The first sprouts of chamber art appeared on the banks of the Neva in the early XVIII century (salon music parties of the enlightened nobility). The building housing the hall was erected in the middle of the XVIII century after the design by F.B. Rastrelli. The spacious hall with the elegant adjoining rooms on the second floor were initially used for balls and masquerades. In 1802 the Philharmonic Society, the first one in Europe, started its concert activity in the hall.
About St. Petersburg Small Philharmonic "Engelgardt" Hall (established 1828)