top of page
Saint Petersburg. A Royal Dream on Ice
Sezione 1
Sezione 2
Peterhof Palace
Anna I of Russia. 1730
PLAY ME
My great-uncle, Peter 'the Great',
had an exceptional idea when he decided to order the construction
of a royal residence, outside the city limits, reminiscent of the French Versailles. The general concept of park and palace planning for Peterhof belongs to him. In fact, the name Peterhof means 'Peter's Courtyard'. This is the main summer residence of the emperors, a seaside paradise, built to glorify the greatness of Russia, which,
at the end of the Northern War, had gained much desired access to the Baltic Sea. The palace consists of numerous buildings and is full of flowerbeds, sculptures, kiosks and fountains. Here, you can discover countless streams of water, fed by underground springs, used for fountains. During the reign of my uncle, the young Tsar Peter II,
nephew of Peter I, Peterhof and St Petersburg were consigned to oblivion... The rebirth of the palaces and the park began only with my advent; I possess a gargantuan desire for luxury, for parties and entertainment. My physique, certainly not beautiful, and too abundant even for my age,
leads me to try to impose myself through arrogance and hateful jokes on my subjects, forcing them to accept my humiliations, which for me, are a cruel game. I love the festivities held in these sumptuously decorated rooms, and I love the smell of the gardens...
Sezione 3
bottom of page