Summer Palace of Peter 1 - history of creation. Story. Where is the Summer Palace and how to get to it

A city that is rightfully considered cultural capital Russia - St. Petersburg. Having visited it once, you want to come back again and again. Every corner of it, every centimeter is soaked centuries-old history Russian Empire. Streets, squares, gardens, parks, bridges, museums and architectural monuments create a unique atmosphere in this city. Anyone who comes to St. Petersburg will be able to feel the unique harmony of excellent settlement. The sights of St. Petersburg never cease to amaze its guests. Particularly popular among tourists is the main pearl of which is the palace of Peter I, on which we will focus our attention.

The history of the first Summer Palace

After construction of the Admiralty began on the left bank of the Neva, residential buildings began to appear house after house. Peter I also chose a site for his residence - the territory on the coast of the Neva between the Mya (Maika) river and the Nameless Erik (Fontanka). The first Summer Palace was a small wooden structure. The plastered and painted structure did not stand out in any way among the other buildings located in the neighborhood, and bore little resemblance to the royal residence.

Symbol of the new policy of Russia

The victory near Poltava in 1709 meant a turning point in the Northern War in favor of the Russian army. The hasty construction of numerous stone buildings began in St. Petersburg. During this period, the Lebyazhy Canal was built, which connected the Moika to the Neva. As a result, a small island formed between the rivers. It was on this piece of land that Peter I decided to build a stone palace. By order of the tsar, a project was created that symbolizes the new political direction of Russia. The architect of the Summer Palace, Trezzini, proposed to position the building of the future royal residence in such a way that the same number of windows faced both the west and the east. Peter I approved this idea, and on August 18, 1710, construction of the palace began, which was completed in April 1712.

Summer house

An amazing feature of this structure was that during its construction the city's first sewer system was built. Water was supplied to the house using pumps, and the drain went into the Fontanka. Since the Summer Palace was surrounded by water on three sides, the driving force was the flow of the river itself. However, after the flood that occurred in 1777, the small Gavanets Bay, located in front of the house, had to be filled up. This caused the first sewerage system to cease to function.

First floor of the palace

The Tsar moved to the Summer Palace, the photo of which is presented below, with his entire family immediately after construction was completed and lived in it from spring until late autumn. It occupied six rooms located on the ground floor, including a bedroom with a fireplace. Nearby there was a reception room where various meetings were held and important matters were decided. The king's favorite room was a lathe with a machine, where the emperor free time mastered the craft of a carpenter. He spared no effort for his work and was proud of the fact that he had calluses on his hands.

Second floor of the palace

The Summer Palace of Peter I also had a second floor, to which a massive oak staircase led. There were six rooms here, which housed the queen with her ladies-in-waiting and children. The interior of the second floor was significantly different from the first, as there was great amount mirrors and paintings. Next to the bedroom of Catherine I there was a beautifully decorated throne room in which the queen decided her affairs. The Green Cabinet surprised visitors with its magnificent gilded decoration, numerous ivory and wood figurines, and amazingly beautiful Chinese frescoes. A special room was allocated for parties and dances.

Summer garden

Near the palace a magnificent garden was laid out in 1720, which resembled huge park. Beautiful alleys stretch across the entire garden. They share an area with beautifully trimmed trees and shrubs. Sculptures symbolizing Russia were installed throughout the territory. In addition, in the garden there were many marble busts, the creation of which was carried out by the best Italian craftsmen. Particular attention was paid to the construction of fountains, which served as decoration for the palace grounds. Due to the fact that the Summer Palace was surrounded by water on three sides, special boats were offered to guests for walks.

Historical memo

The Tsar loved the Summer Palace very much. This is where he spent last days own life. In 1725, in the lobby of the palace, Peter I was attacked by one of the schismatics, which ended in death. After the death of the Tsar, Catherine I never lived in the residence. For some time, meetings were held here, but eventually the palace became a resting place for the imperial courtiers.

