The amazing Peterhof Palace in Saint Petersburg.

Peterhof, built near the new capital of St. Petersburg by Emperor Peter I at the turn of the nineteenth century, became one of the most spectacular summer royal palaces and a unique triumphal monument to Russia’s triumphant escape from the Baltic Sea. The Grand palace and some “little” palaces and pavilions were erected, the world’s greatest system of fountains and water cascades was built, and the majority of sculptural furniture was created until the middle of the nineteenth century.

The settlement of Russia on the beaches of the Gulf of Finland following the Northern War of 1700–1705 enabled the construction of the royal home in Peterhof and then the emergence of the grand imperial residence. Construction on St. Petersburg, the fortress of Kronshlot (Kronstadt), and the coastal estates of Peter’s allies began on the reclaimed shores of the Gulf of Finland. Peterhof was the name of one of the mansions he liked. A year later, the monarch was given a modest garden on a hill overlooking the sea, as well as a wooden palace (it existed until the middle of the 18th century). Peter remained in the building and planned small receptions.

Peter identified a location for a summer residence to the east of the mansion. Peter I was not only the founder of Peterhof, but also its first creator. His hand sketches, drawings with notes and changes…