Oranienbaum

Oranienbaum is a palace and park complex in the city of Lomonosov, near St. Petersburg. The complex has completely saved the atmosphere and scenery of the 18th century and this is of great artistic importance.

History of the palace complex

In the 18th century, Peter I gave this land to Alexander Menshikov for military successes during the Northern War for access to the Baltic Sea. In 1711, Menshikov began the construction of the Grand Palace. After the death of the king, he lost his patron and his property was confiscated due to numerous cases of embezzlement. In 1743, Oranienbaum became the residence of the future Emperor Peter III. To train the heir to military affairs, there was a lucrative fortress built - Peterstadt. After the palace coup of 1762 and the murder of the emperor, a fun fortress fell into decay. As the palace grew, the city nearby also increased and in 1780 became a full-fledged city. Over the centuries, the palace complex has replaced many owners who built more and more buildings, until the October Revolution happened in 1917. A museum was opened in the Chinese Palace, and the rest of the buildings were given to the Forest College. During World War II, the palace complex suffered the least from the bombing. There were Soviet troops in the rear, who played a significant role in the defense and liberation of Leningrad. After the war, the palace was forgotten and remembered only in 1990, when they began its restoration.

There are several versions of the name complex, one of them in Oranienbaum used to have a greenhouse with orange trees, and each tree had a table with the name of the Oranienbaum variety". The orange tree is located on the coat of arms of the palace and park ensemble and the city of Lomonosov. One of the first buildings in the complex was the Grand Palace, which divides Oranienbaum into Upper Park and Lower Garden. The park is divided into Petrovsky Park and into the territory on which the Chinese Palace, the Catal Hill is built. The Grand Menshik Palace excelled in its splendor and luxury in many foreign palaces, this is confirmed by many foreign guests of Oranienbaum. The interior has often changed and has not reached our time.

2 years after the start of the construction of the palace, the Lower Garden began to break. Several fountains were installed at the palace, for which water came from the dam on the Red Pond. Initially, there were wood sculptures painted with paint under marble in the garden, later they were replaced with real marble ones. Previously, fruit trees could be found in the garden, as well as neatly cut trees such as linden, maple, elm. The original appearance of the garden has not reached our days. In the garden you can see the Art House, before there was an greenhouse nearby, but in the 18th century it ceased to exist. During the reign of Peter III, his collection of paintings was stored here.

The upper park occupies a huge area, more than 150 hectares. For its construction, many trees were cut down, ponds were dug and drainage channels were carried out. The park in 2 parts is divided by the Karasta River. Also, the Oranienbaum Palace and Park Complex has a Stone Hall ( built for concerts ), a Cavalier Corps, a pavilion "Chinese cuisine", Pergol gazebo, Peter III Palace, a pavilion "Catalyst". The slide was popular during the oilseeds and exceeded all possible analogues of ice slides with sculptural and architectural decor.