Grand Peterhof Palace who is the architect. Peterhof Grand Palace. Chinese cabinets of the Grand Palace
On the coast of the Gulf of Finland, Peter I built several country residences of Russian tsars. The palace and park complex includes park ensembles, in which palaces and magnificent fountains are harmoniously located. The idea of creation and architectural design belong to Peter I, and in translation from the Dutch "Peterhof" - "Peter's courtyard". The central place in the ensemble is occupied by the Great Peterhof Palace (address: St. Petersburg, Razvodnaya st., 2).
History of Peterhof
More than three hundred years ago, the construction of the summer country residence of the Russian emperors began. The main work began in 1714, and in August 1723, Peterhof was opened, including the Upper Chambers (now the Grand Peterhof Palace), Monplaisir and Marly Palaces . By the opening of the complex, several parks were planned and laid out, some of the fountains were put into operation. In subsequent reconstructions and restoration work after the Great Patriotic War, the architects preserved the plans of the great Peter, captured in his drawings and sketches.
upper garden
For the main entrance to the Grand Peterhof Palace, the Upper Garden was laid, which was formed in three stages over fifty years under the guidance of various architects. But initially it was used for growing vegetables and fruits, and the upper ponds served for fountains and fish farming. The upper garden was completed according to the project of B. F. Rastrelli in the early to mid-eighteenth century. At the same time, the famous statues of Pomona (the goddess of fertility), Zephyr (the god of the wind) and Flora (the goddess of spring) appeared in the park, as well as the Neptune composition located in the central pool.
The description of the palace can begin with the history of construction in 1714-1725, according to the project of architects I. Braunstein and J. Leblon, modest Upper Chambers were built with several halls for receptions, banquets and the emperor's bedchamber. Subsequently, in 1745-1755, it was rebuilt by Empress Elizaveta Petrovna. Under the guidance of the world famous architect B. F. Rastrelli, a three hundred meter palace with magnificent facades was rebuilt according to the model of Versailles. Thirty halls, decorated in different styles, delight with their magnificence and richness. After a walk through the Upper Garden, visitors find themselves in the Great Peterhof Palace. Tickets worth 600 rubles and reduced tickets worth 300 rubles can be purchased at the box office from 10:30 to 17:00. The palace today has become a historical and art museum with a huge number of exhibits, paintings and sculptures. The palace, as in former times, is the summer cultural center of Russia, where official meetings and receptions are held, as well as cultural events.
Main staircase, dance and reception halls
As planned by the imperial family, the palace was supposed to perform protocol functions and emphasize the growing strength of the Russian state. And diplomatic receptions, balls and masquerades surprise with wealth and abundance. The architect Rastrelli successfully coped with this task. Already getting on the main staircase, visitors see magnificent carved statues symbolizing the seasons, monumental bas-reliefs on the walls, cartouches richly decorated with gilding. Tempera painting, stucco and metalwork are harmoniously intertwined in the interior. Further, the passage is made in the style of the Arc de Triomphe, the snow-white columns of which support the pediment with allegorical figures "Loyalty" and "Justice". The dance hall ("Merchant") is made in a festive style for balls and entertainment events. This is a large room with an area of 270 square meters. Numerous mirrors in false windows of blank walls increase its volume several times. Then visitors enter the Chesme Hall, the passage to which is also through the Blue Reception. The Great Peterhof Palace was built by Peter I on the coast in order to emphasize the assertion of Russia as a maritime power. The Chesme Hall is named after the victory over the Turkish fleet at Chesme and the consolidation of Russia not only in the Baltic, but also in the Black Seas. The decoration of the hall and battle painting are dedicated to this goal. From here the guests proceed to the Throne Room.
Central part and Throne room
The Grand Peterhof Palace has a through vestibule, which is a passage between the Upper Garden and the Lower Park. Here is the office of Peter I (“oak”) and an oak staircase leading to the Picture Hall. Initially, its walls were decorated with French tapestries and several paintings of the Italian school. During the reign of Elizabeth Petrovna, Count Pietro Rotari was appointed court painter. It was the portraits of his work that finally filled the entire interior. After examining the paintings, passing the Western Cabinet, visitors enter the White Dining Room, which is made in light matte colors. The dining room was used for its intended purpose, and the modern exposition consists of light-colored dining room furniture and two hundred pieces of faience crockery. The Throne Hall has an entrance from the side of the Chesme Hall and the Audienz Hall, which adjoins the White Dining Room. This is the largest room of the palace (330 square meters), it is distinguished by massive stucco molding depicting imperial and military symbols, as well as numerous portraits of the royal family.
