On March 9 (February 26, old style), 1797, the foundation stone of the Mikhailovsky Castle was laid in St. Petersburg. The ceremony was attended by Emperor Paul I and his wife, Empress Maria Feodorovna. In the photo you can see the shovels with which the reigning persons threw the mortar under the foundation stone.

The construction of the Mikhailovsky Castle changed the surrounding area. Instead of the Labyrinth garden and greenhouse facilities, guardrooms, a riding hall, stables and a parade ground appeared, in the center of which a monument to Peter I was erected.
It turned out that the territory of the imperial gardens decreased, and the urban development increased.

Enjoy your walks from Manezhnaya Square to the Mikhailovsky Castle, knowing that in the 18th century it was the Imperial Labyrinth Garden.

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