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Fountain joke "Dubok"

Dubok, Alexandriyskoye Highway, Saint Petersburg, Russia, 198510

The prank fountain "Dubok" is one of the prank fountains of the Peterhof Palace and Park Ensemble. It is located in the Lower Park near the Montplaisir Alley. The prank fountain was created in 1735, and its surface was originally covered with gold paint. The branched six-meter hollow tree trunk made of tin tubes was externally covered with lead, which imitated bark.
Imperial Parks of Peterhof
photo
Jermaine

The prank fountain "Dubok" is one of the prank fountains of the Peterhof Palace and Park Ensemble. It is located in the Lower Park near the Montplaisir Alley. The prank fountain was created in 1735; originally, its surface was covered with gold paint. The branched six-meter hollow tree trunk made of tin tubes was externally covered with lead, which imitated bark. The project author was Rastrelli, and the fountain master was Sualem. Initially, the prank fountain was located in the Upper Garden. In the mid-18th century, it was removed from there. In 1802, it was installed by master Strelnikov in a bosquet near the Montplaisir Alley. The prank fountain "Dubok" consists of a metal tree, five tulips, and two benches. Metal oak leaves (500 tubular branches and 2,500 leaves) are attached to the tree. Jets of water burst from the hollow tube branches of the tree and from the tulips. The branched six-meter hollow tree trunk, externally covered with lead imitating bark, is filled with water from the root to the top and to the tip of each branch, from where jets burst out. Around "Dubok" are large fountain "tulips," and nearby stand two wooden benches. Behind their backs are hidden 41 tubes each, from which silvery jets of water suddenly shoot upwards, drenching passing guests.

The fountain was destroyed during the Great Patriotic War. After the war, based on surviving drawings and a preserved twig with leaves (which is displayed at the Grottos of the Grand Cascade), under the green paint of which gilding appeared, the prank fountain was recreated in 1953. The restoration was led by the father and son Lavrentievs.

Sources:

https://ru.wikipedia.org/wiki/Дубок_(фонтан-шутиха)

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

 

photo
Jermaine

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Imperial Parks of Peterhof
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Imperial Parks of Peterhof
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Imperial Parks of Peterhof
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Imperial Parks of Peterhof
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Imperial Parks of Peterhof
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Imperial Parks of Peterhof
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Imperial Parks of Peterhof
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Imperial Parks of Peterhof
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Imperial Parks of Peterhof
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Fountain "Triton" or Orangery Fountain

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Imperial Parks of Peterhof
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Imperial Parks of Peterhof
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Imperial Parks of Peterhof
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Fountain joke "Umbrella" or "Mushroom"

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Imperial Parks of Peterhof
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Fountains "Bells"

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Imperial Parks of Peterhof
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Miniature fountains "Tritons" or "Bells"

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Imperial Parks of Peterhof
The miniature "Tritons" fountains appeared on the shore of the Marlinsky Pond at the end of the 1720s. The sculptures of four identical boy-tritons holding flat bowls were cast in England in 1721 based on a drawing by the architect I. Braunstein. Originally, the "Tritons" were intended to decorate the Grand Cascade, but they were cleverly adapted for the construction of fountains, whose compositional design is simple and elegant. Four water jets spouted from the bowls above the heads of the "Tritons."
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Imperial Parks of Peterhof
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Imperial Parks of Peterhof
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Imperial Parks of Peterhof
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Imperial Parks of Peterhof
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Imperial Parks of Peterhof
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Lion Cascade (Hermitage)

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Imperial Parks of Peterhof
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The Grand Cascade is the most magnificent fountain structure of the Peterhof ensemble.

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Imperial Parks of Peterhof
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Benois Family Museum

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Imperial Parks of Peterhof
There are many world-famous artists, but artistic dynasties are few. Among them, the Benois family rightfully holds a special place. This lineage has French origins. As often happened with many foreign families in Russia, the Benois family, combining French and German blood, became Russified and became the progenitor of numerous Russian figures in the arts.
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Grand Palace (Peterhof)

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Imperial Parks of Peterhof
Great Architects: Bartolomeo Francesco Rastrelli
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Upper and Lower Grottos

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Imperial Parks of Peterhof
The Upper and Lower Grottos, serving as the architectural center of the Grand Cascade of Peterhof, were built according to the design of Peter I. They are faced with tuff, decorated with fountains, marble, and gilded sculptures. The facade of the Grand Grotto is pierced by five tall arches adorned with gilded mascarons. Above this grotto is a terrace leading to the Small Grotto. The boundary between the grottos is marked by a marble balustrade with figures of two gilded bronze Tritons. Architects Jean-Baptiste Le Blond, Ivan Braunstein, and Nicola Michetti participated in the creation of the grottos, with construction taking place from 1716 to 1720. Entrance is through the arched doors of the Upper Grotto. According to Peter the Great’s plan, the walls of the underground structure are faced with tuff and shells, decorated with mascarons and ornaments.
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Paired Fountains "Bowls" (Italian)

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Imperial Parks of Peterhof
At the foot of the Grand Palace, in the center of the parterre flower beds, are the paired "Bowls" fountains, whose construction, according to the project of architect Nicolo Michetti, was completed at the end of 1722. The trial launch took place in the presence of Peter I. The oldest fountains of Peterhof, known for the power of their jets, received a second name – the "Great Fountains." Since the hydraulic work on the eastern fountain was carried out by the Frenchman Paul Soualem, and the western one by the Italians Giovanni and Giuliano Barratini, the western fountain is called the "Italian" fountain.
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Paired Fountains "Bowls" (French)

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Imperial Parks of Peterhof
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