The Anichkov Palace is one of the most beautiful in Saint Petersburg. It was built next to the [Anichkov Bridge] (https://kudago.com/spb/place/anichkov-most/), got its name in honor of it, and the crossing, in turn, took the name of its builder, engineer M. O. Anichkova.

The history of construction begins in 1741. It was then that Empress Elizabeth ordered the construction of a residence for international conferences. The new building was built in the Baroque style. A great contribution to the construction of the palace was made by the famous architect B. Rastrelli.

Elizabeth presented a chic palace with a garden and fountains to her beloved Alexey Razumovsky. Later, when Catherine II came to power, the palace passed to Count Grigory Potemkin. Catherine ordered to rebuild the palace, giving it a more austere appearance. In 1776-1778, architect Starov changed the structure of the building, replacing elements of elaborate Baroque with strict classicism.

In the 18th century, the palace belonged to the state treasury, and the building was occupied by the Cabinet of His Imperial Majesty. This institution was in charge of all the property of the royal family. At the beginning of the 19th century, another famous architect, Karl Rossi, rebuilt the interiors of the palace and built it into the ensemble of present-day Ostrovsky Square.

After the revolution, the city museum did not last long here, and then the Leningrad Palace of Pioneers opened. Today, it houses one of the largest children's institutions of additional education in Europe — the Palace of Youth Creativity.