The city that is rightfully considered the cultural capital of Russia - St. Petersburg. Having visited it once, you want to return again and again. Every corner, every centimeter is saturated with the centuries-old history of the Russian Empire. Streets, squares, gardens, parks, bridges, museums and architectural monuments create a unique atmosphere in this city. Anyone who comes to St. Petersburg will be able to feel the unique harmony of the excellent settlement. The sights of St. Petersburg never cease to amaze its guests. The Summer Garden is especially popular with tourists, the main pearl of which is the palace of Peter I, on which we will focus our attention.
The history of the appearance of the first Summer Palace
After the construction of the Admir alty began on the left bank of the Neva, residential buildings began to appear house after house. Peter I also chose a site for his residence - the territory on the coast of the Neva between the river Mya (Maika) and the Nameless Yerik (Fontanka). The First Summer Palace of Peter the Great was a small wooden building. Stuccoed and painted structuredid not stand out among other buildings located in the neighborhood, and did not much resemble a royal residence.
Symbol of Russia's new policy
The victory at Poltava in 1709 meant a turning point in the Northern War in favor of the Russian army. In St. Petersburg, the hasty construction of numerous stone buildings began. During this period, the Lebyazhy Canal was laid, which connected the Moika with the Neva. As a result, a small island formed between the rivers. It was on this piece of land that Peter I decided to build a stone palace. By order of the tsar, a project was created, symbolizing the new political direction of Russia. The architect of the Summer Palace Trezzini proposed to arrange the building of the future royal residence in such a way that the same number of windows faced both west and east. Peter I approved this idea, and on August 18, 1710, the construction of the palace began, which was completed in April 1712.
Summer house
An amazing feature of this structure was that during its construction the first sewerage of the city was built. Water was supplied to the house with the help of pumps, and the drain went to the Fontanka. Since the Summer Palace was surrounded by water on three sides, the driving force was the flow of the river itself. However, after the flood that occurred in 1777, the small bay of Gavanets, located in front of the house, had to be filled up. This caused the first sewerage system to stop working.
The first floor of the palace
The king moved to the Summer Palace, the photo of which is presented below, withwith his whole family immediately after the completion of construction and lived in it from spring until late autumn. He occupied six rooms located on the first floor, including a bedroom with a fireplace. Nearby was the reception room, where various meetings were held and important matters were decided. The favorite room of the king was a lathe with a machine tool, where the emperor mastered the craft of a carpenter in his spare time. He spared no effort to work and was proud that there were calluses on his hands.
The second floor of the palace
The Summer Palace of Peter the Great also had a second floor, which was reached by a massive oak staircase. There were six rooms in which the queen with her ladies-in-waiting and children were accommodated. The interior of the second floor was significantly different from the first, as there were a huge number of mirrors and paintings. Next to the bedroom of Catherine I was a beautifully decorated throne room, in which the queen decided her business. The Green Cabinet astonished visitors with its magnificent gilded finishes, numerous ivory and wood figurines, and amazingly beautiful Chinese frescoes. A special room was set aside for parties and dances.
Summer Garden
A magnificent garden was laid out near the palace in 1720, which resembled a huge park. Beautiful alleys stretch through the entire territory of the garden. They share an array with beautifully trimmed trees and shrubs. Sculptures symbolizing Russia were installed throughout the territory. In addition, there were manybusts made of marble, the creation of which involved the best Italian masters. Particular attention was paid to the construction of fountains, which served as decoration of the palace territory. Due to the fact that the Summer Palace was surrounded by water on three sides, special boats were offered for walks.
Historical memo
The King was very fond of the Summer Palace. It was here that he spent the last days of his life. In 1725, in the vestibule of the palace, there was an attack on Peter I, led by one of the schismatics, which ended in death. After the death of the Tsar, Catherine I never lived in the residence. For some time meetings of the Supreme Privy Council were held here, but in the end the palace became a resting place for the imperial courtiers.
Everything beautiful is forever
After three centuries, the Summer Palace in St. Petersburg has hardly changed. Time has not made adjustments to the exterior decoration of the palace. To this day, not only the strict appearance of the building, built in the Baroque style, but also the summer frieze under the roof, consisting of twenty-nine bas-reliefs that separate the floors, has been preserved. Gutters built in the form of winged dragons have been preserved under the high hipped roof, and a weather vane in the form of St. George the Victorious is installed on it, showing the direction of the wind. In addition to the external appearance, the main part of the interior decoration has been preserved: artistic carvings on the walls, painted ceilings and tiled stoves. The Green Cabinet has almost the same appearance,the dining room and those rooms in which the royal ladies-in-waiting lived.
Tour of the Summer Palace
Today this palace is rightfully included in the section "The best sights of St. Petersburg". Thousands of tourists aspire to visit it. What can you see in the palace?
The main decoration of the lobby is a large panel - a bas-relief of Minerva, carved from wood. It is impossible not to pay attention to the door, the platbands on which are made of black marble. It leads to a room that was once the reception room of the king. The next room is intended for batmen, it is not of particular interest. Next is the Assembly (Second reception room), the main decoration of which is the ceiling "Triumph of Russia". And between the windows there is an Admir alty chair, which previously belonged to Peter I. Behind the second reception room is a narrow room that once served as the tsar's dressing room.
Continuing to look around the Summer Palace, let's go to the next room - the emperor's study, where some more personal belongings of the king have been preserved. So, of interest is the gift of the English King George I - a ship clock with a compass. In the corner there is an oak cabinet with beautiful carvings. In the center is a huge table and an office chair. A door leads from the study to the royal bedroom. Here, the ceiling attracts attention, on which the god of sleep Morpheus is depicted, holding poppy heads in his hands. Looking at it, determining the purpose of the room is not difficult. In the bedroom there is a beautiful fireplace, in which, according to legend, the royal court hidjester Balakirev.
On the second floor, the most interesting will be the Green Cabinet, which has preserved all its decoration in its original form, it has already been described. In the corner there is a fireplace, on which sculptures of cupids are installed. Going to the dance room, you will enter the world of mirrors. A large walnut-framed mirror with a unique carving deserves special attention. In the children's room you can see the ceiling, which depicts a stork holding a snake in its beak, which symbolized the glorious reign of the heir and the death of enemies. Finally, you need to go to the throne room of Catherine, where her throne still stands.
The palace still has a cozy homely atmosphere that attracts many tourists. People come here not only to see this landmark of St. Petersburg and get acquainted with history. Many want to understand exactly how the emperor lived and what surrounded him.
Where is the Summer Palace and how to get to it
The palace is located at the address: Summer Garden, building 3. To get to this place, you need to get to the Gostiny Dvor metro station. After that, go along Sadovaya Street to the Swan Canal embankment. It is necessary to go in the direction of reducing the numbering of houses. Near the embankment and is the entrance to the Summer Garden.
