Fountains of Peterhof. Entrance to the lower park Brief History of Peterhof Park

The lower park of Peterhof is part of the palace and park ensemble. The model for the park was the country residence of King Louis XIV in Versailles. The layout of the park is characterized by strict symmetry. The basis of its composition is the intersection of two alley systems.

The sea canal from the Grand Palace to the bay divides the park into eastern and western parts. Four alleys fan out from the Great Flower Gardens, located on both sides of the Sea Canal bucket. The eastern ones lead to the Monplaisir Palace, the western ones lead to the Hermitage Pavilion. Another system of alleys starts from the Marly Palace; three rays of roads go from it.

There are 4 cascades and more than 150 fountains in the Lower Park. The main fountain is the Grand Cascade with the magnificent Samson Fountain. In the ground floor at the foot of the cascade there are the “Bowls” and “Marble Benches” fountains. In the western part there are the “Orangereiny”, “Adam”, “Eve”, Roman fountains, “Sheaf”, “Bells” fountains, as well as the “Pyramid”, “Sun” fountains, the “Chess Mountain” cascade, and various joker fountains. In the eastern part of the park you can admire the “Lion” and “Golden Mountain” cascades; the “Favoritny”, “Whale”, “Menazhernye” fountains, and the “Kloshi” fountains are also of interest here.

Petrodvorets

“The Capital of Fountains” is also the name of Petrodvorets in Peterhof. On its territory there is a park ensemble of amazing beauty, a huge number of statues of ancient heroes made of gilding and marble, and, of course, numerous fountains. All this, combined with lush greenery, turns the suburb of the cultural capital into the most attractive excursion destination for tourists.

In good weather, it is better to come by train from the Baltic and sail on the Meteor to the Hermitage.

Alexander Park in Peterhof

To the south of the palace and park ensemble of Alexandria, on the other side of St. Petersburg Avenue, there is another landscape park - Alexandrovsky.

Its territory extends to the station square and occupies 144 hectares. In the 18th century, on the site of the park there was a Big, or Deer, menagerie, surrounded by a fence. In 1832–1836, according to the project of A.A. Menelas, I.I. Charlemagne garden master P.I. Erler drained the area, dug a picturesque artificial pond with winding banks and three islands, laid gravel roads, planted birch groves, groups of oaks, spruce and pine trees.

Peterhof architectural and park complex

Emperor Peter I conceived Peterhof as the most luxurious summer royal residence. And today, probably, there is no more magnificent architectural and park complex in our country than Peterhof. This park was supposed to eclipse, according to Peter's plan, all European analogues.

The Upper Garden covers an area of ​​15 hectares, and the Lower Park - 105 hectares - here is the largest complex of fountains in the world. The Sea Canal divides the Lower Park into two parts - eastern and western. In the eastern part there are the “Chess Mountain” cascade and two Roman fountains, in the western part there are the “Golden Mountain” cascade and two Menager fountains. The Grand Palace, made in the Baroque style, is considered a masterpiece of architecture. It forms a single ensemble with the Upper Garden and Lower Park. In addition, on the territory of the park there is the Tsaritsyn Pavilion, made in the image of the villas of ancient Pompeii, and the Holguin Pavilion - a three-story tower in the Neapolitan style protruding from the water. The Hermitage Pavilion is a small building that was once intended for family dinners. The main feature of the pavilion is the lifting table. The Monplaisir Palace is the most favorite building of Peter I - he personally chose the location for it and developed the building plan. Today, Monplaisir is one of the few buildings that have survived from those times and escaped reconstruction.

Today there are 21 museums on the territory of Peterhof.

Aviaries in the Lower Park

The enclosures are the only surviving wooden pavilions from the first quarter of the 18th century. They retained their original appearance, miraculously surviving during the Great Patriotic War.

The enclosures were created in 1722 according to the design of N. Michetti.

There are 2 enclosures in the park (the second one is near the Sun fountain).

In both Aviaries (bird houses) in the 18th century, in the summer, gilded copper cages with nightingales, thrushes, canaries, parrots, and hummingbirds were placed and hung.

Today there is a museum in the Aviaries, which is open from 10.30 to 17.30 daily.

Alexandria Park

Alexandria Park is a city park in Peterhof, dedicated to Empress Alexandra Feodorovna, wife of Nicholas I. The area of ​​the park is 115 hectares.

The park consists of coastal and upper terraces, on which architectural landmarks are built: the Cottage, the Chapel and the Farmers' Palace. The park harmoniously alternates between glades and hills, a deep ravine and gentle slopes, narrow paths and wide shady alleys.

Englishman Adam Menelas supervised the construction work in the park. Gardeners Rodionov, Erler, Wendelsdorf, and Gombel also worked on the park.

The park is home to oaks, maples, lindens, poplars, and trees from Kyrgyzstan, Siberia, the Far East and Europe.

Sights of Peterhof

How to get there: by bus from the stations Baltiyskaya, Avtovo, Leninsky Prospekt. By train from the Baltic station to the New Peterhof station, then by local buses running in the city. By meteor from the pier on Palace Embankment or near Dekabristov Square (meteors begin running from May to September)

Opening hours: ticket office 09:00 – 19:30, fountains from 10:00 – 18:00, on weekends: 10:00 – 19:00.

Ceremonial launch of fountains: Big Cascade: 11:00, Cracker Fountains “Water Road”: 13:00, 14:00, 15:00.

Today Peterhof is the most popular of all St. Petersburg suburbs. During the period when the fountains are open (from May to September), the area is full of tourists. Such popularity is not easy, because Peterhof is often called the Russian Versailles, with all its fountains and palaces. You can verify this by visiting this suburb. It is easy to get to Peterhof from St. Petersburg. You can use any type of transport convenient for you: train, bus or meteor. The entire journey will take no more than 30 minutes. Please note that if you go by train, to get to the palace and park ensemble you will need to walk a few more kilometers, or take a local bus. A ticket for this bus will cost no more than 15 rubles. But by choosing this type of transport, you will be able to get to know the city of Peterhof better, and not just the part where the park is located. Meteor and a commuter bus will take you straight to the palace and park ensemble and you won’t have to get lost.

The palace and park ensemble itself consists of two parts: the Upper Park, the palace and the Lower Park. Actually, all tourists strive to get to the Lower Park, since this is where the famous fountains are located. To enter the park you need to purchase a ticket. For adult residents of Russia, a ticket will cost about 350 rubles. There are also discount tickets, they are cheaper. The ticket gives you access to the park where all the fountains are located. However, if you want to get into the palace or another complex located in the park, you will have to buy a ticket to enter them separately. Please note that if you arrive in Peterhof by meteor, you will go straight from the pier to the middle part of the park, leading straight to the main cascade. If you arrive in Peterhof by bus or train, your journey through the park will begin directly from the palace, from the Upper Park.

I don’t like to go into history and overload readers with dates, however, in order to have an understanding of how such beauty was built, I will give some facts. Peterhof was conceived by Peter I after visiting Paris. During his visit to France, Peter spent a lot of time in the suburbs of Paris and paid special attention to Versailles. He liked this suburb so much that he decided to build something similar, but more magnificent, in Russia. This is how the idea of ​​constructing a palace and park ensemble with a huge number of fountains was born. Now many may say that Peterhof is something like a plagiarism of Versailles. However, in my opinion, Peterhof has many differences from Versailles, which create its uniqueness. For example, it is more compact, and its palace fits more organically into the park ensemble than Versailles. These are completely different buildings and cannot be compared. A large amount of effort was invested in the construction of Peterhof. The best architects of France, Russia and Italy took part in its construction. The most difficult thing was to think over the water supply system for the fountains. There were several water supply projects, but all of them were either too expensive or very cumbersome. As a result, Peter I himself, who had a good engineering education, developed a water supply system. He proposed supplying water from the Ropshinsky Heights, from where it flowed by gravity into the fountains and provided the required pressure. To this day, this system is considered unique in the world. Now, of course, many fountains use electric pumps that provide the required water pressure, but some fountains still receive water using a system of height differences, in a natural way.

Musicians often perform in the park in the summer

The fountains were first launched in 1721, in honor of the celebration of Russia's victory in the Northern War. The opening was attended by a large number of representatives of foreign countries with their retinues. After the opening of Peterhof, Peter moved his summer residence here. But the development did not stop there. During the reign of Nicholas I, new parks were laid out here - Alexandria, Lugovoy and new buildings were built - the Farmers' Palace, the Gothic Chapel, the Belvedere. After the First World War in 1918, the park was nationalized and given to the state, but there was not enough money to maintain it, many fountains fell into disrepair and were closed. The 1924 flood worsened the park's condition. Water from the Gulf of Finland flooded the Lower Park and clogged many fountains with sand and silt. Soon, specialists began restoring the fountains, and in 1926, many of them were already restored. However, another misfortune awaited Peterhof - during World War II, as a result of fierce fighting, Soviet troops had to abandon the city. On the day the city was liberated, January 19, 1944, a terrible picture of devastation and desolation was discovered: museums were looted, palaces were in ruins, fountains were destroyed. None of the suburbs of St. Petersburg suffered as much as Peterhof. After the war, its active restoration immediately began and already in August 1946 the fountains were launched again. Now, thanks to restorers, architects and engineers, we can once again admire the beauty and richness of this historical monument.

Upper Park

The upper park covers an area of ​​about 15 hectares. There are numerous small gardens (bosquets), arched alleys (berso) entwined with plants with gazebos, flower beds and lawns. Such parks had the function of the main entrance to the palace. But the main role in the park is not given to the palace, but to the mirror pools with fountains located in the center:

After walking through the entire Upper Park you will see a magnificent palace that separates the Upper and Lower Parks.

Lower Park

It will take you longer to explore the Lower Park than the Upper Park, so be patient and don’t forget to wear comfortable shoes. If you are traveling with small children, you can use the services of electric excursion cars that will take you throughout the lower park past the fountains.

The park has 150 fountains and 6 large cascades. When you get to Nizhny Park, you immediately find yourself near Grand Cascade– the largest fountain ensemble in the world, including 60 fountains. This cascade was restored and restored three times. The design of the large cascade includes more than 250 sculptural works, shining with gold. It looks especially beautiful in the sun. Each sculpture has its own meaning: for example, Neptune and Amphitrite symbolize Russian naval victories, and Diana and Actaeon personify Russia and the Swedish king Charles XII. The entire cascade as a whole praises Russia's victory in the Northern War.

Big and Small Grottoes, located in the center of the Grand Cascade, decorated with fountains and not noticeable at first glance, give the cascade grace and lightness. The grottoes can be visited by purchasing a separate ticket.

All the waters of the Grand Cascade descend into a vast bowl pool – Ladle. On the sides of the bowl are pagan and forest creatures that create new streams of water. The Grand Cascade is crowned by the most famous composition, which is worth paying special attention to and enjoying its beauty - fountain "Samson tearing the lion's mouth". This fountain was created in honor of the 25th anniversary of the Battle of Poltava and symbolizes Russia's victory over Sweden. The stream escaping from the lion's mouth reaches a height of 20 m; in one second the fountain consumes up to 70 liters of water! During the launch of the Grand Cascade, the Samson fountain is the first to be turned on, and only when the stream from the lion’s mouth reaches its peak height, the other fountains of the cascade are launched.

Samson and the Voronikhin Colonnade

Departs from the Grand Cascade Sea channel, connecting the palace with the Gulf of Finland. There are 22 fountains along the canal, gushing from marble bowls. This canal serves as the central axis of the Lower Park. Previously, it was navigable; ships of guests visiting the palace entered here. After the establishment of the Grand Cascade, navigation through the canal ceased. Now there are 2 small bridges on the canal, from which a beautiful view of the palace opens.

