Fountains of Peterhof. Lower park in Peterhof Peterhof Palace fountains

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

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

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

The Peterhof ensemble began to revive 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 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 during the war could not destroy it - they took it home ... The restoration of the Great Peterhof Palace began in 1952, and 12 years later, on May 17, 1964, the first halls of the reconstructed museum were opened

Today all the palaces of Peterhof and all its parks are part of the state museum-reserve "Peterhof"

The most outstanding building of the Peterhof ensemble is the Grand Peterhof Palace, proudly towering over the Grand Cascade leading to the park area. From the 18th to the 20th century, 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 "Peter's Baroque" style and was completed by 1925, after which the palace was gradually completed in the "mature baroque" style. There is a decorative grotto under the palace, which I will write about at the end.

The park zone of Peterhof is divided into the Upper and Lower parks, on the territory of which there is a complex of fountains, equal to which in beauty and number there is no other place in the world. The lower park occupies 102 and a half hectares and is fed by a 22-kilometer aqueduct originating from underground springs near Ropsha. Palace from Lower park separates the previously mentioned Grand Cascade. In its center is the Samson fountain, the stream of which rushes up to 20 meters, and on both sides there are the Italian and French Large fountains, behind which the colonnades rise. 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 its beautiful alleys of blue spruce on both sides - it was planned to plant a European spruce in their place, but information about whether this initiative was implemented, I am at this moment do not have = (

Upper garden

The Upper Garden is located on the other side of the Grand Palace, above the natural slope that separates 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 Peterhof. The dominant feature of the Upper Park is the Neptune fountain, decorated with many medieval sculptures

Another decoration of the Upper Park is the four marble sculptures of the Italian Giovanni Bonazza, installed in 1757 - "Zephyr", "Pomona", "Flora" and "Vertumn"

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 quite 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, in fact, the sea lord himself rises with an invariable trident in his hand. From the four sides of the pedestal of masks of sea monsters, water jets beat

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 lead details, as well as figures of a boy and a girl made of bronze. Neptune is also "protected" by riders on sea horses with wings (hippocampus), who chase dolphins. In addition to the pedestal, there are dolphins in the fountain basin itself - 8 symmetrically located figures

On the south side of the pool there is a small three-stage cascade, over which a bronze statue of Apollo Belvedere is installed instead of the old deformed lead statue "Winter". Only now both Neptune and Apollo appeared here later - at first, in 1736, in the center of the pool was installed the "Neptunov's Cart" created by Rastrelli from lead, but later it became dilapidated and in 1798 was replaced by the one created in Nuremberg long before that (back in XVII century) 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 hippocampus, which, according to ancient Greek myths, were considered the kings of fish - respectively, they have fins and a fish tail)

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

But what an incident happened ... When everything was almost ready, it suddenly turned out that the masters had miscalculated and for such a monumental fountain group there was simply not enough water in the very rivers Regnitz and Pegnitz ... So I had to disassemble and put everything aside "until better times" ... In the photo - the same Apollo Belvedere, later attached to the already rich fountain group

"The 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 the fountain unnecessary for the city, the local authorities decided to replenish the budget, so they offered the future Russian Tsar Paul, very handy who came here during his trip to Western Europe to buy "Neptune" from them. The Nuremberg authorities were lucky - Pavel decided to show them how rich his state was and without hesitation bought the fountain group for crazy money at that time - 30,000 rubles. To celebrate, the Nuremberg residents announced that they themselves would deliver the sculptural composition to Russia)

By this time, to replace the Peterhof "Neptunova Cart", a bronze "Neptune and Tritons" was cast, but they did not have time to install it - another one is connected with this interesting story... Just at that moment, the tsar decided that the Nuremberg "Neptune" was the best fit for Peterhof both in scale and grandeur, only he wanted to put it not in the Upper Park, but in the Lower. It would have been installed there, if it had not turned out that the pool that fed the "Kit" fountain, instead of which it was planned to erect the Nuremberg group, was not able to meet the needs of "Neptune" in water. Therefore, it was decided to replace the "Neptunova Cart" with it, for which it was necessary to make a new pedestal of granite and significantly correct the water supply system. As a result, in 1799, the Peterhof collection was replenished with another outstanding fountain)

"Neptune" seems to have been specially created in order to be installed in Peterhof - so organically it fit into the ensemble of the Upper Garden. In the 19th century, the Germans realized what kind of treasure they sold to Russia and tried to get their legacy back, but to no avail - the result of many years of negotiations was only that in April 1896 the 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 jets of "Neptune" poured again - during this time the statue of Apollo destroyed by the Nazis was recreated, and "Neptune" returned to the "legal" pedestal

Thus, today in the center of the Upper Park of Peterhof rises a proud sea lord surrounded by four gushing mascarons on a high pedestal - it is perfectly visible from any point of the Upper Garden and from all windows of the palace

Fountain "Mezheumny"

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

Initially, in 1738, a lead "Andromeda" was installed in this pool - from that moment on its place several more sculptures visited, 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 named "Mezheumny", that is, "undefined"

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 stand for a long time - in 1929, a cast-iron vase from the Oak Basin was installed in the center of the pool. The special interior decoration of this vase made the pressure of the jet unstable - it either rose or fell

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

Fountain "Oak"

Further south, at the very entrance to the Upper Park, in the middle of another round pool there is a hexagonal star with dolphins at the edges, in the center of which there is a gilded marble "Boy with a mask"

This fountain also originally looked different - in 1734 the lead "Oak" of Rastrelli 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 connected with the annual sprinkling of the flags of the Peterhof regiments with "holy water" in the presence of the Empress - for this a platform was laid in the pool, which, most likely, was hindered by the "Oak" towering in the center

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

Fountains of the Square Ponds

The oldest reservoirs of 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, it was 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 the fountains were returned to their former appearance

In this photo - the Fountain of Italian Venus, 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 also a couple of palaces, museums, gardens and pavilions - so we will start with them =)

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 shrubs, many sculptures and pavilions come from. In the photo - a vase located on the Marly 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 most beloved palace of the king.

The compositional center of Peterhof is the Great Peterhof Palace, towering on a 16-meter ledge, from which the Lower Park stretches out to the Gulf of Finland by a two-kilometer ribbon

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 the western ones lead 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 - here three alleys begin, crossing the park from west to east

The lower park has several self-sufficient architectural and park ensembles with their palaces and fountains. In the center of the main ensemble is the Grand Palace with a cascade, the centers of the remaining ensembles are " Large greenhouse", the palaces of Monplaisir and Marly. Below in the photo is the very same Big greenhouse, built in 1722-1725 according to the project of Braunstein and Zemtsov

The park is planted with trees brought from different parts of Russia and from abroad, and the best masters were invited to lay out flower beds. The parks of Peterhof were well looked after, so today you can stroll through the real parks of the 18th century and admire the 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 planted here again, flower beds and other elements of the park were restored, but the restoration is still going on.