West wing of the palace
The western wing is the female half with the chambers of the Empress and her inner circle. It consists of a dozen small rooms. From the Eastern Chinese Cabinet, visitors entered the Partridge Drawing Room, where the Empress spent her morning hours. It is connected directly with the queen's chambers: the Divan, the Dressing Room, the Study and the Crown Rooms. On the other side are the Secretarial, Blue Drawing Room, the quarters of the guards of the cavalry guards. The western wing ends with the palace church. Rastrelli designed the temple of the royal family in his own style - gracefully and magnificently. This is not just a church, but a small palace with rich decoration and a lot of gilding.
lower park
The Great Peterhof Palace is built on a natural hill and conditionally separates the melancholy Upper Garden from the pompous, gilded fountains of the Lower Park. The sea channel, dug from the palace to the Gulf of Finland, was taken as the center line of the planning of the park ensemble. Four alleys leading to the Monplaisir Palace and the Hermitage pavilion depart from the canal in different directions. The park is designed in the French style, which is also called regular. It is characterized by the presence of sculptures, pavilions and symmetry in the planning of alleys and green spaces. Gardeners planted a large number of trees and shrubs brought from all over Russia, combining existing groves into a single complex.
Grand cascade and fountains
The facade of the palace overlooking the sea harmoniously flows into the ledges of the Grand Cascade with a variety of fountains and sculptural compositions. Inspection of the fountain ensemble "The Grand Cascade" can be started by leaving the Great Peterhof Palace after the tour. The operation of the fountains changes annually, depending on weather conditions. Tentatively, the opening takes place at the end of April, and the grand closing of the season - in mid-September. Ticket prices range from 500 to 150 rubles. The cascade consists of two waterfall stairs, along which there are numerous sculptures of the Upper and Lower grottoes. Two powerful streams of water fall from the cascade into the bucket of the Sea Canal, where the central water cannon "Samson tearing the lion's mouth" is located. The fountain group includes eight dolphins and four lions located at the foot. With their jets they form a kind of wreath around Samson. Around the central composition there is a large number of fountains depicting fairy maidens, naiads, tritons, ancient Greek gods and heroes. It is impossible to describe more than 140 different sculpture fountains in a short review, so it is better to see them once.
It will not leave visitors indifferent, and the cascades and fountains will be remembered for a lifetime.
The Throne Hall is the largest (330 sq. m.) and the most solemn hall of Petrodvorets. Initially, the hall was called the Great Hall and did not have a clearly defined purpose. The interior was created by Yu. M. Felten in 1777-1778. From the previous baroque interior, designed by F. B. Rastrelli, only the parquet remained. The interior, interpreted in the style of classicism, but in a baroque volume, is distinguished by restrained color dominance with white dominance and monumental stucco decoration: large stucco ornaments of acanthus leaves on the acanthus, oak and laurel leaves (symbols of perseverance and glory), accentuating the ceiling; wreaths and garlands are made in an underlined volume, protruding from the planes at considerable distances, and sometimes breaking away from them.
The main element of decorating the hall is painting, the most significant places in the interior are assigned to it. The western end wall is almost completely occupied by four canvases by R. Peton, depicting episodes of the Battle of Chesme, thereby forming a plot link with the previous hall. The English painter Richard Peton, having learned about the battle, himself invited the Russian envoy in London, A. S. Musin-Pushkin, to paint several paintings on this topic. His wish was accepted favorably, and in 1772 four paintings arrived in St. Petersburg. At first they were located in the Winter Palace; then, during the creation of the Throne Hall, they were transferred to Peterhof. Richard Peton, unlike Jakob Hackert, did not have accurate information about the location of the ships, so the paintings only approximately interpret the events of the battle. Nevertheless, they were performed at a high professional level and have undoubted artistic merit. Nearby, above the door portals, in a stucco frame, there are ceremonial portraits of Peter I and Catherine I, on the opposite wall, portraits of Anna Ioannovna and Elizaveta Petrovna (all created by G. Buchholz) are located symmetrically to them; 12 portraits of Peter I's relatives are placed in the piers between the windows of the second tier. Gypsum bas-reliefs complementing the interior echo the paintings. On the sides of the “Procession to Peterhof” are allegorical melallions by I.P. Prokofiev “Truth and Virtue” and “Justice and Security”, directly above them are bas-reliefs on historical subjects “The Return of Prince Svyatoslav from the Danube after the victory over the Pechenegs” and “Baptism Princess Olga in Constantinople under the name of Helena.
