Russia - Table of Contents ............... Architecture Around the World

Peterhof Palace
St. Petersburg
, Russia
UNESCO World Heritage Site

Buildings and Grounds

Misc. Fountains

Grand Cascade

Wikipedia (April 2011):
  • "The Peterhof Palace (... originally named Peterhof, Dutch or German for "Peter's Court") is actually a series of palaces and gardens located in Saint Petersburg, Russia, laid out on the orders of Peter the Great. These Palaces and gardens are sometimes referred as the 'Russian Versailles.' "

  • "This was Peter's Summer Palace that he would use on his way coming and going from Europe through the harbour at Kronstadt/"
  • "Perhaps the greatest technological achievement of Peterhof is that all of the fountains operate without the use of pumps. Water is supplied from natural springs and collects in reservoirs in the Upper Gardens. The elevation difference creates the pressure that drives most of the fountains of the Lower Gardens, including the Grand Cascade. The Samson Fountain is supplied by a special aqueduct, over four km in length, drawing water and pressure from a high-elevation source."

  • "The Grand Cascade is modelled on one constructed for Louis XIV at his Château de Marly, which is likewise memorialised in one of the park's outbuildings."

  • "Perhaps the most important change augmenting Peter's design was the elevation of the Grand Palace to central status and prominence. The Grand Palace was originally called simply 'Upper', and was hardly larger than any of the other structures of the complex. The addition of wings, undertaken between 1745 and 1755, was one of the many projects commissioned from the Italian architect Bartolomeo Rastrelli by Elizabeth of Russia. Likewise, the Grand Cascade was more sparsely decorated when initially built."


Photos and their arrangement © 2010 Chuck LaChiusa
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