The palaces of Peter 1 are of great interest to researchers and history buffs. The first Russian emperor had several residences in which he regularly stayed, worked, held receptions, and received important guests. We will talk about these palaces in this article.
Winter Palace
Among the palaces of Peter 1 stands the Winter Palace. It was here that the emperor’s personal residence was located. It was erected on the Neva embankment, not far from the Winter Canal.
It all started with the fact that in 1712, in the area of the modern Millionnaya street and the Neva embankment, the Wedding Chambers of Peter 1 were built. They were located in the middle of the Upper Embankment quarter.
Peter’s Winter Palace in St. Petersburg soon expanded significantly. Four years later, they began to complete its northern part. Peter conceived this building as his personal residence. Therefore, she was fully consistent with his tastes and lifestyle. The project was ready by 1716, the architect Georg Mattarnovi worked on it. While this Peter the Great palace was being built in St. Petersburg, the family remained living in the so-called Wedding Chambers.
Building location
The position of the palace of Peter 1 among the standard ordinary buildings seems random only at first glance. In fact, this place among the houses of ordinary inhabitants was chosen by the emperor himself. The fact is that it was from this point that the most successful panoramas to the Neva, the Spit of Vasilyevsky Island were opened, one could see the banks of the Great Neva.
The first stage of construction of this palace of Peter the Great began in 1716. The project was approved by the emperor himself. As a result, the construction of the western part of the building, which was located directly along the Winter Canal, which at that time was still under construction, was initially started.
Building project
The main facade of the Winter Palace overlooked the Neva. At the same time, he did not resemble the ceremonial representativeness of the palaces of many Petersburg nobles, he was not at all so gorgeous. More he resembled the solid and thorough home of a wealthy burgher, which was quite in the spirit of the emperor.
The central risalit had four windows, on the first floor it was rusticated, and on the second it was decorated with all kinds of pilasters of the Doric order. On the pediment in the shape of a triangle were two allegorical figures that supported the cartouche for the imperial coat of arms, crowned with a crown. On the sides of the facade of the building were wide blades between the windows, which were decorated with panels and garlands.
The roof of this palace of Peter 1 in St. Petersburg was made in the Dutch style, but with a fracture. The size of the rooms was relatively small, no more than 18 square meters. Only in the so-called front building, which overlooked the Neva, was there a large hall with an area of 75 square meters. There was also a corner hall that was facing the Winter Canal, its area was 41 square meters. Researchers always pay attention to the corridor in the form of the letter G, which separated the royal rooms from the rest of the premises.
Construction progress
The palace of Peter 1, whose photo is in this article, began to build joiners and freemasons. It was they who were given the building construction in a row. It was ordered that by May 23, 1716 the installation of windows was completed.
There is still a mention that a contract was made with a bricklayer named Sergey Agapitov, from which it follows that the construction of the foundation was carried out very carefully, the walls for deepening the basement were built until winter.
Already in the spring of 1717, an agreement was concluded with other masons - Vasily Obrosimov and Peter Kozl, who continued to lay the wall of the building facing the Neva. It is known that the mason Vasily Rostvorov began in parallel the construction of the so-called small chambers, which were facing the canal.
Project adjustments
In 1718, Peter returned from another trip to Europe and made significant adjustments to the design of the palace. He orders to make "eight chambers of upper housing." We have to start a significant restructuring. But nevertheless, in the same year, it was possible to begin interior decoration, as well as to put plaster on the outside of the building.
Working on Mattarnovi's sketches, the workers managed to make a brilliant finish using red marble on the walls of the Great Hall, as well as plaster reliefs and oak doors. There were four oak stairs in the palace. The palace was finally ready by February 1720. On December 27, the first assembly was held there.
New winter chambers
Mattarnovi died of a sudden illness in November 1719. At the same time, the construction and decoration of the palace continued after its official opening. The work was continued by the architect Nikolai Gerbel, who, by the spring of 1721, had completed the filling of the foundation for the New Winter Chambers.
The eastern and central parts of the palace were erected until 1722. By this time, the front corps of the ceremonial halls overlooking the Neva were almost completed. The facade turned out to be long and very solemn; the western part of the Winter Palace, which was built earlier and by that time was a single whole, organically blended into it. To achieve unity, this frankly "burgher" facade was made in the form of an oriental risalit.
The architect managed to achieve the effect of the royal residence by concentrating in the central part the famous effect of the three-span triumphal arch, known since the time of the Roman Caesars. Powerful columns of the Corinthian order, which were mounted on the highest pedestal and adjoined the twin pilasters, formed a single baroque portico, looking up, a certain role in this.
Completion of work
With the completion of the construction of the Winter Palace in Russia, the era of modest royal dwellings officially ends; it is finally becoming a thing of the past. This palace becomes the most luxurious and solemn in St. Petersburg. It is surprising that at the same time he manages to remain organically connected with the surrounding buildings, in which he fits in as organically as possible. In this he does not even interfere with scale, the large size of the windows, high cornices. All this testifies to laying the foundations for the St. Petersburg architectural school, which was then followed for centuries, while maintaining a special Petersburg architectural atmosphere.
