This park is not included in popular hiking trails. Tourists from all over the world are not brought here to enjoy the fountains and palaces. The park is located further than the famous palace and park ensemble in Peterhof. This is Old Peterhof in the Petrodvorets district, where the native Petersburgers come most often to wander along the shady alleys of the park and enjoy its marvelous beauty.
The peculiarity of this place is the many gardens that everyone seems to have forgotten about, leaving the beautiful nature and unique buildings to be torn apart by ruthless time. It was probably this authenticity that turned Sergievka into a special space.
A bit of history
In the distant past, a dense forest rustled at this place. After Alexander I. Rumyantsev, a public figure, politician from the time of Peter the Great, bought the land in him, he built an estate here, but now there is not a trace left of it.
In honor of Sergei Rumyantsev, the grandson of the first owner of these lands, the park got its current name. Then the estate was acquired by Kirill Naryshkin, a prominent figure in the court of the emperor, but almost immediately after his death, the territory was bought by Nicholas I for his daughter and her husband, the Duke of Leuchtenberg.
The new owners ordered the architect Andrei Shtakenschneider to design and build a country palace, servants' buildings, a church and garden gardens on the territory of the Sergievka park in Peterhof.
In the twenties of the last century, the park received the status of a natural monument. The manor with all the buildings and territories adjoining it was transferred to Leningrad University, which it is in charge of today. This fact is confirmed by the sign at the turn to the palace.
During the Great Patriotic War, the park suffered a lot: almost all the buildings were partially or completely destroyed. Unfortunately, they have not been restored and have not been fully restored until now, although the restorers have already begun work in Old Peterhof.
Park "Sergievka": description
The landscape park, which was created in the first half of the 19th century, covers an area of one hundred and twenty hectares. It was broken on the site of a natural forest and today partially preserved the original layout. The natural complex of this natural monument is represented by non-moral and southern taiga forest communities, meadows, lowland marshes and coastal reed beds.
In the northern part (from the Gulf of Finland to the Oranienbaum highway) birch and black alder prevail , in the middle part - oaks and linden. In other places birch and spruce are found. The largest areas in the park are occupied by birch forests and spruce forests.
This park is endowed with special beauty, thanks to several artificial ponds with dams and two ravines. Streams flow through their bottom to the Gulf of Finland, through which numerous bridges are thrown. Since 1920, the scientific laboratories of St. Petersburg State University have been located here.
The park is considered relatively small. Especially when you compare it with the palace and park ensemble of Peterhof, the Lower Park. Despite this, there is something to see.
Manor of Leuchtenberg
This is the first building you will see when entering the park. It is clearly visible from the bus stop on which the facade of the palace is directed. From this we can conclude that the noble inhabitants of the estate had a stunning view of the Gulf of Finland.
The palace project was developed by architect Andrei Shtakenschneider, who masterfully mastered many styles and in their works very successfully combined them. For example, he managed to weave elements of neo-Greek style into the architectural appearance of this palace.
The architecture of the palace is somewhat reminiscent of the style of an antique villa with a rather complex structure thanks to the facades, which are complemented by galleries, terraces, adjoining pavilions. The two-story building of the palace was built in 1842 in the style of late classicism. The seeming complexity of his plan is deceptive: he is carefully thought out to the smallest detail and organized rationally.
By the end of construction (1842), the Kitchen and Hoffmeister buildings were built next to the palace. Today, unfortunately, they do not look brilliant. The decoration of the building is stylized as Pompeian art. Several masters worked on the picturesque molding of the palace and its decoration: M. Andreev, I. Tabarin, I. Drolinger, S. Davydov. Unfortunately, the furniture from the Gambes brothers was irretrievably lost.
There are other buildings on the estate, but they, like the palace, can only be viewed today from the outside. This is a corps for servants, a kitchen and others, scattered throughout almost the entire park. They do not look as attractive as the palace, which has also only restored two facades - the north and east, but the restoration work is ongoing, and I really want to believe that soon the palace will regain its former splendor.
Now the building of the palace and some park buildings houses the Faculty of Biology of St. Petersburg State University.
Stone head
Despite the fact that the park "Sergievka" in St. Petersburg was created around the estate and for a long time was called in her honor, the main attraction is not the estate. The hallmark of the park is a huge stone head that looks at all the guests of the estate from the ground.
This sculpture is covered with numerous legends, and no one can say who and why it was carved in the park. This is the work of an unknown master, carved in a huge granite stone. The monument is located on the slope of the ravine, next to the manor house. A path runs from him from the master's house to the farm.
The size of the statue is 2x2.2x1.8 meters. The sculpture is the face of a man, possibly a warrior. Only the upper part is visible above the ground. The eyes of a person are wide open. The left part of the face is only roughly outlined by the master. The occipital part of the boulder was not treated at all.
Most researchers agree that this sculpture was made in the late XVIII - early XIX centuries. There is a version, it was created in the image of Peter I, who helped the family of an unknown sculptor. And some external resemblance to the king can be seen.
According to another version, this is the head that A. S. Pushkin wrote about in Ruslan and Ludmila. I must admit that for most tourists the latest version seems more attractive. Today, part of the sculpture is buried underground and is one of the main mysteries of Peterhof. In order to see her, you should go around the palace, go down the ladder and cross the stream. There you will find this mysterious creation.