Monument to Peter I

The variety of park alleys leaves the impression of versatility and dissimilarity of one place to another, this effect is created due to the huge number of trees and flowers of different types

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

Anyone interested in reading about fountains right away - go straight to the third page) But I would still advise you to get acquainted first with the general picture within the framework of the Monplaisir and Marlin Gardens, and only then proceed 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 by two perpendicular alleys into 4 small sections, in the center of each of which there are fountains with gilded bronze statues on pedestals. Their characteristic feature is that water pours from the pedestals in smooth bells, which is why they are called so - bell fountains. The sculptures of the fountains were installed here in 1817 instead of the lead counterparts. Of course, each has its own "name" - "Satyr with a goat", "Apollino", "Psyche" and "Bacchus"

A Chinese Garden is laid out near the Monplaisir Palace - it adjoins the Assembly Hall and the Bath Building. The sculptural group "Cupid and Psyche" and the "Sink" fountain are located in the garden.

Cracker fountains are an interesting decoration of the Lower Park. The first of them were two sofas in the Monplaisir Garden, intended to douse guests who decided to take a break) Two more firecrackers appeared here in the late 18th - early 19th centuries. In 1803, the metal "Dubok" created according to the project of Rastrelli was moved from the Upper Park to the Lower Park, which was hardly restored after the war. The Chinese Umbrella fountain, which appeared here in 1796, was also recreated. Not far from “Dubka” there are “Fir-trees”, built in 1784. In front of the nearby cascade “Chess Mountain” there are “Roman” twin fountains, each of which consists of two octahedrons located on top of each other, trimmed with white, pink and gray marble and small bronze details covered with gilding

On both sides of the southern part of the Monplaisir Alley are the Menagerie Garden with the Sun fountain, as well as two Aviary pavilions and marble statues

In 1774-1775, on a site called “menagerie” (in French menagerie), the imperial bathhouse was built, in the center of which was installed the “Sun” fountain, which sprayed the bathers. It was arranged like this: two bronze discs 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 streams escaping from them resemble the Sun and its rays, under which 16 dolphins "bask". The pool of the fountain can be seen from afar, due to its vast area of ​​almost 2,100 m2 - it occupies the main part of the Menagerie Garden

To supply the "Sun" from the general water supply system of the Lower Park, a separate pipe has been set aside. Previously, the fountain was, for some unknown reason, surrounded by the high walls of the royal baths, which were dismantled in 1926, after which the fountain immediately organically blended into the surrounding landscape. The surrounding dolphins were destroyed by the Nazis and recreated only in 1956-1957.

The wooden enclosures of the Menagerie Garden have come down to us as they were created, which can be considered a kind of miracle, given the scale of the past wars. Outside, the 12-sided enclosures of "Aviaries" are faced with stone. We will talk about them a little later.

Bath building

In the east of the Lower Park of Peterhof there is a Bath building, which includes rooms for guests of Peter I, executed in the oriental style, as well as other buildings for ceremonial and domestic purposes

From the east to the guest quarters, there is a Soap House for Cavaliers with an amazing "sprinkler" ball installed in the center of the octahedral pool, around which 265 jets suddenly take off

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

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

In the Assembly Hall you can admire the unique tapestries of 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 the project of Rastrelli for holding court balls. In the second half of the 18th century, the interiors were redesigned in the classicist style, and under Alexander I, Empire paintings dedicated to the events of the war of 1812 were added to the classical elements.

The Catherine's building contains a rare collection of Russian furniture and items made of French bronze - for example, the press on the table of Alexander I is decorated with real cannonballs from the Battle of Borodino, and crystal and porcelain items are decorated with portraits of the heroes of this battle. The pearl of the collection of the Catherine's 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 parterre of the Lower Park of Peterhof, which begins with the Grand Cascade, is closed by the Voronikhinsky colonnades, decorated with gilded vases and domes. They are a kind of border between the parterre and the park. An interesting feature the colonnades are jets of water gushing straight 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 basement itself, stairs and sculptures of lions on them are made of rare pink granite

Under Peter I, small galleries made of wood were located 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 game on 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 facing, gilded fountain bowls made of lead were installed on the colonnades, the domes were covered with gold and water was brought to them. The porch of each colonnade was decorated with paired sculptures of lions

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

Marly Palace

The western part of the Lower Park of Peterhof is occupied by the Marly Palace and adjacent territories

The palace received its unusual name in memory of the visit of Peter the Great in 1717 to the French royal residence Marly-le-Roy near Paris, 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 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 cuboid shape, which gave its proportions some completeness and harmony

The Marly Palace, like other small palaces of Peterhof, is distinguished by modest decoration, and its peculiarity is the absence of a ceremonial hall, the role of which was played by the vestibule. A total of 12 rooms in the palace, access to which are 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 kept the personal wardrobe of Peter I and his other personal belongings, which were later transferred to the Hermitage

By the end of the 19th century, Marley was dilapidated, and cracks began to spread 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, the facades of Marly were restored, and in 1982 it was reopened as a museum

Today, the exposition of the palace includes the naval overcoat of Peter the Great and a caftan with the 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 himself. Also in Marly there is a collection of paintings collected by Peter I, which includes works of practically unknown Italian, Flemish and Dutch artists of the 17th-18th centuries.

The Marlin Garden is conditionally divided by the Big Pond into the Bacchus Garden (in which they intended to grow grapes, but did not succeed) and the Venus Garden (where fruits for the imperial table were grown). 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 Marly pond of the same name, and in the west - Sectoral ponds. All the Marly ponds were intended for breeding rare fish for the imperial table. By the way, today the tradition of raising fish in the Marlin ponds has been resumed, so here you can safely 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 by which Russian estates were subsequently built

The Hermitage Pavilion

In the westernmost part of the lower park, right on the seashore, rises a 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 - solitude for a close circle of people of the same position and similar interests, the peace of which no one and nothing should have disturbed. For this purpose, a special oval table for 14 persons was even installed on the second floor of the pavilion, the central part of which descended to the first floor, where the serving and arrangement of dishes took place, after which the table rose back to the second floor.

