how the history of St. Petersburg is made up; from the history of all the people inhabiting it the history of Petersburg families with their joys and sorrows, difficulties and achievements.
Besides registration, the Palace organizes regular conferences and seminars on family and marriage topics and on the professional problems of Civilian Registry Office employees are discussed. The Palace usually takes part in preparations for the International Day of the Family, which is organized by the St. Petersburg Administration every year. Many other interesting ideas are realized by the Wedding Palace staff such as a special message left for St Petersburg residents in 2050, which was created together with the Life Continuation Fund.
In 1996 a very important event in the Palaces life happened descendants of former owners of the Palace, and its present employees met together inside its wonderful interiors. Dervizs descendants came to St. Petersburg from various places, and one of them presented to the Palace print music which belonged to Pavel Derviz. Another painted several portraits which now adorn the walls of the Wedding Palace. Thats how the past met the present, but the future is also just around the corner. The Palace of Happiness continues to play its role in the citys life, and its interesting history is continuing
