The pre-New Year season is the perfect time for magic, so today I invite you on an enchanting journey through the grand halls of the S. P. von Derviz Mansion, one of the most unique buildings in St. Petersburg. What makes this house extraordinary is the variety of its interiors. Visitors can, in one evening, marvel at the opulent Moorish Drawing Room, step into the luxurious Theater Hall, and wander through a small winter garden designed as a grotto.
How to Book a Tour
The mansion is located at 34 English Embankment and 33 Galernaya Street. Our point of interest is the section facing Galernaya Street. You can get here by public transport or metro, with the "Admiralteyskaya" and "Vasileostrovskaya" stations about a 20-minute walk away.
Since the building is now home to the active "Saint Petersburg Opera" theater, there are two ways to see its beautiful interiors: by purchasing a ticket for a guided tour or attending one of the events held here.
A Bit of History
Residential buildings occupied the site at 33–35 Galernaya and 34 English Embankment as early as the first half of the 18th century. At that time, two houses stood here. One belonged to the infamous Artemy Petrovich Volynsky, a statesman executed during the reign of Anna Ioannovna. The other belonged to the brother of A. L. Naryshkina, Volynsky’s wife.
Over time, the buildings on the site underwent numerous renovations and changed ownership. In the 1880s, the property was acquired by Pavel Grigoryevich von Derviz, a railway entrepreneur. After his death, his fortune was divided among his sons and widow. The house we are interested in passed to Sergey Pavlovich von Derviz. His younger brother, P. P. von Derviz, owned another building nearby at 28 English Embankment.
Under Sergey’s ownership, the buildings on the site were reconstructed again. The two houses facing the Neva were united under a single facade, and the grand halls of the building facing Galernaya Street were created. The architect responsible for the project was Pyotr Pavlovich Shreider. Apart from the reconstruction for von Derviz, his only other noted architectural work in St. Petersburg was the redesign of V. B. Fredericks’ house on Pochtamtskaya Street.
In the early 20th century, S. P. von Derviz and his family moved to France, and the property was sold again. The new owner divided the site into two holdings. One of them went to N. N. Shebeko, who undertook another renovation of the interiors. During this time, the “Theater Hall of N. N. Shebeko” was opened, and by 1910 it housed the “House of Interludes,” whose artistic council included the renowned director Vsevolod Meyerhold.
During the Soviet era, the mansion was used as the "Mayak" Cultural Center. In the late 20th century, the building was transferred to the Chamber Music Theater "Saint Petersburg Opera," which still occupies it today.
A tour of the mansion lasts about two hours. It begins at the grand staircase and includes visits to the Grotto, the Moorish, Maple, and Red Drawing Rooms, and the Theater Hall. Photography and video recording are allowed, giving visitors the opportunity to capture the mansion’s stunning interiors.
Winter is an excellent time for interior tours, so before saying goodbye, I want to share another remarkable St. Petersburg mansion: the former home of A. A. Polovtsov. The interiors of this building are so opulent that it is sometimes referred to as the Polovtsov Palace. A visit to this unique house will undoubtedly be worth your time.
Have a nice trip!
