One of the most beautiful and significant architectural landmarks of St. Petersburg is the former palace of Count Mikhail Illarionovich Vorontsov. The count, who served as chancellor for seven years, was one of the most influential figures in the Russian Empire. The construction of the mansion began in 1749 at his request and was completed only in 1767.

The palace, built in the Baroque style, had over fifty rooms and amazed with its splendor. The project was created by the outstanding Russian architect Bartolomeo Rastrelli, who, of Italian descent, was simultaneously working on the Winter Palace for Empress Elizabeth Petrovna. However, the empress never had the chance to live in the new palace, and the chancellor, having lived to see its completion, was soon forced to sell it to the state due to financial difficulties. The count could not properly assess his capabilities and failed to cover all the construction costs, living only a short time afterward.

After the death of Catherine the Second, the palace passed into state ownership, and then the new emperor transferred it to the Knights of Malta. Architect Quarenghi remodeled the mansion and added a Catholic church to it. Paul the First, being the Grand Master of the Order of Malta, often visited this place, and to this day, a photograph of his chair has been preserved. In 1810, Alexander the Second reformed the Page Corps and placed it in the palace, where it remained until the arrival of the Bolsheviks. The rooms were converted into bedrooms for the pages, and a museum of the Page Corps was established in the building. Many outstanding individuals who glorified Russia grew up within the walls of the former Vorontsov Palace. During World War I, a hospital was located here, which was later closed by the Soviet authorities along with the Page Corps. The building was damaged but has survived to this day.