Upper and Lower Grottos

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.

The Lower Grotto is a large hall with a high ceiling. The grandeur of the hall is emphasized by marble sculptures from the Petrine era by the Italian master Pietro Baratta and gilded electroplated copies of antique originals made in the 19th century.

In this semi-fantastic "retreat for relaxation," the owners and guests of Peterhof loved to spend time. In the Lower Grotto, Peter planned to install joke fountains – a "table with splashing" and "water curtains," but the idea was realized only after the tsar’s death. Glasses with drinks and vases with fruits were placed in the center of the table, looking so appetizing that one inevitably wanted to try them. But as soon as a guest reached for a vase, thin jets of water shot up from tubes laid along the edge of the table, drenching those gathered around. Such water amusements, distinguished by great variety, were widespread in the 18th century. Upon exiting the grotto, guests faced another surprise – a dense water curtain blocking their way.

The Grand Cascade with the Grottos has preserved the integrity of the architectural composition and artistic decoration to this day. When passing from the Upper Grotto to the Lower, one can see the original brickwork from the Petrine era, pipes through which water is directed to the fountains of the Grand Cascade, and the scheme of the fountain water conduit – a unique monument of hydraulic engineering art of the 18th-19th centuries. The exhibition presented in the grotto introduces the work of fountain masters of the past, materials from which pipes were made in the 18th-19th centuries, and authentic details of the sculptural decoration of the fountains. Standing on the platform decorated with the "Basket" fountain, guests find themselves at the very center of the fantastic water spectacle – the work of the Grand Cascade. Such an opportunity is offered only by visiting the Grottos.

The Lower Grotto still houses joke fountains built during Peter’s time: The joke table looks like an ordinary table with a vase of fruit in the center. But if you lean over the table, dozens of water jets shoot up. The water curtain unexpectedly closes the exit from the Lower Grotto. Upon leaving the underground, you will find yourself behind the statue of Samson.

The Grottos of the Grand Cascade (Upper and Lower) were created according to the design of Peter I and are the architectural center of Peterhof’s Main Fountain "Samson Rending the Lion’s Jaws." Such grottos existed in the parks and gardens of Italy, where visitors could shelter from the scorching sun, as the grottos were cool. Later, the fashion for grottos spread to Europe and Russia. Then grottos acquired a new purpose – a place for entertainment and relaxation.

The Grottos of the Grand Cascade in Peterhof have an unusual facing; they are covered with tuff stone. What is interesting about this stone? When it is in the rock, it has a soft structure and is easy to work with. In the air, tuff hardens and becomes as strong as fired brick. The method of attaching the stone to the walls is also interesting. While the tuff was soft, a hook was driven into it, which hardened together with the stone. Then the stone was hung on the wall. It is believed that if you place your hand on the grotto wall and make a wish, it will come true.

Fountains and grottos appeared in Russia at the beginning of the 18th century, during the era of Peter I. At that time, a new profession appeared in Russia – the fountain master, a person who took care of the fountains. A fountain team was created in Peterhof. The museum display shows the uniforms of the fountain master, journeyman, and apprentice. The workers of the Peterhof team laid channels, built sluices, and engineering structures. The fountain master was assisted by journeymen and apprentices.

The Peterhof team recruited slender boys aged 8-10 so they could crawl into pipes and grottos to fix malfunctions and clean the pipes from the inside. The fountain master had a huge workload. He calculated the nozzle equipment, made attachments for the outlet holes of the pipes. Often such masters devoted their entire lives to the work, working for 50 or more years. Initially, the known method of water supply was when water simply flowed from a higher place to a lower one and, due to pressure, emerged on the surface. Peter I decided to use this principle and ordered the digging of a canal through which water was directed by gravity from the springs of the Ropsha Heights to Peterhof.

The work was entrusted to hydraulic engineer Vasily Grigorievich Tuvolkov, a pensioner of Peter (pensioners under Peter I were those who studied abroad at state expense). Tuvolkov managed to lay the canal route in a record short time with minimal earthworks. On August 8, 1721, the fountains started working. Subsequently, the system was improved, but overall it operates without significant changes. All the fountains of Peterhof consume 1000 liters of water per second. The water in the fountain system does not circulate but flows into the Gulf of Finland.

From the observation deck of the Grottos of the Grand Cascade, you can see the pipes inside which water rushes to the Peterhof fountains. The large brown pipe leads water to Samson, and the pink one to his pedestal, where dolphin sculptures are located. The blue pipe goes to the "Basket" fountain, and the green one runs higher, to the cascade staircase.

The grotto displays cast-iron and wooden pipes that were originally used in Peterhof. Cast-iron pipes were cast with square edges. Two such planes could not fit tightly when assembled, so water losses were significant. Later, a new technology was used – pipes were nested one inside another, which helped avoid water losses. Wooden pipes carried water from the fountains to the Gulf of Finland. They had to be replaced often. Currently, most pipes in Peterhof are from the 19th century. 20 percent are from the 18th century, and 10 percent are from the 20th century, appearing in the post-war years.

During the war, Peterhof suffered heavy damage. The Small Grotto was destroyed, and the sculpture of Samson was lost. The main fountain of Peterhof was restored two years after Victory.

The dolphin sculpture in the Upper Grotto looks unusual. It resembles a fish more – this is how people used to imagine a dolphin. The sculpture was found in the ruins of the Grand Palace in the post-war years. Behind the dolphin sculpture is a mascaron of Neptune from the Roman fountain, miraculously preserved after the war. Similar mascarons can be seen on the eastern wall. The display case shows materials used in the restoration of the grotto.

The Lower ceremonial grotto, like the Upper, is faced with tuff; its dimensions are somewhat larger. Its height is 9 meters, and its width is 8.5 meters. The Lower Grotto was a favorite resting place of the royal family and their guests. The Lower Grotto is decorated with four busts representing the four seasons. Guests resting in the Lower Grotto were invited to a set table. As soon as a guest reached for the fruit, those gathered were sprayed with water jets. Their height reached two meters. Now the water jets are directed inward, and tourists remain dry, but at that time they were aimed at the guests.

When guests left the grotto of the Grand Cascade, they faced another surprise – a water curtain blocked their exit.

Sources:

https://www.spb-guide.ru/groty-petergof.htm

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