The Grottoes of the Grand Cascade

The Upper and Lower Grottoes

The Upper and Lower Grottos are the architectural centre of the Grand Cascade. They were built between 1715 and 1723 and designed by Jean-Baptiste-Alexandre Le Blond, Johann Friedrich Braunstein and Nicola Michetti. The idea of installing trick fountains in the Lower Grotto belonged to Peter the Great himself.

The museum demonstrates the fascinating interiors of the Upper and Lower Grottos. Visitors can learn the history of the unique free-flowing system that supplies Peterhof with water and see the tunnels and pipes which carry the water to the Grand Cascade and the Samson Fountain. There is also an exhibition of the work of the fountain masters of the past.

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The Monplaisir palace

Peter the Great’s pet project at Peterhof was this small but charming summer palace, which the Tsar designed by and for himself, although he sought the help of several architects to do so. If you arrive in Peterhof by boat, Monplaisir is one of the first sights to greet you.

Sitting in the eastern corner of the Lower Park, right on the shoreline of the Gulf of Finland, Monplaisir vaguely resembles a Dutch Colonial mansion, with its high gabled roof over the central corpus and narrow rectangular windows to keep out the wintry north wind. The facade on the opposite side of the palace is quite different, with long single-storey galleries topped by a balustraded terrace and supported by slender columns. Here, large French windows allow natural light to pour into the rooms, giving the whole building a summery, almost tropical feel.

The palace was built between 1714 and 1723 by Andreas Schluter, Johann Friedrich Braunstein, Jean-Baptiste-Alexandre Le Blond and Nicola Michetti. The interiors were decorated by leading painters, sculptors, plasterers and carvers.

Monplaisir embodies the finest achievements in the art and culture of the reign of Peter the Great. The exhibits include the country’s first collection of paintings by European masters, Chinese porcelain, Dutch faience, Russian glass and eighteenth-century cooking appliances. The decorative moulding is a masterpiece of interior decoration. All this made Monplaisir a fitting setting for many important events in Russian history.

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The Catherine Block

The Catherine Block was the setting for magnificent court banquets, balls and receptions. Built next to Monplaisir, this palace was designed by Bartolomeo Francesco Rastrelli for Empress Elizabeth between 1747 and 1759. The block was named after another famous empress — Catherine the Great — who seized the throne from her husband in 1762. The interiors were decorated by Giacomo Quarenghi and the Scotti family of Italian painters. In the early nineteenth century, they were redesigned in the Regency style for Tsar Alexander I. The state rooms now exhibit period furniture and a magnificent collection of French bronzes. The main attraction of the Catherine Block is the famous Russian or Guriev Service, manufactured at the Imperial Porcelain Factory in St Petersburg. Numbering over 4,500 objects, it was used at imperial banquets in the Winter Palace and, from 1848, in the Grand Palace and the Catherine Block at Peterhof.