St. Petersburg and its suburbs are rich in architectural and historical sights. But the palaces of Peterhof are the undoubted leader in terms of tourist attraction. The fountains, park and complex of buildings of this residence are a real masterpiece of world-class architecture and park art.
History of Peterhof
The decision to build up the southern coast of the Gulf of Finland and build the Emperor's summer grand residence was made by Peter the Great. In 1712, the first work began on the creation of a residential complex. The emperor wanted to build a residence that could be compared with the French Versailles. He certainly wanted to have a luxurious complex of fountains in front of the palace. That is why the previous project of the residence in Strelna was rejected. Under Peter the Great, a rather modest palace was erected according to the project of J. Leblanc in the style of Peter the Great's baroque. But under Elizabeth Petrovna, the palace was completely rebuilt and the building that today is the glory of Peterhof appeared.
During the Second World War, the palace and park complex was almostcompletely destroyed by the invaders. After the Victory, a colossal restoration work was carried out, and today tourists can see Peterhof in all its glory.
Palace and park complex
The center of the composition of the residence complex is the Grand Palace in Peterhof, the Upper and Lower parks. The most famous, of course, is the Lower Park with its magnificent fountains. The prototype for the complex was Versailles, but Peterhof is more compact and fits much more harmoniously into the natural landscape. The water supply system in the fountains is a unique engineering structure. And architects and engineers from several European countries worked on the construction of Peterhof buildings. The upper park with a round fountain "Mezheumny" is an example of a classic regular garden in the spirit of the traditions of England and France. But the real pearl of Peterhof is the Lower Park with its famous cascade of fountains. The center of the composition is the Samson fountain, but besides it, there are 64 more fountains, more than 250 sculptures. Several palaces, many cozy corners with fountains, pavilions, and recreation areas are located in the Peterhof park.
Petrodvorets
Modern look The Grand Palace in Peterhof was designed by the great Russian architect of Italian origin Bartolomeo Rastrelli. The building is made in the fashionable late baroque style during the time of Elizabeth. The architect built a floor and two wings over the existing building under Peter the Great and decorated the roof with luxurious gilded domes. On thethe main dome has a three-headed eagle with a orb and a scepter - a symbol of imperial power. Two side buildings are connected to the central building by one-story galleries. The building stands on a small ledge above the Lower Park, and this gives it additional majesty. But the main we alth of the palace is its interior decoration.
Peter Palace interiors
Every year, many tourists come to see the unique palaces of Russian emperors, and the most popular of them is Peterhof. Inside the palace you can see the luxurious decoration of the ceremonial halls and living rooms of the royal family. You can walk around the palace for a very long time. The following rooms are considered the most beautiful and interesting:
- front staircase;
- Throne room;
- Dance hall;
- Chesme Hall;
- Picture Room;
- oak office of Peter the Great;
- Chinese cabinets.
Monplaisir
When looking at the palaces of Peterhof, one cannot pass by Monplaisir. It was built under Peter the Great, he himself chose a place on the coast of the Gulf of Finland, from where passing ships are perfectly visible. The building is set on a high granite "pillow", which emphasizes its lightness and airiness. This summer palace in Peterhof is made of red brick and in its style resembles the Dutch houses so beloved by the emperor. The central square part of the building is covered with a tent; two galleries with pavilions adjoin it. The palace is an example of conciseness and rationality. They do not appearonly in layout and appearance, but also in interior decoration. The halls of the palace are decorated with tiles, marble, Chinese panels, decorative carvings and stucco. The center of the palace is the Main Hall, which adjoins the bedroom, study, secretarial room, kitchen, pantry.
Marly Palace
Like many palaces of Peterhof, Marly was conceived by Peter the Great, who wanted to combine convenience with beauty and utility. The French impressions of the emperor became the prototype of the palace. But from the complex of Louis the Fourteenth, only the composition remained here: the location of the palace on the bank of the pond, in which fish is bred for the court table. A small cubic building (summer palace in Peterhof for recreation) was built by the architect I. Braunstein. The external appearance of the palace is very laconic, and inside everything is subordinated to the functions of the premises. The palace housed two offices: Oak and Chinar, as well as the vestibule, or the Front Hall, in which it was customary to drink tea while walking in the park.
Hermitage
Describing the palaces of Peterhof, it is customary to talk about the Hermitage pavilion. This building also appeared as a result of the impressions of Peter the Great from a trip to Prussia. There he saw such a house for solitude and ordered I. Braunstein to build something similar in Peterhof. The graceful, airy cubic pavilion was intended for audiences of the emperor and foreign high-ranking guests. The first floor of the building is occupied by various service premises, and on the second floor there is the Main Hall, in whichElizaveta Petrovna loved to receive guests. A unique for Russia table with a mechanism rises from the first floor to the second, which made it possible to remove the servants from the audience hall.
Cottage
The Peterhof residence complex continued to be completed until the beginning of the 20th century. In 1825, Emperor Nicholas I ordered the construction of a rural house to provide the residence with the necessary products. This is how the Cottage Palace appeared. This is not a farm, but a small building for the imperial family, in which its members could do their daily chores. The building is made in the style of medieval English Gothic. The 19th century is a time when the royal family not only began to strive to live with parades and balls, but also wanted to be able to live an ordinary life. This was difficult to do in St. Petersburg, and Peterhof was perfect for this. The palace, a tour of which is very interesting, shows Empress Alexandra Feodorovna as a very practical and intelligent hostess. Here you can see her study, library, Large and Small living rooms, also designed in the Gothic (so rare for Russia) style.
What to see in Peterhof: reviews of tourists
The Imperial residence covers an area of more than 100 hectares. Therefore, tourists recommend that before starting to explore the vast territory, visit the "Summer Palace", a restaurant in Peterhof, which sets visitors on the right wave. In addition to the Upper, Lower Park and the listed palaces, tourists, according to vacationers here, should pay attention to the following buildings:
- Gothic Alexander ChapelNevsky;
- Italian style Tsaritsyn Pavilion;
- Cathedral of Peter and Paul in New Peterhof;
- imperial stables;
- Belvedere Palace.
Things to do in Peterhof: reviews of tourists
Peterhof is worth spending at least a few days here, you can come here several times and there is always something new and interesting. What can you do here? Experienced tourists recommend to arrange a quest and find all the fountains of the parks. Take a walk along the alleys and lawns of parks, looking at sculptures, bridges and pavilions. It's delicious to eat. For this, the "Summer Palace", a restaurant in Peterhof, is perfect - a place where you can taste excellent cuisine in real palace interiors. A visit to this establishment will be a worthy end to a great trip to Peterhof.
