Peterhof is first mentioned in Peter I’s “Campaign Journal” as early as September 1705. Two years after the founding of Saint Petersburg, Peter I, on his way to Kotlin Island, mentioned Peterhof in his travel journal. According to legend, its appearance is owed to Peter’s wife, Catherine Alexeyevna. Peter, concerned with the construction of the Kronstadt fortress, which was to protect the newly built Saint Petersburg from enemy sea invasions, often visited Kotlin Island. Since these trips were made by sea, which posed a constant danger, especially in stormy autumn weather, Catherine supposedly persuaded Peter to build a roadside house, a travel palace, or as they called it then, “travel chambers,” on the shore of the Gulf of Finland opposite the island, where one could wait out bad weather. Such chambers were allegedly built at the edge of the Fabric Canal, opposite the original Znamenskaya Church of the future Peterhof. According to legend, the great Peter, when later visiting Peterhof, attended this church and even sang in the choir. Before the city appeared on the southern shore of the gulf, there were several Finnish villages. Within Peterhof’s territory were the settlements of Kuusoya, which in Finnish means “spruce pit,” and Pohjaoki – “bottom river.” South of these villages, on Popova Hill, was the settlement of Papingondo. The area was later renamed in Russian style as Babiy Gon.

There is also other evidence of an earlier plan to build Peterhof. In any case, the idea of its construction arose long before this. In one document from that time, it can be read that “On May 26, 1710, His Majesty the Tsar deigned to examine the site for the garden and the dam of the grotto and fountains of the Peterhof construction.” This referred to the future Peterhof, a grand suburban residence that began to be built east of all the original “travel chambers.”

Nevertheless, the formal founding date of Peterhof is considered to be 1714, when the Tsar laid the so-called Small Chambers, or Monplaisir, right on the edge of the gulf. Always fond of Holland, Peter planned to build a small palace in the Dutch style by the water, which would remind him of his visit to the land of tulips.

If the legends are to be believed, he also arranged here the “diamond mill,” which, however, soon burned down. Probably, along with the mill, the first wooden Znamenskaya Church also burned down, which was rebuilt later during the reign of Empress Elizabeth Petrovna.

There were still seven years left before the end of the Northern War, but Russia was so firmly rooting itself on the marshy Baltic shores that it could afford a political demonstration. Indeed, we know that the construction of Saint Petersburg and Kronstadt was largely determined by wartime conditions, tactical and strategic considerations. The appearance of the Peter and Paul and Kronstadt fortresses was solely due to the necessity of protecting the lands won from the Swedes. But the construction of Peterhof? How else but as a bright and convincing declaration of military power, economic might, and political maturity can the appearance of a suburban residence with cheerful and daring undertakings, joyful amusements, and festive water pranks in the midst of the war be explained?

Peter himself took part in the planning and construction of Peterhof. Even in the early 19th century, locals knew a hundred-year-old Chukhon man from the village of Olkhovka near Ropsha, who had often seen the Tsar and repeatedly accompanied him in the work on building the water conduit for the fountains of the Upper Garden and Lower Park of Peterhof. He carried boundary poles for Peter when he, often knee-deep in the swamp, “measured the land for his Peterhof.” The old Chukhon treasured a silver ruble given to him by the sovereign for his work as a sacred keepsake. However, as Pylyaev claims, the Taitsy water conduit, which is probably the one in question, was funded by the wealthy Demidov, who owned the Taitsy estate at the time. But Pylyaev himself refutes this legend, pointing out that the expenses for the water conduit are recorded not just anywhere but specifically in palace documents.

Traveling through Europe, Peter the Great admired the Parisian Versailles. The Russian ruler wanted to build something similar on the shore of the Gulf of Finland. Initially, the construction of the royal residence was planned on the territory of Strelna, but the idea was not approved by Christoph Minich. The hydraulic engineer explained that due to the terrain’s features, building fountains in that area was fraught with flooding. Therefore, the project was moved from Strelna to Peterhof.

About 25 km southwest of Saint Petersburg, a large-scale construction began. In 1714, work started on the Grand Palace. Simultaneously, the Grand Grotto with cascades was built. The idea of completing the sea ceremonial entrance to the residence with a palace and cascade with grottos belongs to Peter the Great.

By the penultimate year of the first emperor’s reign, the formation of the palace and park ensemble was almost complete. By that time, the Grand Palace and Monplaisir had been built, the plan for the Lower Park prepared, and the fountain system created. To supply the hydrological objects, a 40-kilometer water conduit was constructed. Along its path lie 18 reservoir ponds, with a water resource of 1.3 million cubic meters. The grand opening of the summer residence of the Russian rulers took place on August 15, 1723.

