Now the main building of Saint Petersburg State University, it was built in the style of Petrine Baroque in 1722-1744 to house the Russian government. It may be difficult, though not impossible, for a stranger to persuade the guards to let him/her in. There is a bookstore there, perhaps a good pretext. All along Mendeleevskaya liniya for its entire length, the main entrance is in the middle of the building.