The Academic Gallery, formerly known as the Elizabethan Gallery, is located at the site of the Elizabethan Acidic Spring in Pyatigorsk, discovered in 1809 and named after Empress Elizabeth Alexeievna (1779–1826).
Initially, a small well was constructed at this site, followed by a wooden house in 1814.
In 1824, the stone well was expanded, and in 1834 a permanent wooden Elizabethan Gallery was built.
The current Renaissance-style gallery building was constructed between 1848 and 1850 by architect Samuel Upton, commissioned by the Viceroy of the Caucasus, M. Vorontsov.
The gallery received its current name in honor of the 200th anniversary of the St. Petersburg Academy of Sciences in 1926.
The Mikhailovskaya Gallery was was built due to the discovery of the eponymous spring in 1809.
Shortly thereafter, the chief physician of the Caucasian Mineral Waters, F. Konradi (1775–1848), approved the use of its water for medicinal purposes and named it after Prince Mikhail Pavlovich.
The gallery itself opened in 1828.
Initially, it was an elegant gazebo in the fashionable Oriental style of the time. Its roof was crowned by a weather vane in the shape of a carp, a symbol of longevity. A beautiful garden was soon created around the Chinese gazebo, as Chief Physician Dr. Konradi recommended that patients take short walks between sessions of drinking the medicinal water.
In the spring of 1846, the new Caucasian Viceroy, Prince M. Vorontsov, suggested replacing the dilapidated gazebo.
The building was designed by the English architect E. Blair.
The new gallery was executed in an eclectic style, combining late English Gothic with elements of Moorish style. This building was completed by 1848 and remained intact until major renovations in 1955.
The wooden walls were replaced with brick, and staircases leading to the gallery were added.
Unfortunately, the Mikhailovskaya Gallery was severely damaged in a fire in 1992 but was restored by the beginning of the 21st century.