In the early stages, settlements around the palace arose chaotically. State peasants, who made up 90% of the population, lived in dugouts. Further development of Peterhof began after the death of Peter the Great.

Architect Mikhail Zemtsov prepared the layout of Peterhof in the 1730s. He rebuilt several buildings and created the Master’s Court for state peasants and the Cavalier Court for courtiers.

The residence of the Russian monarchs was rebuilt by order of Elizabeth Petrovna under the guidance of Bartolomeo Rastrelli. The architect enlarged the central part of the palace, added two side wings connected by galleries to the Church and Coat of Arms buildings.

At the end of the 18th century, the English Palace was built in the city, and the eponymous park was laid out. The project was prepared by the landscape gardener James Meaders, who transformed a wild forest into a picturesque place for leisurely walks. The palace architect was Giacomo Quarenghi, who later implemented a dozen projects in Saint Petersburg: the Academy of Sciences, the Hermitage Theatre, the Assignation Bank, the Smolny Institute — just a small part of the master’s portfolio. At the same time, a stone church was built in Peterhof. Streets gradually filled with new houses, which numbered 57 by the end of the century. In 1824, Alexander I ordered the identification of the 58 ugliest buildings and their reconstruction according to modern designs.

In the 19th–20th centuries, soldier regiments were stationed in the city, and cadets of military schools were trained. Therefore, on the streets of Peterhof, one could meet not only peasants and civil servants but also soldiers of the active army.

Under Nicholas I, the “Alexandria” ensemble appeared, belonging to Empress Alexandra Feodorovna. By the sovereign’s order, a landscape park was laid out, and a palace in the English style was built, nicknamed the “cottage.” On the estate’s territory, architect Adam Menelas found a place for a cowshed. Because of this, the residence’s second name is the “Farmer’s Palace.” The highlight of the ensemble is the Church of Alexander Nevsky, built in the Gothic style.

Peterhof includes several palace and park ensembles formed over two centuries. The “Lower Park,” “Upper Garden,” and “English Park” are ensembles developed in the 18th century. “Alexandria,” “Colonist Park,” “Meadow Park,” “Alexandrine Park,” “Sergievka,” and “Own Dacha” are ensembles of the 19th century.

During the war years, the architectural masterpieces of Peterhof were barbarically destroyed to ruins, and many works of art were stolen.

Debates about the causes of the destruction of the Grand Peterhof Palace continue to this day.

It was previously considered indisputable that the Peterhof Palace was destroyed by the Germans just before their retreat from Petrodvorets under the pressure of the Soviet army. However, there are two other versions. The first is that the palace was blown up by Soviet scouts during the Germans’ celebration of the New Year 1942. Under the cover of bad weather, a group of scouts — recent residents of Peterhof — sneaked to the palace walls and threw anti-tank grenades into the banquet hall arranged on the first floor, where Hitler’s men were feasting.

The second version is that the Peterhof Palace was destroyed by artillery fire from Kronstadt. Once, a rumor spread in Kronstadt that Hitler himself had arrived in Petrodvorets. Moreover, for some inexplicable reason, all the palace windows were lit that evening. This was clearly visible from Kronstadt. Without much thought, the Kronstadt gunners fired on Peterhof, and the palace caught fire.

In fact, the Grand Peterhof Palace caught fire on September 23, 1941, the day German troops entered the city. This is evidenced by eyewitness accounts and photo chronicles. For example, one of the German photographs taken in September 1941 shows the burning Grand Palace. All this proves that at least a significant part of the Peterhof Palace burned down in the fall of 1941.

What caused the fire? Since the late 1980s, a version has been put forward in the domestic press that the palace was set on fire by retreating Soviet troops (alternatively: NKVD officers, museum workers, etc.). There is no documentary evidence for this, so this version remains only a hypothesis. A more likely explanation is the hit of a German artillery shell, which caused the fire. In any case, this fire was not an act of deliberate destruction of the palace.

Immediately after the lifting of the blockade, restoration work began, which took about 30 years. Only in the 1970s, thanks to the efforts of the most talented architects and builders, was the ensemble able to regain its original appearance.

Sources:

https://kulturologia.ru/blogs/210322/52850/

https://www.votpusk.ru/story/article.asp?ID=19583

https://moluch.ru/young/archive/13/1038/

https://gorod-812.ru/sovetskie-legendyi-kto-podzhigal-dvortsyi-pushkina-i-petergofa-v-voynu/

https://autogear.ru/article/195/859/istoriya-petergofa-ot-tsarstvovaniya-petra-i-do-segodnyashnego-dnya/

Sindalovsky Naum Alexandrovich: Legends of St. Petersburg’s Gardens and Parks