French Versailles in Russia - Petrehof is a beautiful place in the northern capital, striking in its grace. Tourists come to Peterhof, centuries after its creation, who want to see with their own eyes numerous fountains and magnificent gardens.
On the southern side, the Gulf of Finland is decorated with an architectural ensemble - Peterhof. Tourists strive here in search of unforgettable impressions, research work is carried out here, students gain knowledge.
Castle
The central object of the architectural ensemble can be called the Peterhof Palace, the first building of the future museum-reserve. The building was built in the Baroque style. The emperor and his entire family preferred to spend the summer in this luxurious building.
Below it is a grotto filled with gold and plaster sculptures. By the way, here you can see several of Peter I's own inventions (splashing table, water curtain).
In front of the palace, on the way to the park area, there is the Grand Cascade, in the center of which the world-famous sculpture "Samson Tearing the Lion's Jaws" is installed. It is generally recognized that there is no system of fountains in the world equal in perfection to the Peterhof complex.
Large fountains set against the backdrop of arches and columns create a majestic atmosphere. The large cascade fills with water that flows from the Upper Garden, on the other side of the central palace. The attraction of the garden is its perfect symmetry.
The most famous is the Neptune fountain. The sea lord, sea dwellers and mythological creatures are created in the form of medieval sculptures. It is in the upper park that the most ancient storage facilities are located, supplying water to the Lower Park (this is where the most valuable sights are located).
The first architectural schemes were developed by Peter by analogy with Versailles. There is an opinion that "Peterhof" is much more perfect than its progenitor. Separate parts of the complex are connected by a system of alleys. Plants from different parts of Russia and abroad are represented in the "Big Greenhouse" and throughout the park (Lugovoy, Aleksandrovsky, English, etc.). Separate parts of the complex are created with their own palaces, fountains and mini - parks. These are Monplaisir and Marlin gardens. By changing the direction of the stream of water, the architects created a fountain - a bell, a cracker, the sun, a Roman fountain.
The shelter of Peter
Examining the flag of "Peterhof", you can see the monogram of its founder - Peter I. It was this king of all Russia who himself developed the water supply system of the entire Peterhof 40 km long and the reservoir. With their help, it became possible to create numerous fountains, testifying to the glorious victories that turned Russia into an Empire. The entries in the journals prove that as early as 1705, Peterhof was marked as "Peter's haven" during his travels.
Only 29 km separate St. Petersburg and the world monument of architecture, the Peterhof reserve.
