"Peter's water area" (St. Petersburg) allows you to feel like Gulliver in the country of Lilliputians, who also used the time machine! Having crossed the threshold, everyone seems to fall into the XVIII century, where the appearance of the Northern capital is recreated, from the harsh era of Peter I to the luxurious times of Catherine II.
XVIII century in St. Petersburg: mock theater "Peter the Great"
In a huge hall on a special immense platform is stretched North Palmyra. One immediately recognizes Vasilyevsky Island, which has changed little since then, the fortress of Peter and Paul on the Hare Island, the severe ravelines of Kronstadt, the magnificent fountains of Peterhof, the palace in Oranienbaum. Between them stretches 20 thousand tons of water surface. On the layout, the Gulf of Finland and the Neva are indispensable participants in urban life.
But the believable "Petrovsky water area" - a frozen panorama not covered with dust - is a lively interactive project that is interesting for both adults and children.
Thanks to the layout, it is easy to see how St. Petersburg looks in the fall, winter, spring or summer. Snow-covered expanses are replaced by spring parks, summer lawns - by autumn forests. The sun rises over the city, then the night descends, and light is lit in the houses, and there are lanterns on the streets.
More than 1,000 buildings are inhabited by about 25 thousand tiny people. How they lived in the XVIII century, what they did - all this is presented on the expanses of the layout:
- along the streets drovers lead elephants surrounded by onlookers;
- on the ice-covered Neva they build the Ice House for the wedding of the clown Anna Ioannovna;
- guests gather in the house of Alexander Menshikov for a ball, sailing in the then fashion in boats;
- movers in the port carry goods;
- the horsemen ride for hunting, the carriages rush, and the peasants harvest;
- architects argue about the future of the capital;
- near the Peterhof Palace nobles dance at the ball.
"Peter's water" is beautifully voiced. Dogs bark, a gun shoots at the Peter and Paul Fortress, orchestra music plays - all this allows you to completely immerse yourself in the past, similar to a fairy tale.
Unique is the performance of naval combat, in which ships participate in the Gulf of Finland. Maneuvering, firing cannons, more than 100 ships sail through the water, controlled by a computer program.
Theater guests can participate in the project. For this, special buttons are placed on the layout of the Petrovsky water area. By clicking them, guests revive the characters who play miniature scenes: they fight and dance, pick mushrooms and take care of flowers, load goods on board the ship and ride in a sleigh.
The buildings recreated even those buildings that only historians now know about, and in the 18th century they were an integral part of the city landscape:
- The Admiralty is presented as it was conceived by Peter the Great - a huge shipyard where thousands of people work.
- The fortress of Peterstadt, which was located in Oranienbaum.
- Wooden outskirts and dugouts of workers.
- A rare Botanical Garden in the palace of Alexander Menshikov.
Theater "Petrovsky water area" is a wonderful tourist attraction!
The layout allows each person to travel back 300 years ago and see with their own eyes what the city on the Neva looked like in the 18th century.
The mock theater "Petrovsky water area" has been operating in St. Petersburg since 2014.
The layout is absolutely reliable, because historians who used archival documents in their work worked on its creation. On a scale of 1:87, the most beloved sights of the Northern capital and luxurious suburbs were erected.
But some of the iconic sights of St. Petersburg familiar to the modern person may not be found on the layout of the water area, because they appeared much later than the end of the 18th century, for example, the Rostral columns or the famous bridges.
To create the layout used modern technological advances, patented inventions and manual work.
Alone or with a group: how best to watch the layout
There are various ticket options at the Petrovskaya Aquatoria Theater:
- children’s;
- family;
- adult;
- preferential;
- on holidays and weekdays.
It is convenient to visit the theater in different ways, without an escort of a guide or as a member of a group.
At the beginning of each hour in the "Petrovsky water area" for those who came on their own, a guided tour is conducted. It allows you to better understand the history of the creation of the northern city, its magnificent palaces, see how the first ships of the Russian fleet were built. After the review, visitors can enjoy the layout for an unlimited time.
Organized groups who have come are offered a variety of fascinating programs for the Petrovsky Water Area:
- Sightseeing - about the main attractions of the capital.
- Dedicated to the legends, secrets, superstitions and myths of St. Petersburg associated with different buildings.
- A special architectural tour of the features of the buildings of the XVIII century.
- The program is about how the Russian fleet arose and developed, about city shipyards, famous sailors.
- For children, there will be interesting excursions-quests around the city "Treasure Hunters", "Secrets of the City", "Myths and Legends".
At master classes conducted by real professionals, children and adults create real masterpieces.
You can get acquainted with the life of St. Petersburg in the 18th century in details that are no less interesting by renting an audio guide and binoculars.
Take pictures and shoot videos in the theater for free.
How to get there
It’s easy to find the Petrovsky water area, this is the center of St. Petersburg - metro station. Admiral, st. Malaya Morskaya, 4/1. Near the metro station is the shopping center "Admiral", where the entire 6th floor is occupied by a mock theater. It can be accessed by elevator.
Mode of operation
"Petrovskaya water area" receives guests every day, seven days a week, from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m.