Orangery Fountain, Kalininskaya St., Saint Petersburg, Russia, 198510
The building of the Large Orangery is located on the territory of the Lower Park in Peterhof. It stands between the "Chessboard" and the Grand Cascade and in its pomp does not уступает (is not inferior) to the other structures of the palace and park ensemble. But behind the beautiful facade, the engineers hid not just another set of apartments for important guests, but a facility built for practical purposes. The fact is that the parks of Peterhof, according to the idea of Peter I, must necessarily be decorated with exotic flowers and plants. For this idea, a greenhouse was required, where all conditions were created for growing seedlings and storing mature specimens from winter frosts. In summer, exotic plants in tubs and pots decorated the exterior of buildings and fountains, and in winter they survived bad weather in the artificial conditions of the orangery.
Today, the premises have lost their practical significance and now house a cozy restaurant offering dishes of Russian and European cuisine. With the appearance of this innovation, Peterhof began to attract not only tourists but also organizers of weddings and celebrations. It is not exactly known who owns the building plan, but historians dare to suggest that it was Nicolo Michetti. However, the names of the main architects are known for certain: they were Mikhail Grigorievich Zemtsov and Johann Friedrich Braunstein. Sculptor Konrad Osner was appointed as their assistant.
The first stone of the Large Orangery was laid in 1722. Upon completion of construction, the building consisted of a two-story main body and two arc-shaped galleries extending from it. They ended with risalits—protrusions stretching up to the roofline without disrupting the architectural integrity of the orangery. The roof of the building was framed by balustrades—special railings that, in turn, were decorated with ornamental vases.
The 1722 construction plan also marked a cellar, which was located on the slope of a hill, thus resembling a grotto. The cellar was finished with tuff and decorated with a balustrade. Its main function was to store flower bulbs. The structure was never restored and in 1814 collapsed under the weight of the roof, after which it was permanently buried under earth. According to the same plan, the location of the Large Orangery in the park and its architectural form were chosen not by chance. It was built in such a way as to protect the garden, planted mainly with southern shrubs and trees, from unusual weather conditions and northern winds.
In 1726, the construction of the orangery was completed, and a year later the Orangery Fountain was installed in front of the building's facade. It also bore another name—"Triton Fighting a Sea Monster." The concept of the sculpture, located in the center of the basin, is similar to the plot of the "Samson" fountain and depicts the king of the seas tearing open the jaws of a beast. Both statues symbolize Russia's victory over Sweden.
The fountain was installed amid growing fruit trees of the Orangery Garden. It was designed in the fashionable European style of the 18th century and looked extremely elegant. Unseen southern flowers grew on its territory, creating an atmosphere of exoticism and luxury. But the main decoration of the orangery garden and the entire palace and park complex has always been and remains the tulip. It is Peter I’s favorite flower. Today, up to 40 varieties of it can be seen in the parks of Peterhof.
The "Triton" fountain served not only a decorative function. The orangery workers needed a water source to care for the plants. To make the basin look aesthetic, it was decided to design it in the form of a fountain. The sculpture was created by Bartolomeo Carlo Rastrelli, and the design of the water jet and basin by Timofey Usov. During the war, the fountain was destroyed, and the statue was stolen by German soldiers. The building of the Large Orangery itself burned down.
One and a half centuries before this terrible event, in the 1770s, the building was expanded with side wings. Their distinctive feature was the southern walls, made entirely of glass. The northern side, on the contrary, had no windows. Only by the 19th century were new orangeries built. They were located on the territory of the English Park. Most garden and decorative plants were transferred to the new premises. The Large Orangery became the keeper exclusively of exotic plant species.
During its existence, the Large Orangery underwent significant changes in its original appearance. By the beginning of the Great Patriotic War, it was difficult to guess what the building had looked like in the 18th century. The orangery, which burned down during the war, began to be restored in 1954. The restoration process was overseen by Vasily Mitrofanovich Savkov, a talented architect who graduated from the Institute of Engineers of Municipal Construction and the Academy of Arts.
Vasily Savkov was the initiator of the revival of Peterhof and restored most historically significant buildings, including the Grand Palace. For this
A little-known fact is that besides the solemn opening of the fountain season in Peterhof, there is another tradition. Every year, a tulip festival is celebrated here, honoring Peter I’s favorite flowers.
Sources:
https://peterburg.center/maps/petergof-bolshaya-oranzhereya.html