There are a large number of fountains in the lower park, each with its own history and characteristics. However, I will not talk in detail about all the fountains, otherwise it will be an endless story. I will only tell you briefly about the main ones.

• Fountains of the Large parterre flower beds: Nymph and Danaid. These are the first fountains of Peterhof.

  

• Fountain Favorite. This is a fabol fountain or a fountain “with a hidden meaning.” Find it yourself!
• Fountains Adam and Eve. They symbolize the marriage of Peter I and Catherine I.

  

• From a distance, the stream escaping from a pipe raised above the water really looks like a whale stream.

  

• Management fountains. The strength and height of the jets of these fountains reaches 15m. Peter I himself made drawings of fountain water cannons for them.

  

• It adorns the Orangerie Garden, the richest garden in terms of flower diversity. Here, as before, you can see tulips, daffodils, roses, phlox and other flowers. In the center of the composition is Triton’s fight with a fantastic beast. This fountain had not only aesthetic value, but also economic value. Previously, water was taken from it to water flowers and trees in the garden.

  

  

  

  

  

• Two fountains, the architectural design of which is inspired by the fountains in front of St. Peter's Basilica in Rome. From the place where the fountains are installed, 7 alleys diverge, including the alley leading to the Monplaisir Palace.

  

  

  

• This is the most abundant fountain in the Lower Park with a water flow of more than 150 liters per second. The fountain's water jet consists of 505 nozzles.

  

  

• It is the central structure of the Menagereisky Garden, where Peter the Great’s Menagerie with ponds and aviaries for birds was originally located. The central water jet of the fountain is equipped with a rotating column, on top of which a structure with 187 holes is fixed. Rotating, the jets resemble the rays of the sun. Today it is a rare example of a mechanical fountain.

  

• Cracker fountains. Some of the most interesting fountains in the park. They suddenly turn on, spraying their jets of unsuspecting passers-by. There are several joker fountains in the Lower Park: Umbrella, Oak, Fir-trees, Sofas, Water Road. The last fountain turns on 3 times a day for only a few minutes. Don't miss the opportunity to see this spectacle!

  

When talking about Peterhof, you shouldn’t limit yourself to just fountains. The park complex contains a large number of pavilions that are of no less interest: the Hermitage, Bath complex, Aviaries for birds, Monplaisir, Marly Palace. Special attention should be paid to Monplaisir (translated as “my pleasure”). It was here, and not in the large palace, that Peter I most often stayed when coming to Peterhof. Adjacent to the palace is a Dutch-style garden with several fountains and sculptures. Montplaisir is worth visiting and enjoying its decoration.

Peter I. If you put a coin in your boot, your wish will come true

Swans swim in the pond behind the enclosure

In the center of the park is the Great Peterhof Palace, which was created by several architects, one of whom was Rastrelli. For a long time, it housed the ceremonial residence of the royal family. In the interiors of the palace you can see numerous paintings and portraits of Russian emperors, silk flowing along the walls and gilded wooden carvings.

View from the palace to the Chalice fountain

Of course, the Peterhof palace and park ensemble occupies one of the important places in the cultural and historical heritage of Russia. Everything here is imbued with royal luxury. It is worth visiting Peterhof during the fountain season. Please note that during winter all fountains are turned off. But as soon as spring comes, the park blooms again with all its colors. Next to the park ensemble there is another park, which does not have fountains, but that makes it no less interesting - Alexandria Park. It is a wilder park with exquisite pavilions. You can walk along it or take a sightseeing tram.

It’s not for nothing that Peterhof is considered the most visited suburb of St. Petersburg. Many tourists strive to come here. The beauty, wealth and splendor of the environment that reigns here tirelessly remind us of the power that Imperial Russia possessed! Well, did you feel its resemblance to Versailles?

Peterhof is the most amazing palace and park ensemble in the world! Many compare it with Versailles, but even if you skim through this article, you will be convinced that the French analogue is far from the domestic one =)

The appearance of this miracle became possible thanks to the initiative of Peter I, who personally developed water supply systems. The magnificent park begins near the Great Peterhof Palace, from the Grand Cascade, from which a canal leads directly to the Gulf of Finland - a kind of line of symmetry of the Peterhof park. The cascade itself and several other Peterhof fountains are dedicated to Russia's victory in the Northern War - a key moment in Russian history that made it an Empire

Initially, Peterhof was the imperial residence, but after the October Revolution, all buildings were turned into museums. The black streak in the history of the palace and park ensemble was the Second World War, during which it was almost completely destroyed by enemy artillery - only thanks to the superhuman efforts of the museum staff, about eight thousand items of palace interiors and about 50 statues were removed from here before the occupation, which, of course, , was a tiny part of all the treasures of Peterhof

The Peterhof ensemble began to be revived after the end of the war and continues to be restored to this day. The Lower Park was opened already in 1945, a year later the fountains that survived the war were turned on, and a year later the Samson fountain was recreated, which was so beautiful that even the Nazis could not destroy it during the war - they took it to their homeland . The restoration of the Great Peterhof Palace began in 1952, and 12 years later, on May 17, 1964, the first halls of the recreated museum opened

Today, all the palaces of Peterhof and all its parks are part of the Peterhof State Museum-Reserve.

The most outstanding building of the Peterhof ensemble is the Great Peterhof Palace, proudly rising above the Grand Cascade leading to the park area. From the 18th to the 20th centuries, the palace was the summer residence of the imperial family. The first building on this site began to be built in 1714 - construction was carried out in the “Petrine Baroque” style and was completed by 1925, after which the palace was gradually completed in the “mature Baroque” style. Under the palace there is a decorative grotto, which I will write about at the end

The park area of ​​Peterhof is divided into Upper and Lower parks, on the territory of which there is a complex of fountains, the beauty and number of which is unmatched anywhere else in the world. The lower park occupies 102 and a half hectares and is fed by a 22-kilometer water pipeline, originating from underground springs near Ropsha. The palace is separated from the Lower Park by the previously mentioned Grand Cascade. In its center there is a Samson fountain, the stream of which rushes 20 meters high, and on both sides there are the Italian and French Large fountains, behind which rise colonnades. More about Lower Park a little later

The canal leading from the Grand Palace to the Gulf of Finland is called the Sea Canal, and three years ago it lost the beautiful alleys of blue spruce trees on both sides - it was planned to plant Norway spruce in their place, but at the moment I have no information about whether this initiative was brought to life I don’t have it =(

Upper Garden

The Upper Garden is located on the other side of the Grand Palace, above the natural slope separating the Upper Garden from the Lower Park. The garden occupies a relatively small area (when compared with the Lower Park) and is a rectangle surrounded on three sides by a fence created by Bartolomeo Rastrelli in the 18th century

The main feature of the Upper Garden of Peterhof is its perfect symmetry, and the water from its five fountains feeds the Grand Cascade. The fountains are also located symmetrically - in the center are "Neptune", "Mezheumny" and "Oak", the other two fountains are installed opposite the side wings of Petrodvorets. The dominant feature of the Upper Park is the Neptune fountain, decorated with many medieval sculptures

Another decoration of the Upper Park are four marble sculptures by the Italian Giovanni Bonazza, installed in 1757 - “Zephyr”, “Pomona”, “Flora” and “Vertumnus”

Also in the Upper Garden you can walk along such an interesting green alley)

...or maybe red =)

Fountain “Neptune”

As I wrote above, this fountain is the dominant feature of the Upper Garden, so it is logical that it looks much more magnificent and richer than the others. The Neptune fountain is decorated with a three-tiered sculptural group, above which rises, in fact, the lord of the sea himself with the constant trident in his hand. Water jets shoot out from sea monster masks located on the four sides of the pedestal.

On both sides of the base sit nymphs personifying the river waters with oars in their hands, and the pedestal itself is decorated with many bas-reliefs, corals and other details made of lead, as well as figures of a boy and a girl made of bronze. Neptune is also “protected” by riders on sea horses with wings (hippocampi), who chase dolphins. In addition to the pedestal, there are dolphins in the fountain pool itself - 8 symmetrically located figures

On the southern side of the pool there is a small three-stage cascade, above which a bronze statue of Apollo Belvedere is installed instead of the old deformed lead statue of "Winter". Only now both Neptune and Apollo appeared here later - first, in 1736, in the center of the pool, Rastrelli’s “Neptunian Cart” made of lead was installed, but later it became dilapidated and in 1798 was replaced by one created in Nuremberg long before that (back in XVII century) with the sculptural composition "Neptune", which has survived to this day. So the Peterhof “Neptune” also has a German milestone in its history

And here is one of the hippocampi, which, according to ancient Greek myths, were considered the kings of fish - accordingly, they have fins and a fish tail)

I think we can briefly dwell on that part of the Neptune story that concerns Germany. The creation of the fountain group occurred at a time when hundreds of magnificent monuments were erected in Germany, decorating the squares and markets of cities as a sign of the heyday of the empire. So Nuremberg also decided to create something outstanding to decorate the city market. It was decided to coincide the fountain with a significant event for Germany - the Peace of Westphalia, which put an end to the grueling Thirteen Years' War, so the best craftsmen of the empire were brought in to create it. By the way, the nymphs actually personified not nameless, but very specific rivers - Regnitz and Pegnitz, and on the base of Neptune's pedestal the coats of arms of Nuremberg, its town hall and the double-headed eagle of the chancellor still adorn themselves. A total of 27 figures were created to give the integrity of this outstanding sculptural composition

But here’s what happened... When everything was almost ready, it suddenly turned out that the craftsmen had miscalculated and there simply wasn’t enough water for such a monumental fountain group in those very rivers Regnitz and Pegnitz... So I had to take everything apart and put it aside “until better times” . In the photo - the same Apollo Belvedere, later added to the already rich fountain group

“Best times” for the Nuremberg “Neptune” came only 130 years later, in the 1780s, but not in the form of additional funds for re-equipment... On the contrary, at the expense of a fountain unnecessary for the city, the local authorities decided to replenish the budget, so they offered it to the future Russian Tsar Paul, very opportunely who came here during his trip to Western Europe to buy "Neptune" from them. The authorities of Nuremberg were lucky - Pavel decided to show them how rich his state was and without hesitation bought a fountain group for exorbitant money at that time - 30,000 rubles. To celebrate, the Nurembergers announced that they themselves would deliver the sculptural composition to Russia)

By this time, to replace the Peterhof “Neptunova’s Cart,” the bronze “Neptune and Tritons” was cast, but they did not have time to install it - another interesting story is connected with this. It was at this moment that the Tsar decided that the Nuremberg “Neptune” was the best suited for Peterhof, both in scale and grandeur, but he wanted to stage it not in the Upper Park, but in the Lower Park. It would have been installed there if it had not turned out that the pool that fed the “Whale” fountain, instead of which it was planned to install the Nuremberg group, was not able to meet the water needs of “Neptune”. Therefore, it was decided to replace the “Neptunova Cart” with it, for which it was necessary to make a new pedestal from granite and significantly adjust the plumbing system. As a result, in 1799, the Peterhof collection was replenished with another outstanding fountain)

“Neptune” seemed to be specially created in order to be installed in Peterhof - it fit so organically into the ensemble of the Upper Garden. In the 19th century, the Germans realized what a treasure they had sold to Russia and tried to get their heritage back, but to no avail - the result of many years of negotiations was only that in April 1896, a German sculptor was allowed to make plaster casts of Neptune. During World War II, the Nazis dismantled the fountain group and sent it to Germany, but in December 1947 it was returned to Peterhof. Another 9 years passed until the streams of Neptune began to flow again - during this time the statue of Apollo, destroyed by the Nazis, was recreated, and Neptune returned to its “rightful” pedestal

