May 27, 2023 marks the 20th anniversary of the opening of the State Complex
"Palace of Congresses".
The State Complex "Palace of Congresses" was created in 2003 by the decree of the President of the Russian Federation Vladimir Vladimirovich Putin on the basis of the Konstantinovsky Palace and Park Ensemble, the former residence of the
Grand Dukes of the Romanovs. On December 10, 2001, the President issued Decree No. 689-rp "... To create the State Complex "Palace of Congresses" on the basis of the Strelna Palace for the purpose of its subsequent use for holding international, state and public events ...". Under the auspices of the Administration of the President of the Russian Federation in Strelna, unprecedented in terms of timing and scale, work began on the restoration and reconstruction of the historical ensemble.
Twenty years ago, on the day of the 300th anniversary of St. Petersburg, the renovated complex opened its doors to the first guests - the participants of the Russia-EU Summit. The basis of the complex, its pearl, was the Konstantinovsky Palace, which is surrounded by the Lower and Upper parks, made in the French regular style. The Negotiations Pavilion was built on Petrovsky Island, and the five-star Baltic Star Hotel and the Consular Village cottage town were built for recreation and accommodation. To the west, on the coast of the Gulf of Finland, a Press Center has been equipped, and an Excursion Bureau has been built in the eastern part of the complex. For 20 years, sculptures, fountains and a rose garden have appeared in the park.
During its recent history, the "Palace of Congresses" has regularly become a venue not only for official meetings of the President of the Russian Federation V.V. Putin with the leaders of other states, but also for large-scale international events at the highest level: the Russia-EU Summit, the meeting of heads of state and government " Group of Eight”, an unprecedented event - the summit of the G20 leaders, the draw for the 2018 FIFA World Cup. Social events are also held here and a large number of socially significant projects are being implemented. The complex acquired its own collection of Russian art, completely lost over the years of oblivion. For everyone, a permanent exhibition "Collection of the Konstantinovsky Palace from the former collection of M. Rostropovich and G.
Vishnevskaya" is open.
Today, almost 500 people work in the "Palace of Congresses", who work every day to improve the complex and to preserve what mankind has inherited from the time of Peter the Great.
