Peter's Summer Palace 1 description. Russian art of the Petrine era

summer palace Peter I was built in the 1710s on the territory of the summer residence of the sovereign ( summer garden) according to the project of the leading architect of that time D. Trezzini.

The Summer Garden is only nine months older than St. Petersburg. It was this place that was chosen for the residence for several reasons. Firstly, this area among swamps and forests has long been inhabited. Even under the Swedes, in the 60s of the 17th century, there was a manor with a garden here, which belonged to the Swedish major Konau. Secondly, the place was quite far from the noise of construction Peter and Paul Fortress, and Peter, although he was a giant with heroic strength, suffered from a nervous breakdown and woke up at the slightest rustle.

By the autumn of 1710, a small wooden house, which remained on the territory of the Summer Garden from the estate of Konau, in its place, the construction of a summer palace for Peter I began.

The modest palace in its appearance embodied all the features of the architecture of the Petrine era (Petrine Baroque style). Rectangular in plan, the two-story building was completed with a high hipped roof.

The facades of the palace are decorated extremely simply: the walls are cut through by rectangular windows in architraves of a form very characteristic of the early Baroque (there are ledges, the so-called “ears” in their upper part). The small deglazing of the windows is also characteristic of the architecture of the early 18th century. Between the floors, on all four facades, there are 29 terracotta reliefs in rectangular frames.

The reliefs, made in 1714, depict scenes from ancient mythology related to the theme of the sea; in allegorical form, these reliefs reveal, probably, about the Northern War. The outstanding German master A. Schlüter took part in the creation of these reliefs.

Probably, it was he who was the author of the decorative relief decorating the entrance to the palace. It depicts the goddess of wisdom, Minerva, surrounded by war trophies and victory banners. Also on the facades you can find such marine characters as nereids, newts, hippocampus sea horses with scaly fish tails. Here are the ancient gods and heroes, as well as dolphins, which were perceived as symbols of a calm sea. Gutters at the corners of the roof are made in the form of winged dragons. The palace was crowned with a weather vane figurine of the ancient patron of the Russian army, George the Victorious.
At the beginning of the 18th century, the banks of the Neva had not yet been filled up and the Summer Palace stood right by the water. A small canal led from the Fontanka to the steps of the main entrance - the "Havanese" for the approach of boats. Painted in light yellow, the palace seemed to grow out of the water.

Peter I was very fond of this cozy palace, intended not for official visits, but for family life. There were six rooms on each floor. On the top floor are the chambers of Ekaterina Alekseevna, and on the first floor are the chambers of Peter himself.

After the death of the sovereign, the building was not actually used, it was only maintained by periodic repairs.

Thanks to this, the interiors have been preserved in almost their original form. Mortise-frame mirrors, Dutch tiles on stoves, oak panels, furniture brought from Europe, numerous household items from the early 18th century, all this conveys the spirit of the Petrine era.

Among other rooms, a turning room has been preserved, filled with lathes and metalwork tools, compasses, and various devices. Here, Peter often made different things with his own hands, such as a chair, or a model of a ship.

He was in charge of all this economy, as well as turning in other palaces of Peter, and they were almost everywhere where he lived - A.K. Nartov, an inventor and designer.

In June 2009, the Summer Garden was closed for reconstruction, which is expected to last two years, in connection with this, the Summer Palace is also closed to visitors.

Author of the article: Parshina Elena Alexandrovna. Literature used: Lisovsky V.G. Architecture of St. Petersburg, Three centuries of history. Slavia., St. Petersburg, 2004 Semennikova N. Summer garden. Art. L., 1978

© E. A. Parshina, 2009

Until 1703, here, near the Neva and Fontanka, there was the estate of the Swedish officer Konau. Immediately after the founding of St. Petersburg, the summer residence of Peter I was located on this site, which began to be called the Summer Garden.

According to the historian K. V. Malinovsky, the Konau house was moved closer to the Neva for its reorganization into the summer residence of the king. From the autumn of 1706 to the spring of 1707, the draftsman of the artillery order, Ivan Matveyevich Ugryumov, was engaged in this. The death of Ugryumov in 1707 slowed down the work, which is confirmed by Kikin's report to Peter I in February 1708: " Mansions are now being made in your majesty's house, which are ordered to be moved, and will be ready in the coming month."[Quoted from: 3, p. 39]. On March 12, Kikin again wrote to the tsar:" There are mansions in your house, which are postponed a week, although not all, but the kitchen and others will be ready"[Quoted from: 3, pp. 39, 40].

Near the Summer House of Peter I, by that time, a small Havanese had already been dug. It is known that in 1706 Ugryumov was deepening it. Thus, the water surrounded the building on three sides and approached the very porch.

