Probably, the title of our article will puzzle many readers. The question of what Peterhof is would seem strange to someone. After all, a delightful palace and park complex, located in the suburbs of St. Petersburg, is known throughout the world.
Peterhof is a symbol of the Russian imperial scale and refined taste. The refined pearl of Russian baroque, which is often called the “Russian Versailles”, the city of palaces and fountains - this is how Peterhof is described by everyone who once managed to visit here.
The former residence of the imperial house of the Romanovs today continues its life as a unique palace ensemble "Peterhof", a museum that is striking in its history. Every year millions of tourists come here from all over the Earth to see beautiful parks and gardens, magnificent palaces and amazing fountains and cascades that have made this place famous all over the world.
City Peterhof
This is a Russian city, which is a municipality that is part of the Petrodvorets district of St. Petersburg. Peterhof is located in the south of the Gulf of Finland. Today it is a large scientific, educational and tourist center located west of St. Petersburg.
The city of Peterhof was founded in 1710 as an imperial suburban residence. He received the status of a city in 1762. It is here that the priceless monument of palace and park art, the Peterhof Museum Reserve, is located.
Palace and park complex
In order to understand what Peterhof is, you need to dive a little into the history of its creation. The appearance of this miracle we owe to the Russian emperor Peter I, who personally developed the most complicated water conduit systems.
The park begins at the Grand Peterhof Palace. Here is the famous Grand Cascade. He and other fountains of the complex are dedicated to the victory of Russian troops in the Northern War - an important moment in the history of Russia, which made it an Empire. Initially, the residence of the imperial family was in Peterhof, but after the revolution of 1917 all the buildings received the status of museums.
The difficult times in the history of the palace and park complex came during the Second World War. In these terrible years, he was almost destroyed by enemy artillery. Thanks to the titanic efforts of the museum’s staff, it was possible to remove about 8 thousand elements of the palace interiors and fifty statues, which at that time was a small part of the countless treasures of Peterhof.
The revival of the complex
Peterhof ensemble began to be restored immediately after the Great Victory (1945). Restoration is still ongoing. The lower park was opened for visits in 1945, and a year later the surviving fountains were restored. And the Sason fountain was re-played in 1947. It must be said that the original sculpture was so beautiful that even the Nazis did not dare to destroy it - they simply took it to Germany.
The restoration of the Grand Palace in Peterhof began in 1952. Twelve years later (1964), the first halls of the restored museum received visitors.
Grand Palace
According to experts, this is the most outstanding building of the Peterhof ensemble. The majestic building proudly rises above the Great Cascade leading to the park. The very first construction began to be built on this site in 1714. It was built in the style of Peter's Baroque. The work was completed in 1925. Then the palace in Peterhof was completed in the style of mature Baroque.
Park zone
The park zone of the complex is divided into Lower and Upper parks, where there are complexes of fountains, which are equal in number and beauty in the world. The lower park occupies one hundred and two hectares. It is nourished by a twenty-two-kilometer water main. It originates from springs (underground) near Ropsha. The Grand Cascade separates the palace from the Lower Park. At the center of this grandiose design is the Samson Fountain. Its stream rises upwards by 20 meters, and on its two sides there are French and Italian "fountains. Colonnades rise above them. We will tell you more about this park a bit later.
Upper garden
This garden is located on the opposite side of the Grand Palace above the slope. It occupies a relatively small territory (in comparison with the Lower Park). This is a rectangle on three sides surrounded by a fence, which was created by Bartolomeo Rastrelli (XVII century).
The main feature of the Upper Garden is perfect symmetry. The water of five fountains feeds the Grand Cascade. In the center are the fountains Mezheumny, Oak, Neptune. Two more structures are installed opposite the wings of Petrodvorets located on the side of the building.
The dominant feature of the Upper Park is the Neptune Fountain. Numerous medieval sculptures adorn it. Four marble sculptures of the Italian G. Bonazza, which were installed in 1757, Pomona, Zephyr, Vertumn and Flora, became an excellent decoration of the Upper Park.