Thus, today in the center of the Upper Park of Peterhof, surrounded by four gushing mascarons, stands the proud ruler of the sea on a high pedestal - he is clearly visible from anywhere in the Upper Garden and from all the windows of the palace

Fountain “Mezheumny”

To the south of Neptune, at the very entrance to the Upper Park, there is a round pool with a bronze dragon in the center, from whose mouth a stream of water shoots upward. The dragon is surrounded by four dolphins, calmly splashing streams

Initially, in 1738, a lead “Andromeda” was installed in this pool - from that moment on, several more sculptures visited its place, until, in the end, a bronze dragon with wings was installed here. That is why at the end of the 18th century the fountain was called “Mezheumny”, that is, “uncertain”

At the beginning of the 19th century, instead of a dragon, a dolphin-like figure “Sterlet” was placed in the fountain, but after 1857 it was not mentioned anywhere else

“Sterlyadka” also did not last long - in 1929, a cast-iron vase from the Oak Pool was installed in the center of the pool. The special interior decoration of this vase made the jet pressure inconsistent - it rose and fell

The dragon returned to its place only in 1958, but not the same as before - the dolphins and the dragon were cast anew using the few materials that have come down to us

Fountain “Oak”

Even further south, at the very entrance to the Upper Park, in the middle of another round pool there is a hexagonal star with dolphins on the edges, in the center of which stands a gilded marble “Boy with a Mask”

This fountain also initially looked different - in 1734, Rastrelli's lead "Oak" was installed here, surrounded by three dragons and six dolphins, but after 12 years it was dismantled and more than half a century later, in 1802, it was installed in the Lower Park of Peterhof. Most likely, the dismantling was associated with the annual sprinkling of the banners of the Peterhof regiments with “holy water” in those days in the presence of the Empress - for this, a platform was laid in the pool, which, apparently, was hindered by the “Oak” towering in the center.

But by that time the name “Oak” had already been assigned to the fountain, despite the fact that “Oak” was no longer there. In 1768, dolphins surrounded the “Cornucopia”, carved from wood, and in 1857 it was removed due to dilapidation, and for a long time only the usual nozzle for the fountain remained in this place, without any embellishment. In 1929, a “Boy with a Mask” was installed in the center of the pool, which decorates the fountain to this day - it was preserved, largely thanks to the restoration in 1970

Square Ponds Fountains

The oldest reservoirs in the Upper Park of Peterhof are the Square Ponds, dug in 1719 to provide the Lower Park with water. Half a century later, in 1773, they decided to install sculptural groups surrounded by lead dolphins in their center, but they soon became dilapidated and were dismantled, and in their place ordinary vertical jets were installed - only in 1956 were the fountains returned to their original appearance

In this photo - the Fountain of the Italian Venus is surrounded by 6 dolphins, and the background is the Church of Peter and Paul, which is part of the Great Peterhof Palace

Now let's move on to the Lower Park... Here, in addition to the indescribable beauty of the fountains, there are a couple more palaces, museums, gardens and pavilions - that's where we'll start =)

Lower Park

The ensemble of the Lower Park of Peterhof brought him world fame - it is on its territory that the most outstanding sculptures, fountains and architectural monuments of the museum-reserve are located

The prototype for the Lower Park of Peterhof was the design of Versailles - this is where the strict symmetry, the characteristic shape of trees and bushes, many sculptures and pavilions come from. In the photo - a vase located on the Marlinskaya alley of the Lower Park

In general, Peterhof owes its appearance and general structure to Peter the Great himself, whose sketches served as the basis for drawing up the General Plan of the residence. In memory of the founder of Peterhof, amazing tulips of different colors bloom every spring in the Monplaisir Garden near the Tsar’s most beloved palace.

The compositional center of Peterhof is the Great Peterhof Palace, rising on a 16-meter ledge, from which the Lower Park stretches in a two-kilometer ribbon towards the Gulf of Finland

The sea canal is the axis of symmetry of the Lower Park - it divides it into eastern and western parts. Both sides of the canal are decorated with flower beds, from which four alleys fan out - the eastern ones lead to the Monplaisir Palace, and along the western ones you can walk to the Hermitage Pavilion. In the Lower Park there is another system of alleys, originating at the western end of the park, near the Marly Palace - three alleys begin here, crossing the park from west to east

The Lower Park has several self-sufficient architectural and park ensembles with their own palaces and fountains. In the center of the main ensemble is the Grand Palace with a cascade; the centers of the remaining ensembles are the “Grand Orangery”, the Monplaisir and Marly palaces. Below in the photo is exactly the same Great Greenhouse, built in 1722-1725 according to the design of Braunstein and Zemtsov

The park is planted with trees brought from different parts of Russia and from abroad, and the best craftsmen were invited to plant flower beds. The parks of Peterhof were well looked after, so today you can stroll through real parks of the 18th century and admire flower beds decorated in the style of that time

After the Great Patriotic War, the Lower Park had to be literally recreated bit by bit. After the war, trees were replanted here, flower beds and other elements of the park were restored, but restoration is still ongoing

Monument to Peter I

The variety of park nooks and crannies leaves an impression of the versatility and dissimilarity of one place from another, this effect is created thanks to the huge number of trees and flowers of different types

But it was not the trees and flowers that brought worldwide fame to the Lower Park of Peterhof, but its unique and numerous fountains

Who is interested in reading about the fountains right away - go straight to the third page) But I would advise you to first familiarize yourself with the overall picture within the Monplaisir and Marlin gardens, and only then move on to looking at each fountain and cascade separately =)

Monplaisir

The Monplaisir Garden in Peterhof is a mini-park with its own palace, flower beds and fountains. The garden is divided into 4 small areas by two perpendicular alleys, in the center of each of which there are fountains with gilded bronze statues on pedestals. Their characteristic feature is that water flows from the pedestals in smooth bells, which is why they are called bell fountains. Fountain sculptures were installed here in 1817 instead of lead analogues. Of course, each has its own “name” - “Satyr with a kid”, “Apollino”, “Psyche” and “Bacchus”

Near the Monplaisir Palace there is a Chinese Garden - it is adjacent to the Assembly Hall and the Bath Building. In the garden there is a sculptural group "Cupid and Psyche" and a fountain "Shell"

An interesting decoration of the Lower Park are the joker fountains. The first of them were two sofas in the Monplaisir garden, designed to pour water on guests who decided to take a little rest) Two more firecrackers appeared here at the end of the 18th - beginning of the 19th centuries. In 1803, the metal “Oak”, created according to Rastrelli’s design, was moved from the Upper Park to the Lower Park, which was restored with difficulty after the war. The “Chinese Umbrella” fountain, which appeared here in 1796, was also recreated. Not far from “Dubok” there are “Yolochki”, built in 1784. In front of the nearby “Chess Mountain” cascade, the “Roman” twin fountains are comfortably located, each of which consists of two octahedrons located on top of each other, decorated with white, pink and gray marble and small bronze details covered with gilding

On both sides of the southern part of the Monplaisir alley there are the Menagere Garden with the “Sun” fountain, as well as two “Aviary” pavilions and marble statues

In 1774-1775, on a site called the “menagerie” (menagerie in French), an imperial bath was built, in the center of which a “Sun” fountain was installed, which sprayed bathers. It was designed like this: two bronze disks with holes along the edges were attached to a high rod, and in a round 3.5-meter pedestal there was a water wheel that rotated the rod. Thanks to the gilded surface, in sunny weather the disks and the jets escaping from them resemble the Sun and its rays, under which 16 dolphins “bask”. The fountain's pool can be seen from afar, due to its vast area of ​​almost 2100 m2 - it occupies the main part of the Menagereiny Garden

To supply the “Sun”, a separate pipe is diverted from the general water supply system of the Lower Park. Previously, the fountain was, for some unknown reason, surrounded by the high walls of the royal bath, which were dismantled in 1926, after which the fountain immediately blended seamlessly into the surrounding landscape. The dolphins surrounding it were destroyed by the Nazis and were recreated only in 1956-1957

The wooden Aviaries of the Menagereine Garden have reached us the way they were created, which can be considered a kind of miracle, given the scale of past wars. The outside of the 12-sided enclosures of the "Aviaries" are lined with stone. We'll talk about them a little later

Bath building

In the east of the Lower Park of Peterhof there is the Bath Building, which includes chambers for the guests of Peter I, designed in oriental style, as well as other buildings for ceremonial and domestic purposes.

From the east, attached to the guest quarters is a Soaphouse for gentlemen with an amazing “splash” ball installed in the center of the octagonal pool, around which 265 jets unexpectedly take off.

In the Bath building itself there is another interesting device - a chandelier-shower

The bath building was built for Empress Maria Alexandrovna when the European hydrotherapy system came into fashion. By the way, like any Russian bathhouse, it has its own steam room with all the bath accessories due to it

In the Assembly Hall you can admire unique tapestries from the first half of the 18th century and the royal table with the personal service of Catherine II

Adjacent to the western wing of Monplaisir is the Catherine's building, built according to Rastrelli's design for holding court balls. In the second half of the 18th century, the interiors were redecorated in the style of classicism, and under Alexander I, empire paintings dedicated to the events of the War of 1812 were added to the classical elements.

The Catherine Building contains a rare collection of Russian furniture and French bronze items - for example, the press on the table of Alexander I is decorated with real cannonballs from the Battle of Borodino, and crystal and porcelain objects are decorated with portraits of the heroes of this battle. The pearl of the collection of the Catherine Corps is the imperial Guryev service of more than five thousand items, dedicated to the vast expanses of Russia and the people inhabiting them

Voronikhinsky colonnades

The ground floor of the Lower Park of Peterhof, beginning with the Grand Cascade, is closed by the Voronikhin colonnades, decorated with gilded vases and domes. They are a kind of border between the ground floor and the park area. An interesting feature of the colonnades are the jets of water shooting directly from the tops of the domes. The cornices and balustrades of the colonnades are made of white marble, the columns are made of gray, and the base itself, the stairs and the lion sculptures on them are made of rare pink granite

Under Peter I, there were small wooden galleries here, in which it was planned to place 7 fountains. Of these, only the klokspiel was installed - a kind of musical instrument with crystal bells. And in 1745, a water organ was installed in the western gallery, during the playing of which the water set in motion painted wooden figures - a huntsman blowing a horn, satyrs playing flutes, a deer pursued by a pack of dogs, and 12 songbirds

The current colonnades, designed by Voronikhin, appeared on this site only in 1800-1803. In addition to the rich marble and granite cladding, gilded lead fountain bowls were installed on the colonnades, the domes were covered with gold and water was supplied to them. The porch of each colonnade was decorated with paired sculptures of lions

Half a century later, the Voronikhinsky colonnades were lined with Carrara marble, which cost 30 thousand pounds of this luxury, and the floors were laid with Venetian mosaics. Unfortunately, during the war, the gilding from the domes and fountain vases were taken away by the Nazis, and the lining of the colonnades was badly damaged, but, thanks to the efforts of restorers, in 1966 the Voronikhinsky colonnades were restored to their lost appearance

Palace of Marly

The western part of the Lower Park of Peterhof is occupied by the Marly Palace and the surrounding areas

The palace received its unusual name in memory of Peter the Great's visit to the French royal residence of Marly-le-Roi near Paris in 1717, which was later destroyed during the French Revolution. But only the general composition was taken from the French residence; otherwise, the Peterhof Marly is a self-sufficient and unique palace and park ensemble

The Marly Palace was erected at the same time as the laying of the ponds and initially it was planned to build a one-story building here, but Peter I decided that this was not enough and made additions to the project, according to which a second floor was added to the building, and the palace itself acquired a cube-like shape, which gave it proportions some completeness and harmony

The Marly Palace, like other small palaces of Peterhof, is distinguished by its modest decoration, and its peculiarity is the absence of a state hall, the role of which was played by the vestibule. There are a total of 12 rooms in the palace, accessed by two corridors and a staircase.