Everything beautiful is forever

After three centuries, the Summer Palace in St. Petersburg has undergone virtually no changes. Time has not made any adjustments to the exterior decoration of the palace. Not only the austere appearance of the building, built in the Baroque style, has been preserved to this day, but also the summer frieze under the roof, consisting of twenty-nine bas-reliefs that separate the floors. Under the high hipped roof, gutters built in the form of winged dragons have been preserved, and on it there is a weather vane in the form of St. George the Victorious, showing. In addition to the external appearance, the main part of the interior decoration has been preserved: artistic carvings on the walls, painted ceilings and tiled stoves. The Green Study, the dining room and those rooms in which the royal ladies-in-waiting resided have practically the same appearance.

Tour of the Summer Palace

Today this palace is rightfully included in the “Best Sights of St. Petersburg” section. Thousands of tourists strive to visit it. What can you see in the palace?

The main decoration of the lobby is a large panel - a bas-relief of Minerva, carved from wood. It is impossible not to pay attention to the door, the trim on which is made of black marble. It leads to a room that was once the king's reception room. The next room is intended for orderlies; it is not of particular interest. Next is the Assembly Room (Second Reception Room), the main decoration of which is the “Triumph of Russia” lampshade. And between the windows there is an Admiralty chair, which previously belonged to Peter I. Behind the second reception room there is a narrow room that once served as the tsar’s dressing room.

Continuing to explore the Summer Palace, let's move on to the next room - the emperor's office, where some of the king's personal belongings have been preserved. Thus, of interest is a gift from the English King George I - ship's furniture. In the corner there is an oak cabinet with beautiful carvings. In the center there is a huge table and a work chair. A door leads from the office to the royal bedroom. What attracts attention here is the lampshade, which depicts the god of sleep Morpheus holding poppy heads in his hands. Looking at it, determining the purpose of the room is not difficult. In the bedroom there is a beautiful fireplace, in which, according to legend, the royal court jester Balakirev hid.

On the second floor, the most interesting will be the Green Office, which has retained all its decoration in its original form, which has already been described. There is a fireplace in the corner with sculptures of cupids on it. Moving into the dance room, you will find yourself in a world of mirrors. The large mirror in a walnut frame with unique carvings deserves special attention. In the children's room you can see a lampshade depicting a stork holding a snake in its beak, which symbolized the glorious reign of the heir and the death of enemies. Finally, you need to go to Catherine’s throne room, where her throne still stands.

The palace still has a cozy, homely atmosphere that attracts many tourists. People come here not only to see this landmark of St. Petersburg and get acquainted with history. Many people want to understand exactly how the emperor lived and what surrounded him.

Where is the Summer Palace and how to get to it

The palace is located at the address: Summer Garden, building 3. To get to this place, you need to get to the Gostiny Dvor metro station. After this, walk along Sadovaya Street to the Lebyazhya Canal embankment. It is necessary to move towards reducing the numbering of houses. The entrance to the Summer Garden is located near the embankment.

In the north-eastern part of the famous St. Petersburg Summer Garden there is a small but remarkable Summer Palace of Peter I. The building, almost the same age as the city, is today in excellent preservation, and in summer time Anyone can take an excellent tour of the interiors created for Russia's most famous ruler.

How to get there by metro

The palace is located in the tourist heart of St. Petersburg - on the territory of the Summer Garden. The nearest metro stations are Nevsky Prospekt and Gostiny Dvor. Travel time from them is about 20 minutes.

Please note that excursions to the palace are only available on strictly certain time, groups of 15 people. You can check the schedule on the official website of the Russian Museum, to which the palace belongs.

The cost of an adult ticket is 500 rubles (summer 2019). You can only pay for the visit in cash: it’s worth taking this into account, since there are no ATMs near the palace.

A little history

The palace, designed by the famous Domenico Trezzini, was built from 1710 to 1712. Since 1703, this place was located summer house Petra. Several masters took part in the design of the palace facades in the “Dutch manner,” including the famous representative of the early Baroque, the German architect Andreas Schlüter.

