Peterhof was originally a simple hunting lodge built for the Russian Emperor Peter the Great beside the Baltic Sea in the early 18th century. After visiting Versailles, Peter decided to expand it in the French style with fountains and gardens designed by French architects. Now called the "Russian Versailles", Peterhof features over 150 fountains and is known as the "Capital of Fountains", centered around the Grand Cascade and Grand Palace overlooking the Gulf of Finland.

1. Peterhof
Russian Tsars' summer residence

2. Peterhof was a summer residence built for the Emperor at the beginning of the
18th century. Initially it was a simple hunting lodge beside the Baltic Sea,
following a visit to Versailles, he decided to expand it according to the French
style
The architect, Jean-Baptiste Alexandre Leblond was also French

3. Entrance at the side of The Imperial Chapel

4. The view of the Grand Cascade with the Grand Palace behind it, first sight to
visitors arriving at Peterhof by sea, is truly breathtaking.
Grand Cascade

7. The Palace Park contains one hundred and seventy-six fountains

11. At the centre stands Rastrelli's statue of Samson wrestling with a lion.

13. The marble sculptures were made in Venice by the sculptor Giovanni Bonazza in
1718
ADAM AND EVE FOUNTAINS

14. The Dragon Hill or Chess Hill
Cascade in Peterhof

15. Erected in 1739, are situated in the Parterre Garden in front of the Chessboard
Hill. The architects Blank and Davydov rendered with some changes, the famous
fountains in the Square of Saint Peter in Rome
ROMAN
FOUNTAINS

16. Just Married in a Roman Fountain
At the Back, part of Chess Hill

17. The garden is probably the smartest of all the gardens in Peterhof
Monplaisir Garden

19. The Sheaf Fountain issues from a rocky pedestal in the center of a small pool in
the gardens in front of the Monplaisir Palace in Peterhof

24. The Pavilion (originally the Elizabeth Pavilion) was built by Rastrelli in the place
of the old Monplaisir orangery in 1748-49
Monplaisir

25. The Monplaisir Palace (from French "mon plaisir“ ) faced the Baltic Sea

26. View of the Baltic Sea and Finland Gulf

27. AVIARIES
The Garden was made in 1717-24 as a menagerie analogical to the one Peter I had
seen in Versailles
Outside the pavilion is decorated with oyster shell. Nowadays, as well as under
Peter I, birds are kept here

32. The Orangery, or greenhouse is situated between the Grand Palace and
Monplaisir. It now houses a restaurant for visitors to Peterhof
Built by Braunstein and Zemtsov In 1722- 25

35. Triton Fountain (1726)
The sculpture of the fountain (Triton fighting with the sea monster and turtles)
was made after B.C. Rastrelli's design

39. Peterhof (from Dutch – PeterHoff ) meaning
in English - Peter's Yard) is the most
spectacular Russian site, often called 'The
Capital of Fountains' or 'The Russian
Versailles'.
It was modeled after the original French
Versailles which Czar Peter the Great had
visited during his 'Grand Embassy' to Europe
in 1697
Peterhof is the palace of the sea god. Here
the fountains are not mere accessories: they
are the essence of the place.
By Maria
mocampos@gmail.com
http://www.youtube.com/user/nikkitta8
Music: Aram Khachaturyan
“Masquerade”