Peter's Yard

Peterhof, translated from the Dutch, means Peter's court. The translation may seem rural and homey, but Peterhof is hardly that.  It is the palace of Peter the Great near St. Petersburg. We arrived there at about ten in the morning with our tour group. We were met by a military band. Militaristic music filled the cool morning air; a real wake-up call!  Soon we were ushered into the palace itself. Security was tight at the palace like at other tourist attractions we had visited in Russia. There is, however, no consistency in security regulations. Some places backpacks were allowed and in some not. Some places photos were allowed and some places not. Peterhof was no exception.

Built in the grand European style, it is actually a collection of several palaces.  Peter the Great, the builder of this palace, was a fan of European style architecture, in particular French Architecture.  The exterior of the palace was yellow, unlike the blue of Catherine's Palace  and the Hermitage. The chapel on the palace grounds has the traditional onion shaped domes gilded with gold. This palace like others had the beautiful wood parquet floors. What  makes Peterhof so unique, however, is its gardens. In 1730 the gardens of palatial homes were as much for entertainment as decoration.  The fountains of the gardens of Peterhof make it quite unique. Today the fountains are  the main attraction of this World Heritage Site. The gardens in the area between the main palace and the Gulf of Finland contain the majority of the estate's fountains. These are no ordinary fountains; these fountains have no pumps. The water pressure comes from gravity. Water is collected in ponds from natural springs behind the palace. The difference in elevation between the ponds and the fountains produces the water pressure to operate the fountains.  The Samson and the Lion fountain shoots a stream of water sixty feet in the air, the highest of any fountain.  This fountain, installed in 1730, has a special historical significance. On St. Samson’s Day Russia defeated Sweden in battle. The lion is on the Swedish coat of arms. Therefore, the statue of Samson killing the lion incorporated in the fountain is symbolic. The original gold clad statue scavenged by the occupying Germans during WWII has been replaced.

The fountains are operated only a few hours a day. This is quite an event.  The fountains are turned on with much fanfare at eleven o'clock.  It begins as a military band assembles in front of the Samson and the Lion fountain.  The band members stand at attention before the golden clad statue, and with a blast of trumpets water gushes skyward. As the music swells the fountains are activated and jets of water shoot into the air. This fountain is the beginning of the Sea Channel which is lined with fountains as it leads to the sea. The fountains along the sea channel begin as well.  The streams of water rotate and vary in height as the band plays. Peterhof is loosely based on Chateau de Marly of France.

These water works were once considered “the eighth wonder of the world”.  We thoroughly enjoyed visiting Peterhof.  If you’re ever in St. Petersburg, take the short drive to Peterhof to view some of the greatest fountains in the world and a beautiful palace too.