The central place of the eastern wall is occupied by an equestrian portrait of Catherine II, the largest painting in the hall. The painting, which is called “Procession to Peterhof”, was created in 1762 by V. Eriksen. Catherine is depicted in the uniform of a colonel of the Semyonovsky regiment, riding her beloved horse Brilliant. The canvas records the historical moment of the palace coup on June 28, 1762, when Catherine, who had just been proclaimed empress, leads the guards’ campaign from the capital to Peterhof to finally remove her husband Peter III from power. Contemporaries noted that this is the most similar portrait of the Empress. This painting has an eventful history. After the death of Catherine, instead of the work of V. Eriksen, the hall was decorated with a tapestry “Peter I saves fishermen in Lake Ladoga” (the hall was named Petrovsky); the picture moved to the Peterhof English Palace. In 1917, along with other valuables of the English Palace, she was evacuated to Moscow; for some time was in the Armory, then - in the Tretyakov Gallery. Only in 1969, during the restoration of the hall, the portrait returned to its historical place. Near the equestrian portrait of Catherine there is a Russian-made throne chair from the first quarter of the 18th century. According to legend, the throne was made by order of A.D. Menshikov for his palace in St. Petersburg to receive a frequent guest, Peter I. The oak throne is gilded, upholstered in red velvet, with an embroidered double-headed eagle on the back. The foot bench is an authentic item from the furnishings of the Peterhof Palace; made in the middle of the 18th century.
An important place in the design of the hall is played by chandeliers with amethyst-colored pendants in the shape of oak leaves. Yu. M. Felten, working on the interior of the hall, decided not to order new ones, but to use the lamps that were already in the warehouses of the palace department. 12 chandeliers, baroque in style, seem the same at first glance. But in the hall there are four types of them, different in size and shape. Chandeliers were made at the St. Petersburg State Glass Factory. Similar chandeliers are also located in the Chesme Hall of the Palace and in the White Dining Room.
The entire picturesque decor of the hall, complemented by bas-reliefs, has a pronounced political motif. The throne room was created and designed in order to clearly demonstrate the right of Catherine II to reign, her spiritual succession as the successor of the work of Peter I. The theme of glorifying the deeds of Empress Catherine, both directly (paintings by R. Peton), and allegorically, is also expressed in the hall. An important place in the design is also occupied by the theme of the recently ended Russian-Turkish war: in addition to the works of R. Peton, the bas-reliefs of A. M. Ivanov and M. I. Kozlovsky are referred to it through historical parallels. The hall was used for official ceremonies and events; but also, on special occasions, balls and gala dinners were held here. The throne room was restored in 1969.
Translated from French, Monplaisir means "my pleasure" - the traditional name for country buildings of that time.
The construction of the palace, the place for which was chosen by Emperor Peter I, was completed in 1723. Such masters as Leblon, Michetti, Braunstein took part in the development of the architecture of the building.
The total length of the building is 73 meters, on the territory of which there is a terrace, a copper statue of Neptune, a Monplaisir garden, a Sheaf fountain, four Bell fountains adorned with gilded bronze figures of Apollo, Bacchus, Faun, Psyche.
Nowadays, in the Monplaisir Palace, you can visit the museum, which is open from 10.30 to 17.00 daily, except for the last Wednesday of each month, and is also closed in rainy weather.
Palace "Cottage"
Palace "Cottage" - the central building of the palace and park ensemble of Alexandria, built in 1826-1829 for Emperor Nikolai Pavlovich and his family, designed by architect A. A. Menelas.
The architecture of the palace is made in the Gothic style, and it was built on the site of the ruins of the estate of A. D. Menshikov. In total, the building has 2 floors and an attic, with a clear layout.
In 1842-1843. a dining room with a marble terrace is attached to the eastern facade of the "Cottage".
After the October Revolution, the palace was a historical and art museum, and during the Great Patriotic War there was a medical center of the Nazi army.
In 1979, the palace opens to visitors.
