Saint-Petersburg: sights of Peterhof

The sights of St. Petersburg are known all over the world. Peterhof (fountains, the Palace Cottage, cathedrals, other architectural structures located in it, are a cultural and historical value), museums, gardens - this is not a complete list of them. For one day to visit all places is simply impossible. Many tourists decide to start an inspection from Peterhof. What is remarkable about this area of the Northern capital?

general information

Peterhof is a city in Russia, which is part of the Petrodvorets district of St. Petersburg, representing a municipal formation. It is located on the southern shore of the Gulf of Finland and is a major scientific, educational and tourist center. If you decide to go on a tour of the city on the Neva, be sure to see the sights of Peterhof.

History

Peterhof was founded in 1710. In the beginning, it existed as a suburban imperial residence and only in 1762 received the status of a city. In the tourist center is the museum-reserve "Peterhof". Attractions of St. Petersburg, as you know, attract thousands of tourists. Many come to the Northern Palmyra just to visit the "Peter's court". Peterhof is a monument to the palace and park art and world architecture of the 18-19th centuries. From 1944 to 1997 the city was called Petrodvorets. In 2005 he was awarded the status of science city. According to the census for 2010, 73.2 thousand people inhabit Peterhof. Sights (photos are presented in the article) are mostly beautiful architectural structures.

Palace Cottage

What conquers the tourists Peterhof? In St. Petersburg, the sights can be viewed on a sightseeing tour. Some routes pass through the "court of Peter". Start to explore the sights of Peterhof better from the Cottage Palace. It is the center of the ensemble of Alexandria, which is built in the style of neo-Gothic. The building was built specifically for the imperial family, designed by architect A. A. Menelas. The erection of the palace began in 1826 under the decree of Nicholas I. For construction, a place in the ruins of the estate of A. D. Menshikov was chosen. The cottage was built for three years. The palace served as a summer residence for the Emperor and his wife Alexandra Feodorovna.

Decor

Decoration and painting was conducted by V. Dodonov and D. B. Scotty. For decoration used elements of wood carvings, stucco moldings, arches, as well as finishing with marble. Uniqueness was sustained in everything, up to the furniture, which is made in the workshop of G. Gambs under individual order. Gothic ornaments can be seen on carpets, watches, chandeliers, candelabra and other objects and ornaments. It is worth noting that special for the Cottage was made a rare service at the plant of Nicholas I. After the death of the Emperor, the palace was used as a museum. During the Second World War, almost two thousand exhibits were evacuated from here. German troops arranged a hospital in the museum, as a result of which not only the remaining items were affected, but also the building itself. Restoration was held under the guidance of architect I. N. Benois.

Peter and Paul Cathedral. Construction Features

Looking around the sights of Peterhof, be sure to visit this magnificent structure. The Cathedral of Peter and Paul is on the shore of Lake Olgin. He belongs to the Russian Orthodox Church. The cathedral houses 800 people, its height is about 70 meters. The structure is made in the form of a pyramid, on the top of which there are five chapters. The facade is decorated with a dark red and light yellow brick, which is harmoniously combined with columns and tiles. Earlier, near the entrance, icons with a picture of the patrons of the imperial family were located. Around the cathedral there is a covered gallery. On each side of the building there are four entrances, before there were the canopies for storing the outer clothing of visitors. Stairs to the choir were on the side of the facades. Near the main entrance there is a belfry and a chapel.

Peter and Paul Cathedral. Interest for tourists

The temple is visited by tourists from all over Russia and foreign countries. From its windows an amazing view of St. Petersburg, Kronstadt and other cities opens. During the existence of the cathedral on its territory there were only two burials - Major-General DF Trepov and his wife. However, during the Soviet period everything was dug, the remains were taken out in an unknown direction.

Fountain "Samson"

It is the central fountain of the palace ensemble. The height of its jet is more than 20 meters. The project of the architect implied in the center of the composition the figure of Hercules, who defeated the Lernaean hydra. However, during the construction of the fountain, the statue of the Greek hero was changed to a sculpture of Samson tearing the lion's mouth. It is supposed that this happened in honor of the victory in the Battle of Poltava over the Swedes, won on the day of the Samson Stranger. A very symbolic composition was made by the figure of a lion on a Swiss flag. The fountain was installed in 1735, 25 years after the victory. Initially, it was not even in the plans, since the big cascade did not require such refinement. For the entire period of history there were three different versions of Samson. The first was designed by M. Zemtsov and consisted of lead. In the early 19th century, the statue was obsolete, and it was changed to bronze. During the Second World War the sculpture suffered greatly. It was damaged either after the air raid, or it was destroyed by the German army, which entered the city. After the war, thanks to sculptors and artists, the surviving photographs and archival data were raised. As a result, the statue was recreated.

Church of Alexander Nevsky

This is another place where you should go, visiting the sights of Peterhof. In the people the temple is called the chapel. After the construction of the Cottage Palace in 1828, there was a need to build a house church. The building was chosen by the Emperor himself. The church is located on the territory of the Alexandrian park complex. Several architects worked on the erection. Initially, the design was carried out by the German architect K. Schinkel. The construction was managed by A. Menelas. After in 1831 he died, in his place came I. I. Charlemagne. In a solemn setting, the laying of the church was done by Emperor Nicolai Muzovsky in the presence of Nicholas I. The church worked exclusively in the summer season. It was then that the imperial family visited Peterhof. Divine services were held only for the reigning persons. In 1918, the imperial temple was closed, and two years later they opened a museum in which they made repairs for a long time and reconstructed. In 1933, it opened an exposition on the history of the Alexandria Park. During the Patriotic War, the church was severely damaged, after which it was rebuilt only in the period 1970-1999. The building of the museum was consecrated, but there have never been divine services there. In September 2006, a coffin with the late Maria Fedorovna Romanova, delivered from Denmark, was exhibited here. After some time, she was reburied in the fortress of Saints Peter and Paul.