Other stone objects
Several other large boulders are located in the territory of the park "Sergievka". The stone head is the most famous of them. There are three benches cut from boulders in the park. On the shore of the Gulf of Finland, not far from the former building of a water-lifting machine, whose author Andrei Shtakenschneider is considered to be, there is a large stone with cut steps and four holes that were intended to be used to secure the structure.
Versions about his appointment vary - from the stage or tribune of the summer theater to the pier for boats, or maybe the stone was a kind of observation platform.
Beach on Zelenka Lake
You can not be a major specialist in the history of Peterhof, to understand why the lake, located in the park "Sergievka", has such a name. Just look at it: the water is bright green due to the shallow depth and the many plants that are visible at the bottom. In addition, it is surrounded by trees whose branches in spring and summer are covered with emerald foliage, which is reflected in the water and further enhances this effect.
Swimming here is a pleasure of dubious quality, although in the summer heat some desperate tourists try to cool off in Zelenka.
Church ruins
If, entering the park, you walk about two hundred and fifty meters along the service buildings, you can find the remains of the four walls of the ancient church, which were left in such a deplorable state after the end of the war. Historians suggested that it was a Catholic church, but since the area of construction was too far from Western Christianity, this version was quickly abandoned.
Later, evidence was found that the church was an Orthodox church: words on Church Slavonic were carved on one plate. These ruins are also considered special because wonderful photographs can be taken here in the doorway: magnificent carved patterns along its edges remained untouched.
"Own cottage"
Park "Sergievka" with its eastern outskirts borders on the territory of the estate "Own cottage". Often these territories are spoken of as a complex, but in reality they are two different estates. The main attraction of this place is the palace, which was built at the beginning of the reign of Princess Elizabeth Petrovna.
After a century of desolation, it was presented to Tsarevich Alexander Nikolayevich. In Soviet times, a museum was located here. And today, it began full-scale restoration work, which the building has long needed. But even in this state it is clear that this is one of the architectural masterpieces of St. Petersburg.
The Atlanteans on their mighty shoulders hold a carved facade, and on the high columns lies the attic on the third floor. In addition to the palace, exquisite gardens were planted on the territory of the Cesarevich's summer residence, winding paths surrounded by boulders were laid. There was also a small house church of the Holy Trinity, which for a long time was in miserable condition.
Now its restoration is almost complete, services are already being conducted in it and church holidays are being held.
Interesting places nearby
If you visit the park "Sergievka", then do not be too lazy to take a little walk around its immediate surroundings. There are a lot of interesting places that are unknown to ordinary tourists.
Villa Benoit
This is a complex of buildings located one and a half kilometers from the park. All of them are made in the style of Russian architecture, complemented by elements of northern Art Nouveau. The remains of the village of Bobylskaya, which is declared the cultural heritage of Peterhof, are being destroyed before our eyes.
There were much more houses in this area, but many of them died during the fires, and some were destroyed during the war. These estates got this name because they were designed by the architect Leonty Benois for the wealthy and influential families of his time. These buildings complement the mystical and sad atmosphere of Old Peterhof.
Oranienbaum
This is a truly royal residence located in the village of Lomonosovo. The scope here is felt in everything. Once Peter III lived here, even before he occupied the Russian throne. Catherine II declared Oranienbaum the estate of the royal family. Although it is difficult to call this territory an estate, since it is a real ensemble of parks (Lower and Upper) with numerous palaces, sculptures, buildings in the Rococo style.
Here you can see the Chinese and Menshikov Palace, many buildings for servants, pavilions and other buildings, about which the guides tell many interesting stories.
How to get to the park from St. Petersburg?
If you decide to visit the park "Sergievka", how to get to it, we will tell you further. It is located in the Petrodvorets district of the Northern capital, and you can get here by bus, minibus or by your own car.
By bus
You need to get from the Avtovo metro station by bus number 200 to Sergievka. The road will take about an hour and a half, depending on the length of traffic jams at the exit of the city.
By minibus
From the metro station "Avtovo" you can get to Sergievka by minibuses No. 401, K300. From metro station “Prospect Veteranov” to the monument you will be taken by minibus No. K343.
Tourists reviews
Despite the fact that Old Peterhof has been undeservedly forgotten for a long time and is only slowly returning to life, groups of tourists began to visit the Sergievka park more and more often. Reviews about this place are rather controversial, but the majority of people who come here know the history of these places, and therefore do not expect to see luxury and beauty here, similar to what can be seen in Petrodvorets, which is often compared with Versailles.
The main attraction of the park, according to most travelers, is nature. She's just gorgeous here. Thickets of centuries-old trees intersect with well-groomed paths, picturesque bridges suddenly appear, thrown over a small river or ravine, and alleys from oak trees closed by their mighty crowns give a feeling of peace and solitude. This is exactly what is so lacking in the Northern capital. It is necessary to come to this park in order to escape from the stone urban jungle, take a walk and breathe in fresh air.
The park is striking in a harmonious combination of nature's creations with human skill. Today it is an object of cultural heritage of the Russian Federation, and many tourists really hope that the authorities will find the means and opportunities to restore this unique historical monument.