Initially, the palace was intended to accommodate high-ranking guests, but from the middle of the 18th century, Marly turned into a kind of museum, which housed the personal wardrobe of Peter I and his other personal belongings, which were subsequently transferred to the Hermitage

By the end of the 19th century, Marly had fallen into disrepair, and cracks appeared along its walls, as a result of which in 1899 the palace was completely dismantled for installation on a new foundation

During the Great Patriotic War, the palace was seriously damaged - it was hit by a time bomb. By 1955, Marly's facades had been restored, and in 1982 it was reopened as a museum

Today in the palace exhibition you can see the naval overcoat of Peter I and a caftan with an embroidered Order of St. Andrew the First-Called, as well as the emperor’s books, his personal dishes and a table with an “apse” board he created with his own hands. Marly also houses a collection of paintings collected by Peter I, which includes works by virtually unknown Italian, Flemish and Dutch artists of the 17th-18th centuries.

The Marlin Garden is conventionally divided by the Great Pond into the Garden of Bacchus (in which they intended to grow grapes, but it did not work out) and the Garden of Venus (where fruits were grown for the imperial table). During the laying of the ponds, an earthen rampart was poured, which still protects the Garden of Venus from strong winds from the Baltic

The Marly Palace is literally surrounded by ponds - in the east there is the Marlinsky pond of the same name, and in the west - the Sector Ponds. All Marly ponds were intended for breeding rare fish for the imperial table. By the way, today the tradition of raising fish in the Marlinsky ponds has been renewed, so here you can calmly sit with a fishing rod, admiring the surrounding medieval landscape)

The layout of Marly turned out to be so successful that it became a kind of standard according to which Russian estates were subsequently arranged

Pavilion “Hermitage”

In the westernmost part of the lower park, right on the seashore, rises the two-story building of the first Hermitage of Russia, erected according to the design of Peter the Great by the summer of 1725

Few people know that the word “Hermitage” came to us from the French language and literally translates as “secluded corner”. Hence the main purpose of the Hermitage - privacy for a close circle of people of the same position and similar interests, the peace of which no one and nothing should disturb. For this purpose, a special oval table for 14 people was even installed on the second floor of the pavilion, the central part of which descended to the first floor, where dishes were served and arranged, after which the table rose back to the second floor

In order to order a dish, the guest only had to write down his wishes in a note on the plate, then pull the string. The plate was lowered down for a while and then raised with the finished food

This amazing table with mechanism was destroyed during the Second World War, but its oak base was preserved in the ceiling between the first and second floors

For a long time, it was not possible to recreate the lifting table - only in 2007, when pre-war photographs of the table were accidentally discovered, its restoration began. As a result, the lifting table was equipped with modern mechanisms, but it looks the same today as it did in the 18th century, for which the principle of setting the mechanisms in motion using manual traction was retained

Bottom view

Today the table of the Peterhof Hermitage is the only 18th-century lifting table operating in Russia

The principle of operation of the lifting table is demonstrated on weekends, and on weekdays the principle of its operation can only be seen on the TV screen in the pavilion

The walls of the central hall are still, as in the 18th century, decorated with 124 paintings by Western European masters of the 17th-18th centuries

Pavilions “Aviaries”

The center of the Eastern part of the Lower Park of Peterhof is decorated with two elegant wooden pavilions-aviaries, the likes of which, according to the famous art critic Grabar, “are no longer available either here or in Europe.”

The facades of the pavilions are lined with sea shells, tuff and dross, and the smooth lines of the domes give the silhouettes of the pavilions special expressiveness

The enclosures are today one of the few non-palace buildings of the Peter the Great era, on the walls of which original paintings of the 18th century are still preserved

Of course, birds live in the Aviaries, which are provided with light and air by huge windows and doors. In the 18th century, the copper cages of the Aviaries were inhabited by tap dancers, nightingales, blackbirds and even bullfinches, as well as overseas canaries and parrots)

Today, the Western Aviary is home to finches, siskins, tits, goldfinches, buntings, grosbeaks, and overseas guests live in elegant wooden cages - finches, dandies, white-headed munias, astrildicas and canaries. The Eastern Aviary is inhabited by parrots of various species - macaws, grays, cockatoos, Amazons, rosellas, cockatiels, pionites and others

On the eastern side of the Eastern Aviary there is the Swan Pond, in which swans, Canada geese and ducks swim leisurely

Let's finally move on to the most, in my opinion, picturesque and interesting part of the Lower Park - fountains and cascades

Fountains and cascades of the Lower Park

Peterhof is not called the “Capital of Fountains” for nothing, because there are only a couple of palace and park ensembles equal in luxury in the world, and even then they are considered equal only because of their status, but in fact they are inferior to Peterhof both in luxury and richness. We must thank Peter I for this, who, to implement his plans, attracted the best craftsmen of the time and himself constantly supervised the design and constantly made amendments and changes. Thanks to this approach, many Peterhof fountains, having almost three centuries behind them, are still not inferior to modern analogues, although since that time more than one technological revolution has taken place in the world...

The site for the construction of Peterhof was also chosen personally by Peter the Great, who found a place whose landscape would allow the creation of a gravity-flowing water supply system of fountains, which, unlike those at Versailles, could function continuously throughout the day. The principles of water supply developed by Peter I still work today, being silent proof of the indisputable talent of the founder of Peterhof. On July 8, 1721, a test launch of the fountains took place, without even waiting for water to arrive through the main conduit, and on July 13, the Grand Cascade was checked. After all the checks and modifications, on August 15, 1723, the grand opening of Peterhof took place, during which Peter I personally acted as a guide to the new summer residence for high-ranking guests

After the opening, work did not stop - the construction of fountains and the improvement of the fountain system continued until the middle of the 19th century, as a result of which a complex with 4 cascades and more than 150 fountains was formed in the Lower Garden, and 5 fountains and one cascade in the Upper Garden

The Second World War caused serious damage to Peterhof, from the theft of sculptures to blown up water pipelines. After the war, restoration work began immediately - the Lower Park was opened on June 17, 1945, and in 1946 the first fountains were turned on, but the restoration was finally completed only in August 2000 with the launch of the Lion Cascade in the western part of the Lower Park

The main fountain of the Lower Park is the previously mentioned Grand Cascade with the Samson fountain. The ground floor at the foot of the cascade is decorated with symmetrically located fountains “Bowls” and “Marble Benches”, and the ground floor is completed by the Voronikhin colonnades. I already wrote earlier that the Sea Canal with the Alley of Fountains divides the Lower Park into the Eastern and Western parts, but did not mention what is located on their territory. So, in the Western part of the Lower Park there are: the “Chess Mountain” cascade, the “Orangereiny” fountain, the Roman fountains, the “Adam” fountain, the “Sheaf” fountain and the “Bell” fountains, the “Sun” fountain, the “Pyramid” fountain, the fountains crackers. Fountains of the Eastern part: cascades “Lion” and “Golden Mountain”, fountain “Favoritny”, fountain “Eva”, fountain “Whale”, “Menager” fountains, “Clochy” fountains. Let's go through all the sights in order)

Grand Cascade

Being a brilliant monument of Baroque art, the Grand Cascade is also one of the most significant and outstanding fountain structures in the world, thanks to its simply colossal size, the abundance of water used, the graphic variety of water jets and the richness of sculptural decoration

The composition of the Grand Cascade was also developed by Peter I, but its modern appearance took shape over a century after the start of construction in May 1716. The Grand Cascade was launched in August 1723, but work on its decoration continued. The famous “Samson” appeared in the center of the ladle after the death of the emperor, in 1735, and three years later, in a gap in the marble balustrade, a group of two tritons by Rastrelli trumpeting shells was installed - with their installation the main work on decorating the Grand Cascade was completed

In the center of the Grand Cascade is the Lower Grotto, the platform in front of which is limited by two cascading seven-step staircases, decorated with gilded bas-reliefs, brackets, jets of water cannons and gilded sculptures alternating with vases

In the center of the site there is a “Basket” fountain, water from which flows along three waterfall steps into a bucket

The cascade was built as a kind of continuation of the Great Peterhof Palace, which can be seen in its style and architecture: decor subordinated to the three-part division of the palace, a semicircle of arches and niches, white and yellow coloring. The wall of the Lower Grotto ends with a granite cornice with a marble balustrade decorated with vases in front of the terrace of the Upper Grotto of Peterhof

There are also such vases)

The cascade and grottoes underwent many alterations and replacements of structural elements, as a result of which some of the bas-reliefs and decorative elements disappeared, and the functionality of the fountains in the grotto ceased. Unfinished restoration in the mid-19th century led to a distortion of the original appearance of the entire structure

During the Second World War, all the decorative details of the Grand Cascade and the four largest sculptures, which did not have time to be evacuated, disappeared, but, thanks to the dedicated work of restorers and local residents, the cascade was opened on August 25, 1946, and a year later on a pedestal in a bucket channel, a powerful figure of “Samson” appeared, tearing the jaws of a lion - his restoration became possible thanks to surviving pre-war photographs. The restoration of the Grand Cascade was completely completed in 1950

In 1995, seven years of restoration work were completed, breathing new life into the Grand Cascade of Peterhof. The need for these works was dictated by the dilapidation of the grottoes and underground communications that provide water to the Grand Cascade. During the restoration, it was decided to return the lost decorative elements to the cascade, evidence of which was found in documents of bygone times: drawings of architects and fountain artists, engravings and watercolors of the 18th-20th centuries

On June 4, 1995, the Grand Cascade was inaugurated again - overnight all 138 jets of one of the most advanced fountain structures in operation in the world shot up into the air.

