St Michael’s Castle was designed by V. Brenna and V. Bazhenov as a residence for Emperor Paul I. The Emperor himself took part in designing the castle. It was named after St Michael (patron saint of the Royal family). Paul I spent only forty days there - on the night of 11/12 March 1801, he was murdered in a palace coup.
Today the castle houses expositions «The History of the Castle and its Inhabitants», «Antique Subjects in the Russian Art» and «The Renaissance in the Oeuvre of Russian Artists».