The Oranienbaum palace and park ensemble, located on the shores of the Gulf of Finland, is located in the city of Lomonosov, which is 40 kilometers west of our northern capital, St. Petersburg. Previously, it was called Oranienbaum.
Palace complex
At the beginning of the 18th century, an associate and favorite of Peter I, Alexander Danilovich Menshikov, was appointed governor of the Ingermanland region. On this occasion, he was presented with land on the shores of the Gulf of Finland. And on the selected plot of land, opposite the island of Kotlin, the Grand Palace was built and a garden was laid out.
The complex consists of four parts:
1. Grand Menshikov Palace.
2. Peterstadt Palace.
3. Chinese Palace.
4. Roller coaster.
The city in which the palace of Peter III, Lomonosov, is located, was previously called Oranienbaum (which means "orange tree"). Today it can be seen on the coat of arms of the city.
Great Menshikov Palace
The central and largest palace, built in 1710-1727 in the style of "Peterbaroque", is a model of splendor. The location of the palace on the edge of a hill divides the park complex into two parts: the Lower Park and the Upper Garden.
The central part of the palace has two floors. The length of the main facade is 210 meters. On both sides, one-story long galleries adjoin it. They have the shape of an arc and end with pavilions: Japanese and Church. To them, in turn, two outbuildings are attached. Thus, the general layout of the palace resembles the letter "P".
The palace was built under the guidance of the architect F. Fonan, later replaced by I. G. Shedel (in 1713). The interior decoration was luxurious. After the disgrace of Menshikov, it changed several times.
Chinese Palace
Located in the depths of the Lower Park. This palace was built by the architect Antonio Rinaldi, by order of Catherine II. Thanks to the interiors, made in the Chinese style, it began to be called Chinese. Until today, one of the rooms of the palace has been preserved. This is the glass cabinet. The walls of the room are decorated with glass beads and embroidered canvases. The Chinese Palace is the only surviving object with authentic interiors from the 18th century.
Skater Hill Pavilion
A multi-stage building 33 meters long, located in the western part of the Upper Park. It has a spacious round hall, decorated with stucco, gilding and painting.
Here is also the famous Porcelain Cabinet, which is famous for its Saxon decorations. Today, the Rolling Hill operates as a museum.
Peterstadt Palace (Palace of Peter III)
This palace was erected by order of Elizabeth Petrovna for the future emperor, who was her nephew. It was Grand Duke Peter Fedorovich. Tsar Peter III, for whom the “amusing fortress” was built, will make many changes to the ensemble of the palace in the future. Peterstadt was supposed to become a kind of toy "fortress" for the heir to the throne.
After the confiscation of the estate from Menshikov, it was transferred to Pyotr Fedorovich. The palace and park complex itself has undergone numerous changes. Most of which were carried out under the direction of the architect Antonio Rinaldi. It was he who developed the project of the palace, which, according to the documents, was also called the “stone house”. The small size of the building confirms its "funny" purpose. In fact, it has become another of the park pavilions.
The construction of such a building as the palace of Peter III dates back to 1759-62. It is made in the Rococo style. There is some architectural cunning in its form. It consists in the fact that with a general cubic shape, one of the corners is slightly cut off, allowing it to be viewed from three sides at the same time. This gives the building some massiveness despite its small size.
All interior spaces are located around the perimeter of the palace. The first floor was occupied mainly by office space. The second floor consisted of six rooms. They were typical decoration of the middle of the 18th century. The main hall of the palace is a picture hall. It features a unique lacquer finish. By their authorbecame the serf master Fyodor Vlasov. The paintings are located on wall panels, window slopes, doors. They are all made in Chinese style.
For the Italian Antonio Rinaldi, the Palace of Peter III became the first independent project in Russia. The decor of many rooms of the palace is also made according to his sketches. For example, stucco on the ceilings, as well as the famous "Rinaldi flower".
During the Great Patriotic War, valuables that were not evacuated were stored in the premises of the palace. Since the beginning of 1953, an exhibition of Chinese art has been housed here. In the 60s, the restoration of 18th century spatler paintings, which had previously been lost, was gradually carried out. Next, a museum opens here, which has the name "Peter III's Palace".
Honorary Entrance Gate
This is a unique architectural monument, which belongs to small forms. In the past, they were the main gates in the amusing fortress of Petra. A little later, it was rebuilt into Peterstadt, which was larger in size. The gate provided entry to a small parade ground of a pentagonal shape. It was on it that the exercises of the troops of Peter III were carried out.
The tower is octagonal in shape, ending with a thin high spire. On the spire there is a weather vane on which the date of construction is stamped - this is 1757. Gates made of crossed forged strips were placed in the arch. To date, they are not there and you can safely walk under the arch. The goal was also designed by Antonio Rinaldi.
Petrovskypark
Architect Antonio Rinaldi took an active part in laying out the park area of the complex. It was created on the principle of gardens in Italy, with the participation of the master Lamberti. Terraces, cascades of fountains, stairs, as well as several small pavilions were located here: the Chinese house, Solovyov's arbor, Menageria with a fountain. Regular elements are also included in the overall composition: perfectly trimmed trees and shrubs, geometric lawns and various playgrounds.
The Oranienbaum palace and park ensemble had not retained the original layout of the park by the beginning of the 20th century. To date, the composition of the park is made up of the Karosta River, through which three bridges are thrown, and two ponds (Upper and Lower). The largest of all is the Trekharochny Petrovsky Bridge. Also, with the help of granite slabs, a system of cascades is arranged on the river.
An interesting fact is that on the site of Peterdshtat, there was once another amusing fortress. It was named in honor of Catherine the Great and was called "Yekaterinburg". Today, everyone can visit the palace of Peter III in Oranienbaum, admire the beauty of the park area and see the decoration of the middle of the 18th century.
