RVXQ+QJ Petrodvortsovy District, Saint Petersburg, Russia
The Meadow Park lies off the main tourist routes. Yet, Meadow Park, also known as Ozerkovy Park, is one of the most valuable park ensembles of the mid-19th century. The compositional design of Meadow Park in Peterhof is recognized as the most exemplary landscape ensemble.
Among other things, Meadow Park in Peterhof is a cultural heritage site of the peoples of the Russian Federation of federal significance and is included in the list of World Heritage sites. Meadow Park in Peterhof is a landscape park, whose forested area spreads over more than 85 hectares. It is located south of the Colonist Park and is connected to the Upper Garden of Peterhof by a 2 km long linden alley.
The arrangement of Meadow Park was carried out by the personal order of Nicholas I between 1825 and 1857. The creation of Meadow Park is associated with the name of Andrey Stackenschneider, who supervised the construction of architectural buildings on the park grounds. Engineer Mechislav Pilsudsky, garden masters Erler and Arkhipov were directly involved in the landscape design, planting traditionally Russian birches and lindens in picturesque combinations. Shrub plants complemented the decorative compositions, emphasizing the principle of layering.
The very first building in the park was a wooden St. Nicholas rural house, for which A. I. Stackenschneider received the title of academician of architecture. According to his designs, the "Ozerki" pavilion, Belvedere, the Mill, the "Ruins," and the Church of St. Alexandra, as well as numerous bridges, guardhouses, dams, sluices, and ponds were constructed. The park consists of four independent districts: the gardens near the St. Nicholas house, near the "Ozerki" pavilion, near the Mill, and the Belvedere area.
Previously, Meadow Park had several magnificent pavilions and structures that have not survived to our time. Once, one of the central and most alluring buildings of the park was the "Ozerki" pavilion, or the Pink Pavilion. Moreover, it played an important role in the park’s composition.
Several roads converged at the Pink Pavilion, connecting it with other parks of Peterhof and with distant areas of Meadow Park. They ran south along the water conduit and southwest to the Belvedere — a two-story palace pavilion located in the southernmost part of the park. Originally, it was intended for picnics of the imperial family. Its fate has been more successful than that of the Pink Pavilion.
After the October Revolution, a rest home was organized in the palace pavilion — Belvedere. During the Great Patriotic War, both Belvedere and Ozerki suffered serious damage. However, restoration work was carried out in this palace pavilion between 1953 and 1956, and the rest home was reopened. Currently, the Belvedere houses a hotel complex.
This cannot be said about Ozerki or the Pink Pavilion, which are essentially ruins. Once, on their site stood an elegant park castle, created in the Neo-Greek style and surrounded by terraces, loggias, and porticos. Each facade of the Pink Pavilion was different from the others; all of them once had their own charm and uniqueness.
The three-story tower crowning the pavilion with an open terrace further enhanced the refined asymmetry. Besides, the tower served as a kind of landmark for the park, and the terrace functioned as a viewing platform.
The Pink Pavilion was built according to the project of architect Stackenschneider between 1845 and 1848. It consisted of two one-story volumes connected by a small gallery and a tall three-story tower crowned with a Tuscan order colonnade, which served as the main viewing platform of this part of the park.
In front of the southern facade were a pergola made of 16 monumental herms of silvery-gray granite, executed by Terebenev, and a semicircular granite terrace with a grille where the fountain pipe shutters were located.
The pavilion was heavily damaged during the Great Patriotic War; the pergolas, other small architectural forms, and sculptures were lost, and the tower was destroyed. Only the platform with a retaining wall made of gray granite remains, where the sculptural group "Nil" was once installed. Currently, Meadow Park and all its structures are gradually being restored. There is hope that the Pink Pavilion will be fully restored.
Of the entire 85-hectare area of Meadow Park, 18 hectares are occupied by nine ponds: the Large Reserve (St. Nicholas), Samsonov (Small Reserve), Orlin, Ruin, Round, Mill, Sapper, Babigon, and Church ponds. The water from these ponds is supplied via the Samsonievsky canal to feed the fountains and cascades of the Upper Garden and Lower Park of Peterhof.
The park’s composition combines fields, ponds, and separate gardens laid out around pavilions, connected by walking paths. The park territory stretches from north to south up to the Babigon Heights, which is its highest point at 80 meters.
The park’s green mass mainly consists of birch, linden, aspen, and silver willow trees, as well as acacia and lilac bushes. Trees and shrubs are arranged in picturesque groups and planted in rows, resembling green curtains.
The alleys of Meadow Park lost during the Great Patriotic War are already being revived, filling the surrounding space with the aroma of leafy forest mixed with the scent of acacia and lilac. It is very pleasant to take a walk here, immersing oneself in the enthusiastic and fresh history, which we invite you to experience.
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