The buildings of the Senate and Synod in St. Petersburg

The buildings of the Senate and Synod* – an architectural monument – buildings in the style of late classicism, or Russian Empire, located on Senate Square in St. Petersburg. Erected in 1829-1834. They are connected by a triumphal arch thrown over Galernaya Street. Initially, they were built for two state governing bodies of the Russian Empire: the Senate and the Holy Governing Synod. The last major project of the architect Carl Rossi.

From 1925 to 2006, the premises housed the Russian State Historical Archive. Since May 2008, one wing of the building has housed the main divisions of the Constitutional Court of the Russian Federation. Since May 2009, the Presidential Library named after Boris N. Yeltsin has been located in the other wing of the building.

The Senate and Synod were originally located in the building of the Twelve Collegia.

The first building on the site of the current buildings of the Senate and the Synod was the half-timbered house of His Serene Highness Prince Menshikov.

With the construction of the Admiralty in 1806-1823, the former buildings no longer corresponded to the new look of the Senate Square. There was a need for reconstruction, and a competition was announced for the development of a project for new buildings of the Senate and the Synod.

On August 24, 1829, the building of the Senate was laid; in 1830 – the buildings of the Synod. Completed in 1834. The construction was carried out under the guidance of the architect Alexander Staubert according to the project of Karl Rossi.

*The Most Holy Synod or Most Holy Governing Synod (Russian: Святейший Правительствующий Синод) was a congregation of Orthodox church leaders in Russia. It was established by Peter the Great, Stefan Yavorsky and Feofan Prokopovich in January 1721 to replace the Patriarchate of Moscow. It was abolished following the February Revolution of 1917 and replaced with a restored patriarchate under Tikhon of Moscow. In modern Russia, the Holy Synod of the Russian Orthodox Church is the highest governing body of the Russian Orthodox Church between Sobors. It is headed by the Patriarch of Moscow and all the Rus’.

Address: Admiralteyskaya, Galernaya st., 1

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