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The
Peterhof
Palace
(Russian:
Петерго́ф,
IPA:
[pʲɪtʲɪrˈɡof],[1]
(an
emulation
of
early
modern
Dutch
"Piterhof",
meaning
"Peter's
Court"),[2]
is
a
series
of
palaces
and
gardens
located
in
Petergof,
Saint
Petersburg,
Russia,
commissioned
by
Peter
the
Great
as
a
direct
response
to
the
Palace
of
Versailles
by
Louis
XIV
of
France.[3]
Originally
intending
it
in
1709
for
country
habitation,
Peter
the
Great
sought
to
expand
the
property
as
a
result
of
his
visit
to
the
French
royal
court
in
1717,[3]
inspiring
the
nickname
of
"The
Russian
Versailles".[4]
The
architect
between
1714
and
1728
was
Domenico
Trezzini,
and
the
style
he
employed
became
the
foundation
for
the
Petrine
Baroque
style
favored
throughout
Saint
Petersburg.[5]
Also
in
1714,
Jean-Baptiste
Alexandre
Le
Blond,
likely
chosen
due
to
his
previous
collaborations[6]
with
Versailles
landscaper
André
Le
Nôtre,
designed
the
gardens.
Francesco
Bartolomeo
Rastrelli
completed
an
expansion
from
1747
to
1756
for
Elizabeth
of
Russia.
The
palace-ensemble
along
with
the
city
center
is
recognized
as
a
UNESCO
World
Heritage
Site.
In
the
early
1700s,
the
original
Peterhof
appeared
quite
different
from
today.
Many
of
the
fountains
had
not
yet
been
installed
and
the
entire
Alexandrine
Park
and
Upper
Gardens
did
not
exist.
What
is
now
the
Upper
Gardens
was
used
to
grow
vegetables,
and
its
ponds,
then
numbering
only
three,
for
fish.
The
Samson
Fountain
and
its
massive
pedestal
had
not
yet
been
installed
in
the
Sea
Channel,
and
the
channel
itself
was
used
as
a
grand
marine
entrance
into
the
complex.
Olgin
Pond
(1840s),
by
Yegor
Meyer
Perhaps
the
most
important
change
augmenting
Peter's
design
was
the
elevation
of
the
Grand
Palace
to
central
status
and
prominence.
The
Grand
Palace
was
originally
called
simply
'Upper',
and
was
hardly
larger
than
any
of
the
other
structures
of
the
complex.
The
addition
of
wings,
undertaken
between
1745
and
1755,
was
one
of
the
many
projects
commissioned
from
the
Italian
architect
Bartolomeo
Rastrelli
by
Elizabeth
of
Russia.[18]
Likewise,
the
Grand
Cascade
was
more
sparsely
decorated
when
initially
built.
The
augmentation
of
Peterhof's
original
fountains
and
the
addition
of
new
ones
continued
well
into
the
19th
century.
1941–Modern
Day Edit
Peterhof,
like
Tsarskoye
Selo,
was
captured
by
German
troops
in
1941
and
held
until
1944.
In
the
few
months
that
elapsed
between
the
German
invasion
of
the
Soviet
Union
and
the
appearance
of
the
German
Army,
employees
were
only
able
to
save
a
portion
of
the
treasures
of
the
palaces
and
fountains.
An
attempt
was
made
to
dismantle
and
bury
the
fountain
sculptures,
but
three
quarters,
including
all
of
the
largest
ones,
remained
in
place.
Monument
of
the
naval
landing
in
Lower
Gardens
of
Peterhof
near
the
pier.
On
23
September
1941
German
troops
captured
Peterhof.
Two
weeks
later,
on
5
October
1941,
Soviet
troops
tried
to
recapture
the
town
and
block
the
highway
by
naval
landing.
510
marines
of
the
Soviet
Baltic
Fleet
landed
on
the
beach
of
the
neighboring
park
of
Alexandria
but
faced
a
heavy
fire
from
the
Germans.
The
commander
of
the
operation
was
killed,
all
landing
troops
became
disorganised,
one
landing
craft
was
sunk
and
another
one
missed.
Despite
Soviet
attempts
to
cover
the
landing
forces
by
coastal
artillery
from
Kronstadt,
they
were
quickly
suspended
because
of
lack
of
connection
with
the
landing
troops.
Evacuation
attempts
also
failed
due
to
heavy
German
artillery
shelling
(only
one
marine
was
picked
up
from
the
water).
The
Peterhof
landing
operation
failed
and
all
landing
troops
were
cut
off
from
the
shore
and
surrounded.
Some
of
them
reached
the
Lower
Gardens
and
fought
until
the
bitter
end,
including
hand-to-hand
combat.
The
last
pockets
of
resistance
were
destroyed
on
7
October.
Several
dozen
German
Shepherd
dogs
were
released
into
the
gardens
to
find
the
hiding
marines.
Many
of
the
wounded
marines
were
bitten
to
death
and
several
were
captured.[19]
In
1980
a
memorial
was
erected
near
the
pier
of
the
Lower
Gardens.
The
occupying
forces
of
the
German
Army
largely
destroyed[20]
Peterhof.
Many
of
the
founta
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