Tavricheskiy Palace: How Temporary Place of Work for Deputies Became Cradle of Russian Parliamentarism

The Day of Parliamentarism is celebrated in Russia. It is well-known fact that the home of the first Russian parliament was the Tavricheskiy Palace. Initially, it was considered as a temporary residence for the State Duma, - a special building was supposed to be built for the elected representatives of the people.

The 1-st State Duma of the Russian Empire, began its work in 1906. All four convocations deputies of the State Duma of the Russian Empire had been convening in St. Petersburg, where the Tavricheskiy Palace was temporarily allocated for them.

In 1905, the Imperial St. Petersburg Society of Architects announced all-Russia contest to create a sketch design for the State Duma building.

It was assumed, that the place for the construction of the State would be "Tsaritsyn-lug" (Marsovo Pole), a square surrounded by streets in the center of St. Petersburg, 10 minutes from the Winter Palace and other iconic places of the city.

The design of the building also had to take into account the halls for the meeting of commissions, the library, and the Duma's chancellery. During the work, the jury members and participants studied drawings and photographs of parliament buildings in other countries.

In April 1916, the jury submitted sketches of the State Duma buildings. Preference was given to the project of Alexander Dmitriev, a graduate of the Highest Art School at the Imperial Academy of Arts.

Over the course of the Duma's existence, the question of constructing a building for it had been raising, but the project had never been realised.

After the State Duma was dissolved, it was used for several decades for other purposes. But at the end of the 20^th century, parliamentary life returned to the Tavricheskiy Palace. For more than 30 years it has been the headquarters of the CIS Interparliamentary Assembly. This year the Tavricheskiy Palace, the cradle of Russian parliamentarism, turned 235 years old.