Pulkovskoye Highway, 74, Saint Petersburg, Russia, 196140
In 1807–1809, by the order of Alexander I, the Tsarskoye Selo Road was adorned with four monumental fountains. They were created based on designs by architects Voronikhin and Thomas de Thomon. The stonemason Samson Sukhanov, who was simultaneously working with Voronikhin on the construction of the Kazan Cathedral and the Mining Corps, and with Thomon on the Spit of Vasilyevsky Island, participated in the construction of the fountains.
The second fountain from Pulkovo Hill was the “Sphinxes” fountain, erected in the center of the square of the village of Podgornaya Pulkovo. The fountain is an open, four-sided domed pavilion about eight meters high. It is built from hewn granite, topped with a stone vault and a canopy supported by four granite Doric columns; six granite basins are arranged around the fountain. The pavilion is entirely constructed from pink granite. The columns, placed at the corners of a square, support a sharply defined entablature with four triangular pediments. In the center of the space enclosed by the columns, a bowl of unusual shape with uneven, seemingly chipped edges, made of gray polished marble, stands out in contrast. The granite basins—large semicircular ones to the south and north, and smaller rectangular ones to the east and west—adjoin the pedestal on all four sides. Water was supplied to the fountain by gravity through underground oak pipes from the first Pulkovo fountain, the Grotto, and fed into the central bowl. Flowing over its edges, the water filled a stone reservoir hidden within the base, from which it descended through lead pipes via openings to the basins at the base.
At the corners of the rectangular pedestal stand sphinxes, which had “the body of a lion and the head and chest of a girl.” Many architects believed that “in originality and artistic value, Thomon’s fountain with sphinxes near Pulkovo Hill is unparalleled.” The sphinxes were also made of granite; earlier, they appeared bronze, then, when they turned green from moisture and were covered with moss, the locals nicknamed them the “Witches’ Fountain” or “Four Witches.” They have now been cleaned, but the name has stuck.
In ancient times, the fountain had an important practical purpose: horses of travelers were watered from the granite basins filled with water. The stonemason Henry Grauer, who participated in the work, proposed to complement Thomon’s design with small quarter-circle shaped pools. The water supply system was developed by military engineer Saker. It is known that Alexander Pushkin himself stopped here even when he made his walking trips to Tsarskoye Selo.
This is the only fountain that has survived to the present day in its historical location. The four sphinxes, sitting proudly and serenely, give the pavilion a special charm and expressiveness. It still stands on the dividing strip at the foot of Pulkovo Hill. Along with the “marble milestone pyramids,” it forms the ceremonial architectural decoration of the Tsarskoye Selo Road today. It is the most ornate and richly decorated fountain of the entire ensemble. It is a vivid example of decorative park architecture in the Empire style with majestic monumental forms.
Sources:
https://kulturologia.ru/blogs/051117/36561/
https://peterburg.center/ln/sfinksy-v-sankt-peterburge.html
https://izi.travel/zh/bb5c-fontan-vedm-ili-fontan-grot-poilka-chetyre-sfinksa/ru
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