Peterhof

After 200 years of serving as a grand summer residence of the emperors, Peterhof is inextricably connected with Russian history. The seaside paradise was to become a grandiose triumphal memorial glorifying the grandeur of Russia, in conquering the desired access to the Baltic Sea, during the Great Northern War.

Peterhof is legitimately considered being the work of Peter the Great - over ten of his handmade drawings regarding Peterhof, and even more sketches with his rectifications and notes, were preserved. Even after the emperor's death, during the next century and a half, the architects were not only maintaining but also continuing to carry out the plan of the Tsar-Reformer.

The construction of the residence, which was as beautiful and splendid as the best residences of the European monarchy, including the French Versailles, started in 1714. The grand opening of Peterhof took place on the 15th of August 1723. By that time, all the principal elements of the ensemble composition were mostly ready: the Lower park had been already laid out, the Sea Channel had been excavated, and some fountains had been in progress. The Upper Chamber and the Monplaisir and Marly palaces had been erected.

In 1917 after the Russian revolution, Peterhof became a large educational center. During World War II, the German occupiers barbarously destroyed the palaces and the park. The reconstruction began from the first days of the liberation. Today, this nature and man-made masterpiece welcomes the guests, impressing and surprising them, just like in the 19th century. In 1990, the architecture and park ensemble "Peterhof" was included in the world's list of intangible cultural heritage of UNESCO, and was recognized in 2008, as one of the seven wonders of Russia.