One of the most amazing and beautiful European palaces located near St. Petersburg and is known under the name of Peterhof.Briefly describes the history of the creation of this amazing place.And we will try to quickly go through the most important stages of life of Peterhof.
good place
Legend has it that the place for the city he chose Peter I. In 1705 a small boat "Munker" stuck to the Gulf of Finland 40 km under construction in St. Petersburg.Hence it is easily visible horizon of the Baltic Sea and the vast island, which at that time were built a formidable fortress - Kronshlot.In 1708 came the first mention of the manor built on Popovski wooden palace of Peter I, which the king called "horomtsy."So begins the story of Peterhof.
project grand residence
In 1710 the first steps were taken to transform into a luxury horomtsev Peterhof palace complex.History tells us that Peter I after his victory over Sweden made the trip to France.There he studied the brilliant plan of French royal residences - Choisy, Trianon, Versailles.Special attention was paid to various technical solutions and machine parts of parks and fountains.
In 1716, the king ordered from the famous French architect Alexander Leblond, appointing him the general architect of the future Peterhof.Many of the ideas embodied in the life of Italian architects - Carlo Bartolomeo Rastrelli, Niccolo Michetti, the master of fountains - Venetians Giuliano and Giovanni Barattini.
first discovery
Work on the construction of Peterhof were with fabulous speed, and in August 1725 held its grand opening.By this time it acted most fountains Sea Canal was dug and laid out the park and built small palaces - Marly and Monplaisir.
honor to make the first layout had the Peterhof M. Zemtsov - known Russian architect.Prior to that, on-site there were no facilities for farmers who constructed it.Thanks to a clear layout Peterhof received two additional cases - state peasants was built Artisan body to court - Cavaliers.
lapidary factory, formed in 1725, was the first industrial facility, which received Peterhof.The history of its origin is closely linked to the construction of this architectural masterpiece.The main task of the factory has been handling a stone, which was used to build palaces and architectural buildings of the future city.By this time we have already begun work on the construction of water pipeline, which was supposed to feed the fountains of Peterhof.The history of this powerful hydraulic structure began in the riverbed Ropsha.It was her water had to provide all the water fountains and park ensemble named Peterhof.
History Palace in XVII-XVIII centuries.
During the reign of Catherine I and Anna Ivanovna in Peterhof put into practice ideas and architectural enhancements Peter I. ascended the throne when Elizabeth, she invited the son of the famous Carlo Rastrelli, who had already proved himself a brilliant architect.Francesco Rastrelli led work on the reconstruction of Peterhof.When it was converted Upper Chamber, Upper decorated garden.There was also built a new Elizabethan building, which has organically entered the equipped Peterhof.
History is silent about any dramatic changes during the reign of Catherine II.All transformations in this period were limited to changes in the interior decoration of palaces and renaming the Elizabethan body in Catherine.
At the time of accession to the throne Pavel I Peterhof architectural structures in urgent need of overhaul, fountains and cascades almost no effect.It took years of reconstruction of the entire mass of the palace complex.The scope of work was so great that the final restoration of Peterhof had been at the beginning of the XIX century, when the throne sat the son of Paul I - Alexander I.
Peterhof in the XIX century
the beginning of the century there was a settlement in the Peterhof fifty houses and a variety of inhabitantsnon-residential buildings - stables, sheds and so on.Alexander I ordered to reconstruct the most ugly buildings.Projects for new homes have been designed by Vasily Stasov and others.Transformed building served as barracks for a few cavalry regiments.
Under Nicholas I, the territory of Peterhof were expanded through the purchase of land to the east of the Lower Park.Since 1826 the structure of Peterhof complemented by two-storey cottage, which belonged to the wife of Nicholas I - Alexandra Fyodorovna.Later Farm was built the palace and landscape park.
Accession of Alexander II marked the opening of the railway, which connected Petersburg and Peterhof.The history of the palace complex until 1917 - a brilliant life of brilliant ladies and gentlemen, members of the royal family and nobles in St. Petersburg.
Peterhof in the XX century
After the revolution, the entire palace and park ensemble was nationalized.In 1918, he was the first great tour of the halls of the workers.However, the full restoration of the destroyed ensemble was conducted for about 10 years.By 1926 were remodeled Park fountains lower, and by 1930 the replacement of pipelines and restored fountain overgrown Upper Garden.
Great Patriotic War did not spare Peterhof.Most of the exhibits were destroyed or stolen, and architectural structures have turned into a pile of rubble.After the liberation of Peterhof in 1944, immediately began repair work, which lasted about 30 years.Only in 1973 the palace and park complex was returned to its original appearance, and since then Peterhof did not get tired to conquer the hearts of both Russians and foreign tourists.