Palace of Marly
The elegant Marly Palace is the compositional center of the entire Marly ensemble in the western part of the Lower Park of Peterhof. It is located on the lintel of two ponds - Marlinsky and Sektoralny. The construction of the palace began in 1720, it was designed by the architect I.F. Braunshtein. The palace was named Marly, in honor of Peter I's visit to the residence of Marly-le-Roi Louis XIV.
Initially, the palace was planned to be one-story, but when the building was brought under the roof, Peter I ordered it to be built on, and in 1723 the second floor was built. Many talented craftsmen worked on the design of the palace: sculptors, stonemasons, sculptors, parquet workers, and so on.
There are only eight rooms on each floor of the palace. The interior of the palace is elegant and austere. The Oak and Chinar cabinets are more ceremonially decorated; valuable types of oak and plane trees were used in their decoration. Also here you can see paintings by Western European artists of the 17th-18th centuries, furniture of the same period, personal belongings of Peter I, a small library is also kept in the palace.
During the Great Patriotic War, the palace was blown up by an enemy mine. In the post-war years, it was restored. As a museum, the palace was opened in 1982.
farm palace
The farm palace was built in 1831 as a country house for the emperor's family, and it became open to visitors only in 2010. Restoration work has been going on since 2003.
Before the building entered the museum complex (1979), a lot of events took place in the Farm Palace.
In Soviet times, there was a rest home, and during the Great Patriotic War, the palace was the headquarters of the Nazi troops. Immediately after the war, the hostel of the Petrodvorets Watch Factory moved into the building.
Grand Peterhof Palace
The Great Peterhof Palace is the largest architectural structure of the palace and park ensemble of Petrodvorets. It is located in the city of Peterhof on the southern coast of the Gulf of Finland.
The palace was built by the architect Francesco Rastrelli in the Elizabethan Baroque style. Its construction lasted from 1714-1755 and reflects several periods in the history of the imperial residence.
The facade of the Grand Palace, which is 300 meters, stretches along the coastline and impresses with its splendor.
Today it is the Historical and Art Museum, whose expositions provide an opportunity to get acquainted with the art of the Russian palace interior of the 18th-19th centuries. Visitors will be able to see many ceremonial halls, art galleries and salons of the Grand Palace, including the office of Peter the Great, which occupies a special place in the interior of the palace and is decorated with light oak.
Sea pier. Petrodvorets
Pier "Petrodvorets" is located in the Lower Park of Peterhof. Previously, Petrovsky Harbor was used both for ceremonial purposes and for household needs. In addition to receiving steamships with guests, large and small ships were also unloaded at the pier, bringing various supplies or building materials to Peterhof. When the days of illumination came, warships, decorated with multi-colored flags and lights, entered the water area.
In 1963, a modern wharf was built with its reinforced concrete piers. By order of Peter I, during the construction of the canal, its walls were strengthened with cobblestone on moss. But over time, the water destroyed the cobblestones, and the walls began to fall, blocking the canal. In 1728, the architect M. Zemtsov proposed laying out the walls of tiled stone and brick, and laying the bottom with cobblestones. At the same time, the canal was reconstructed.
Many passenger routes were organized to the pier from the center of St. Petersburg, ships departed from the Hermitage, the Kunstkamera, and the Bronze Horseman. From Palace Square, you will reach your destination by boat in half an hour. There is a helipad near the pier in Petrodvorets.
Sights of Peterhof
In 2015, the State Museum-Reserve "The Great Peterhof Palace" celebrated its 300th anniversary. Three centuries ago, by his decree, Peter I signed a “verdict” of historical significance to Peterhof: it was here that the Upper Chambers, the future Grand Palace, were laid.
In the 21st century, descendants decided not to disgrace themselves in front of Peter's memory, and during the anniversary year, visitors had to appreciate the efforts of the organizers: anniversary exhibitions, a scientific and practical conference, an updated "Olga" collection, an exhibition of drawings by Peter Alekseevich - and this is still an incomplete list of events prepared for the date to be celebrated.
The Grand Palace is rightfully considered the most beautiful palace in Europe. In addition, it occupies not the last position among the largest monuments of the 18th century and is under the reliable protection of UNESCO.
You have to see it before judging
The Peterhof handsome man is an “adherent” to linear symmetry: 300 m of the main facade of his baroque composition faces the Gulf of Finland.
