The Mariinskyi Palace (Ukrainian: Маріїнський палац, romanizedMariinskyi palats) is the official residence of the president of Ukraine. The Elizabethan baroque palace is sited on the right bank of the Dnipro River in Kyiv, Ukraine, adjoining the neo-classical building of the Verkhovna Rada, the parliament of Ukraine.

Mariinskyi Palace
Маріїнський палац
Façade of the palace
Mariinskyi Palace is located in Ukraine Kyiv
Mariinskyi Palace
Location within Kyiv
Mariinskyi Palace is located in Ukraine
Mariinskyi Palace
Mariinskyi Palace (Ukraine)
General information
Architectural styleBaroque
Town or cityHrushevsky street 5A,
01008 Kyiv
CountryUkraine
Coordinates50°26′54″N 30°32′15″E / 50.44833°N 30.53750°E / 50.44833; 30.53750
Construction started1744
Completed1752
ClientElizabeth of Russia
(House of Romanov)
OwnerUkraine
Design and construction
Architect(s)Bartolomeo Rastrelli

History

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The Mariinskyi Palace as it appeared in 1918
 
The presidential standard flying over the Mariinskyi Palace

The palace was constructed by command of the Russian Empress Elizaveta Petrovna in 1744; her architect was Bartolomeo Rastrelli, the most eminent architect working in the Russian Empire at that time. One of the students of Rastrelli, Ivan Michurin, together with a group of other architects, completed the palace in 1752. Empress Elizabeth, however, did not live to see the palace completed; the first senior-ranking member of the imperial family to stay in the palace was Empress Elizabeth's niece-in-law, Empress Catherine II, who visited Kyiv in 1787. In the late 18th and early 19th centuries, the palace was the main residence of the governors-general.

In the early 19th century, the palace burned down in a series of fires, and was in total disrepair and abandoned for almost half a century. In 1870, Emperor Alexander II had the palace reconstructed by the architect Konstantin Mayevsky, using old drawings and watercolours as a guide. It was then renamed after the reigning Empress Maria Alexandrovna. By her wish, a large park was established off the southern side of the palace. The palace was used as a residence for visiting members of the Imperial Family until 1917.

During the years of the Russian Civil War in 1917–1920, the palace was used as the Kyiv revkom headquarters, particularly during the Kyiv Bolshevik Uprising. In the 1920s, the building belonged to an agricultural school, soon after which it became a museum. The Mariinskyi was badly damaged during the Second World War, and was restored at the end of the 1940s. Another major restoration was completed in the early 1980s.

Modern residence

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In June 2007, the reconstruction of the palace began, which was expected to be completed by 2011, but as of 2017, was still ongoing.[1] On April 5, 2022, President Volodymyr Zelensky announced that the White Hall of the Mariinsky Palace, where the state leadership receives heads of foreign states, will be called the White Hall of Heroes of Ukraine, and those who have been awarded the title of Hero of Ukraine will be awarded here.[2][3]

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The music video for the song "Naatu Naatu" from the 2022 Indian Telugu language film RRR was filmed at Mariinskyi Palace in August 2021.[4][5] The song won the 2022 Golden Globe Award for Best Original Song[6] and the 95th Academy Award for Best Original Song.[7][8]

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A memorial inscription left by Joe Biden in the guest book of the Mariinsky Palace. 20.02.2023.

See also

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References

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  1. ^ "Маріїнський палац після реконструкції відкриють для туристів". ua.korrespondent.net. uk:Корреспондент. 2009-04-06. Archived from the original on 2018-01-17. Retrieved 2018-01-16.
  2. ^ "Володимир Зеленський вручив ордени "Золота Зірка" військовослужбовцям ЗСУ та членам родин загиблих Героїв України". Офіційне інтернет-представництво Президента України (in Ukrainian). 2022-04-05. Archived from the original on 2022-04-30.
  3. ^ "У Маріїнському палаці з'явилася Біла зала Героїв України". Укрінформ (in Ukrainian). 2022-04-06. Archived from the original on 2022-05-05.
  4. ^ "'RRR' team reaches Ukraine for last leg of shooting". The News Minute. 2021-08-03. Archived from the original on 3 February 2023.
  5. ^ "Zelenskyy Offered Ukrainian President's Palace for RRR". indiaherald.com. Retrieved 2022-05-29.
  6. ^ "RRR Team Celebrates Win at Golden Globe Awards 2023".
  7. ^ Nordyke, Hilary Lewis,Kimberly; Lewis, Hilary; Nordyke, Kimberly (2023-01-24). "Oscars: Full List of Nominations". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved 2023-01-26.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  8. ^ "Oscars 2023: RRR's Naatu Naatu, the Elephant Whisperers bring home trophy".
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50°26′54″N 30°32′15″E / 50.44833°N 30.53750°E / 50.44833; 30.53750