Fountain “Samson”

In general, at first it was planned to place in the center of the large cascade the figure of Hercules killing the Lyraean Hydra, but during the construction of Hercules it was decided to replace Hercules with Samson tearing the mouth of a lion - apparently this is due to the victory of Russian troops over the Swedes in the Battle of Poltava on the day of Sampson the Stranger. Well, the lion, which Samson treats so badly, personifies Sweden, whose coat of arms still displays this very symbol. As a result, we get a symbolic image of Peter the Great defeating Charles the Twelfth =)

“Samson” was installed in the center of the cascade in 1735, but subsequently the lead group had to be replaced - so in 1802 a new bronze figure of Samson appeared here, with 8 dolphins frolicking at his feet. For the new sculpture, a granite pedestal was built, at the foot of which 4 more lions were hidden in niches, facing north, east, south and west. The renovation of the cascade was completed in July 1806

As I wrote earlier, during the Nazi occupation the statue of Samson was taken to Germany, so today we see only a copy installed on September 14, 1947, which, however, is in no way inferior to the original

The stream from the lion's mouth rushes up to 21 meters

Peter I did not plan to place any fountain at all in the bucket of the Grand Cascade, but after his death it was decided to complement the Peterhof ensemble with another pearl, in honor of the 25th anniversary of the victory in the Battle of Poltava

Fountains “Chalice”

On both sides of “Samson”, in the center of the Large Flower Gardens, there are identical “Bowl” fountains, which are called “French” (eastern) and “Italian” (western) - according to the nationality of the masters who created them. In 1854, the wooden bowls were replaced by new ones made of Carrara marble. “Bowls” compositionally support the huge water column of “Samson” and harmonize the space of the stalls

Fountains “Marble Benches”

In the far corners of the Big Flower Gardens, in 1853-1856, interesting semicircular benches made of white marble appeared, behind which, on high pedestals, there are two small fountains with marble bowls and gilded female figures. Behind the western bench stands the goddess of the spring Nymph, which is a copy of the ancient Roman statue of the Hermitage, and behind the eastern bench rises Danaid - one of the daughters of the Egyptian king Danaus, doomed to forever fill a bottomless barrel with water

Alley of Fountains

Along the Peterhof Sea Canal stretches the Alley of Fountains, on which, according to the plan of Peter I, it was decided to build 22 fountains with sculptural decoration based on the scenes of Aesop’s fables, and the remaining fountains should be made in the form of ordinary vases with flat bowls. The dilapidated vases were subsequently removed, leaving only the 14 Carrara marble basins in which they were once located. Today, only eight stone basins located closer to the gateway remind of the former Baroque fountains. But even this is enough to form a magnificent crystal colonnade leading to the Grand Cascade

View of the palace from one of the Sea Canal bridges

To avoid confusion, I decided that it would be better if we walked separately first through the western and then through the eastern part of the Lower Park of Peterhof, so it is necessary to immediately write about the paired fountain “Adam” and “Eve”, which is also located in the western , and in the eastern part =)

Fountains “Adam” and “Eve”

On both sides of the Sea Canal, intersecting alleys form unique squares, from which eight rays radiate. These two large “stars” are the fundamental elements of the original layout of the Lower Park, which is why the oldest fountains of Peterhof are located here: “Adam” - in the eastern part of the park, “Eva” - in the western. Both fountains are the compositional and semantic dominants of the corresponding parts of the park and are located almost at their central points. Around the fountains there are small squares with diverging rays of large and small alleys

The production of the sculptures was ordered to the Venetian Giovanni Bonazza and it was initially assumed that these would be exact copies of Adam and Eve from the Doge's Palace, but the sculptor interpreted the details a little differently, as a result of which the sculptures, while maintaining the general composition and poses, were filled with baroque details, which made them not copies , but completely independent works of art, which led Peter I to indescribable delight. Initially, in 1718, the sculptures were placed on ordinary pedestals, and the actual fountains were laid later

“Adam” took its current place in 1722, and “Eve” found itself in the center of the fountain only in the fall of 1726, already under Catherine I

These fountains have powerful symbolism - the ancestors of the human race depict Peter I and Catherine I - the ancestors of the Russian Empire

“Adam” and “Eve” are the only fountains of Peterhof that have preserved their original sculptural decoration - they have not changed for almost three centuries!

“Adam” and “Eve” are surrounded by gazebos that appeared here even before the fountains started working. They changed their appearance many times, but during the latest restorations (in the 1970s near “Adam” and in 2000 near “Eve”) they were returned to the appearance of those gazebos that stood here at the beginning of the 19th century

Fountains and cascades of the western part of the Lower Park

In the western part of the Lower Park, in addition to the Adam fountain, there is the Chess Mountain cascade, the Orangery fountain, Roman fountains, the Sheaf fountain and the Bell fountains, the Sun fountain, the Pyramid fountain, and joker fountains . Let's look at them in more detail

Cascade “Chess Mountain”

The fountain cascade in the eastern part of the Lower Park at the end of Monplaisir Alley was called differently at different times: “Small Grotto”, “Ruin ​​Cascade”, “Dragon Cascade”. It has survived to this day under the name “Chess Mountain”; it is not difficult to guess the origin of this name)

The cascade was again designed by Peter I, who sought to achieve similarity with the Small Cascade of the French Marly-le-Roi, but after the death of the king, the original plan was changed, and the cascade completed by 1739 was called “Dragon Mountain” - due to the fact that the entrance to the upper grotto of the cascade was guarded by three dragons, which are the main water jets of the fountain

In the middle of the 18th century, the steps of the cascade were painted “to resemble chess” and the cascade began to be called “Chess Mountain”. The cascade consists of four ledges, on both sides of which there are stairs decorated with white stone statues, and ends in a round pool

During World War II, the Nazis destroyed “Chess Mountain,” and during the post-war restoration, the cascade was restored to its appearance in the mid-18th century. Marble sculptures rescued from the invaders took their original places

Fountain “Triton”

In the very center of the Orangery Garden there is a gilded figure of a mighty newt tearing the jaws of a sea monster, and 4 turtles around it, crawling to the north and east. south and west. This fountain is also dedicated to the victory over the Swedes in the Northern War - the newt depicts Peter I, the sea monster - Charles XII, and the turtles scattering in fear - the allies of Sweden

The lead triton appeared here in 1726, but by 1876 it had to be replaced due to its disrepair, as a result of which the composition “Satyr with a Crocodile” was installed in its place.

The original decoration of the fountain was returned after the war, when restoration was carried out according to a drawing from an 18th century album

Roman fountains

These twin fountains are modeled after the fountain in front of St. Peter's Basilica in Rome - hence the name. But Rastrelli developed a new project, maintaining the general idea - initially the fountains were made of wood and only in 1800 they were replaced with stone ones. Two-stage fountains, decorated with colored marble and various sculptures (golden garlands, wreaths and mascarons), are located at the exit to Monplaisir Alley, right in front of the “Chess Mountain”. The height of the jets of the Roman fountains of Peterhof is more than 10 meters

The first project involved the creation of wooden fountains with lead-lined bowls - they were created in 1739

In 1763, Rastrelli completely redesigned the fountains and installed them on stone pedestals. All wooden parts were painted to resemble marble

At the turn of the 18th-19th centuries, dilapidated Roman fountains were replaced with analogues made of brick and granite, lined with marble, and wooden decorations were replaced with lead ones

During the war, the Nazis damaged the marble cladding of the pyramids, destroyed the pools and blew up the pipelines, but already in 1949 both Roman fountains were restored, and in 2007 their complete restoration was carried out

Fountain “Sheaf” and fountains “Bells”

The Monplaisir Palace is the favorite brainchild of Peter I; it is not for nothing that he gave it such a “telling” name (“mon plaisir” is translated from French as “my pleasure”). The Emperor himself chose a place for it on the shore of the bay, completely laid out the Monplaisir Garden adjacent to the building and scrupulously painted the necessary arrangement of the fountain system. As a result, construction began in 1721 and the first fountain built here was the “Sheaf” located right in the center of the Monplaisir garden, which is a tall tuff column from which a powerful stream of water shoots out. The column is surrounded by 24 smaller inclined jets

At equal distances from the “Sheaf” there are four “Bell” fountains, with gilded statues installed on them: Apollo, Bacchus, Faun with a kid and Psyche. The shape of their pedestals is of two types: a vase with acanthus leaves and a fluted column. The pedestals are topped with discs with rounded edges, allowing water to flow into the pool in a thin sheet, creating the illusion of a glass bell

Fountain “Sun”

The “Sun” fountain, already familiar to us, was built in 1721-1724 - twenty jets beat around the central column

Under Peter I, the reservoir of this original and technically complex fountain contained huge sturgeons, delivered to the imperial gardens from the Volga, as well as ducks, geese and swans.

Only in 1721-1724 did Peter I order the installation of a fountain in the pool with twenty arched jets around a central water column rising from the surface of the pool water. Half a century later, the architect Felten made a bathhouse out of the reservoir, surrounding it with high walls and changing the fountain - in the pedestal he placed a wheel driven by water and rotating a pillar, on top of which there were two disks with holes. The jets escaping from them resembled diverging rays of the sun, which is why the fountain was given the name “Sun”

The fountain, destroyed during the war, was completely restored in 1957, and the principle of its operation remained the same.

Fountain “Pyramid”

The Pyramid fountain is also located in Monplaisir, but is located separately from the ceremonial ensembles, on its own Pyramid Alley. “Pyramid” is one of the oldest and most beautiful fountains of Peterhof - on August 20, 1725, the chamberlain of the Duke of Holstein (father of Peter III) Bergholz wrote: “There is no such large and beautiful water cannon, perhaps nowhere.” “The fountain...forms an interesting pyramid,” the Frenchman De La Motre also admitted

The “Pyramid” also appeared under Peter the Great, who wanted to build something like the Versailles “obelisk”, but the resulting fountain was not at all like anything built before him - the fountain was called the “Pyramid” for its amazing shape. The fountain was first mentioned in Peter’s decree in the summer of 1721: “A water pyramid with small cascades, and to plant a forest next to it according to the drawing of maple, linden, or alder, depending on the location.”

Initially, the chief architect of Peterhof, Michetti, depicted in the sketch an exact copy of the Versailles triangular “obelisk”, but Peter I did not need a copy

The emperor wanted to create a pyramid, that is, a tetrahedral fountain, and not a triangular one, as in Versailles. Especially for this, he chose a tetrahedral section and wrote: “to do according to this figure, and the pyramid would be at the bottom with four corners.” This determined the unique shape of the fountain.

As a result, today on a square area at a distance from other ensembles there is an amazing water “Pyramid”

In the autumn of the same 1721, construction of the fountain began, and three years later Peter I had already turned on the water, but he did not like what he saw - as a result, he ordered the fourth ledge of the cascade to be removed, and the pool itself to be made lower

Unfortunately, the emperor did not see how beautiful the “Pyramid” became after the changes he made - he did not live until the summer of 1725, when the converted fountain was opened

Although at that time the fountain was also still far from the modern version - neither the usual bridges across the moat nor the majestic balustrade had been built yet - this entire entourage was created from wood in 1739 by the architect Isakov, who placed wooden pyramids with stars in the corners

Over time, the clear geometry of the “Italian gardens” gave way to the shady and meandering “English gardens”, neatly trimmed trees gave way to large trees, and the “Pyramid” finally got lost and became isolated, which gave it a special charm and even some kind of surprise effect

In 1770, a decree was issued on the implementation of the fence and ledges of the “Pyramid” from marble, but these changes began to be implemented only on November 11, 1799

On June 6, 1800, the “Pyramid” was decorated with a new, majestic balustrade in the style of prosperous classicism, which today has no analogues; it can only be compared with the airy Cameron Gallery in Pushkin. It is this solemn appearance of the fountain that we can observe today

So how does the Pyramid work? And the principle is quite simple: water flows through an inclined pipe from the Pyramid Pond into seven chambers of a square cast-iron box, hermetically sealed with a bronze lid with holes for up to 505 nozzles. The height of the jets of each chamber is regulated by valves - this is how the overall array of the seven-tier pyramid is formed. By the way, this is the most water-intensive fountain in Peterhof - up to two hundred liters of water are consumed per second. Water fills the rectangular pool and flows in four five-stage cascades into a shallow moat that encircles the entire ensemble along the perimeter. On the sides there are marble bridges along which you can approach the balustrade itself

At the beginning of the 18th century, there was a tradition in the Russian army to install obelisks, shaped like pyramids, at the end points of their movement and at battle sites. So the water “Pyramid” on the shore of the Gulf of Finland was a kind of monument to the victories of Russian troops in the Northern War. Like all Peterhof monuments, originally conceived only as a monument to victory in the Northern War, today it is also a monument to victory in the Great Patriotic War, as, indeed, the whole of Peterhof taken together)

Cracker fountains

As I have already noted, the main feature of the Lower Park of Peterhof is the symmetry in the arrangement of fountain structures, while its Eastern part is more saturated with fountains than the Western. This is explained by the fact that back in the 18th century, festivities for royal guests were held in the Eastern part of the Lower Park, and there were also “playing places” and a bathhouse here.