In order to order a dish, the guest only had to state his wishes in a note on a plate, then pull on the rope. The plate went down for a while, and then went up with ready-made food

This amazing table with a mechanism was destroyed during the Second World War, but its oak base is 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 today it looks the same as in the 18th century, for which the principle of setting the mechanisms in motion with the help of manual traction was preserved.

Bottom view

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

The principle of operation of the lift table is demonstrated on weekends, and on weekdays you can see the principle of its operation only on the TV screen in the pavilion.

The walls of the central hall, as in the 18th century, are still decorated with 124 canvases 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 graceful wooden pavilions-aviaries, the likes of which, according to the famous art critic Grabar, “are no longer in our country or in Europe”

The facades of the pavilions are faced with sea shells, tuff and ash, and the smooth lines of the domes give the silhouettes of the pavilions a special expressiveness.

Aviaries are today one of the few non-palace buildings of the Petrine era, on the walls of which the original painting of the 18th century is still preserved.

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

Today the Western Aviary is inhabited by finches, siskins, titmice, goldfinches, buntings, gnarlings, and overseas guests live in graceful wooden cages - finches, risquets, white-headed munias, astrildics and canaries. The eastern Aviary is inhabited by parrots of various species - macaw, gray, cockatoo, amazons, rosella, cockatiels, pionites and others.

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

Finally, let's 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 called the "Capital of Fountains" for a reason, because there are only a couple of palace and park ensembles in the world that are equal in luxury, and even then they are considered equal only because of their status, but in fact they are inferior to Peterhof both in luxury and saturation. We must thank Peter I for this, who, in order to implement his ideas, attracted the best masters of that time and himself constantly supervised the design and constantly made amendments and changes. Thanks to this approach, many fountains of Peterhof, having almost three centuries "behind them", are still not inferior to modern counterparts, although more than one technological revolution has taken place in the world since that time ...

The site for the construction of Peterhof was also chosen personally by Peter the Great, who found such a place, the landscape of which would make it possible to create a gravity-flowing water-supply system of fountains, which, unlike those in Versailles, could function constantly during the day. The principles of water supply, developed by Peter I, still work today, being a tacit proof of the undisputed talent of the founder of Peterhof. On July 8, 1721, a test run of the fountains took place, without even waiting for the water to approach through the main water conduit, and on July 13, the Grand Cascade was checked. After all the checks and improvements, on August 15, 1723, the grand opening of Peterhof took place, during which Peter I personally spoke for high-ranking guests as a guide to the new summer residence

After the opening, the 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 was formed in the Lower Park, numbering 4 cascades and more than 150 fountains, and in the Upper Garden - 5 fountains and one cascade

The Second World War caused serious damage to Peterhof, ranging from the abduction of sculptures and ending with blown up water conduits. After the war, restoration work began immediately - the Lower Park was opened already 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 parterre at the foot of the cascade is decorated with symmetrically located "Bowls" and "Marble Benches" fountains, and the Voronikhinsky colonnades complete the parterre. I already wrote earlier that the Sea Canal with the Alley of Fountains divides the Lower Park into the Eastern and Western parts, but I did not mention what is on their territory. So, in the western part of the Lower Park there are: the Chess Mountain cascade, the Orangery fountain, Roman fountains, the Adam fountain, the Sheaf fountain and the Bells fountains, the Sun fountain, the Pyramid fountain, fountains crackers. Fountains of the Eastern part: cascades "Lion" and " Golden mountain”,“ Favorite ”fountain,“ Eva ”fountain,“ Whale ”fountain,“ Menager ”fountains,“ Closhi ”fountains. Let's go through all the sights in order)

The grand cascade

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 sheer colossal size, the abundance of water used, the graphic variety of water cannons and the richness of the 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, a group of two tritons blowing into the shells, made by Rastrelli, was installed in the rupture of the marble balustrade - 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, water cannon jets and gilded sculptures alternating with vases

In the center of the site there is a Basket fountain, water from which rushes into the ladle along three waterfall steps

The cascade was built as a kind of continuation of the Great Peterhof Palace, which can be seen in its style and architecture: decor, subordinate 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, decorated with vases, balustrade in front of the terrace of the Upper Grotto of Peterhof

There are also such vases)

The cascade and grottoes have undergone many alterations and replacements of structural elements, as a result of which some of the bas-reliefs and decorative elements have disappeared, the action of the fountains in the grotto has ceased. Incomplete restoration in the middle of the 19th century led to a distortion of the original appearance of the entire structure

During World War II, all the decorative details of the Grand Cascade and the four largest sculptures that did not have time to be evacuated disappeared, but thanks to the selfless work of restorers and local residents, the cascade was opened on August 25, 1946, and a year later on a pedestal in a ladle channel, a powerful figure of "Samson" appeared, tearing the mouth of a lion - its restoration became possible thanks to the preserved pre-war photographs. The restoration of the Grand Cascade was completed in 1950

In 1995, seven-year restoration work was completed, which breathed new life to the Grand Cascade of Peterhof. The need to carry out these works was dictated by the dilapidation of the grottoes and underground utilities that provide the Great Cascade with water. During the restoration, it was decided to return the lost decorative elements to the cascade, evidence of which was found in documents of the past: drawings of architects and masters of fountain business, engravings and watercolors of the 18th-20th centuries

On June 4, 1995, the Grand Cascade was solemnly reopened - all 138 jets of one of the most perfect fountain structures in the world operating today soared up into the sky.

Fountain "Samson"

In general, it was initially planned to place in the center of the large cascade the figure of Hercules, killing the Lirnean hydra, but during the construction of Hercules it was decided to replace 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, with which Samson treats so badly, personifies Sweden, on whose coat of arms this very symbol still flaunts. As a result, we get a symbolic image of Peter the First, defeating Charles the Twelfth =)

"Samson" was installed in the center of the cascade in 1735, but later the lead group had to be replaced - so in 1802 a new bronze figure of Samson appeared here, at whose feet 8 dolphins frolic. 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, nevertheless, is in no way inferior to the original.

A jet from the lion's mouth rushes up to 21 meters

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

Fountains "Bowls"

On both sides of "Samson", in the center of the Big Flower Gardens, there are the same "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 with new ones made of Carrara marble. "Bowls" compositionally support the huge water column of "Samson" and harmonize the space of the parterre

Fountains "Marble Benches"

In the far corners of the Large Flower Gardens, in 1853-1856, interesting semicircular benches of white marble appeared, behind which, on high pedestals, 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 stands Danaida - one of the daughters of the Egyptian king Danae, 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 on the subjects of Aesop's fables, and the rest of the fountains to be made in the form of ordinary vases with flat bowls. The dilapidated vases were subsequently removed, leaving only 14 basins made of Carrara marble, in which they were once located. Today, only the eight stone pools closer to the gateway are reminiscent of the former baroque fountains. But even this is enough to form a magnificent crystal colonnade leading to the Grand Cascade.

