4 The Grand Palace

The largest of Peterhof's palaces looks truly imposing when seen from the Lower or Upper Gardens, but in fact it is quite narrow and not overly large. Of its approximately thirty rooms, several deserve mention.

The Chesma Hall is decorated with twelve large paintings of the Battle of ChesmaThe Battle of Chesma occurred 5-7 July 1770 and was a decisove victory for Russia over Turkey. On the 5th the Russians attacked a double line of Turkish battleships north of Chesma Bay. After the Russian battleship Sv. Evstafii and the Turkish flagship Re, a stunning naval victory of the Russo-Turkish War, 1768-74The Russo-Turkish War of 1768-1774 followed the internal tensions within Poland where there was the strife between the nobility and the king Stanilaus Augustus Poniatowski, former favorite of the Russian Empress Catharine II. The king was dependent on the. These were painted between 1771Events January 22 Spain cedes the Falkland Islands to England. July 17 Massacre at Bloody Falls: Chipewyan chief Matonabbee traveling as the guide to Samuel Hearne on his arctic overland journey, massacre a group of unsuspecting Inuit. September 8 In Cali and 1773Events January 12 The first American museum open to the public is opened in ( Charleston, South Carolina). January 17 Captain James Cook becomes the first European explorer to cross the Antarctic Circle April 27 or May 10 The British Parliament passes the by the German artist J. Haakert. His first renderings of the great battle scenes were criticized by witnesses as not showing realistically the effect of exploding ships — the flying timbers, great flames, smoke, and fireballs. Catherine IICatherine the Great Catherine II II Yekaterina II Alekseyevna ( April 21, 1729 November 6, 1796), born Sophie Augusta Fredericka and usually known in English as Catherine the Great reigned as empress of Russia from June 28, 1762 to her death in 1796. assisted the artist (and amused europeans) by exploding a frigate in the harbor of Livorno, Italy, for the benefit of Haakert, who had never seen a naval battle firsthand. Haakert also did not research the actual positions of the Russian and Turkish forces during the battle so the the scenes depicted are somewhat fanciful, but do effectively convey drama and destruction of naval warfare.

The East and West Chinese Cabinets were decorated between 1766 and 1769 to exhibit objects of decorative art imported from the East. The walls were decorated with imitation Oriental patterns by Russian craftsmen, and hung with Chinese landscape paintings in yellow and black lacquer.

Another room, positioned at the center of the palace, bears the name of the Picture Hall. Its walls are almost entirely covered by a series of 368 paintings, mostly of variously dressed women, differing in appearance and even age, yet most were drawn from a single model. These were purchased in 1764 from the widow of the Italian artist P. Rotari, who died in St. Petersburg.

5 Other features

The Grand Palace is not the only historic royal building in Peterhof. The palaces of Monplaisir and Marly, as well as the pavilion known as the 'Hermitage', were all raised during the initial construction of Peterhof during the reign of Peter the Great. The Lower Gardens also contain a large greenhouse, and in the Alexandrine Park stands the palace of Nicholas I.

Like the Lower Gardens, the Upper contain many fountains, distributed among seven broad pools. The landscaping, though, is entirely different; the Lower Gardens are strictly geometric . While a few of the fountains have curious sculpture, the waterworks themselves are comparatively unimpressive.

6 History

Peter the Great first mentions the site in his journal in 1705, during the Great Northern War, as a good place to construct a landing for the use of ships traveling to and from the island fortress of Kronstadt. In time, though, the monarch changed his mind, and decided to build a sprawling residence here, on the model of Versailles. Construction was completed in 1725.

Peterhof originally appeared quite differently than it does today. Many of the fountains had not yet been installed. The entire Alexandrine Park and Upper Gardens didn't exist. (The latter was used to grow vegetables, and its ponds, then numbering only three, for fish.) The Samson Fountain and its massive pedestal had not yet been installed in the Sea Channel, and the channel itself was used as a grand marine entrance into the complex.

Perhaps the most important change made to Peter's design was the elevation of the Grand Palace to central status and prominence. The Grand Palace was originally called simply 'Upper', and was hardly larger than any of the other structures of the complex. The addition of wings, undertaken between 1745 and 1755, was one of the many projects commissioned from the Italian architect Bartolomeo Rastrelli by Elizabeth of Russia. Likewise, the Grand Cascade was more sparsely decorated when initially built.

The augmentation of Peterhof's original fountains and the addition of new ones continued well into the 19th century.

Peterhof was captured by German troops in 1941 and held until 1944. In the few months that elapsed between the outbreak of war and the appearance of the the German Army, employees were only able to save a portion of the treasures of the palaces and fountains. An attempt was made to dismantle and hide the fountain sculptures, but three-fourths, including all of the largest fountains, remained in place. The occupying forces of the German Army deliberately vandalized Peterhof, particularly after the breaking of the siege of Leningrad. Many of the fountains were destroyed, and the palace was partially exploded and left to burn. Restoration work began almost immediately after the end of the war, but it progressed slowly, and is still not entirely complete.

The original name was changed to Petrodvoréts ("Peter's Palace") in 1944 as a result of wartime anti-German sentiment, but was restored in 1997 by the post- Soviet government of Russia.

7 Tourist information

Peterhof is now again accessible by sea; hydrofoil boats from the Winter Palace in St. Petersburg (by way of the river Neva and the Gulf of Finland coast) and dock at the mouth of the Sea Channel. The palace is also easily accessed by road. Public transit and private van services make regular trips from Petersburg.

The Upper Gardens are freely accessible, but entry to the Lower Gardens requires the purchase of tickets. The palaces and grotto are accessible only as part of guided tours.

Hours are limited. Even during the summer tourist season, the Lower Gardens do not open until ten or eleven in the morning, and the fountains are shut off at five.

8 Related topics

• Catherine Palace- The Summer Palace of Catherine the Great
• Hermitage Museum- A complex of buildings adjacent to the Winter Palace
• Peter the Great
• Saint Petersburg (Its original German name restored, the city has also been named Petrograd (after Peter the Great) and Leningrad (after Vladimir Lenin)
• Tsarskoye Selo, Pavlovsk, and Oranienbaum - other royal residences
• Winter Palace - The Tsar's residence and court in St. Petersburg

9 References

• Vernova, N (2004). Peterhof: The Fountains. St. Petersburg: Abris.
• Vernova, N (2004). Peterhof: The Grand Palace. St. Petersburg: Abris.

Palaces in Russia

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