It is not without reason that St. Petersburg is even today called the Northern Capital. The city is incredibly beautiful and rich in attractions, as well as significant historical sites. But some of them stand out from the others like natural pearls among glass beads. They say that it’s a shame to visit Petersburg and not to visit the Peterhof Museum. What is this place and will every tourist be interested here?
History of creation
In a literal translation from Dutch, “Peterhof” is “Peter's court”. The palace and park complex, which today is called the “State Museum-Reserve Peterhof”, was built as the summer residence of Emperor Peter I. The date of construction began in 1712, the opening of the residence took place 11 years later, in 1723. Subsequently, the palace and park ensemble was supplemented and modernized, up to the 20th century. The main territories of the reserve are the Upper and Lower Gardens, the Great Palace is of great importance - the most ambitious and pompous structure. On both sides of the main gardens are also the English Park, Alexandria, Lugovoi Park, Kolonistsky Park, Alexandrovsky Park, Own Cottage and Sergievka.
Interesting Facts
During the Great Patriotic War, all the territory of the museum was captured by German occupiers and seriously destroyed. Today's Peterhof Museum exhibits high-quality reconstructed copies of the original buildings and monuments. But the hydraulic structures for the most part are really genuine and have been working properly for more than 300 years. The palace and park complex received the status of the reserve in 1918, today Peterhof is included in the Unified State Register of Cultural Monuments of the Russian Federation. The most famous object is the Grand Cascade, in the center of which there is a fountain in the form of the figure of Samson, tearing the mouth of a lion. This building is a symbol of the victory of Russia in the Battle of Poltava.
Peterhof State Museum: exposure
Any travel agency in St. Petersburg offers excursions to the summer residence of Peter. It’s easy to get to Peterhof on your own, from the Northern capital there are electric trains, fixed-route taxis and other types of transport. What is especially convenient, tickets can be bought at the entrance. Entrance to the territory of the Upper Garden is free. Entrance to the Lower Garden and all the museums located on the premises will have to be paid separately. Plan the time to visit the complex correctly - there are too many tourists on the weekend. Guests from all over the world come to St. Petersburg to get acquainted with the cultural and historical sights of the majestic Russian city. Experts say that a whole day is not enough to go around the entire Peterhof Museum and explore all the attractions. In the open air there are 4 cascades and about 170 fountains. The most interesting architectural objects: the Grand Palace, the palaces of Marly, Monplaisir and Cottage, the Catherine complex, the Hermitage. Inside each of them is a museum collection.