View from one of the bridges of the Sea Canal to the palace

To avoid confusion, I decided that it would be better if we walk separately, first along the western and then along the eastern part of the Lower Park of Peterhof, so it is necessary to immediately write about the twin 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 Morskoy Canal, intersecting alleys form peculiar 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, “Eve” - in the western part. Both fountains are compositional and semantic dominants of the respective parts of the park and are located practically in their central points. Small areas with diverging rays of large and small alleys are formed around the fountains

The production of the sculptures was commissioned by the Venetian Giovanni Bonazza and it was initially assumed that they 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, retaining 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 into 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" was in the center of the fountain only in the fall of 1726, already under Catherine I

These fountains have powerful symbolism - the progenitors of the human race depict Peter I and Catherine I - the progenitors 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!

"Adama" and "Eve" are surrounded by gazebos that appeared here even before the fountains started working. They changed their appearance many times, but during the last restorations (in the 1970s near "Adam" and in 2000 near "Eve") they returned the appearance of those pavilions 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 are the Chess Mountain cascade, the Orangery fountain, the Roman fountains, the Sheaf fountain and the Bell fountains, the Sun fountain, the Pyramid fountain, firecracker fountains ... Let's dwell on them in more detail

Cascade "Chess Mountain"

Fountain cascade in the eastern part of the Lower Park at the end of the Monplaisir Alley in different times was called differently: "Small grotto", "Ruin cascade", "Dragons cascade". It has survived to this day under the name "Chess Mountain", it is easy to guess about the origin of this name)

The cascade was designed again by Peter I, who sought to achieve similarities with the Small Cascade of French Marly-le-Roy, but after the death of the king, the original design was changed, and the cascade completed by 1739 was named "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 cannons of the fountain

In the middle of the 18th century, the steps of the cascade were painted "like chess" and the cascade was called "Chess Mountain". The cascade consists of four ledges, on either side of which there are stairs decorated with white stone statues, and ends with a round pool

During the Second World War, the Nazis destroyed the Chess Mountain, and during the post-war restoration, the cascade was restored to its appearance, which had formed by the middle of the 18th century. The marble sculptures rescued from the invaders took their former places

Fountain "Triton"

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

The lead newt appeared here in 1726, but by 1876 it had to be replaced due to dilapidation, 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 the restoration was carried out according to the drawing from the album of the 18th century

Roman fountains

These twin fountains are modeled on the fountain in front of St. Peter's Basilica in Rome - hence the name. But Rastrelli developed a new project, keeping the general idea - initially the fountains were made of wood and only in 1800 were replaced with stone ones. Two-stage fountains, decorated with colored marble and various sculptural plastics (golden garlands, wreaths and mascarons), are located at the exit to the 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 bowls lined with lead - they were created in 1739

In 1763, Rastrelli completely remodeled the fountains and installed them on stone pedestals. All wooden parts have been painted marble

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

During the war, the Nazis damaged the marble facing of the pyramids, destroyed pools and blew up pipelines, but already in 1949 both Roman fountains were restored, and in 2007 they were completely restored

Fountain "Sheaf" and fountains "Bells"

The Monplaisir Palace is the favorite brainchild of Peter the Great, 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 him on the shore of the bay, completely planned out the Monplaisir garden adjacent to the building and meticulously 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 high tuff column from which a powerful stream of water gushes. The column is surrounded by 24 smaller inclined jets

At equal distances from the "Sheaf" there are four "Bells" 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 end with rounded discs, allowing the water to drain into the pool in a thin veil, creating the illusion of a glass bell

Fountain "Sun"

The already familiar fountain "Sun" 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, which were delivered to the imperial gardens from the Volga, as well as ducks, geese and swans swam.

Only in 1721-1724, Peter I ordered to install a fountain in the pool with twenty arcuate jets around the central water column rising from the surface of the pool water. Half a century later, the architect Felten made a bathing pool 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 column, at the top of which there were two discs with holes. The streams escaping from them resembled diverging rays of the sun, therefore 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 it is located separately from the ceremonial ensembles, on its own Pyramid Alley. "Pyramid" is one of the oldest and most beautiful fountains in Peterhof - as early as on August 20, 1725, the chamberlain of the Duke of Holstein (Peter III's father) Bergholz wrote: "There is no such large and beautiful water cannon, perhaps nowhere." "The fountain ... forms an interesting pyramid" - admitted the Frenchman De La Motre

The "Pyramid" also appeared under Peter the Great, who wished to build something like the Versailles "obelisk", but the resulting fountain did not at all resemble anything that had been built before him - for its amazing shape the fountain was named "The Pyramid". For the first time, the fountain was mentioned in the Petrovsky decree of the summer of 1721: “A water pyramid with small kashkadas, and a forest should be planted to it according to a maple, linden, or alder drawing, according to the place you look at”

Initially, the chief architect of Peterhof Michetti depicted on the sketch an exact copy of the Versailles three-sided "obelisk", but Peter I did not need a copy

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

As a result, today on a square platform, far from other ensembles, the amazing water "Pyramid" flaunts

In the autumn of the same 1721, the 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 to remove the fourth ledge of the cascade, and make the pool 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 then the fountain was also still far from the modern version - neither the usual bridges over the moat, nor the majestic balustrade were built yet - all this 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 shade and sinuousness of the "English gardens", neatly trimmed trees gave way to large trees, and the "Pyramid" finally got lost and isolated, which gave it a special charm and even some kind of surprise effect.

In 1770, a decree was issued on the execution of the fence and ledges of the "Pyramid" made of 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 flourishing classicism, which today has no analogues, it can only be compared with the aerial Cameron Gallery in Pushkin. It is this solemn appearance of the fountain that we can observe today

So how does 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 total mass 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 a 4-coal basin and flows in four five-step cascades into a shallow ditch 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 - at the end points of its movement and in places of battles, to erect obelisks resembling pyramids in shape. So the water "Pyramid" on the coast of the Gulf of Finland was a kind of monument to the victories of the 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 well as the whole of Peterhof taken together)

Crazy fountains

As I have already noted, the main feature of the Lower Park of Peterhof is the symmetry in the arrangement of the fountain structures, while its eastern part is more saturated with fountains than the western one. This is explained by the fact that back in the 18th century in the eastern part of the Lower Park, festivities of the tsar's guests were held, there were also "playgrounds" and a swimming pool

At the crossroads of the Marlinskaya and Monplaisirskaya alleys, to the south of the monument to Peter the Great, there are hidden fountains-firecrackers "Umbrella" and "Dubok". Entertaining fountains are among the most interesting sights of the Lower Park. The history of their creation originates from Peter's water fun: “Divans” of the Monplaisir Garden, “Bridge with a water passage” on the Ruin Cascade, “Spray Table” in the grotto of the Grand Cascade and other “play” places. Various water activities 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 such structures in Peterhof is a tribute to the fashion of that time.