The terrace of the palace was equipped with a platform with a balustrade, and from it it was pleasant to admire the view of the Sea Canal and the Grand Cascade. The latter served as the main palace staircase.
Everything was thought out in detail, the brilliant idea was more than successfully brought to life, and the palace itself so organically fit into the surrounding view that Jean-Baptiste Leblon, the chief architect of St. Petersburg, once expressed his attitude to this miracle: “... these are things that one must see in order to judge their beauty.
We built-built and ... rebuilt-rebuilt
All this beauty was built in several stages. The first fell on 1710: Johann Braunstein began to build the Upper (Upland) chambers, but did not take into account the peculiarities of local soils - the chambers shrunk and became covered with cracks. After 6 years, Jean-Baptiste Leblon came to the aid of Peterhof, who drew up a plan for alterations: strengthening the foundation, building an underground aqueduct to drain groundwater, and completely changing the layout and interior design. A supporter of light space, the architect primarily focused on increasing window and door openings, as well as expanding the area of the balcony of the Italian Salon - Leblon wanted a lot of people to be there at the same time.
The grandiose plans of the architect after his death were continued by Nicolo Michetti - he gave the palace a complete look, having completed the galleries on the sides.
Empress Elizaveta Petrovna, having ascended the throne, took up the reconstruction of the palace. She wanted change, and here - the whole palace was waiting for her master's hand. The scale was still the same! The architect Rastrelli was commissioned to develop new drawings of the building, which he began in 1745. The center of the Grand Palace was not touched - everything remained as under Peter, but the side galleries were supplemented with the majestic Church and Armorial buildings.
They also added risalite buildings, which changed the plane of the facade. The decoration of the western building was the Main Staircase and the Light Gallery. This gallery received another name - the Dance Hall. It was the most refined room in the Grand Palace.
On top of that, Rastrelli designed the interiors of the premises with great care, turning the palace halls into refined, elegant front rooms. Everything here breathed luxury and splendor: hanging “mirror” vaults, plafond painting, solid gilding, an abundance of mirrors, wall paintings - they gave the feeling of an endless holiday. It took 9 years to complete the decoration, during which the magnificent palace celebrations did not stop. Daughter Peter, it is worth noting, knew a lot about organizing such events.
But the year 1762 came, and with it the reign of Catherine II. The place of the already objectionable Rastrelli was taken by a new favorite - Jean-Baptiste Vallin-Delamot, who redid two palace rooms. For them, he picked up the then fashionable Chinese style.
Another imperial architect, Yuri Felten, refurbished some of the ceremonial halls - the Anteroom, the Throne Room and the dining room. At this, major alterations to the Grand Palace ceased.
Luxury in 30 rooms
The Grand Palace could rightfully be proud of the number of its halls: there were up to 30 of them. All the main premises were located strictly according to the "palace regulations" - on the second floor.
The Chesme Hall, for example, served as a kind of waiting room for the beginning of the ceremonial. The mirror gallery of Versailles served as the prototype of the Peterhof Dance Hall. A feature of such rooms were fake mirror windows-dummy. The throne room was the largest hall in terms of area, 330 square meters. m of the palace were intended for official receptions, balls and concerts. The title of the oldest palace premises was carried by the Picture Hall. In addition, initially it was the largest front room.
The ceremonial rooms of the Own half included personal imperial offices, bedrooms, salons and toilets. Only close associates had access here.
The small Partridge Living Room, so named for the images of partridges on precious silk, has preserved to this day individual elements of expensive upholstery on one of the walls, in window draperies and in a niche.
The Oak Cabinet was also unique: it is the only room in the palace that, even in the 21st century, can boast of a completely preserved design from the era of Peter the Great. The office also contains some of the king's personal belongings, including his travel watch.
Tsars - with a palace, an architect - with a nose
If you look at the Grand Palace from the Upper or Lower Parks, it seems that the building is huge. But this is a misleading impression: in fact, the palace is narrower and not as impressive in size as it seems.
Of particular interest in the palace was the Blue Reception Room: it did not belong to the main halls, but acted as a secretary. A feature of the reception room was the maintenance of "daily journals" there, in which all events in the life of the Grand Palace were recorded.
According to legend, Peter's daughter, Elizabeth, specifically ordered Rastrelli to decorate the Dance Hall in a special way - richer, with gilding. After all, the main purpose of the hall was to receive eminent merchants, greedy for noble metal.
