The Twelve Collegia Building is an architectural monument located on Vasilievsky Island in St. Petersburg. The building is constructed in the style of Petrine Baroque and consists of twelve identical three-story sections. At different times, the building housed the supreme apparatus of state administration — collegia, and later the Pedagogical Institute and St. Petersburg State University.
Construction of the Twelve Collegia Building started in 1722 as part of the plan of Peter I to build an administrative quarter on Vasilievsky Island. It was assumed that the building will house the Senate, the Synod, and the Collegia. The start of construction was carried out under the direction of Domenico Trezzini and Theodor Schwertfeger, the construction was finished under the guidance of Giuseppe Trezzini and Mikhail Zemtsov. The first meeting of the Collegia was held in 1732. The main construction had been completed by the middle of 1730, and in 1737-1741, there was attached a two-story gallery on the west side of the building.
Nowadays, the Twelve Collegia Building is the main building of St. Petersburg State University. Until now, some faculties of the University are located in the building of the Twelve Collegia. There are housed the Research Library of the University and some of the administrative services of the University. The building has the “Peter Hall”, in which, except for various celebrations, there are held regular concerts for the general public.