The comic effect of the cracking fountains lies in the suddenness of the action of water jets sprinkling 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 - a bench was arranged around a massive stand, above which a wide umbrella, topped with an elegant carved pineapple-shaped cone, was "opened". Along the edges of the umbrella there are 164 small tubes with holes hidden by bright scallops, which are directed towards the ground. When a visitor to the park walks under an umbrella and sits on a bench, a fountain suddenly turns on. Streams of water burst out of the tubes with a noise, and the person finds himself, as it were, in a water cage. You can't get out of here dry =)

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

Opposite the "Umbrella", on a small round area, there is a whole complex of firecracker fountains: five metal tulips, a tree and two firecracker benches. This whole complex is called "Dubok". The branchy six-meter tubular trunk of the tree is trimmed with lead on the outside, disguised as bark. Red copper “oak” leaves are attached to the tubular branches, and five tulips are placed under the “Oak”. The trunk, branches, leaves of the tree and the stems of tulips are colored green. When the fountain is turned on, thin streams of water burst out of the branches of a tree, flowers and leaves of tulips, pouring over everyone who is unlucky enough to pass nearby at that moment) From the eastern and western sides of the Dubok fountain, there are wooden park sofas, behind which backs are hidden 41 tube directed upwards - those who want to inspect the bench or sit on it will be suddenly attacked by a dense canopy of jets flying out from behind its back =)

Initially, in 1735, the "Dubok" was made of lead according to the Rastrelli model and decorated one of the round pools of the Upper Garden, but in 1746 the fountain master Brunaty dismantled the "Dubok", and it lay in the pantry for a long time. They remembered the amazing fountain only at the beginning of the 19th century - in 1802, master Strelnikov assembled the Dubok, made the missing parts, 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 shying to the side, the unlucky visitor was simultaneously hit by the sofa's jets =) In 1914, the “Dubok” was dismantled again, and it was kept in the storeroom until 1924, when the architect Voloshinov installed it in the same place

Well, here we have covered all the fountains of the western part of the Lower Park of Peterhof - now is the 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, Favorite fountain, Eva fountain, Whale fountain, Menager fountains, Kloshi fountains.

Another feature of the Lower Park was the principle that each palace had its own cascade. In 1721, the construction of the Hermitage pavilion began and the alley leading to it was broken. It was planned that the perspective of the Hermitage Alley with south side should close the Hermitage cascade

The project of this cascade was carefully thought out by Peter I (in his notes he called it "Moiseev's Cascade"), but something prevented the masters from creating it - only at the end of the 18th century did it become possible to return to the implementation of the project. The cascade, built as a result at the turn of the 18th-19th centuries, was a rectangular pool with waterfall ledges and eight flat marble fountain bowls. The statues of Hercules and Flora were originally used as sculptural decor, but a year later they were replaced by bronze figures of lions, and the cascade itself, called the Hermitage by its location, received its second, more famous name - the Lion Cascade

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

12 bowls with fountains, made of the same marble, were placed between the columns. 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, a statue of "Nymph Aganipa" was installed

Today, only lions remain from the old decor, from whose mouths jets of water pour out.

The cascade was created during the late classicism, therefore it looks quite unusual within the framework of the integral ensemble of Peterhof - it is distinguished from the rest of the elements by the severity of antique forms, laconic water design, emphasized 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 basement, part of the colonnade and damaged marble bowls remained. The restoration took a very long time ...

Only in August 2000, the jets of one of the most significant fountain structures in Russia of the 19th century shot 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, to the project of which Peter I also had his hand. In 1732, construction was completed - sculptures on the attic and in the pool were added to the original project. and under the steps, gilded copper sheets were hung, 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 streaming golden stream. It was after these modifications that the cascade began to be called "Golden"

During the Nazi occupation, the "Golden Mountain" was badly damaged, but the entire sculpture was removed in advance and thus saved from a sad fate. The restoration work organized at 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 the plan of Peter I, were supposed to make up 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, which set in motion wooden figures, which were replaced five years later by 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 dog, the Favorite, chases ducks on the water; then the ducks told her this: you are tormented in vain, you de force have to drive us, only you do not have the power to catch. " The sonorous barking of dogs and the quacking of ducks attracted interested guests of Peterhof to this fountain.

Fountain "Whale"

At this place, a pond was once dug, in which Peter I wanted to repeat the Versailles fountain “Neptune” and build an artificial mountain “Parnassus” on the slope. But the pond, dug and surrounded by a dam in 1724-1727, stood without decor for sixteen years, and only in 1739-1740 the Sand (or Sterlyazhiy) pond - the so-called reservoir - was decorated large sculptures"With water from the mouth and head." In the center was placed a seven-meter wooden fairy-tale "Fish-whale", on the sides of which were floating lead "sea bulls" (dragons). The brightly colored figures that stood out clearly 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 manager type with four dolphins. In 1963, during the post-war restoration of this section of the Lower Park, the fountain was recreated according to the drawings of the 19th century. Now a metal ball is held and rotated on the stream from the fountain.

"Discharge" fountains

The author of these amazing fountains was again the ingenious Emperor Peter I, according to whose project special nozzles for fountain pipes were cast, which made it possible to create giant 15-meter pillars of fountains, which were actually hollow inside. That is why, by the middle of the 19th century, the name "Menagerie" was assigned to them, which means "thrifty" in French. The design of the fountains has come down to us unchanged. In the second half of the 18th century, powerful water columns lifted up empty copper balls, which, when the jets were turned off, fell into the basket.

The restoration of the "Menagerie" fountains after the Nazi occupation was greatly hampered by the fact that the drawings of Peter the Great - and only through persistent experiments it was possible to achieve the previous shape of the jets. Thus, the hollow fountains were completely rebuilt in 1949.