The great Rastrelli, having created a delightful palace, which was the grand royal residence and, perhaps, surpassing even the Versailles masterpiece in beauty, splendor and chic, did not deserve a worthy reward. Elizaveta Petrovna was very pleased with the work of the architect, but did not pay him a penny.
In the time of Peter the Great, the Grand Palace was the center of the official summer life of Russia: important state issues were raised within its walls, and the halls received noble guests hurrying to balls and masquerades.
Even 300 years after construction, the amazing Peterhof Grand Palace impresses with its splendor and luxury.
The Grand Palace is the center of the Peterhof Ensemble, which is located in the city of Peterhof, 29 km from St. Petersburg, on the southern coast of the Gulf of Finland. This is the so-called "crown" residence of Russian tsars. A majestic three-story building stretches along the terrace for almost 300 m.
The idea of the location of the royal residence and the original appearance of the Upper Chambers belonged to Peter the Great.
Over the creation of the architectural appearance and design of the interior decoration of the Grand Palace during the 18-19 centuries. famous Western European and Russian masters worked: J.-B. Leblon, J.-F. Braunstein, F.-B. Rastrelli, M. Zemtsov, N. Michetti, A.I. Stackenschneider. Until now, visitors to the Great Peterhof Palace do not get tired of admiring its magnificence.
Originally a palace built in 1714-1725. according to the project of J.-B. Leblon and I. Braunstein, looked rather modest. Later in 1745-1755. it was rebuilt by Elizaveta Petrovna according to the model of the Palace of Versailles according to the project of F.-B. Rastrelli in the Mature Baroque style.
Particularly impressive is the view of the facade of the Grand Palace from the Lower or Upper Park. But in fact, the building of the Grand Palace is rather narrow and not as huge as it seems at first glance. The Grand Palace includes about 30 halls, which include luxurious ceremonial halls, plastered in marble, with inlaid parquet, painted ceilings, gilded walls.
Among the numerous halls of the palace, there are: the Blue Reception Room, the Dance Hall, the Chesme Hall, the White Dining Room, the Audience Hall, the Chinese Cabinets, the Picture Hall, the Partridge Living Room, the Empress's Study, the Crown Room, the Large Blue Living Room, the Cavalier Room, the Dressing Room, the Standard Room, etc.
In the Petrovsky part of the palace, the Oak Cabinet of the first Russian emperor has been preserved to this day. The main element of the decoration of these small cozy chambers is carved oak panels, which were created during the life of Tsar Peter I by the French sculptor Nicolas Pinault. The Oak Cabinet also displays personal belongings of Peter the Great, including a travel clock made by the German master Johann Benner.
During the reign of the daughter of Peter I, Elizabeth, in the middle of the 18th century, an unsurpassed master of the Baroque style, the famous architect Francesco Bartolomeo Rastrelli, worked in Peterhof. The interiors, which were created by the genius Rastrelli, are characterized by an abundance of gilded wooden carvings, numerous mirrors, parquet floors made of different types of wood, bright and colorful ceiling lamps.
Almost the entire western wing of the Grand Palace is the Dance Hall (in the 18th century it was called the Merchants' Hall). The legend says that Empress Elizaveta Petrovna specifically demanded that Rastrelli decorate this hall richer, since the main purpose of this hall was to receive eminent representatives of the merchant class, who, according to Elizabeth, were very fond of everything gold.
New alterations and changes in the interiors of the Grand Palace took place in the second half of the 18th century. in a fashionable at the time classic style. Famous architects J..B. Wallen-Delamot and Yu.M. Felten in 1760-1770 engaged in the design of the interiors of the Chesme, Throne halls, Chinese cabinets.
As a result of two hundred years of construction, a delightful palace has turned out, where, next to the modest chambers of Peter the Great, the halls of the mid-18th century shine with luxury and splendor. in baroque style. Next to them, solemn apartments in the style of classicism keep calm and austerity. They are replaced by the chambers of the middle of the 19th century, in which the artistic principles of the Rococo style are being revived.
The Grand Palace in Peterhof was the center of official summer life in Russia: it was here that many important issues for the country were resolved, receptions of eminent guests, holidays, masquerades and balls were held.
Today, the Grand Palace is a unique historical and art museum with a collection of about three and a half thousand exhibits, which includes paintings, furniture, fabrics, lamps, dishes that met the tastes of the royal owners of the palace.