At the intersection of Marlin and Monplaisir alleys, south of the monument to Peter I, the “Umbrella” and “Oak” joker fountains are hidden. Entertaining fountains are among the most interesting attractions of the Lower Park. The history of their creation originates from Peter the Great’s water games: the “Sofas” of the Monplaisir Garden, the “Water Bridge” on the Ruin Cascade, the “Splash Table” in the grotto of the Grand Cascade and other “play” places. Various water games were especially common in the 18th century in the parks of the feudal nobility of Western Europe, which was also known in Russia, so the appearance of similar structures in Peterhof is a tribute to the fashion of that time

The comic effect of joker fountains lies in the suddenness of the action of water jets, spraying visitors from all sides (especially if you imagine ladies and gentlemen in magnificent costumes of the 18th century)

The “Umbrella” fountain was created in 1796 - around a massive stand there is a bench, above which a wide umbrella is “opened”, topped with an elegant carved cone, shaped like a pineapple. Along the edges of the umbrella there are 164 small tubes with holes hidden in bright festoons, which are directed towards the ground. When a park visitor comes under the umbrella and sits on a bench, the fountain suddenly turns on. Streams of water burst out noisily from the tubes, and the person finds himself, as it were, in a water cage. You won't get out of here dry =)

In the 19th century, the fountain was subjected to repeated alterations, which distorted its original appearance. The upper part was given the shape of a mushroom cap (hence its second name - “Mushroom”), and the number of nozzles was changed. So in 1826 there were 134 of them, and in 1868 there were 80. After the war, only part of the mutilated roof and fragments of a wooden rim with several damaged tubes remained from the fountain. The fountain was restored according to 18th-century drawings and was relaunched on September 11, 1949. In 1954, the festoons and crowning cone were carved from oak

Opposite the “Umbrella”, on a small round platform, there is a whole complex of joker fountains: five metal tulips, a tree and two joker benches. This entire complex is called “Dubok”. The branched six-meter tubular tree trunk is lined with lead on the outside, disguised as bark. “Oak” leaves made of red copper are attached to the tubular branches, and five tulips are placed under the “Oak” tree. The trunk, branches, leaves of the tree and stems of the tulips are painted green. When the fountain is turned on, thin streams of water burst out from tree branches, flowers and tulip leaves, dousing everyone who is unlucky enough to pass nearby at that moment) On the eastern and western sides of the “Oak” fountain, there are wooden park sofas, behind the backs of which there is a 41 tubes pointing upward - those who want to inspect the bench or sit on it will be suddenly attacked by a thick canopy of jets flying out from behind its back =)

Initially, in 1735, the “Oak” was made of lead according to Rastrelli’s model and decorated one of the round pools in the Upper Garden, but in 1746 the fountain master Brunatii dismantled the “Oak”, and it lay in the storeroom for a long time. They remembered about the amazing fountain only at the beginning of the 19th century - in 1802, master Strelnikov assembled the “Dubok”, made the missing parts for it, five tulips and two benches, and installed it in the Lower Park, including it in the group of entertainment fountains. The number of branches on the tree also changed: in 1826 there were 349, and two years later - 244. Usually the fountain was turned off, and turned on only when a person approached it - streams of water immediately fell from the branches, and when darting to the side, the unlucky visitor was simultaneously exposed to the jets of the sofa =) In 1914, “Dubok” was dismantled again, and it was stored in the storeroom until 1924, when the architect Voloshinov installed it in its original place

Well, we have covered all the fountains of the western part of the Lower Park of Peterhof - now it’s time to move to the opposite, eastern part)

Fountains and cascades of the eastern part of the Lower Park

In the eastern part of the Lower Park of Peterhof, in addition to the Eva fountain, there are the Lion and Golden Mountain cascades, the Favorite fountain, the Eva fountain, the Whale fountain, the Menagernye fountains, and the Closhi fountains.

Another feature of the Lower Park was the principle according to which each palace had to have its own cascade. In 1721, construction of the Hermitage pavilion began and the alley leading to it was laid out. It was planned that the perspective of the Hermitage Alley on the southern side should be closed by the Hermitage Cascade

The project of this cascade was carefully thought out by Peter I (in his notes he called it “Moise’s Cascade”), but something prevented the craftsmen from creating it - only at the end of the 18th century did the opportunity arise to return to the implementation of the project. Finally built at the turn of the 18th-19th centuries, the cascade was a rectangular pool with waterfall ledges and eight flat fountain marble bowls. Statues of Hercules and Flora were initially used as sculptural decoration, but a year later they were replaced with bronze figures of lions, and the cascade itself, called the Hermitage by location, received its second, more well-known name - the Lion Cascade

In 1854-1857, the Lion Cascade underwent a large-scale reconstruction, during which the pool was significantly enlarged, and on a granite plinth, repeating the old contour, a three-sided monumental colonnade of 14 eight-meter columns made of dark gray Serdobol granite, with capitals, architrave and bases of snow-white Carara marble

Between the columns there were 12 bowls with fountains made of the same marble. The lower part of the cascade was decorated with mascarons located under each bowl. In the center of the colonnade, on a hill made of granite blocks, the statue “Nymph Aganipa” was installed.

Today, all that remains of the previous decor are lions, from whose mouths streams of water pour out.

The cascade was created during the times of late classicism, therefore it looks quite unusual within the framework of the integral ensemble of Peterhof - it is distinguished from other elements by the severity of antique forms, the laconicism of the water design, the emphatically restrained colors of the stone and the complete absence of gilded details

During the Great Patriotic War, the Lion Cascade was seriously damaged; only the base, part of the colonnade and damaged marble bowls remained. The restoration took a lot of time...

Only in August 2000 did the jets of one of the most significant fountain structures in Russia of the 19th century shoot up again

Cascade “Golden Mountain”

Not far from the Marly Palace there is an extremely spectacular 14-meter cascade "Golden Mountain" with a statue of Neptune on the upper wall, the project of which Peter I also had a hand in. In 1732, construction was completed - sculptures on the attic and in the pool were added to the original project, and under the steps they hung gilded copper sheets, creating an interesting play of light through the mirror of falling water. If you look at the cascade from below, standing at its foot, you get the impression of a flowing golden stream. It was after these modifications that the cascade began to be called “Golden”.

During the fascist occupation, the Golden Mountain was badly damaged, but the entire sculpture was removed in advance and thereby saved from a sad fate. The restoration work organized after the end of the war quickly returned the cascade to its original appearance.

Fountain “Favorite”

The favorite fountain is located behind the Voronikhinskaya colonnade and is one of the fountains dedicated to the theme of Aesop’s fables, which, according to Peter I’s plan, were to form the Alley of Fountains along the Sea Canal. The “Favorite” fountain was built in 1725 by order of Catherine I - a special water wheel was placed at the bottom of the pool, driving wooden figures, which were replaced five years later with painted copper ones. As a result, in a small pool, a funny pug chases four ducks running away from him in a circle)

Once upon a time there was an inscription on the fountain explaining the meaning of Aesop's fable: “The Favorite dog is chasing ducks on the water; Then the ducks said to her: “You are suffering in vain, you have the strength to chase us, but you don’t have the strength to catch us.” The sonorous barking of dogs and the quack of ducks attracted interested guests of Peterhof to this fountain.

Fountain “Whale”

A pond was once dug at this place, in which Peter I wanted to replicate the Versailles Neptune fountain and build an artificial Mount Parnassus on the slope. But the reservoir, dug and surrounded by a dam in 1724-1727, stood without decoration for sixteen years, and only in 1739-1740 the Sand (or Sterlyazhiy) pond - as the reservoir was called - was decorated with large sculptures “with water flowing from the mouth and head.” In the center was placed a seven-meter wooden fabulous “Whale Fish”, on the sides of which lead “sea bulls” (dragons) swam. Brightly colored figures, clearly standing out on the mirror surface of the pond, gave the name to the new fountain

In 1800, the old wooden figures were dismantled, and the fountain became a managerial type with four dolphins. In 1963, during the post-war restoration of this section of the Lower Park, the fountain was recreated according to 19th-century drawings. Now a metal ball rests and rotates on the stream from the fountain

“Management” fountains

The author of these amazing fountains was again the brilliant Emperor Peter I, according to whose design special nozzles for fountain pipes were cast, which made it possible to create giant 15-meter columns of fountains, which were in fact hollow inside. That is why, by the middle of the 19th century, the name “Menagernye” was assigned to them, which translated from French means “thrifty”. The design of the fountains has reached us unchanged. In the second half of the 18th century, powerful water columns raised empty copper balls, which, when the jets were turned off, fell into a basket

The restoration of the "Menazherny" fountains after the fascist occupation was greatly complicated by the fact that the drawings of Peter I - and only through persistent experiments it was possible to achieve the previous shape of the jets. Thus, hollow fountains were completely revived in 1949

View from the Marlinsky shaft of Peterhof to the “Golden Mountain” and the “managerial” fountains, in the foreground - the garden of Venus, in the background - the garden of Bacchus

Another perspective

Fountains “Clochy”

In 1724, in the Marly region, they decided to build four fountains, also dedicated to the plots of Aesop’s fables, but the plan was not implemented, and the figures of four “Tritons”, created in 1721 from bronze, were transferred to the prepared places from the arches of the Grand Cascade grotto. At the end of the 18th century, wooden bowls with tubes from which water flowed over the heads of the Tritons were replaced by flat disks with a conduit outlet in the center. The water flowing out under low pressure forms a semblance of a bell and the “Tritons” are surrounded by a transparent veil, as if they are in their native element of the underwater kingdom. After replacing the bowls with disks, the fountains began to be called “Cloches”, which translated from French means “bells”

"Cloches" were completely destroyed by the Nazis, but in 1955 they were recreated based on old photographs and documents that have reached us.

Separately, I would like to dwell on the grottoes of the Grand Cascade, which have no analogues anywhere in the world

Grottoes of the Grand Cascade

To provide the fountains of Peterhof with sufficient water pressure around the clock, Peter the Great thought through everything to the smallest detail, from choosing a suitable location for the construction of a palace and park ensemble and ending with the development of a water supply system that works on the principle of difference in levels, thanks to which today there are no water structures or pumps in Peterhof - water flows through the canal by gravity!

At first, the emperor believed that the waters of the nearby Okhotsk swamp would be enough for the long-term operation of the Peterhof fountains, but this turned out to be not enough and he had to look for additional sources, which were discovered only 25 km from the Upper Park, on the Ropshinskaya Upland. The result is a very complex system: there are 24 storage ponds alone! The photo shows one of the storage ponds - the Red Pond. Previously, these levers were used to open the iron barrier in the pond

View from the Grand Cascade to the Sea Canal and the Gulf of Finland

Another access to the Gulf of Finland

Water flows from everywhere into the Samsonovsky basin, from where it branches into three paths: the first - through ponds and channels into the English Pond and the Verkhnesadsky Canal; the second - along the Olginsky water conduit to the Upper Garden and Lower Park; the third - through underground pipes to individual groups of fountains and cascades of the Lower Park

The Upper and Lower Grottoes, built in 1716-1720 according to the plans of Peter I, are the architectural center of the Great Cascade of Peterhof. The grottoes are lined with tuff and decorated with marble and gilded sculptures. The Lower Grotto also has its own joker fountains. Here you can also see tunnels with water pipes and an exhibition dedicated to the work of fountain artists of the past

This closed door leads to the entrance to the Grand Palace

Upper or Small Grotto, the walls and ceiling of which are lined with tuff

There are lamps built into the walls so that it’s not scary to walk here)

Along the way, here and there there are skylights like this

An exhibition dedicated to those who serviced the fountains of Peterhof in the past

To each fountain, water runs through pipes of different colors. For example, in this photo the red pipe leads to “Samson”, and the pink pipe leads to the “Basket” fountain.