View from the Marlinsky Wall of Peterhof to the "Golden Mountain" and "change" fountains, in the foreground - the Garden of Venus, in the background - the Garden of Bacchus

Another angle

Fountains "Closhi"

In 1724, in the Marly area, it was decided to build four fountains, also dedicated to the subjects 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 gushed over the Tritons' heads, were replaced by flat discs with an outlet in the center. The water flowing out under low pressure forms a kind of bell and "Tritons", surrounded by a transparent veil, as if they are in the native element of the underwater kingdom. After replacing the bowls with disks, the fountains began to be called "Cloches", which in French means "bells"

"Closhes" were completely destroyed by the Nazis, but in 1955 they were recreated according to old photographs and documents that have come down to us.

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

The grottoes of the Grand Cascade

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

At first, the emperor believed that the waters of the nearest Okhotsk bog would be enough for the long-term operation of the Peterhof fountains, but this was not enough and additional sources had to be looked for, which were found only 25 km from the Upper Park, on the Ropsha Upland. The result is a very complex system: there are only 24 storage ponds! The photo shows one of the storage ponds - Red Pond. Previously, with the help of these levers, an iron barrier in a pond was opened.

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

Another exit 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 Verkhny Sad canal; the second - along the Olginsky water conduit to the Upper Garden and the 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 plan of Peter I, are the architectural center of the Grand Cascade of Peterhof. The grottoes are faced with tuff and decorated with marble and gilded sculptures. The Lower Grotto also has its own fire fountains. Here you can also see tunnels with water pipes and an exhibition dedicated to the work of the fountain masters 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 faced with tuff

Lamps are mounted in the walls so that it is not scary to walk here)

Along the way, here and there there are such skylights.

Exposition dedicated to those who served 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 one - to the "Basket" fountain.

Evolution of pipes ...

Lower or Great Grotto

Gold 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 “sprinkling table” in the grotto of the Grand Cascade, which can be observed here today - the oval table is equipped with inconspicuous nozzles at 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 to arrange water curtains, unexpectedly closing the entrances to the grotto)

And here is the exit from the grottoes

Few saw how Peterhof looks at night) Well, look =)

Dates of the formation of the ensemble: 1714 - 1723,

Architects: Johann Friedrich Braunstein (years of life unknown), Jean-Baptiste Leblon (1679-1719), N. Michetti (1675-59), Francesco Bartolomeo Rastrelli (1700-1771), Andrey Nikiforovich Voronikhin (1759-1814), Andrey Ivanovich Stackenschneider (1802-1865).

Garden masters: L. Garnichfelt, A. Borisov, B. Fock, T. Timofeev.

Park area - 102.5 hectares

The lower park was modeled after the regular gardens and retains all the features of its French originals. Although many decorative elements have disappeared by now, time could not destroy the marvelous architectural harmony of the garden created by J.-B. Leblond, a talented student of the creator of the Versailles gardens A. Le Nôtre. The park is divided into three interconnected parts: central (Parade), western (Marlin) and eastern (Monplaisir).

The layout of the Lower Park is determined by two systems of alleys fanning out from the Grand Palace and the Marly Palace. The layout scheme is thought out so deeply that not a single garden decoration, not a single detail is hidden from the eyes of the guests. Each alley ends with either a palace or a fountain. The regular park is characterized by the symmetrical arrangement of its main structures. On the slopes of the hill there are cascades - "Bolshoi" (in the central part, at the foot of the ceremonial palace), "Chess Mountain" (in the eastern part) and "Golden Mountain" (in the western part). In front of each of them there are paired fountains: "Bowls", "Roman", "Menagerie". Only one of the four cascades of the Lower Park is located in the parterre - this is the latest "Lion" cascade in time of creation, but it is he who completes the embodiment of Peter's idea, laid down in the park's composition: each palace and pavilion has its own cascade.

The park, with an area of ​​112.5 hectares, is decorated with about 150 fountains, among which are the "Dubok", "Umbrella", "Fir-trees", "Water Road" and "Divanchiki", so beloved by children and adults.

Going to St. Petersburg, we knew for sure that we would visit the 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, as well as see other sights. Our reviews, photos and a detailed description of the walk in the park, as well as another useful information: For ticket prices, the opening hours of the park and the schedule, read on.

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, is divided into two so-called levels - the Upper and Lower parks. The area of ​​the park is more than 15 hectares, it is good that the diagram is attached, so before you go for a walk, stock up 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.

The 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 this from the side of a pleasant pastime in the park, then everything is very good, everything has been ennobled like this: the palaces have been restored, paths and fountains have been made, the lawns have been mowed perfectly, and the evening and night lights have been made. But personally, it would be more pleasant for us to see not remakes, but older buildings of tsarist times.

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

Our photos and reviews

Neptune is the largest fountain in the Upper Park

Fountains of Peterhof

The lower part houses the main sights of Peterhof - stunning fountains. It was in order to see them that we, like the crowds of tourists, came to Peterhof. There are more than 60 fountains in the entire park. Nizhny is the culmination of the entire park in Peterhof - the Grand Cascade, which is a 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 Grand Cascade consists of three waterfall stairs, a huge number of fountains and more than 300 sculptures and bas-reliefs on antique themes. Well, and of course, Samson's sculpture, 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 is not for nothing that the city of Peterhof itself was founded on its bank. The embankment and pier of the Gulf of Finland have been refined 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 gulf is very polluted and swim in it. strictly prohibited... But you can ride on excursion boats for a moderate fee, but we, apparently, were not in the mood for boat trips and did not do this.

Gulf of Finland in Peterhof

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

What to do in Peterhof Park

In addition to the fact that in the park of Peterhof you can just walk and see the sights, there are also various activities for a good pastime for tourists. 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 still got to Petrodvorets itself and not without incident, but photography and video filming there is prohibited, therefore, unfortunately, there are no photographs left, only memories. It should be noted that in, about which we wrote earlier, you can take pictures, and besides, we liked it much more than Petrodvorets in Peterhof.

So, going up to Peterhof and asking how we can get inside on the excursion, we were surprised when we were told that it was impossible to enter the Peterhof Palace, all tickets were sold out and the excursions were conducted (and it was somewhere around two o'clock in the afternoon). At this time, away from the ticket offices, we noticed lively people, from whom we learned that an additional 200 tickets would be allocated within an hour, and that they were making a list of those wishing to get inside, and there were a lot of them. And here the adventures began, if someone at least once stood in such queues, then he will understand - everyone wanted to contrive and slip ahead of his neighbor. From such an organization of visiting the palace, the impression about it turned out to be somehow blurred and we left it with the thought: "Maybe it was not worth going to Petrodvorets?"

Crazy fountains work in the Peterhof park, which will not leave indifferent either adults or children. This fun has been preserved since tsarist times. Children like these fountains very much, therefore, just in case, bring along a change of clothes for the child.