The construction of the new part of the palace is completed by the end of 1723. On November 24, a huge and chic feast is held in the new Cavalier Hall, which ends with a large-scale and spectacular firework arranged directly on the ice of the Neva.
On December 9th, in the Grand Palace Hall, hundreds of guests are present at the solemn ceremony of the engagement of the Duke of Holstein with the eldest daughter of the emperor, Anna.
Summer palace
The summer palace of Peter the Great is called the residence of the emperor, which was located in the Summer Garden of St. Petersburg. Currently, it is used as one of the branches of the Russian Museum.
The construction of the Summer Palace of Peter 1 was carried out in the Baroque style according to the project of the Italian engineer and architect Domenico Trezzini. The work was carried out from 1710 to 1714. Until now, it is one of the oldest buildings in the city, preserved to this day. The palace has two floors, while it is very modest, it has only 14 rooms and two kitchens.
Why is the Summer Palace for the Emperor?
The summer palace of Peter the Great in St. Petersburg was originally intended to be used exclusively in the warm season. They lived in it only from May to September. In connection with this project, it was not intended to be used in winter, the walls of the palace were too thin for this, and single frames were everywhere in the windows. The decoration was carried out by famous artists of the time: Zavarzin, Zakharov and Matveyev. The emperor was pleased with their work.
The facade of the Summer Palace is decorated with 29 bas-reliefs. Each of them depicts in allegorical form the events of the Northern War, which at that time was in full swing, it lasted until 1721. These bas-reliefs were made by the German architect and famous sculptor Andreas Schlüter.
How was the palace used?
It is believed that this was the favorite palace of Peter 1. The emperor first officially entered it in 1712, when he was still partially finished. Since then, he lived in it every summer (until his death in 1725).
Traditionally, Peter occupied the first floor, and the premises of the second floor were always intended for Empress Catherine. After the death of the head of state, the palace was used as a summer residence for courtiers and dignitaries until the middle of the XIX century. Gorchakov, Miloradovich, Lobanov-Rostovsky, Vronchenko, Kankrin lived there at different times.
It is interesting that dignitaries also lived in winter, at this time of year they were provided with a second floor. When Emperor Alexander I was in power, in the summer and spring, an audience began to be allowed into this royal residence, which could admire the royal decoration. In 1840, a thorough audit was carried out, all the values were described, some were given into the hands of restorers.
Summer Palace in the 20th Century
After the Bolsheviks came to power, the building of the Summer Palace began to be used as a museum. In 1934, the historical and household museum was officially opened here.
During the Great Patriotic War, the building was seriously damaged. Frames were torn from the windows, plaster fell on the facade and from the ceilings in the rooms, and fragments of numerous shells damaged the roof.
Immediately after the victory over the Nazis, the authorities took up the restoration. Work began in 1946. A year later, the museum was again opened for visiting. In the 1950s and 60s, a large-scale restoration took place, the purpose of which was to restore the original appearance of this palace. The floors were replaced, the molding was restored, the heating system was completely changed, installing a more modern one, the drawings on the ceiling were restored to their original form, and the walls were upholstered with cloth.
Palace in Strelna
The famous Travel Palace of Peter the Great appeared during the years of the construction of Kronstadt. At that time, the emperor regularly came from St. Petersburg to Strelna to monitor how the work was being carried out.
For the comfort of the sovereign, they built a roadside house near the Gulf of Finland. His project was typical, there were enough such roadside houses throughout the country. The peculiarity of the Palace of Peter the Great in Strelna was that it was intended for the rest of the emperor himself, which is why it was decided to call it the "palace".
At the same time, outwardly it is a very modest structure made of wood, which has survived to this day almost in its original form.
Construction of the Travel Palace
The palace began to be erected in 1710. On the hillside, a garden with fountains was specially laid out, and the Transfiguration Church was built nearby. It was the wedding of Peter and his wife, which, after the death of the ruler, became the first woman-head of state in the history of Russia - Empress Catherine I.
During the Great Patriotic War, these places were significantly damaged, the church was completely destroyed.
It is interesting that the Travel Palace blends very organically into the landscape surrounding it. The northern facade faces the bay, while from the side it looks very solid. All the trick is in the height of the hill, which you have to look directly from below.
A porch with four steps and a cozy mezzanine fit seamlessly into the central part of the facade. A special decoration was the high windows on the ground floor, which are framed by carved platbands. Already after the death of Peter 1 in 1750, the house was completely demolished by the architect Rastrelli, and then restored to its original form. In 1834 it was repaired again, the work was carried out by the architect Meyer.
During the Great Patriotic War, the building was almost completely destroyed, it was restored in the 50s of the twentieth century. Now the palace is under the patronage of the Peterhof Museum-Reserve. It was restored, even the fountains that Rastrelli designed during the reconstruction were restored.
Now in the building there is a museum, among the exhibits of which there are many things of the Petrine era. For example, a cast of the emperor’s hand and his portrait, painted during the life of the ruler.
A unique orchard is set next to the Travel Palace. In the days of Peter the Great, figs, apricots, peaches, flowers and herbs were grown in greenhouses. Directly on the royal table from this garden served grapes, pears, watermelons, dans, cherries. Peter brought radishes, artichokes and Turkish cucumbers specially for the garden from Europe. He loved to be in this palace, spent a lot of time in it.