Serious adjustments in the plan of the historic centre of Gatchina has made the construction of the Cathedral of St. Paul. From the East – garden belonging to the temple, bordered a Small village Gatchina, but because the street was called Maloratsky. Due to the construction of the temple, the village was moved to the Warsaw railway. Part of the street, which is East of the temple, kept the old name. And that part Maloratsky street that was located to the West of the temple before the Grand Avenue became known as the Cathedral.

In front of Cathedral street, opposite Grand Avenue, located one of the most monumental buildings in the city, which until 1917 acted Orphan Institute. Is the object of cultural heritage of Federal value.

This is a three-storey building, once it was one of the most famous educational institutions in Russia. Here he taught Konstantin Dmitrievich Ushinsky (legal subjects and Russian literature), Karl Albrecht (teacher of music and singing), Ivan Kupriyanovich Kupriyanov (geography), Egor O. Gugel. In different years at the head of an Institute were Nikolai Frantsevich Schilder, Ivan Bogdanovich crater, Orestes L. Semenov. Graduates of this educational institution was an outstanding chess player Mikhail Chigorin, painter Fyodor Vasilyev, economist Vasily Gavrilovich jarocki, theatre Director Alexey Lvovich XIII international youth, physicist Ivan Ibraimov, the famous politician, Bolshevik Boris Alekseevich Pearls, aircraft designer Vladimir K. grzybowska, mathematician Boris Venkov, musician Dmitri Lebedev, pilot, Hero of the Soviet Union Vladimir A. Sandalov and other.

Founded an Institute was in 1803 at the request of the Empress Maria Feodorovna. It was originally called the Rural orphanage. Training and education there were adopted children of both sexes from the age of 7. Classes were calculated for 600 pupils. At the end of this institution graduates entered the St. Petersburg educational house, which prepared young people for admission to higher educational institutions, and girls – to work as a governess. Children and adolescents in Rural educational house received basic knowledge and craft.

In 1823, the school moved into the building, constructed under the project D. I. Quadri. The building in the plan is l-shaped. The walls were built of yellow plates. Each facade to 19 Windows. On the ground floor window openings are decorated with embossed frames. The second simple trims. Central five Windows framed by triangular pediments, which "resonate" with a triangular pediment. The Windows on the third floor is square, small, decorated with relief – fan rusty.

The fence around the building is decorated with semicircles. Gates resemble the arc de Triomphe. Driveways gates – semicircular, framed profile archivolt. They end pilasters and massive entablature. The cornice is decorated with an attic.

In 30-ies of the 19th century foundling hospital was reorganized and became the men's eight-grade grammar school for orphans. Since 1837 the gymnasium bears the name of an Institute. To enroll in this school were eligible orphans of noble origin to 12 years. It prepared the home teachers, and later officials of the office. In 1855, the Institute became known as Nicholas, in honor of Emperor Nicholas I. Institute Gatchina was inviolable capital in more than 4 million rubles. Since 1848 there appeared the women's Board, which later become the women's gymnasium. Nowadays in the building of an Institute is a boarding school.