Mikhailovsky Castle

The Mikhailovsky Castle was once home to sone of Catherine the Great, Paul I. His father had been murdered and he, too, feared that he would incur the same fate. To protect himself, he built this castle (1801), complete with secret passageways, trap doors and moats. One month after making this his home, he was suffocated to death by one of his bodyguards. Today, it is part of the State Museum of Russian Art.