St. Petersburg is called the Venice of the North – all of it is situated on the Islands. Yelagin island is one of those that are found in the Delta of the Neva, has a special place in the history of landscape art and Russian architecture. The development of the island began simultaneously with the construction of St. Petersburg. In those days the area was heavily forested and swampy. In the late 1770s, when the island became the property of chief Chamberlain of the Empress Catherine II of I. P. Elagin, he was named Yelagin.

Since the beginning of the XIX century, the island belongs to the Imperial Cabinet. By order of the Emperor Alexander I started to build a Palace for his mother, Dowager Empress Maria Feodorovna. The construction of the Palace was entrusted to the famous Carlo Russia. In 1818-1822, the architect reconstructed the mansion, built during the Elagin presumably on the project of Giacomo Quarenghi. Next to this main mansion were placed several more services that, together with the Palace was beautiful architectural ensemble.

The main attraction of the ensemble is the Yelagin Palace, located on a hill and therefore visible from afar. It has two front facade. The main facade is decorated with a six-Central four-columned portico and two lateral. It leads to the Grand staircase, which is decorated with cast iron grate and sculptures of lions. The second facade is turned towards the Middle of the Neva, made in the form of a rounded ledge with columns.

Office building architectural complex - Kitchen and stable housing is one with it. These buildings household purposes Rossi completed in full agreement with the main character of the Palace's ornate pavilions. The ensemble also includes two small pavilion on the Eastern spit of the island and on the shores of the Middle Nevka, Music, intended for brass band.

Delightful interior of the Palace. On the ground floor is a Suite of reception rooms. Luxurious Central Oval hall decorated magnificent columns and caryatids that support the painted ornament of the dome. To adjoin the Blue and Crimson room. Then there's Dining hall, office of Maria Feodorovna, her bedchamber and dressing. On the second floor were the living quarters. The third - the house Church in the name of St. Nicholas the Wonderworker.

Since the construction of the Elagin island Palace became the summer residence of the kings, and from the end of XIX century it was a favourite place of walks Petersburg bourgeois. After the revolution, the Park was transferred to the jurisdiction of the Petrograd Council of people's Commissars. From 1932 on its territory was organized by the Central Park of culture and leisure of workers. During the great Patriotic war, the Park was badly damaged by bombing. From the magnificent Palace was left only the frame, but after the war, through years of hard work of a large team of talented restorers and craftsmen-builders was brought back to life one of the beautiful architectural buildings of St. Petersburg.

In the early 60-ies of the Park was re-opened to the public, and in the Palace was organized base for a day of recreation for residents of the city. In 1987, Yelagin Palace again received the status of Museum, began work on to locate and return lost items, picking the Palace collection.

Yelagin Palace-Museum of Russian decorative and applied art and interior of the XVIII—XX centuries is still very young, but I want to believe that he has a great future. Now the Museum has about 12 thousand unique pieces of decorative art, paintings, drawings, and sculpture. Today, the Palace held a variety of temporary exhibitions of works of art, has organized various events in the style of Peter, Elizabeth, Catherine.