In January 1711, Peter I ordered the wooden building to be moved to another place "near the Kalinkin bridge". On the vacated site in May, they began to build the foundation for the stone Summer Palace of Peter I. This house was built in the Dutch style, as Peter I liked. The Tsar personally drafted the building, after which it was corrected by the architect Domenico Trezzini. It became one of the first stone residential buildings in St. Petersburg, on par with the Menshikov Palace, Golovkin's home. The construction of the Summer Palace of Peter the Great took four years.

The facade of the building is decorated with 28 bas-reliefs by the architect Andreas Schlüter, which depict the events of the Great Northern War. Above the door is the figure of Minerva (the goddess of wisdom) surrounded by victorious banners and war trophies. Schluter came to Russia in 1713 and lived in the Summer Palace even before its construction was completed.

In 1714, a weather vane was fixed on the roof of the Summer Palace, showing not only the direction of the wind, but also its strength. The weather vane was mechanically connected to a device that showed these parameters on a kind of scoreboard inside the building. This device was ordered by Peter I in Dresden from the court mechanic. The weather vane was decorated with a gilded figure of George the Victorious.

On the first floor of the Summer Palace were the chambers of Peter, on the second - his wife Catherine and children. On the ground floor was the reception room of the king. Here he received written requests and oral complaints. Next to the reception room, a punishment cell was equipped, where Peter personally stuffed the guilty and then released them himself. From the reception room one could get into the large "Assembly" room. On the second floor there was a reception room for the Empress, a throne room and a kitchen with an oven, in which Catherine I baked pies for her husband.

The first sewerage system in St. Petersburg appeared in the Summer Palace. Water was supplied to the house by pumps, went to the Fontanka. The work of the flowing sewage was facilitated by the fact that the building was washed by water from three sides, the Fontanka current was the driving force. After the flood of 1777, Havanets was covered with water, and the sewerage system ceased to function.

There were no utility rooms, except for cooks, in the Summer Palace. For them, another building was built along the Fontanka, known as the People's Chambers. It was in these rooms that the famous Amber Cabinet, the anatomical collection of Ruysch, the library of Peter I were located. A special gallery connected the Summer Palace with people's chambers.

Peter I lived in this house only from May to October. Because the palace is called the Summer Palace, it has rather thin walls. There are 14 rooms, two kitchens and two corridors. Ceiling height - only 3.3 meters. One of Peter I's favorite rooms in the Summer Palace was the lathe. The well-known mechanic Andrei Nartov was in charge of her household.

The Summer Palace served as a place for Peter I to receive visitors with their written requests. It also held state meetings of ministers under the leadership of the emperor. After one of these meetings in the lobby of the Summer Palace, an attempt was made on the life of Peter I by one of the schismatics. After that, his co-religionists were ordered to wear a piece of red and yellow cloth on their clothes in order to distinguish them from other people.

The Summer Palace in the form of a royal residence existed until the middle of the 18th century. Then they began to adapt it to the needs of officials. Corresponding repair work made changes in the appearance historical building. In 1815, the Minister of War Prince Gorchakov lived here, the next year - the Minister of Justice, Prince Lobanov-Rostovsky, in 1822 - a military general, governor Count Miloradovich, after him - the Minister of Finance Kankrin.

During the St. Petersburg flood of 1824, the Summer Palace was flooded to the middle of the first floor windows. This event is reminiscent of an old bronze plaque showing the level of water rise.

Since 1934, a historical and household museum has been operating in the Summer Palace.

Summer Palace of Petra

The first thing that strikes in this palace building is its rather modest size. And the second is that the Summer Palace of Peter I has survived to this day in its original form as a royal residence.

The Summer Palace of Peter I in the Summer Garden is one of the first stone palaces in St. Petersburg. It was erected in 1710-1714 under the guidance of the outstanding architect Domenico Trezzini. At the same time, by the way, the construction of his palace began and the first governor-general of St. Petersburg, Alexander Danilovich Menshikov. True, on the other side of the Neva and on another island - Vasilyevsky. In 1711, Peter I made the final decision to transfer the capital of the Russian kingdom from Moscow to new town- Saint Petersburg. Therefore, the construction of the palace was a kind of signal for the Moscow nobility and merchants that the royal court was going to the banks of the Neva in earnest and for a long time.

The place for construction was not chosen by chance. Before the founding of St. Petersburg, the estate of the Swedish major Konau was located here. And Peter purposefully tried to destroy all traces of the Swedish presence on the banks of the Neva. That is why, to the surprise of many, he did not use the large and powerful fortress of Nienschanz and the city of Nienu on the right bank of the Neva for any purpose after it was captured by Russian troops. In fact, the Nienschanz fortress was demolished, that is, razed to the ground. And the city was just ruined.

Palace of Peter the Great in the Summer Garden

The king's palace was located in the northeastern part of the Summer Garden. The Summer Garden is the first regular garden in St. Petersburg, founded in 1704. It is known that Peter I personally took part in the design. The garden area was arranged by a large group of architects and gardeners. From the first years in the Summer Garden they began to plant boxwood, chestnuts, elms, apple trees, pears, walnut trees delivered from warm regions. Following the example set by the tsar in Moscow, greenhouses for growing melons began to be arranged. In Moscow, it was possible to grow surprisingly large and tasty melons in greenhouses. In Russia, unlike many countries, melon was served only for dessert.

