Saint Michael's Castle
Moated former imperial residence where an emperor was assassinated weeks after moving in.
Location
About this audio guide
This guide to Saint Michael's Castle in Saint Petersburg follows Emperor Paul the First, who never felt safe in the Winter Palace and tore down the home he was born in to raise this moated, drawbridge-ringed stronghold instead, its odd orange-yellow walls tied to a story about a glove dropped at a ball. He and his family moved in during February 1801, convinced no assassin could reach him here, with a dozen officers he himself had recently dismissed from the army still nearby. Look for the corridor outside his old bedroom, where night staff have long claimed to still see him pacing.
This audio guide was created using AI.
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