Lower park
This park is known worldwide for its location of the most outstanding sculptures, fountains and architectural monuments. The prototype for the creation of the Lower Park was Versailles. It was from here that strict symmetry, the unusual shape of shrubs and trees, many pavilions and sculptures were borrowed.
In the Lower Park are several self-contained architectural and park ensembles with fountains and palaces. In the center of the main one is the Grand Palace and the cascade. The Great Greenhouse, the Marly and Monplaisir palaces are the centers of the rest of the ensembles.
Trees brought from different regions of Russia and from abroad grow in the park. The world's best flower gardens were smashed by the most eminent masters. It should be noted that Peterhof parks were always very carefully looked after, so today everyone has the opportunity to walk through the parks created in the 18th century and appreciate the beauty of flower gardens decorated in the style of that time.
After the Second World War, the Lower Park was recreated literally bit by bit. The trees were planted again, the flower beds were restored. Restoration is not yet fully completed and continues to this day.
Features of the fountains of Peterhof
The palace and park complex is visited by all tourists coming to St. Petersburg. Peterhof is included in all excursion routes. The fountains of this ensemble have their own characteristics, which significantly distinguish them from the Versailles ones. These grandiose designs work without the use of pumps and other water-pressure mechanisms. Water is supplied to fountains from numerous artificial and natural ponds, which are fed by underground springs.
At first, the great reformer Peter I planned to build the Grand Cascade and several more smaller fountains. He thought that the water in them would come from the ponds of the Upper Garden. But soon the tireless emperor, having personally examined the area, discovered additional sources of water. As it turned out, they abounded in the vicinity of Peterhof Park. The special nature of the relief made it possible to build an original water conduit system: water flowed along them by gravity from dozens of ponds.
As a result, 4 cascades and 191 Peterhof fountains feed the reservoirs of the Ropsha Upland, which is located at a distance of twenty-four kilometers. In addition, Lugovoi, English, Holguin and other ponds (a total of 18) and many sources and streams are involved in the water system of the ensemble. All of them are connected by a complex system of channels and gateways. Their total length is forty kilometers. Surprisingly, the water conduit system planned under Peter I is still valid today.
Closing fountains in Peterhof
Everyone who was present at this extraordinary event claims that they have never seen anything more impressive.
Knowing what Peterhof is, you will not be surprised to learn that it is one of the most popular attractions in St. Petersburg. The most important miracle of the complex is undoubtedly its unusual fountains located throughout the park. To see and understand this Russian miracle, every year thousands of specialists and tourists from all over the world come here.
Fountains delight visitors with their eyes all summer, but the most striking events in the park are their opening and closing in Peterhof. Fountains open in early spring and close in autumn. These are always very vivid and memorable events, accompanied by military parades and musical performances. This is usually a light show. In addition, a small musical accompaniment is always present at the daily opening of the fountains (at 11 o’clock).
In 2015, the closing of the fountains in Peterhof took place on September 11 and 12. These days, everyone could see a grandiose laser show with fireworks, fireworks, etc. Everyone who was fortunate enough to see the opening or closing of fountains at least once in their life considers this a fantastic sight. Sometimes all this seems so unrealistic that you feel like in a fairy tale.
How to get there
You can use the train, which leaves from the Baltic Station. They depart at intervals of approximately 60 minutes. It takes about 30 minutes to get to Novy Petergof Station.
If you decide to take a minibus, then you should know that they stop at the Avtovo or Baltiyskaya metro stations. Minibus number 424.
We hope that those who did not yet know what Peterhof was, after reading this article, received minimal information about the city and the museum complex. Nevertheless, we want to assure you that no article and no photos will be able to convey all the splendor of this place. Therefore, if you happen to come to St. Petersburg (St. Petersburg), Peterhof must visit.