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

Big 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 a divine service was held at that time. In the cathedral there is observation deck, which offers an amazing view of Peterhof.

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, can be reached by minibus or bus, which depart from the metro stations Baltiyskaya, Kirovsky Zavod, Avtovo, Leninsky Prospekt, Prospect Veterans. It is very easy to see minibuses, they all say Peterhof or fountains. The stop at which to get off in Peterhof is called Fontany.

Second option, for lovers of a calm, measured ride - you can get to Peterhof by train, which leaves from the Baltiysky railway 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.

SEE ELECTRIC SCHEDULE

The third option, the most romantic one, you can get by water, sail on a meteor. A meteor or rocket is a craft on air wings. They depart from the quays of the Palace and Admiralteyskaya embankments and arrive directly at the Lower Park of Peterhof.

Fourth option, which we have chosen and probably the most comfortable one, is by car. From St. Petersburg, the easiest way to get there is along the Peterhof highway, or along the Ring road with an exit to the Ropshinskoye highway and then along the St. Petersburg highway to Peterhof. The road is, in principle, not bad, but if you go during rush hour, you can stand 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 excursion tours start at 600 rubles. You can find out more about the excursions by clicking on the offers below.

Excursions to Peterhof

Working hours

The lower park and fountains in Peterhof are open daily, seven days a week, opening hours are from 09:00 to 20:00, ticket offices are open from 09:00 to 19:30, fountains (on weekdays) are from 10:00 to 18:00, at Sunday and public holidays work schedule from 10:00 to 19:00. The grand launch of the Grand Cascade - daily 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 for the opening hours and tickets to the palaces and museums of the park, the opening and closing of fountains, you can find out 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 site.

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 CIS citizens:
- adult on weekdays - 300 rubles, on weekends - 400 rubles, after turning off the fountains - 50 rubles;
- pupils, students and cadets on weekdays - 150 rubles, on weekends - 200 rubles, after turning off the fountains - 20 rubles;
- preferential categories of citizens on weekdays - 200 rubles, on weekends - 250 rubles, after turning off the fountains - 20 rubles.

Where to stay in Peterhof

Many, including us, come to Peterhof for one day, but after taking a walk in the park and going to Petrodvorets, there is a feeling that they have not seen everything, so we recommend staying overnight in Peterhof itself and not returning to St. more, that all conditions have been created for this.

The Mezheumny fountain is located in front of the main entrance to the Upper Garden of Peterhof. Currently, the image of the fountain is one of the postcard views of Peterhof.

The fountain also has a second name "Undefined", which reflects the numerous changes in the sculptural design.

In 1738, a sculptural group "Andromeda" was installed in the fountain, which depicted Perseus on a horse, protecting Andromeda from the dragon. Four dolphins were swimming around the sculpture. The sculpture was in the fountain until 1775. It was too big for the water supply of the fountain. From the entire sculptural group, only a dragon and four dolphins remained in it.

In 1859, a crater vase was installed in the middle of the fountain.

During World War II, the fountain was completely destroyed. After the war, it was restored by A.F. Gurzhiy on the surviving sketches.

Eva fountain

The Eve fountain in Peterhof is named after the legendary biblical progenitor of the human race. Its construction began in 1725 under the leadership of T. Usov, in 1726 the fountain was tested. The Eve fountain located in the western part of the park is paired with the Adam fountain, located in its eastern part. ... Both fountains are located on the axis of the Marlinskaya Alley.

The Eva Fountain is a sculpture of Eve, located on a high pedestal in the center of an octagonal basin made of hewn profiled granite. The sculpture is surrounded by sixteen fan-shaped water jets seven meters high.

Around the fountain there is a small square, from which large and small alleys radiate out like rays.

Fountain-jester Dubok

Fountain-cracker "Dubok" is a funny curiosity fountain in Peterhof. It was originally designed by B.K. They were shot in 1735 as part of the fountain in the Upper Garden. In 1802, it was installed in the Lower Garden as part of a composition of several joke fun.

Fountain "Dubok" is a six-meter metal tree with a hollow trunk, five hundred tubular branches and several thousand metal leaves painted green, standing on an oval island surrounded by a narrow stream. Jets of water burst from the tips of each twig. There are five fountain tulips under the tree. There are two benches next to the tree, on which you just have to sit down, as water jets rise from behind the backs.

During the war, the entire composition of the fountains, including an oak tree, tulips and benches, was destroyed. The fountain was created anew in 1947 by the masters Lavrentyevs, according to the project of the architect A.A. Olya and according to the surviving fragments and drawing from 1828.

Sea channel with avenue of fountains

The creation of the Sea Canal, 12 meters wide, was the idea of ​​Peter I. The canal was assigned not only a decorative, but also a navigational role; in the middle of the 18th century, light ships could sail along it to the harbor in front of the Grand Palace. The Alley of Fountains consists of 22 pools with fountains on lawns on both sides of the Sea Canal.

According to the idea of ​​Peter I, 22 swimming pools were installed along the canal. They were originally called Nichels, as they were located in niches, and farther from the water than they are now. Four pools were with fountains decorated with sculptural groups based on the themes of Aesop's fables. There were also fountain vases. In 1835, the pools with fountains were moved closer to the canal, the pipes of the fountains were redesigned in such a way that the jets of water formed different geometric shapes, including pyramids. Therefore, the fountains became known as Pyramid fountains.

In the years 1854-1860, fourteen pools were replaced with new ones made of Carrara marble. Eight pools remained the same, only they were painted in the color of marble, they were replaced later, in the 60s of the XX century. In the pools, single-jet water cannons were installed, hitting a four-meter height, perhaps from that time the name of the Alley of Fountains appeared, since the jets looked like amazing trees from the water.

Fountain "Pyramid"

The Pyramid fountain, created by the architect Nicolo Michetti in 1724 on behalf of Peter I, is located in the eastern part of the Lower Park of Peterhof. It is one of the most beautiful fountains in Peterhof.

Its peculiarity lies in the layout, due to which the fountain site is not visible from the alley. Therefore, the water pyramid sparkling with splashes opens up to the eyes of visitors suddenly, when they find themselves in the immediate vicinity of the fountain.

The fountain consists of four cascades oriented to the cardinal points. It also has an important symbolic meaning. In the 18th century, there was a tradition in the Russian army to install obelisks in the form of pyramids at the battlefield. One of these obelisks was the water pyramid on the shores of the Gulf of Finland, dedicated to the victory of the Russian troops in the Northern War.

