The official ceremonial residence of the Ukrainian president, commissioned by Empress Elizabeth in 1744 and designed by Bartolomeo Rastrelli — the same architect who built Saint Andrew's Church just down the hill. The palace is named for Empress Maria Alexandrovna, who lived there during the 19th century.
The interior is rarely open to the public, but the gardens (Mariinsky Park) behind it are open and free, and the views over the Dnieper are excellent. The neighbouring Verkhovna Rada — the Ukrainian parliament — sits next door in a 1939 Stalinist building.