The German sculptor and architect Andreas Schlüter was engaged in sculptural decoration and interior decoration of the palace. Not far from the palace, on the banks of the Fontanka, A. Schluter began work on the construction of the grotto, which was completed after the death of the architect G.I. Mattarnovi and N. Michetti.

The palace of Peter the Great was intended not for ceremonial events, but primarily as a dwelling for the tsar and his family. The building of the palace with an underlined strict appearance has a high hipped roof, decorated with corner drains in the form of winged dragons. The main decorative element of the facades is a frieze of twenty-nine bas-reliefs separating the floors. The bas-reliefs serve to glorify Russia's military successes. Peter I is depicted here as Perseus. Above the entrance to the palace is a bas-relief of the goddess of wisdom, the patroness of sciences and crafts, Minerva, surrounded by banners and trophies.

According to the memoirs of contemporaries, the day of the founder of the city on the Neva developed as follows: Peter got up early - at three or four in the morning. He walked around the room, thinking about plans for the day ahead. Then, before breakfast, I worked on papers. At six in the morning, having had a light breakfast, I left the palace. I usually dined at 11 or 12 o'clock, but no later than one in the afternoon. Before dinner, the king drank a glass of aniseed vodka, and before each new dish - kvass, beer or red wine. The traditional dinner consisted of thick hot sour cabbage soup, porridge, jelly, cold pig in sour cream (served whole, and the sovereign himself chose a piece according to his mood), cold roast (most often duck) with pickles or pickled lemons, ham and Limburg cheese. After dinner, Peter put on a dressing gown and slept for two hours. By four o'clock he ordered urgent papers to be submitted to the report for signature. Then he did what he loved - carpentry, worked on a lathe and so on. I went to bed at 10-11 o'clock without supper.

The palace is characterized by a strong contrast between the strict external appearance and the lush interior decoration. The Summer Palace is sometimes called a kind of monument to the Northern War, since the victories of Russian weapons are reflected in allegorical form in the bas-reliefs, and even in the picturesque plafonds. On the ground floor of the palace there are two reception rooms, an office, a bedroom, a dining room, a room for the driver on duty, a kitchen and a dressing room. Here is the subject of Peter's special pride - a turnery, where he liked to work. On the second floor of the building there are a reception room, a throne room, a bedroom, a children's room, a dance room, a green study, a kitchen, a dressing room and a room for maids of honor on duty.

The palace is made in the Petrine Baroque style, this is evidenced by clear proportions, numerous windows with small deglazing, bas-reliefs, and a stucco frieze under the roof. The palace has retained its original layout and interior decoration. There are seven small living rooms on each floor of the building. In the interiors of the palace, first of all, one can note a carved oak panel in the lower vestibule with the image of Minerva, unique Dutch tiles in the kitchens and the study of Peter I, fireplaces with stucco bas-reliefs, picturesque ceiling lamps and much more.

Soon, the first stone embankment in St. Petersburg appeared near the Summer Palace. Until the middle of the 18th century, embankments and bridges in St. Petersburg were built only from wood. On the stone embankment near the Summer Palace near the Fontanka, a small "Havanese" was arranged for the parking of the royal boats. Boats and other watercraft were declared by decree of Peter the main means of transportation in the new capital. Therefore, the king demanded that every inhabitant be able to handle the sail. Intending to accustom the inhabitants of St. Petersburg to sailing, and not to rowing, Peter introduced fines depending on the rank of the violators, increasing for the first, second and third "disobedience" of the royal decree. The tsar appointed Ivan Stepanovich Potemkin responsible for the execution of the decree: “... be your fiscal officer, so that people of all ranks who are found in St. Petersburg, during the wind, traveled the Neva River on ships with sails. And if someone disobeys this great sovereign’s decree, and for that a staff will be taken on them ... ”Peter forbade building bridges in St. Petersburg.

Later, the Havanese was covered up, but recently, during archaeological excavations, St. Petersburg restorers discovered its stone retaining walls, in which even iron rings for tying boats were preserved.

At the beginning of the 21st century, the Summer Palace, like the Summer Garden, came under the jurisdiction of the Russian Museum. And today, an extensive exposition is deployed in the palace. Here are paintings depicting genre scenes, rare portraits, landscapes, canvases depicting sea vessels and battles. One of the most valuable exhibits of the museum is a wind instrument made in Dresden mounted in a carved oak frame. Its mechanism is set in motion with the help of a weather vane in the form of the figure of George the Victorious, mounted on the roof. In the 60s of the XX century, under the guidance of the architect A.E. Hessen, a scientific restoration of the museum was carried out, which helped to restore many of the original elements of the Summer Palace.