Saint Petersburg

State Hermitage is one of the largest museums in the world. Together with the Paris Louvre, the British Museum of London and New York Metropolitan Museum St. Petersburg Hermitage belongs to the unique constellation of artistic treasure of mankind. Of particular glory of the Hermitage equally represents his magnificent architectural ensemble, outstanding collection of monuments of world culture and art, as well as rich historical past associated with the birth, flourishing and sunset the main residence of the imperial of Russia. Three of these facets of the museum determine value in the domestic and world culture.

The Hermitage — one of the largest museums of the world of —takes one of the first places among the greatest museums of the world. An especially large fame is used by the eldest and the most considerable part of his collections is an art gallery. The artistic treasures concentrated here are reflected by the basic stages of development of art to late dark ages to our time. Over four thousand works, belongings thousand to the shestistam artists, are counted in her. The special meaningfulness gives its high-quality composition collection.

There are pictures of almost all greatest masters of  Western Europe in the Hermitage. Here it is possible in detail to study painting of Holland and Flandrii, creation of the French impressionists, meet with the art of Spain and England. At the same time, separate periods in history of the zapadnoevropeyskoy painting are reflected in the Hermitage unevenly. The art of XVII — XVIII centuries is presented incomparably richer, completer and more various, than painting of proceeding time. The small in numbers artistic monuments of early Italian Revival, although among them there are a few prominent works, do not give the whole picture of this epoch. An art of XVI century is High Revival and mannerisms — it is described less brightly, what baroque.

Small seat is taken in collection by masters of Netherlands and German of XV — XVI centuries. Separate blanks are present and in the most complete sections of gallery. So, in collection of the Dutch painting of XVII century —the most considerable outside Holland — works of Vermeer are absent Del'ftskogo, and in Spanish, where works of almost all largest artists are presented, there is not a single picture of Francisco Goyi. Such position in the total it was created dvukhvekovoy history of forming of collection not by chance. The Hermitage collection arose up for example of those that present at the courts of all European monarchs. In Russia the first art gallery was created by Peter I in Petergof (in 1887 the best pictures from her passed in the Hermitage), and after such small collections appeared and in other palaces. The largest from them is a gallery at the Winter Palace  — originally the personal collection of Ekaterina II. She was placed in pavilion next to a palace the Hermitage and adjoining to him apartments; soon she got the name of the «Hermitage». Although in 1805 the Hermitage was selected in independent establishment of court department, he still remained part of palace. The visit of the Hermitage public was labored even and then, when he got the name of «Public museum» and for his growing’s collections in 1840—1852 built the special building of The New Hermitage. Only in 1863 access in a museum became free.

On a marble obelisk, standing at organdy of the Overhead garden of Petergof, numbers are carved: 29. Such is distance in kilometers to Saint Petersburg to the brilliant out-of-town residence of the Russian emperors, and now known worldwide the «capital of fountains» - Petergof. Exactly from this place guides and tour guides begin excursions on the palace-park band of Petrodvortsa - to one of the brightest

"pearls" in the necklace of suburban palaces and parks of The North Capital.

The project of creation of out-of-town residence which on the luxury would not yield to French Versailles arose up for Peter I in 1714. Saved pictures reigning, his decrees and marks on documents enable to assert that general conception of planning of band, and sometimes and working-out of separate elements of architecture and buildings of fountains belong to the founder of Petergof. Rates which a residence was erected with struck and amazed. The inauguration of Petergof took place in August, 1723 (Petergof in a translation from Dutch is Court of Peter).

A majestic panorama is opened at approach to Petergof from the sea: the highest point is occupied by Large Palace, over peering on verge of natural 16-meter terrace. On its slope the Large cascade sparkles gold of sculptures and silver of streams of fountains. Before a cascade and in the center of water scoop the powerful stream of fountain rockets «Samson», and further waters are directed to the bay on direct, as an arrow, to the Marine channel which is a plan axis a north is a south. Channel is one of the eldest buildings of Petergof, marked already on the first plans which were outlined by Peter I. It was begun to lay him in 1715 simultaneously with building of the Upper chambers.

Facing granite and decorated gilt maskaronami the Marine channel makes one of main sights of Petergof, evidently demonstrating indissoluble geographical and artistic connection of seashore residence with water space.

Peter had not by chance chose exactly a place for building of Petergof. Inspecting locality, he found out a few reservoirs, feedings on the beatings from under earth keys. Creation of the water system was incumbent Russian master to Vasiliy Tuvolkovu. Under his guidance during the summer of 1721 sluices and channel on which from reservoirs with Ropshinskikh of heights water went by gravity to the pools of stories of the Overhead garden were built, and it is here possible it was to arrange small on a height streams-fountains only. Another matter is the Lower Park, stretched at the foot of terrace. Water from a 16-meter height on pipes from the pools of the Overhead garden on principle of the reported vessels with force swoops down, to rocket in a number of high streams in Fountains Park.

