Monplaisir was built between 1714 and 1723 by the order and according to the design of Tsar Peter I. The palace was laid down on May 17, 1714, on the southern shore of the Gulf of Finland right at the water’s edge. The Tsar wanted this small palace, unlike the large ceremonial residences, to remind him of his beloved Holland, so that the sea (although in reality it was a "Finnish puddle") could be seen from its windows, and so that the palace would look like a ship ready to set sail on a long voyage. It is precisely at this part of the coast where the marshy terrain changes to an almost maritime landscape. On clear days, Kronstadt is visible from Monplaisir. The design of the building was determined by sketches and schematic drawings by the Tsar himself, who outlined not only the location but also the interior layout and some elements of decorative finishing. The appearance of Monplaisir reflects the extraordinary personality of the first Russian emperor, his aesthetic tastes, interests, and attachments: the decorative design was clearly inspired by Dutch architecture of the 18th century, which is why the palace was sometimes called the "Dutch House." The French ambassador Campredon wrote: "The rooms in Monplaisir are small but very comfortable, and there is a noticeable imitation of Dutch economy and neatness in the kitchens, as well as in the paved terrace by the sea, shaded by lindens, similar to the canals of The Hague." The palace became Tsar Peter’s favorite country house. Whenever he came to Peterhof, he always stayed at Monplaisir. Here he felt like a true European.

Many events in Russian history are connected with Monplaisir. Tsar Peter I frequently visited the palace; receptions and meetings of the emperor with foreign ambassadors were held here. Peter I was last at Monplaisir in October 1724. In 1725, Empress Catherine I held a ceremonial reception at Monplaisir for the first members of the Academy of Sciences. The palace was actively used up until the reign of Catherine II, who repeatedly hosted dinners for a close circle of courtiers in the Ceremonial Hall.

E. E. Meyer. Terrace of the Monplaisir Palace in Peterhof. 1840s. Canvas, oil. National Museum, Warsaw

Today, Monplaisir houses a collection of paintings by Western European artists, a collection of Chinese porcelain, Dutch faience, Russian glass, and kitchen utensils from the first quarter of the 18th century. It also preserves some personal belongings of Peter I and diplomatic gifts received by the emperor.

The building’s design was developed by the German architect Johann Friedrich Braunstein, a pupil and assistant of Andreas Schlüter in Berlin. Tsar Peter himself chose the location of the new palace, determined its layout, and gave instructions regarding the interior decoration. According to another version, the composition was based on Schlüter’s project, and the entire complex was created in imitation of small Prussian palaces, including Monbijou near Berlin.

For the palace’s construction, a retaining wall was built. The palace consists of a central corps (“tent”) with a high roof “with a break” in the Dutch manner, topped with a wooden vase, and side lustgaus (German: Lusthaus — “Pleasure house”) with lanterns on the roof. The central “tent” and the lustgaus are connected by galleries with huge windows (a glazed arcade) at ground level and with small Dutch-style windowpanes. The walls are made of a special narrow undersized brick. The joints of the unplastered walls, highlighted with whitewash, give the building an unusual and romantic appearance.

The “promenade” (terrace) of the sea facade is paved with red clinker (extra durable) bricks. The floors of the galleries (each 22 meters long) are laid out in a Dutch-style checkerboard pattern with white and black marble slabs. The galleries contain 23 paintings in black lacquered frames. These are part of the collection gathered by Tsar Peter during his foreign travels. Among them are paintings by the Tsar’s favorite Amsterdam marine painter Adam Silo, according to legend, Peter himself used these to examine students of the Naval Academy on their knowledge of ship rigging. The ceiling paintings of the Monplaisir galleries were done by masters of the Moscow Armory Chamber based on drawings by the French painter-decorator Philippe Pilman.