Fountains "Closhi"

In 1724, near the "Marly" palace in the western part of the Lower Park, on an alley along the reservoir, it was planned to build four fountains based on the themes of Aesop's fables. However, the plan was not realized, and the figures of four "Tritons" made in 1721 from bronze according to the drawing of the architect I.-F. Braunstein. Wooden bowls with tubes, from which water gushed over the Tritons' heads, were replaced at the end of the 18th century with flat discs with a water conduit outlet in the center. The water flowing out under low pressure forms a kind of bell. "Tritons", surrounded by a transparent veil, seem to be in the native element of the underwater kingdom. Since then, the fountains have been called "Cloches", which means "bells" in French.

Destroyed during the Great Patriotic War, "Kloshi" were recreated in 1955.

Terrace fountains Peterhof

Terrace fountains are located on the sides of the Grand Cascade in Peterhof, on the terraces in front of the Grand Palace. The idea of ​​creating fountains on the terraces emerged in the first quarter of the 18th century. In 1799-1800, the architect F. Brower and the fountain master F. Strelnikov, according to the project of A. Voronikhin, created 20 fountain-bowls and 10 cascades from Pudost limestone. In 1852-1854, according to the drawings of A. Stakenschneider, the details of the cascades and the bowl were made of marble. In this form, the fountains have survived to this day.

Ten identical fountains are located five to the left and right of the Grand Cascade. On the ledges there are marble bowls, from each of them a stream of water gushes upwards. Below the bowls are marble cascades of four steps, their vertical walls end with triangular pediments with gilded mascarons, water from which flows down the steps. At the bottom of the cascades, single-jet water cannons can be seen in a long marble trough that connects five fountains together.

Fountain Favorite

Fountain Favorite, or Favorite, is one of the most interesting and original fountains in Peterhof. It is located behind the western Voronikhinskaya colonnade. The fountain was made in three months in 1725 by order of Catherine I, it was designed by the architect M. Zemtsov. The fountain clearly illustrates J. La Fontaine's fable "Ducks and Poodle": "The Favorite Dog is chasing ducks on the water, then the ducks told her this: you are needlessly tormented, you have the strength to drive us, but you do not have the strength to catch."

The composition of the fountain is constantly in motion: in a small pool, a funny dog ​​is chasing four copper ducks, brightly painted with oil, in a circle. Streams of water fly out of the dog's beaks and mouth. The barking of a dog and the quacking of ducks sound as musical accompaniment.

The fountain figures are set in motion by a special mechanism hidden at the bottom of the pool.

During the Great Patriotic War, the fountain was destroyed. In 1957, the water supply of the fountain was reconstructed, and the ducks and the dog Favoritka were created anew from copper.

Fountain "Adam"

Fountain "Adam" was built in St. Petersburg in the period from 1718 to 1726. designed by the Venetian sculptor Giovanni Bonazza.

This fountain, located on the territory of the Peterhof Palace and Park Ensemble, is part of a single architectural concept, together with the Eva fountain. Fountains are similar in artistic style and engineering solution.

Fountains "Adam" and "Eve" are located on the axis of the main alley of the park (Marlinskaya alley) in the central points of the eastern and western parts of the park, respectively.

The pool of the fountain has the form of a regular octagon, in the center of which there is a sculpture on a pedestal, which is surrounded by sixteen inclined streams of water.

These are the only fountains on the territory of Peterhof that have retained their original appearance.

Fountain "Sheaf"

The Sheaf Fountain is located in the Monplaisir Garden of Peterhof. The garden, like the palace itself, was created according to the project of Peter I in the eastern part of the Lower Park.

Construction began in 1721 under the direction of the architect N. Michetti.

The fountain is a powerful water cannon. Twenty-four jets shoot from the base of the circular pool, which is twenty-one meters in diameter. The streams break out in the form of ears, which form the form of a sheaf. The central jet beats up four and a half meters.

The fountain is surrounded by four bell fountains, which create a complete composition of the Monplaisir Garden.

Currently, the garden is one of the most popular places in Petrodvorets.

Fountain Oak

The Oak Fountain is the first fountain in the Upper Garden in Peterhof. In 1734, P. Sualem created a plan for the future fountain. B.K. Rastrelli created sculptures for him from lead: an oak modeled after the same sculpture in Versailles, three newts and six dolphins. The lead oak was moved to the Lower Park in 1746. For two hundred years, the fountain was constantly rebuilt, to XIX century only dolphins remain from the original composition. In 1929 the fountain took its final form.

Now the fountain, which has retained its former name "Oak", delights with its graceful decor. In the middle of the circular pool, the bottom of which is lined with slabs of dark and light granite, there is a tuff slide in the shape of a starfish with six rays. At the ends of the starfish there are six bronze dolphins, from whose mouths thin streams of water are directed upwards. In the center of the hill you can see the marble sculpture "Cupid Putting on a Mask".

Fountain Adam

The Adam Fountain is located on the Marlinskaya Alley, the Lower Park in Peterhof - the main alley of the park running parallel to the sea coast. Adam is located in the eastern part of the park. The water cannon of the fountain is designed in such a way that the water, rising high, does not spray, but breaks up into large drops, their fall into the pool is noticeable from afar.

Fountain "Neptune"

The Neptune fountain, decorated with a three-tiered sculptural group, is the central fountain of the Upper Garden of Peterhof. The statue of Neptune rises on a high pedestal surrounded by masks of sea monsters, from which oblique streams of water gush.

The composition called "Neptunov's Cart" was installed in the central basin of the Upper Garden in 1736. The sculptures were made of gilded lead. In 1797, instead of the "Neptunova Cart", a sculptural group "Neptune" was installed, which has survived to this day. After the war and the dismantling of the fountains, they were re-launched by the craftsmen under the leadership of A. Smirnov only in 1956.

The fountain figures were made in Nuremberg in honor of the memory of the Peace of Westphalia, and then sold to Russia. A copy of the fountain, installed in the city park of Nuremberg, has been there since 1902.

Western Square Pond (with the fountain "Venus of Italy")

One of the so-called "Square Ponds" (which are actually rectangular) is located next to the Special Storeroom of the Grand Palace.

Square ponds were intended to store water that was supplied to the Grand Cascade.

In the center of the pond there is a fountain with a sculpture of Venus of Italy - a copy of the sculpture of the same name by Antonio Canova.

Fountain Sun in Peterhof

The magnificent fountains of Peterhof are famous not only for their extraordinary beauty, but also for a wide variety of both architectural and engineering ideas. One of the most interesting fountains in the park is undoubtedly the Sun Fountain.