The evolution of pipes...

Lower or Large Grotto

Golden sculptures look unusual against such a background, to put it mildly)

But plaster busts fit much more organically into the surrounding stone “landscape”

In 1721, Peter I ordered the creation of a “splash table” in the grotto of the Grand Cascade, which can be seen here today - the oval table is equipped with invisible nozzles along the edges, the water from which covers the careless visitor bending over the table =)

In 1723, the emperor came up with another joke for the guests - Peter I ordered the construction of water curtains that unexpectedly covered the entrances to the grotto)

And here is the exit from the grottoes

Few people have seen what Peterhof looks like at night) Well, look =)

The sound of water is mesmerizing. As they say, you can look at the water endlessly. The fountains of Peterhof are an impressive combination of human labor and natural elements. It is not surprising that this vacation spot is one of the most popular among tourists in St. Petersburg and the Leningrad region. I dedicate this post to the Lower Park of Peterhof, where most of the fountains are located.

On a note

• Of course, it’s better to go here on a sunny day, when the gold will shine in all its glory and the splashes of water will look most impressive in the rays of light. However, keep in mind that the fountains turn off at 18:00 on weekdays, an hour later on weekends, so you shouldn’t rely too much on the “golden hour” to take beautiful photos.
• There are a lot of people here! If you have the opportunity, come on a day other than the weekend, otherwise it will be difficult for you to find a place among the huge number of tourists, and you will have to stand in a long line to get into the park. We went on a weekday, however notice how many people are in the photos. The peak of the influx of tourists is June-July. And also, don’t be lazy to get up early, the fountains open from 10 am.

How to get there from St. Petersburg

By bus, minibus

The easiest way, in my opinion, is to take a bus or minibus from the Avtovo metro station. Buses No. 200 and 210 and minibuses No. 224, 300, 424, 424-A run here. A bus ride will cost 65 rubles, and students with BSC do not need to pay. The minibus is a little more expensive, 70 rubles, but it’s also about 10 minutes faster. Without traffic jams, the bus takes about 40 minutes; the minibus can get there in half an hour if you’re lucky.

Minibuses also run from the metro station "Leninsky Prospekt" (No. 103, 224, 420), from "Prospekt Veteranov" (No. 343, 639-b), from "Baltiyskaya" (404).

The stop is located at the Upper Garden, entrance to which is free. It is also beautiful here and worth a walk. The territory, however, is small. I especially liked the plants that were shaped into balls. In general, landscape designers do a great job here. The Lower Park is located between the Grand Palace and the bay. The ticket office and the entrance to the Lower Park are located on the left side of the palace if we are facing it.

By train

There is a train from the Baltic Station to the New Peterhof station. Trains in the direction of Oranienbaum, Kalishche and Lebyazhye are suitable for us. The ticket price is about 60 rubles, and the travel time is approximately 40 minutes.

In this case, I do not recommend taking the train. Only if there are traffic jams on the roads, and you can get stuck for a long time, then you can use railway transport. The main disadvantage of this method is that you will have to take a bus from the station. You can, of course, walk there, but if you came to see the fountains, it’s not worth it. We didn't have enough day to see everything. The so-called “troika” buses are suitable: No. 344, No. 348, No. 350, No. 351, No. 352, No. 355, No. 356. We go to the stop Pravlenskaya street. The conductor usually tells you when to get off. About 10 minutes in time.

By car

The route by car is quite simple, you need to follow the St. Petersburg Highway to the Upper Garden, and behind it, judging by the map, there are more or less spacious parking lots. I don't have a car, so I won't give any advice here. As tourists write, you shouldn’t leave your car in unauthorized places - it will be quickly picked up by a tow truck.

On a meteor

There is another, fast and interesting, but quite expensive, way to get to Peterhof. These are the so-called “meteors”, which are also called “rockets”. Meteors depart from the Palace Bridge and the Hermitage. The cost of one-way tickets is 750 rubles, round trip – 1300. For privileged categories of citizens (students, pensioners, disabled people, veterans) 500 and 900 rubles, for children 3-12 years old – 400 and 700 rubles, respectively. Children under three years old travel free of charge. Prices may vary slightly as travel is carried out by different companies. In normal mode meteors typically travel every half hour, about the same travel time. Please note that, like any water transport, rockets to Peterhof are dependent on the weather. High waves can be dangerous for ships and passengers, so if there are strong winds, flights may be delayed or even cancelled.

About the Lower Park of Peterhof

The history of the Lower Park is inextricably linked with the history of Peterhof. Sometimes Peterhof is called Petrodvorets. This was the name of the city from 1944 to 1997. Both names indicate that its history is connected with the name I. Construction of the imperial estate began here in the 1710s. Before this, Peterhof was used as a pier for moving to Kotlin Island, where Kronshdadt is located.

Over the course of 10 years, most of the buildings in the Lower Park were built, as well as a system of fountains. Construction was carried out according to the drawings and drawings of the king, who learned a lot from the countryside royal residences of Europe. Foreign architects also worked on the creation of the palace and park ensemble. And the water supply system, the total length of which, by the way, is 40 km, was created according to the design of engineer V. Tuvolkov. Perhaps such a scale of construction was influenced by victories over Swedish troops. And Luxurious Peterhof became a symbol of Russian power. In 1723 Peterhof, which means “Peter’s Court,” was inaugurated.

The city slowly grew, but after the death of I it was forgotten for some time. After 5 years, construction resumed on the initiative of Anna Ioannovna.

A new stage in the development of the ensemble occurred during the reign of Empress Elizabeth Petrovna, under whom Peterhof acquired an even more solemn appearance. Rastrelli supervised the construction.

There were some changes under Catherine II. And in 1857, under Emperor Alexander II, a railway was opened connecting the imperial residence with St. Petersburg.

In 1918 the area became a museum. The park suffered setbacks. The fountain system was poorly maintained and a flood nearly destroyed it. Work began on restoration, but the park was destroyed during the Great Patriotic War. Restoration began as soon as the opportunity arose.

Today it is a popular destination for tourists who want to admire the beauty of the fountains. The lower park stretches along the coast of the Gulf of Finland for 2 km, and its area is slightly more than 100 hectares (1 square kilometer). There are about 150 fountains, many sculptures and plants. The Lower Park is part of the Peterhof State Museum-Reserve, and in 1990 the ensemble was included in the UNESCO World Cultural Heritage List.

Fountains and other attractions of the Lower Park

There are interesting objects at every step in the Lower Park, I’ll try to systematize them. I repeat that it is worth setting aside a whole day for a walk. We, of course, did so, but did not have time to catch some of the fountains in working form. I'll tell you what we remember. I'm sure you will discover something new for yourself. It’s better to open the map in full size if you want to study it in more detail. Although even from this picture it is clear which parts of the park have more fountains.

Let's start with the central part, which opens before us from the heights of the Upper Garden. The view is impressive! Lots of fountains, beautiful lawns and trees. You can walk along the terrace and admire the fountains from above, and from here you have a view of the Big Samsonovsky Canal, behind which is the blue bay.

On the way to the center of the composition, we came to the Sand Pond, in the center of which, of course, there is a fountain called "Whale", since previously a stream came from the head of a whale fish, but the sculpture has not been preserved. But in the pond there live real fish, willingly eating the treats of tourists, although it seems that feeding the fish is prohibited.

On the way to the Grand Cascade we pass by the Bolshoi "Italian" fountain, which was clearly visible from above. The same, only Big "French" the fountain is on the other side of the center.

And now we come to the famous Great Cascade, which can be called the calling card of Peterhof. It is worthy of a separate post, since there are many fountains, sculptures, and a lot of other interesting things. The grandeur of the structure is impressive, but the sound of the water is drowned out by the voices of tourists. Sunlit fountains look very impressive against the background of stone grotto, which also has excursions inside. In fact, this is a separate topic, but I recommend visiting there and seeing the work of the fountains, so to speak, from the inside. In fact, what kind of system is hidden from us underground! The fountains of the Grand Cascade are launched daily at 11.00.

The main figure of the Grand Cascade is Samson fountain. The sculptural group with the hero tearing the mouth of a lion was installed in honor of the victory over the Swedes on the day of St. Sampson the Host.

Behind the Great Cascade there is a palace and a church adding to the splendor, and in front of it - Grand Canal With fountain alley, leading to the bay. They serve as a kind of gate Voronikhinsky colonnades to the right and left of the channel. In general, there is a lot of symmetry in the park. From the bridges across the canal you can enjoy a classic view of the central composition of the park.

If you go straight along the canal, we will come out to Petrodvortsovaya Harbor, where the meteors arrive. And from here you can see the dome of the Naval Cathedral in Kronstadt! By the way, about the sea. Here on the shore is Museum "Imperial Yachts", dedicated to the history of the Baltic and Neva fleets. The shore is not so crowded, and you can take a short break.

Where to eat

In case you get really hungry, there is food in the park. The menu consists of three sections. The most budget-friendly is the “Tourist menu. Bistro”, where for a minimum of 450 rubles you can pack a lunch for one of salad, soup, hot food and a drink. In general, the place is far from cheap. As those who dined here write, the check automatically includes 10% of the cost of the order for service.

In the eastern part of the park there is also a restaurant “Big Orangery”. Prices are approximately the same as in Shtandart.

For those who didn’t come here to dine, there is usually a summer cafe near the bay. Here you can snack on fast food or cool off with ice cream. However, taking advantage of the fact that you can’t re-enter the park with one ticket, and tourists want to eat, the park’s cafes and restaurants greatly inflate their prices.

We, as a rule, take food with us from home, which is what I recommend. If the weather is good, it's great to have a snack on the bayside. Don't forget to stock up on water in advance. And in cold weather, tea from a thermos will warm you up.

Stands on the coast Monplaisir Palace, which translates from French as “my pleasure.” In general, the word palace is associated with something grandiose, rich, and decorated with gold. Monplaisir seemed quite cozy to me. This low building does not look too pretentious; it does not have the pomp inherent in many palaces.

And behind the building it’s beautiful garden with fountains and sculptures. By the way, the white and blue vases are very similar to those in the Summer Garden of St. Petersburg. This place is also associated with Peter I; here is his summer house, one of the first buildings in the city.

Not far from the palace we found fountain "Sun". It is interesting not only because of its shape, but also because it is a mechanical fountain. Actually, what it is: hidden in the pedestal is a water wheel that rotates under the influence of water. The rotation is transmitted to the column, and the “solar” disk slowly rotates. In fact, fountains have some kind of eye-catching power. You look, look, and then you involuntarily rejoice when the “Sun” turns towards you.

There is another mechanical one in Peterhof fountain "Favorite", and we missed it. It is located behind the western Voronikhinsky colonnade, so don’t forget to look there. By the way, the fountain also quacks and barks, but I won’t reveal all the secrets)

Another interesting type of fountains is the joker fountains, beloved by children (and not only others). This kind of fun was common in the West in the 17th-18th centuries. The fountains suddenly turn on and refresh the vacationers with water (or douse them, depending on your luck). Such entertainment in Peterhof is located along Monplaisir Alley. These are the fountains “Sofas”, “Oak”, “Umbrella” (or “Mushroom”), “Fir-trees” and “Water Road”, which turns on every day at 13.00, 14.00 and 15.00 for 1 minute. The remaining fountains work frequently.

On a note

• If you are traveling with children, they will probably want to have fun, and, of course, they will get wet. It is better to take spare clothes than to forbid your child to run among the fountains and feel like their master.
• Bring a light jacket with you, this applies not only to children. There can be wind on the bay, especially in the evening.