The Ceremonial Hall, located in the center of the palace, is one of the finest achievements of Petrine Baroque. Characteristic themes of the changing seasons, the variability of the universe built on the four elements, are reflected in the sculptural and pictorial decoration of the dome. For the wall finish in the English manner, noble waxed oak was used. The Ceremonial Hall of Monplaisir witnessed a wide variety of events. Family celebrations and victories of Russian arms were marked here, and receptions of foreign ambassadors were held. A huge glass goblet on the table reminds of a serious punishment: the penalty “Cup of the Great Eagle,” which during feasts was filled to the brim with wine and presented to violators of the rules introduced by the Tsar. The walls of the main ceremonial hall of Monplaisir are paneled with oak into which paintings in black frames are embedded. The floor is laid with marble slabs in a Dutch checkerboard pattern. This hall is depicted in the famous painting by Ge, “Peter I Interrogates Tsarevich Alexei Petrovich in Peterhof” (1872). The walls of the hall are completed with high vaults and a painted ceiling featuring images of the god Apollo, characters of the Italian Commedia dell’arte theater, and the heads of the “four winds”: Zephyr, Notus, Boreas, Eurus. The paintings were created in 1718 by Pilman together with Russian apprentices. The sculptural herms made of alabaster (allegories of the seasons) in the corners of the vaults were, according to one version, made by Rastrelli the Elder, and according to another — by Jean-Baptiste Alexander Leblond and Nicolas Pino.

Rare kitchenware items are exhibited in the neat Kitchen, decorated in the Dutch manner. Here, sometimes, the Tsar’s wife Catherine Alekseevna cooked. A distinctive feature of the Monplaisir kitchen is the presence of a stone sink for washing dishes, with water supplied through a pipe from the “Sheaf” fountain. The water supply and flowing washing sewage system created for Monplaisir were significant innovations for the 18th century.

Peter I’s study is connected with the maritime theme. One of the Tsar’s most important activities was the creation of the fleet. From the study’s windows, there is a view of the Gulf of Finland, Kronstadt, and Saint Petersburg. The lower part of the study’s walls is decorated with tiles depicting 13 types of sailing ships of that time. Playful monkeys in the ceiling painting remind of travels to overseas countries. Navigational and measuring instruments displayed on the shelves of the cabinet testify to the emperor’s maritime pursuits — a connoisseur of shipbuilding and naval affairs.

The preserved personal belongings of the Tsar, which he used in everyday life, create a special atmosphere of a bygone era: a felt nightcap, a towel, a jug, and a basin for washing.

While in France in 1716, Tsar Peter invited the French sculptor-decorator and woodcarver Nicolas Pino, along with architect Leblond, to Russia to decorate Monplaisir and the Oak Study in the Grand Palace of Peterhof (1717–1720). In 1726, Pino returned to France, where he worked extensively on decorating interiors of private mansions — hôtels in the new Rococo style.

No Russian monarch ever forgot Monplaisir — it was regarded primarily as one of the most revered relics of national history. The palace, which has preserved a significant part of its original decoration and furnishings to this day, is a gem in the palace collection of Peterhof.

During the war of 1941–1943, the Nazis barbarously destroyed all the buildings of Peterhof. From 1951 to 1978, restorers and students of specially established schools recreated the lost interiors. In Monplaisir, the Kitchen, Buffet Room, Bedroom, Secretary’s Room, and Maritime Study with oak paneling and faience tiles depicting thirteen types of sailing ships were restored. From the windows of the Maritime Study, there is a view of the Gulf of Finland. Among the interiors of Monplaisir, the Lacquer, or Chinese, Cabinet stands out, created in the fashion of the time in the chinoiserie style according to Braunstein’s design. On the walls of the cabinet, on gilded shaped consoles, were displayed Chinese and Japanese porcelain items collected by Peter I (out of 546 items, 150 have survived). The walls of the cabinet are decorated with eleven large vertical black lacquer panels depicting “scenes of Chinese life” and eleven smaller ones depicting birds, dragons, and cranes. The lacquer “Chinese” panels were painted by Russian icon painters under the guidance of the Dutchman Hendrik van Bronkhorst, which is why the panels were called “lacquered Dutch work” (1719–1722). The Nazis burned most of the panels. Based on surviving fragments, new panels were painted by Palekh masters from 1953 to 1963.

Sources:

https://ru.wikipedia.org/wiki/Монплезир

https://peterhofmuseum.ru/objects/peterhof/dvorets_monplezir