There is a legend that the palace was built on the Admiralteyskaya side of St. Petersburg in order to motivate citizens to settle around. This part of the city developed very reluctantly: on the opposite Petrograd side there was a port, trade area, a living room, and Peter’s first home, his small house, was built there.

Already in 1704, the need arose to settle Admiralty Island: there simply were not enough workers. Officers and officials moved here under pain of “deprivation of the stomach.” Alas, we are not given the opportunity to know whether the construction of the palace really influenced the activity of settlement on the left bank of the Neva, but it began precisely from the time the construction of the palace was completed.

After the death of the emperor, the building did not fall into disrepair: even during the reign of his daughter Elizabeth, the Summer Palace began to be used for the residence of major officials. It is worth noting that a unique exhibition item has also been preserved here: a wind device ordered by Peter during his lifetime.

The palace, like many buildings in the city, was damaged during the Great Patriotic War; its restoration began in 1946. It is noteworthy that during wartime, the Summer Palace and Peter's House on the Petrograd Side were open to the public for some time: this was a kind of symbol that Leningrad was not broken under the onslaught of the enemy, the city was still alive.

Since the 20s of the 20th century, the Summer Palace was opened as a museum, however, the exhibitions held here were not related to its history. But already in the 30s, various things of Peter, interior items of his time appeared in the museum. In 2004, the building came under the jurisdiction of the State Russian Museum.

Summer Palace - perfect place to enjoy the beautiful ancient interiors and learn more about the history of St. Petersburg. Within walking distance from it are the most famous city attractions - the Peter and Paul Fortress and the Spit of Vasilyevsky Island.

In short, in general:

a palace with an interesting historical exhibition;
convenient location in the center of St. Petersburg;
excursions are conducted only at strictly defined times; it is better to plan your visit in advance.

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The Summer Palace of Peter I is considered one of the oldest buildings in St. Petersburg. The house is in a very beautiful place called Summer Garden. This park was laid out at the beginning of the 18th century, when the Northern capital was just beginning to be built up. Peter I invited famous architects and gardeners to work on his summer residence. The Tsar dreamed of arranging a garden here in the Versailles style. Looking ahead, let's say that he succeeded and to this day the Summer Garden remains one of the favorite vacation spots for tourists and city residents.

The Summer Palace of Peter I in St. Petersburg is not distinguished by its splendor. This is a very modest building in the Baroque style, completely different from the royal mansions.

Peter chose the location for the Summer Palace between the Neva and Fontanka (in those years - Nameless Erik), exactly where the estate of the Swedish major Erich von Konow was located. It was here that a small two-story stone house was built according to the design of the architect Domenico Trezzini. True, Peter initially made the house plan on his own, and Trezzini only corrected it. It is worth noting that the Summer Palace of Peter I is not distinguished by its splendor. This is a very modest building in the Baroque style, completely different from the royal mansions. The layout of both floors is exactly the same. There are only 14 rooms, 2 kitchens and 2 internal corridors. The tsar's rooms were located on the first floor, and his wife Catherine's on the second. The owners used this house only in warm weather - from May to October. That is why the Summer Palace of Peter I has thin walls and single frames in the windows. The façade of the palace is decorated with 28 bas-reliefs depicting the events of the Northern War.

On the roof of the Summer Palace of Peter I there is a copper weather vane in the form of St. George the Victorious slaying a serpent. The weather vane sets in motion the mechanism of the wind device located inside the house. A special display panel indicated the direction and strength of the wind. Peter I ordered this unusual device for that time in Dresden from the court mechanic.

Despite its outward simplicity, the Summer Palace of Peter I had everything that was required for the needs of the sovereign. In the reception room he read letters, dealt with complaints and sometimes received visitors. Next door there was a lathe and a lathe, at which Peter worked, a bedroom, a dressing room, a kitchen, a dining room and a large room - the assembly. A punishment cell was provided for those who were guilty. The interior decoration of the palace glorified Russia's victory over the Swedes in the Northern War in allegorical form. On the second floor there were Catherine’s bedroom, a nursery, a room for maids of honor and separate room dance.

