The Residence of Rumyantsev and Paskevich

The Rumyantsev-Paskevich Residence is Belarusian monuments of the XVIII-XIX centuries. The life and work of distinguished people of the Russian Empire, statesmen and princes Rumyantsev and Paskevich are connected with the history of the building. Today the palace and park complex is the center of Gomel - an ancient city of Belarus. The architectural ensemble includes the palace, the city park, Peter and Paul Cathedral and the burial vault.

In the second half of the XVIII century Empress Catherine II presented Gomel to Russian general P.A.Rumyantsev for outstanding services to the country. The military head decided to build a palace in the city. Some historians believe that the project of future residence was made by the famous architect I.Starov who had built Tauride Palace, Kazan Cathedral and Alexander Nevsky Monastery in St. Petersburg. However, there are those who consider that the architects were Ya.Alekseev Yu.Felten.

The famous Russian commander I.F.Paskevich bought the palace for 800 thousand rubles in 1834. He continued its reconstruction following the latest architectural trends and personal views as a new owner. Paskevich invited a talented architect Adam Idzkovsky from Warsaw to change the form of the palace. As the result a four-level tower with the height about 32 meters was added to the palce. At the beginning of the XX century the prince”s private apartments were located there. At that time you also could see collections of battle-painting, arts and crafts, gifts presented by Russian emperors to the Paskeviches, awards and other personal items in the tower. A park with rare plants brought from all over the world was located near the palace. Later the Palace and Park complex was enlarged by the Swan Pond, numerous flower beds and statues.

The last owners of the palace and park complex were the son of Field Marshal Fedor Paskevich and his wife Irina. After the revolution, the Rumyantsev-Paskevich architectural ensemble was confiscated by the state. In 1919 the collections of the former Rumyantsev-Paskevich residence were used to form Gomel regional museum.

Today the palace is a compact two-storeyed building built on a high socle. At its center there is a dome-shaped belvedere with a large dome. The outer palace décor follows the traditions of early classicism style. Once on the 1 floor were located only ceremonial chambers. On the second floor there were living rooms, on the ground floor there were barns and rooms for servants.

Currently the first floor of the central part of the palace is a historical reconstruction of the former princely buildings: Hall of Columns, «White room», «Red room», State reception hall (the former «Golden dining room»). There is the museum exhibition «The owners of the Rumyantsev-Paskevich Residence» in the tower now where you can see original paintings, sculptures, bronze art, arms and personal belongings of famous Russian princes.

The Rumyantsev-Paskevich Residence is displayed on the bank note with face value of 20 rubles.