Art Museum
Saint Petersburg Manege
Image: Wikimedia Commons.
Saint Petersburg Manege is an art museum in Saint Petersburg, Russia.
About Saint Petersburg Manege
The Manege is a former riding hall for the Imperial Horse Guards fronting on Saint Isaac's Square in Saint Petersburg, Russia. It was built in 1804–07 to Quarenghi's austere Greek Revival design, one of his last commissions. It replaced a disused canal connecting the Admiralty to the naval warehouses. The Horse Guards Boulevard takes its name from the building.
The Manege is a low, rectangular block with arched openings and lunettes. According to the Companion Guide, "it mimics a 5th-century BC Athenian temple with a portico of eight Doric columns bearing a pediment and bas reliefs". The marble statues of the Dioscuri standing beside their horses were patterned by sculptor Paolo Triscornia after the Fontana dei Dioscuri in Rome.
Saint Petersburg Manege by the numbers
- Founded
- 1804
Plan your visit
Saint Petersburg Manege
- Website
- www.manege.spb.ru
Overview
The Saint Petersburg Manege is a historic former riding hall for the Imperial Horse Guards situated at 1 Saint Isaac's Square in Saint Petersburg, Russia. Designed by Giacomo Quarenghi in an austere Greek Revival style, the structure was constructed between 1804 and 1807 as one of the architect's final commissions. Replacing a disused canal that previously connected the Admiralty to naval warehouses, the building has undergone significant functional transformations. Following the Russian Revolution, it was converted into an NKVD garage, with a second floor added in 1931. Since a late 1970s reconstruction, the building has served as the city's main exhibition hall.
Founding & history
Constructed from 1804 to 1807, the Manege was established as a riding academy for officers of the Horse Guards regiment. After the Russian Revolution, the building's military equestrian function ceased, and it was reconstructed to serve as a garage for the NKVD. In 1931, a second floor was added to the structure to accommodate this new utilitarian purpose. The building experienced another major transformation during a reconstruction campaign in the late 1970s, specifically around 1977, which restored and repurposed the historic site into a public cultural venue. It has functioned as the city's primary exhibition space ever since.
Building & site
Fronting Saint Isaac's Square on its western side, adjacent to Saint Isaac's Cathedral, the Manege sits on the site of a former canal linking the Admiralty to naval warehouses. The building is a low, rectangular block defined by arched openings and lunettes. Its Greek Revival facade mimics a fifth century BC Athenian temple, specifically evoking the Parthenon. An octastyle portico of eight Doric columns supports a pediment adorned with bas reliefs. Flanking the entrance are marble statues of the Dioscuri, Castor and Pollux, standing beside their rearing horses. Sculptor Paolo Triscornia patterned these statues after the Fontana dei Dioscuri near the Quirinal Obelisk in Rome. The adjacent Horse Guards Boulevard takes its name from the building.
Visiting
The Saint Petersburg Manege is located at 1 Saint Isaac's Square in Saint Petersburg, Russia. It operates as the city's main exhibition hall, hosting regular exhibitions for the public. The institution maintains an official website at http://www.manege.spb.ru/ for visitors seeking current information on exhibitions, access, and operating hours.