It is interesting that the Summer Palace of Peter I was equipped with a sewerage system - the very first in all of St. Petersburg. The building was washed on three sides by water, which entered the house using pumps. The flow of the Fontanka River served as the driving force for the sewerage system.

Next to the palace there is another building - the Human Quarters. Here was the famous Amber Room, a huge library and numerous collections of various things that Peter collected. For example, the anatomical collection of the Dutch scientist Ruysch was kept in the Human Chambers. In fact, this house housed a large museum: here the king brought various curiosities, mechanisms, many compasses, astronomical instruments, stones with inscriptions, household items of different nations and much, much more.

Its main function country residence The Summer Palace served the Tsar until the mid-18th century. Then officials began to use it. For some time the palace even stood abandoned. This is what saved it from perestroika. In 1934, a historical and art museum was located here. The building was damaged during the Great Patriotic War. But a large-scale reconstruction in the mid-50s of the 20th century helped to completely restore the palace. Today the Tsar's residence is part of the Russian Museum; anyone can go inside and find out how Peter I lived.

Practical information

Summer Garden address: St. Petersburg, Kutuzov embankment, 2. The nearest metro station is Gostiny Dvor. Entrance to the garden is free, opening hours are from 10.00 to 20.00. Day off is Tuesday.

Summer Palace of Peter I in St. Petersburg. Historical building in the Petrine Baroque style, a former imperial residence, built according to the design of D. A. Trezzini in 1710-1714. Currently, the building is part of the Russian Museum.

The Summer Palace of Peter I is one of the oldest buildings in St. Petersburg; it was built in 1714 and has been preserved in its original form to this day. The two-story palace was intended only for summer residence, so it had thin walls and single window frames. The emperor first settled in the unfinished palace already in 1712 and lived there for the rest of the years in the summer. It was the Summer Palace that gave the name to the Summer Garden.

The facade of the palace is decorated with bas-reliefs from the events of the Northern War by A. Schlüter, where Peter I himself is depicted in the image of Perseus, and the hipped roof is decorated with corner gutters in the form of winged dragons. The roof itself was crowned with a weather vane, indicating the direction and strength of the wind. The general appearance of the Baroque palace is outwardly modest; the building has even proportions and an abundance of windows on all sides of the building. It is interesting that the building is strictly oriented to the west and east, this was the embodiment of the emperor’s idea that Russia was equally aimed at both of these sides of the world.

The Summer Palace is quite small - it consists of only 14 rooms (7 per floor). The discreet appearance of the external forms was compensated by the richness of the interior decoration. The interiors were painted by Russian artists A. Zakharov, I. Zavarzin and F. Matveev. Among the most noticeable decorations inside the palace are an oak panel in the lower vestibule, unique Dutch tiles, fireplaces with stucco bas-reliefs, and picturesque lampshades. The themes of glorifying Russian military glory were widely used in decoration; many sculptural and artistic elements decor.

The rooms of Peter I were located on the first floor, and his wife and children on the second. The palace also included reception rooms (“assembly rooms”), an office, a throne room, and even the king’s personal punishment cell. One of the rooms of the palace was occupied by a mechanical turning workshop, where the emperor loved not only to work personally, but also to receive reports from nobles.

In Peter's time, there was a small harbor near the palace - Gavanets, which was later filled up after a flood. It made it possible to swim up to the entrance to the palace directly by boat. The water surrounding the palace was also used for sewerage.

After the death of Peter I, the palace was used for a long time as a summer residence for dignitaries and courtiers; the Supreme Privy Council met here, but the reigning persons themselves no longer lived in the palace. It is to this that the palace owes its preservation - Elizabeth built herself a new summer residence, but no one began to rebuild Peter’s palace.

