WorldWalk.info
ru ru en en de de  
Health Resorts, Hotels
Health Resorts, Hotels
Museums, Exhibitions
Museums, Exhibitions
Dolphinariums, Water Parks
Dolphinariums, Water Parks
Nature
Nature
Architecture, Monuments
Architecture, Monuments
Holy Places
Holy Places
Parks, Amusement Parks
Parks, Amusement Parks
Theatres, Cinemas
Theatres, Cinemas

Сайт и доменное имя продается.

С предложениями по цене пишите на почту top@ottocom.ru

Grand Palace Museum (Peterhof)

2 Razvodnaya Street, Peterhof, tel.: +7 812 420-00-73, +7 812 450-52-87.

Map

http://www.peterhofmuseum.ru

In 1714, Peter the Great decided to build a country residence that would match the French Versailles in its sumptuousness. Preserved sketches of the tsar, his decrees and notes on documents allow us to state that the founder of Peterhof himself developed the general idea of the ensemble's layout as well as the detailed design of some elements of the architectural and fountain structures. Jacques de Campredon, a French ambassador to Russia, wrote to Louis XV that the pace of construction was surprising and amazing.

In August of 1723, the solemn opening of Peterhof ("Peter's court", in Dutch) took place. By that time, the Lower Garden had been laid out, the Sea Canal had been excavated, some fountains had been functioning, the Upper Palace was finished, the Monplaisir Palace and the Marly Palace had been constructed and the Hermitage had been almost completed. On the whole, however, construction works on the ensemble continued for around two centuries.

The Grand Palace (the Palace, for short), which towers at the edge of a 16-metre (52-feet) high terrace, is the structural and layout centre of the ensemble. The Grand Cascade serves as a magnificent pedestal for the Palace. The abundance of gold, the vivid plastics of the architecture, the powerful movement and the noise of the water, all this creates an atmosphere of jubilation, of celebration and a hymn to the joy of life. However, it took time for the Palace to become like this. Originally, the location of the Palace was occupied by the relatively modest Upper Palace built in 1714 to 1721 by the architects Jean-Baptiste Le Blond, Johann Braunstein, and Nicola Michetti. In the times of Peter the Great, the Upper Palace served as state apartments.

The building was rebuilt many times, but the construction works stopped after the death of Peter the Great. Only during the reign of Empress Elisabeth, a daughter of Peter the Great, the true golden age of Peterhof began. In those times, the old Peterhof Palace did not correspond anymore to the taste of the expanding tsar court; for this reason, Elisabeth assigned the outstanding Italian architect Francesco Rastrelli with the task of erecting a new palace at the location of the old one. It was decided to preserve the central part of the Petrine Upper Palace and to include it into the structure of the building under construction.

The works started in 1747, while as soon as in 1756 magnificent celebrations took place here. The luxury and size of the rooms, the masterly skills of the architect and of hundreds of first-class master workers made an overwhelming impression. The layout of this state residence was strictly subordinated to the underlying emotional and artistic concept of a continuously unfolding theatrical performance. The enfilade layout of rooms matched well the concept of ceremonial processions, which necessarily manifested not only in the famous "entrances of the monarch", but also in all the ceremonies and even dances. The luxurious, gilded main staircase led to the Ball Room, no less sumptuous, and then to the new Ante-Room, which was also decorated with gilded carving and picturesque plafonds. Having left it behind, guests would find themselves on the axis of the state enfilade of the Palace's rooms. It seemed that it continued forever. This feeling was reinforced by a window, far in the perspective, through which one could see the expanses of a park.

The creations of Rastrelli emerged during the last decade of the Baroque dominance; for this reason, many of them did not exist for long. The wide spread of the new Classical style, which was quickly adopted in Russia during the 1760s, resulted in a redesign of the Palace's interiors.

In 1766–1767, Jean-Baptiste Vallin de la Mothe finished here two Chinese studies adjacent to the Petrine Central Hall. Especially extensive works were done in the 1770s by the architect Georg Veldten. His designs were used to make significant modifications to the architectural decorations of a number of living quarters and state rooms: the Dining Room, the Grand Room and the Ante-Room.

The Second World War was a time of ordeals for the Peterhof ensembles. On 20th September 1941, German troops entered Peterhof and occupied it after three days of fighting. The Germans stayed here until 19th January 1944. During that time, they looted and destroyed artistic valuables of Peterhof. The Grand Palace was exploded and set on fire by the Germans.

After many years, the Palace was restored and opened to the public.

Image Gallery Image Preview (98)

Grand Palace Museum



info@worldwalk.infoinfo@worldwalk.info