Found yet Peter I principles of water-supply operate ponyne, testifying to talent of founder of Petergof.

In western part of park ashore bay, locking the prospect of avenues, going to the Large cascade, a pavilion is located the Hermitage (1721 year, project of architect And. Braunshteyna). In a translation from French is a "cabin of hermit". The parade setting of the Hermitage was reflected in thin grace of his original appearance. Square in a plan, a two-storied pavilion strikes proportionality of all architectural and decorative elements.

On an artificial bridge between Marinsky and Sektoral'nye ponds are locate Palace of Gauze (1719 – 1720 years). Marinskiy pond is similar to the enormous rectangular mirror, and sektoral'nye ponds make a half-round, parted on four sectors stone three-arched bridges. Originally built one-story, a palace, at the direction of Peter, was promoted "on one habitation", that gave him proportions surprising even temper.

The largest architectural building of the Petergof band is Large Palace. It occupies dominant position in composition of park and crowns by itself the Large cascade. Elegant building in three floors with galleries, with ablaze the gilt of domes by locking its corps — «Church» and by «Corps under the coat» of arms — stretched out the facade along a terrace almost on 300 meters.

The existent look of palace is created in the total building and alterations which was made with interruptions during two ages.

Palace Cottage is basic architectural building Alexandria Park in Petrodvorets. A palace is located on an overhead terrace, in south-east part parka, from where the panorama of Gulf of Finland is opened with could be seen in the distance outlines of Petersburg and Kronshtadt. From every quarter a palace is surrounded a landscape park with shady avenues, windings paths, lawns and bushes. A cottage was built in 1826-1829 on the project of architect A. Menelas in the so-called gothic.

Unlike the Large palace, Monplezir is located on the bank of Gulf of Finland.

Building of palace began in May, 1714, and to August 1723, when the first large holiday was conducted in Petergof, a palace was fully completed. A high terrace, laid out the enormous boulders of granites, repeats the contour of one-story brick building with a high roof.

Last years of lives of Peter I small receptions settled down in Monplezire.

Band of the Ground Palace of Peter I and orchard is between Nizhney and Overhead petergof’s roads. Three-particular solution has a palace; to central part, completed a three-cornered fronton, two lateral wings join.

A portico, supporting a balcony, gives building an impressive kind.

Architects, creating a palace, successfully entered him in surrounding landscape. Main, North facade of building turned to the sea.

Petergof is famous for not only the fountains, cascades and palaces but also numerous parks. Many are unaware, that, passing on the city Petergof they pass from one park to other. Many parks do not look like parks in our understanding, rather they are the forests, it is the so-called landscape parks.

The first landscape park in Petergof, English, was created by Ekaterina II. The device of park was incumbent English garden master Dzhemsu Medersu and architect Dzhakomo Kvarengi (1744-1817). The composition center of park was become by a picturesque pond, appearing here yet at Peter I time, when in 1720 an earthen weir was partition off flowing in a deep ravine to the west of the Lower Park the Troitskiy brook. Later than it was connected with Ropshinskim a channel and he began to be filled with spring water. To the English pond through sluices water acts in Verkhne-sadskiy channel and on the Western side of the Large cascade.

In 1832 — 1857 were created two landscape parks with the vast ponds of –Kolonistsky and by Meadow. The small Colonist Park with an area only of 29 hectares located near-by the Overhead garden. Its considerable part is occupied by the vast Ol’gin pond with two aits, bordered the avenue of silvery willows. On two aits of pond built Tsaritsyn and Olga pavilions. A pond got naming after a grand duke Olga, daughter of Nick I. In XVIII century all this territory was deserted and carried the name «The Okhotnoe bog»: here a feathery game was led in bushes. At the beginning of 1830s at Nick I not far away was built a home for the German colonist that was later reflected in the name park. In 1838 the place of bog dug up a large and deep (long 469 m, breadthways 298 m and in to 2 m depth) pond. His banks fixed enormous boulders and barriered a powerful dike on which arranged an avenue. A lake was filled with water from Ropshinskikh of the keys and to the present tense it serves as a pool, feeding the east group of fountains of the Lower Park.

Palace-park band «Alexandria» is a residence of the Russian emperors XIX are beginnings of XX centuries. Located to the east of the Lower Park, it is dissociated from him a stone wall which is cut through by Beasts, Nikol'skie and Marine gate, and from other side abuts upon the farmstead of Znamenka. The south border of Alexandria passes Petersburg along a highway — Oranienbaum (Lomonosov), and north on the bank of Gulf of Finland. An area of park is 115 ga.