In 1925, the palace came under the jurisdiction of the Russian Museum, and since 1934 it has become a full-fledged museum exhibition dedicated to Peter I.

The Summer Palace of Peter I is included in the Unified State Register of Objects cultural heritage(historical and cultural monuments) of Russia.

Note to tourists:

A visit to the Summer Palace of Peter I will be interesting for tourists interested in the architecture of the early 18th century, for everyone who wants to see the exhibitions located on the territory, and can also become one of the points excursion program while exploring nearby attractions -

The Summer Palace of Peter I is located in Summer Garden St. Petersburg. The garden was laid out by a large group of gardeners and architects in the early years of the city's founding. Peter I had a dream - to set up a garden in the Versailles style. At first, in his house he only rested and monitored work, and then he lived here with his family in the summer.

After the Moika was connected to the Neva by the Lebyazhy Canal, small island. In its northern region, in 1710-1714, the Summer Palace was erected, which was one of the first stone palaces in St. Petersburg. The author of the project was the architect D. Trezzini. The interior furnishings were created under the direction of the German architect and sculptor A. Schlüter. Tradition tells that the king ordered the construction of the house so that the building would symbolize the new policy of the country. Then Trezzini positioned the palace building so that 6 of its 12 windows looked west, and the other 6 looked strictly east. The architect explained his decision as follows: “So our Russia is equally facing both the West and the East.”

The first sewerage system of St. Petersburg was built at the royal residence. Water entered the house using pumps and went into the Fontanka. Since the house was surrounded on 3 sides by water, the driving force of the system was the flow of the Fontanka. In 1777 there was a flood, and the small Gavanets Bay in front of the house was filled up. The sewer system stopped working.

In the lobby of the palace, one of the schismatics made an attempt on Peter I.

In 1925, the Summer Palace was transferred to the Russian Museum, and since 1934, the work of the Historical and Household Museum was organized here. In the 1960s, a scientific restoration of the museum was carried out. The director was architect A.E. Hesse. During the work, it was possible to recreate many of the original elements of the Summer Palace.

After the death of Peter I and Catherine I, practically no one lived in their house. At one time, meetings of the Supreme Privy Council were organized here, and later the imperial courtiers came to the palace to rest.

The architectural style of the building is Baroque. This is expressed in clear proportions and numerous windows, bas-reliefs and a stucco frieze under the roof. The appearance of the building is strict. The roof is high, hipped. The gutters are made in the shape of winged dragons. The facades are decorated with a frieze of 29 bas-reliefs that separate the floors.

Each floor of the building is equipped with 7 small living rooms. There are no large halls. The decoration of the lobby is made in the form of carved oak panels, which are divided by pilasters of the Ionic order. The sculptor N. Pino made a bas-relief image of Minerva.

On the first floor there were the royal chambers, on the second - his wife Catherine and children. In the reception room, the emperor received oral and written complaints and requests. Near the reception area there was a punishment cell for the guilty. From the reception room one could go into a large room called the assembly. On the first floor there was also a kitchen with a dining room and a bedroom, a dressing room and a room for the driver on duty. There was also a lathe and a machine on which Peter the Great loved to work.

On the second floor of the building, in addition to the dressing room, cookroom and room for ladies-in-waiting, there is a throne room, a children's room, a bedroom and a dance room. The Green Cabinet, which is decorated with picturesque inserts, gilding and molding, deserves special attention. The emperor's kitchen and office are decorated with rare Dutch tiles, and the fireplaces are decorated with stucco bas-reliefs. The lampshades of the office are picturesquely painted by master G. Gzel.

Russian artists I. Zavarzin, A. Zakharov and F. Matveev took part in the decoration of the rooms. The living rooms have preserved the atmosphere that reigned in former times. You can also see rare portraits, paintings depicting sea vessels and battles, and landscapes. A rarity of the museum is a wind instrument brought from Dresden. It is set in motion by a weather vane installed on the roof in the form of the figure of St. George the Victorious.

The Summer Palace of Peter I still has a cozy family atmosphere.