The Residence of Rumyantsev is a unique monument of enormous historical and cultural value. The first stone house appeared in this section of the Neva embankment in the 1740s, and it belonged to the Golitsyn dukes.
In 1802, the mansion was acquired by Count Nikolay Rumyantsev (1754–1826), the chancellor of the Russian Empire, an illuminator, and art patron. His house became a "centre of sciences" and a "temple of the muses".
Staying abroad as part of the diplomatic service, Rumyantsev started collecting monuments of Russian culture and history. His special interests were incunabula, ancient manuscripts, church books and state acts. He managed to create collections that were unique in quality and contents.
In 1814, Rumyantsev retired and dedicated his time to studying the history of Russia. He created a team of scientists whose research work resulted in publishing dozens of books and founding a museum of antiquities.
In 1824, Rumyantsev assigned the architect Vasily Glinka with the task of rebuilding the house. Glinka decorated the building with a powerful, 12-column portico. The tympanum of the pediment contains a high relief, Appolo Musagetes on Mount Parnassus, Surrounded by the Nine Muses and Their Mother Mnemosyne, by the sculptor Ivan Martos.
In 1826, Count Rumyantsev died, having asked his brother S. Rumyantsev (1755–1838) to make the house and all its collections into a museum. The words attributed to Nikolay Rumyantsev, "For Good Enlightenment", appeared on the pediment.
On 28th May 1831, the first Russia's privately-owned, public museum was opened. Everybody was allowed to visit the museum free of charge. All the maintenance of the museum was fully funded by S. Rumyantsev. After his death in 1838, the building and collections of the museum started falling into decay.
In 1861, the Rumyantsev Museum was transferred to Moscow, to the Pashkov House by the Neglinka River. The Moscow Public Museum and Rumyantsev Museum were founded and based on its collections. The Russian State Library, which was called "The Rumyantsev Library" until 1924, was based on the book holdings of the Saint Petersburg collection that contained 28,000 volumes.
During 1863–1882, the mansion changed its owners several times. In 1882, Zinaida Beauharnais (1856–1899), the wife of Yevgeny Romanovsky, the 5th duke of Leuchtenberg, became the owner of the house. The rebuilding works on the mansion were performed under the supervision of the architect A. Stepanov. The interiors of the mansion have preserved Beauharnais' personality who managed to turn the house into a fashionable residence. The Leuchtenberg family and their ancestors owned the house until 1916.
After the 1917 Russian Revolution, the house was occupied by various organisations and residential apartments.
In 1938, the Museum of the Leningrad's History and Development was opened to the public in the mansion. After the Second World War, in 1946, the Construction and Municipal Services of Petrograd-Leningrad exhibition was opened. The exhibition was dedicated to the history of the city from the day of its foundation to the mid-20th century.
In 2003, on the occasion of the Saint Peterburg's 300th anniversary restoration works on the state rooms of the mansion were completed. The interiors of the rooms that face the Neva River have been restored to their state as of the 1880s. One of these rooms is decorated with a unique mirror that is 18 square meters (194 square feet) in area and is made of whole glass.
The Battle of Kursk — Belgorod Direction Museum-Diorama was opened on 4th July 1987.
Its diorama, the largest in Russia, is dedicated to the Battle of Prokhorovka (12th July 1943), which is one of the largest tank battles in the military history. The area, length and height of the canvas is around 1,005 m2 (10,800 sq. ft), around 67 m (220 ft) a...