) ▁and ▁the ▁Mar ble ▁Palace ▁( to ▁the ▁east ). ▁▁ ▁The ▁palace ▁was ▁commission ed ▁by ▁Grand ▁Duke ▁Michael ▁Nik ola ev ich ▁of ▁Russia ▁on ▁the ▁occasion ▁of ▁his ▁wed ding ▁to ▁Cec il ie ▁of ▁Baden . ▁The ▁design ▁is ▁a ▁Rev ival ist ▁med ley ▁of ▁quot ations ▁from ▁the ▁Renaissance , ▁Bar o que , ▁and ▁the ▁Louis ▁XVI ▁styles . ▁The ▁Roc oco ▁inter iors ▁are ▁orn ate ▁yet ▁air y . ▁The ▁stat u ary ▁is ▁by ▁David ▁J ensen . ▁Some ▁of ▁the ▁paint ings ▁are ▁by ▁Michael ▁Z ich y . ▁ ▁A ▁resident ial ▁wing ▁of ▁the ▁palace ▁( the ▁so - called ▁E quer ry ▁Wing ) ▁front s ▁on ▁Mill ion n aya ▁Street . ▁Its ▁decor ation ▁is ▁not ▁as ▁ri ot ous , ▁but ▁the ▁distinct ive ▁cur vil ine ar ▁fac ade ▁reflect s ▁the ▁Italian ate ▁taste ▁of ▁the ▁ 1 7 4 0 s . ▁The ▁wing ▁has ▁its ▁origin ▁in ▁the ▁Bar o que ▁palace ▁of ▁Chan cell or ▁T cher k ass ky ▁whose ▁design ▁has ▁been ▁attributed ▁to ▁Py otr ▁Y er op kin . ▁ ▁After ▁the ▁Russian ▁Revolution ▁the ▁palace ▁hous ed ▁a ▁branch ▁of ▁the ▁Commun ist ▁Academy . ▁Then ▁in ▁ 1 9 4 9 ▁it ▁was ▁occupied ▁by ▁the ▁Institute ▁of ▁Oriental ▁Studies ▁( IOS ), ▁later ▁the ▁L ening rad ▁branch ▁of ▁the ▁I OS , ▁and ▁it ▁is ▁currently ▁occupied ▁by ▁its ▁successor , ▁the