Along the Monplaisir Alley we come out into a beautiful area with Roman fountains, “Chess Mountain” and an abundance of flowers. Name "Roman" fountains received because they resemble the stone water cannons on the Saint's Square in Rome. This type of two-tier fountains was common in the 18th century. But even today they delight with their beauty. Some of my favorites.

Cascade "Chess Mountain" itself did not impress me so much (by the way, it is also called the “Dragon Cascade” because of the figures of dragons installed on the top of the mountain. Statues of ancient gods decorate the sides of the cascade, and there are also stairs here that you can climb up.

The view from above is very beautiful. We wanted to get a better look at it from the lawn, but a security guard quickly noticed us and asked us not to walk on the lawns. So be careful, it seems like you can be fined. In general, the park is very clean and well-groomed, it’s a pleasure to the eye.

The last fountain that we found in working order is "Pyramid"– the most abundant water in the Lower Park. This is 505 jets creating a water cloud in the form of a cascade. The first word that came to my mind when I saw the fountain was “fluffy.” Thanks to the fine spray and dense arrangement of the jets, it looks like a soft cloud.

The easternmost fountain of the Lower Park is "Labyrinth" It is interesting not so much for the fountain itself, but for the shape of the plantings around it. Actually, the path itself is quite simple, but children will probably find it interesting to run around here. However, the green fence around the plants still spoils the view, in my opinion. But without her there would be no labyrinth. In the pond we also met cute ducks with ducklings. By the way, for some reason it is not marked with a circle on the map, although its outlines are already visible.

As for the western part of the park, it is smaller. She is famous Palace of Marly and the surrounding ponds and gardens. The building itself is small, and, like the Monplaisir Palace, without unnecessary pomp.

The cascades are known from the fountains of this part. "Golden Mountain" is a large staircase with gilded steps. Thanks to this technique, an interesting play of light and water is created.

"Lion Cascade" decorated with bronze sculptures of lions. This is the only cascade in the park, located not on a slope. Previously at this place was The Hermitage Cascade, destroyed during the war, so called because of its close location to pavilion "Hermitage", which stands on the shore of the bay.

With this, I think I will finish the description of the attractions of the Lower Park. I think everyone will find a fountain to their liking here. But each of them is beautiful and interesting in its own way.

Opening hours and cost

Now about when to go and how much money to take.
Fountains, as you know, do not work in winter. The opening and closing of the season is celebrated a ceremony with fireworks, which takes place at the end of May. in 2016 the expected date is May 21. But the fountains themselves will start working earlier - at the end of April.

The closing of the fountains is also accompanied by a festive show and usually takes place on the third weekend of September.

Entrance to the park is free out of season and open from 9:00 to 19:00.

In 2016, during the fountain season, the fountains are fully operational. ticket price to Nizhny Park for Russian citizens 450 rubles, discount ticket 250 rubles.

But for foreign citizens prices are higher. 700 and 350 rubles respectively.

Opening hours of the Lower Park

From Monday to Friday and Sunday, the Lower Park is open from 9:00 to 20:00.

Saturday 9:00 to 21:00. Ticket sales end half an hour before closing.

Fountain opening hours

On weekdays the fountains are open from 10:00 to 18:00.

On Saturday until 20:50.

On Sundays and holidays until 19.00.

Ticket prices and opening hours can be found at website Peterhof. Here you need to select the object you are interested in and click “Opening hours and prices”. Please note that the cost for foreigners is shown there by default. To view prices for citizens of our country and Belarus, you need to click “For tax residents of the Russian Federation and Belarus.” If you want to visit museums, check if the day of your trip falls on a weekend. As a rule, this is Monday. It is logical to assume that there will be fewer people on this day.

Anything to add?

Going to St. Petersburg, we knew for sure that we would visit Peterhof Park. To our great joy, the weather was wonderful and we were able to see the upper and lower parks, admire the stunning fountains of Peterhof, and also see other sights. Read on for our reviews, photos and detailed descriptions of a walk through the park, as well as other useful information: ticket prices, park opening hours and schedule.

There are many interesting sights in Peterhof, but we would like to dwell in more detail on the most important one - the Peterhof Palace and Park Ensemble.

Upper and lower park

The most visited park in the vicinity of St. Petersburg, Peterhof Park, is divided into two so-called levels - Upper and Lower Park. The area of ​​the park is more than 15 hectares, it’s good that a diagram is attached, so before you go for a walk, stock up on comfortable shoes, and also, just in case, you can take warm clothes, since the Gulf of Finland is located nearby, from which cold winds sometimes blow.

Entrance to the Upper Park is free; there are numerous fountains, walking paths, a lot of greenery, everything is neatly trimmed and laid out. If you look at it from the perspective of a pleasant pastime in the park, then everything is very good, everything has been so ennobled: the palaces have been restored, paths and fountains have been made, the lawns have been perfectly mowed, and evening and night lighting have been installed. But personally, we would be more pleased to see not new buildings, but more ancient buildings from tsarist times.

Still, there is no sense of history in this place, but this does not mean that crowds of tourists will stop visiting Peterhof Park; we are sure that it will become more and more attractive for visiting, along with which we wrote about earlier.

Our photos and reviews

Neptune - the largest fountain in the Upper Park

Fountains of Peterhof

The lower part contains the main attractions of Peterhof - stunning fountains. It was precisely to see them that we, like the crowds of tourists, came to Peterhof. There are more than 60 fountains in the entire park. And in Nizhny there is the culmination of the entire park in Peterhof - the Great Cascade, which is the key element, as conceived by the architect, in the entire palace and park ensemble, and is also considered one of the largest fountain structures in the world.

The large cascade consists of three waterfall staircases, a huge number of fountains and more than 300 sculptures and bas-reliefs on ancient themes. Well, and of course, the sculpture of Samson, which crowns not only the waterfall cascade, but also the palace and park ensemble itself in Peterhof.

Gulf of Finland - view from the park

We believe that the Gulf of Finland is also, to some extent, a landmark of Peterhof. It’s not for nothing that the city of Peterhof itself was founded on its shore. The embankment and pier of the Gulf of Finland are landscaped and equipped with benches where you can sit and admire the scenery.

During our trip, several tourists even managed to swim in the Gulf of Finland, although it is generally known that the water area of ​​the bay is very polluted and it is difficult to swim in it. strictly prohibited. But you can go on excursion boats for a reasonable fee, but we, apparently, were not in the mood for boat trips and did not do it.

Gulf of Finland in Peterhof

The pier where water transport with tourists from St. Petersburg arrives

What to do in Peterhof Park

In addition to the fact that you can simply walk and see the sights in Peterhof Park, there are also various activities for tourists to have a good time. Each palace in Peterhof has its own excursion program, and for an additional paid ticket, you get the opportunity to look inside. By the way, we did get to Petrodvorets itself, and not without incident, but photography and video shooting are prohibited there, so, unfortunately, there are no photographs left for memory, only memories. It should be noted that in, which we wrote about earlier, you can take photographs, and besides, we liked it much more than Petrodvorets in Peterhof.

So, when we approached Petrodvorets and asked how we could get inside for an excursion, we were surprised when we were told that it was impossible to go into the Peterhof Palace, all tickets had been sold and excursions had been held (and it was about two o’clock in the afternoon). At this time, to the side of the ticket office, we noticed animated people, from whom we learned that an additional 200 tickets would be allocated within an hour, and that they were compiling a list of those wishing to get in, and there were a lot of them. And this is where the adventures began, if anyone has ever stood in such queues, they will understand that everyone wanted to manage and get through before their neighbor. From such an organization of the visit to the palace, the impression of it turned out to be somehow blurred and we left it with the thought: “Or maybe it wasn’t worth going to Petrodvorets?”

There are joker fountains in the Peterhof park that will not leave either adults or children indifferent. This fun has been preserved since tsarist times. Children really like these fountains, so, just in case, bring a change of clothes for your child.

Also, various excursion trains and mini buses run through the park, which will give you the opportunity to relax and at the same time take you around the park.

Large fountain-cracker

Sights of Peterhof outside the park

When we left the park, we still had the desire and strength to see other sights of Peterhof, but, to my great regret, our opinions were divided, and therefore we did not see much. However, we stopped near the cathedral, which fascinates with its appearance. This is the current Orthodox Cathedral of Peter and Paul in Peterhof, in which services were held at that time. The cathedral has an observation deck from which an amazing view of Peterhof opens.

A very noticeable house in Peterhof

How to get to Peterhof from St. Petersburg

There are a lot of options to get from St. Petersburg to the park and see the sights of Peterhof, for every taste.

First option, You can get there by minibus or bus, which depart from the metro stations Baltiyskaya, Kirovsky Zavod, Avtovo, Leninsky Prospekt, Prospekt Veteranov. It’s very easy to see the minibuses; they all have Peterhof or fountains written on them. The stop where you get off in Peterhof is called Fountains.

Second option, for those who like a calm, measured ride, you can get to Peterhof by train, which departs from the Baltiysky station (Baltiyskaya metro station) to the New Peterhof station. From this station to the park, in good weather, you can walk (about 3 km) or take a bus.

VIEW ELECTRIC TRAIN SCHEDULE

Third option the most romantic, you can get there by water or sail on a meteor. A meteor or rocket is a ship on air wings. They depart from the piers of the Palace and Admiralteyskaya embankments and arrive directly at the Lower Park of Peterhof.

Fourth option The one we chose and probably the most convenient is by car. The easiest way to get from St. Petersburg is along the Petergofskoe highway, or along the Ring Road with an exit to Ropshinskoe highway and then along the St. Petersburgskoe highway to Petergof. The road is generally not bad, but if you drive during rush hour, you can be stuck in traffic jams for a long time. There are no problems with parking either - there is a large paid parking lot, as well as a free parking lot just to the side.

Fifth option- the most convenient way to get to know Peterhof and find out all the most interesting details. All you need to do is book an excursion to Peterhof from St. Petersburg. Prices for excursion tours start from 600 rubles. You can learn more about the excursions by clicking on the offers below.

Excursions to Peterhof

Operating mode

The lower park and fountains in Peterhof are open daily, seven days a week, opening hours from 09:00 to 20:00, ticket offices are open from 09:00 to 19:30, fountains (on weekdays) - from 10:00 to 18:00, on Sunday and holidays opening hours from 10:00 to 19:00. The grand launch of the Grand Cascade takes place every day at 11:00.

On Saturdays, the park in Peterhof is open from 9:00 to 21:00, ticket offices are from 9:00 to 20:30, fountains are open from 10:00 to 20:50. More detailed information on opening hours and tickets to the palaces and museums of the park, opening and closing of fountains can be found on the official website of the palace and park complex.

Address: 198516, St. Petersburg , Peterhof, st. Adjustable, 2.

http://www.peterhofmuseum.ru/ - Peterhof Park official website.

Ticket prices

For foreign visitors:
— entrance ticket for adults – 500 rubles, after turning off the fountains – 100 rubles;
- pupils, students and cadets - 250 rubles, after turning off the fountains - 50 rubles.
For citizens of the CIS:
- adult on weekdays - 300 rubles, on weekends - 400 rubles, after the fountains are turned off - 50 rubles;
— pupils, students and cadets on weekdays – 150 rubles, on weekends – 200 rubles, after the fountains are turned off – 20 rubles;
- preferential categories of citizens on weekdays - 200 rubles, on weekends - 250 rubles, after the fountains are turned off - 20 rubles.

Where to stay in Peterhof

Many, including us, come to Peterhof for one day, but after walking around the park and going to Petrodvorets, you are left with the feeling that you haven’t seen everything, so we recommend staying overnight in Peterhof itself and not returning to St. Petersburg, because Moreover, all conditions have been created for this.