Vitebsk. Governor's Palace.

The governor's palace in Vitebsk was built before 1772 on the high bank of the Western Dvina and belonged to the nobleman Kudinovich. And in 1806, the building was purchased and rebuilt as the governor general's palace. In 1811, a two-story office building with a church and a ceremonial hall was added to the mansion. As a result, a courtyard was formed from farm buildings and a palace, and the main facade opened onto a small square. This building has a history with many prominent figures who worked here or were passing through. From 1811 to 1821, the military governor Duke Alexander of Württemberg lived in the palace, who was the brother of the Russian Empress Maria Feodorovna, the wife of Emperor Paul I. During the war with Napoleon, the French emperor stayed in the palace in July 1812 and lived for some time in the palace. And in the 1850s, the famous Russian writer Ivan Lazhechnikov, the author of the famous work "The Ice House", served as the vice-governor in Vitebsk. Until recently, the regional KGB was located in this building. And recently, the premises have been transferred to a museum, where in the coming years it is planned to create an exposition dedicated to Vitebsk province.