Kikin Hall is one of the oldest residential buildings in St. Petersburg, and one of the few surviving examples of Petrine baroque. The house was built in 1714 for Alexander Kikin (c. 1675-1718), Admiralty Councilor and one of Peter the Great’s closest comrades. The house originally had two floors, and its interior plan partly copied the layout of the Grand Palace at Peterhof. In 1718, after the arrest and execution of the owner, Kikin Hall was used to house Russia’s first public museum, founded by Peter the Greater himself and nowadays known as the Kunstkammer. Alongside the museum, Russia’s first national library was also established, based on Peter’s private collection of books. To accommodate both institutions, an extra storey was added to the house.During the Siege of Leningrad (1941-44), the building was severely damaged by shelling. Between 1952 and 1956, the architect Irina Benois superintended the restoration of the building, returning it to its original 18th century form.
