53. Sheremetev Palace & the Museum of Music
The Sheremetev Palace is located on the Fontanka River on the opposite embankment from and slightly north of the Faberge Museum. I've noticed this building while walking up and down the river but rarely see anyone entering or exiting the courtyard. It's a quick place for me to visit as it's only a 10 minute walk from the Tolstoy House.
Sheremetev Palace was built in the 1740s and occupied by several generations of the Sheremetev family, only reverting to the state in 1918. During its prime in the late 18th century, it was a center for the arts in St. Petersburg. The second floor of the palace features restored rooms decorated in the 18th century style, with period furnishings and artwork throughout. This palace is impressive but not as spectacular as the top tier of St. Petersburg palaces. Only about half of the building is currently open to the public, and it is unclear what the northern part of the palace is used for, if anything.
Hearkening back to its reputation from centuries past, a series of rooms on the first floor now houses a collection of musical instruments. These are generally crammed into display cases with numerous other instruments of the same general type. Some of the cases have tags that link up with a cell phone audio guide, but it seemed like a hassle to download the app, set up an account, download the specific data, etc. and I did not see any visitors attempt it. So, it is generally left to the imagination as to what the instruments sound like. Interpretation and education are secondary goals, and the exhibits give the impression of open storage more than anything. Additional exhibits of musical instruments are on display in many of the palace rooms on the second floor - the violin cabinet even includes a Stradivarius! Three of the rooms are set aside for temporary exhibitions, and when I was there, the exhibit detailed the history and design of balalaikas - a well-designed modern exhibit, with many audiovisual components seamlessly integrated into the display.
Last year, I visited the new Musical Instrument Museum in Phoenix, Arizona (USA). That institution sets the gold standard for exhibition and interpretation of musical instruments. We spent six hours there and had a wonderful time hearing (and playing) instruments from all over the world. No other similar institution can match the size, scope, exhibit techniques, or energy of that museum. So I guess it has spoiled me for other music museums, and I left the Sheremetev Palace wanting a lot more from the musical instrument galleries. Still, it was an impressive palace. Although it will not be on the sightseeing itinerary for most tourists, it is definitely a nice stop for residents and longer-term visitors to the city.
This is what a Stradivarius violin looks like (the same as all the other violins):
Sheremetev Palace was built in the 1740s and occupied by several generations of the Sheremetev family, only reverting to the state in 1918. During its prime in the late 18th century, it was a center for the arts in St. Petersburg. The second floor of the palace features restored rooms decorated in the 18th century style, with period furnishings and artwork throughout. This palace is impressive but not as spectacular as the top tier of St. Petersburg palaces. Only about half of the building is currently open to the public, and it is unclear what the northern part of the palace is used for, if anything.
Hearkening back to its reputation from centuries past, a series of rooms on the first floor now houses a collection of musical instruments. These are generally crammed into display cases with numerous other instruments of the same general type. Some of the cases have tags that link up with a cell phone audio guide, but it seemed like a hassle to download the app, set up an account, download the specific data, etc. and I did not see any visitors attempt it. So, it is generally left to the imagination as to what the instruments sound like. Interpretation and education are secondary goals, and the exhibits give the impression of open storage more than anything. Additional exhibits of musical instruments are on display in many of the palace rooms on the second floor - the violin cabinet even includes a Stradivarius! Three of the rooms are set aside for temporary exhibitions, and when I was there, the exhibit detailed the history and design of balalaikas - a well-designed modern exhibit, with many audiovisual components seamlessly integrated into the display.
Last year, I visited the new Musical Instrument Museum in Phoenix, Arizona (USA). That institution sets the gold standard for exhibition and interpretation of musical instruments. We spent six hours there and had a wonderful time hearing (and playing) instruments from all over the world. No other similar institution can match the size, scope, exhibit techniques, or energy of that museum. So I guess it has spoiled me for other music museums, and I left the Sheremetev Palace wanting a lot more from the musical instrument galleries. Still, it was an impressive palace. Although it will not be on the sightseeing itinerary for most tourists, it is definitely a nice stop for residents and longer-term visitors to the city.
This is what a Stradivarius violin looks like (the same as all the other violins):
Except for the instruments made by other violin craftsmen who went crazy with the ivory inlays:
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