2. Летний Сад Петра Великого/The Summer Gardens Ensemble of Peter the Great, 1704-1720s

Authors: gardeners – J.Roosen, I.Matveyev, I.Surmin (1704-1720s), architects – D.Trezzini (1710-1712), Schluter (1713-1724), Yu.Velten and P.Yegorov (1771-1784), G.Pil’nikov (1799), C.I.Rossi (1826), L.Charlemagne (1827), sculptors – V.Demuth-Malinovskiy (1826), P.Klodt (1851-1855), painter – A.A.Agin (1851-1855).Address: near the Field of Mars, the corner of the Fontanka River and the Neva.The Summer Gardens were laid out in spring 1704 in the formal style and became a magnificent example of Russian architecture and landscape gardening of the beg. of 18^th cent. Peter I personally participated in the original design. Having summoned the best architects, sculptors, gardeners and fountain-makers to lay out the Gardens he drew up the plan for paths and beds, grottoes and cascades. In 1704-1705 work on layout of the gardens and the erectin of the fountains was supervised by architect I.Ugryumov. Soon the Summer Gardens became an island surrounded by the Neva (from the Swedish language as new one), the Moyka (the river (about 5 km long) was narrow and marshy suitable only for rinsing laundry that it why the river got such a name (M’ya or Moya/Мья, или Моя), translated from Russian as Washing. There is however a belief that the word moyka is an ancient Finnish word that stands for river). The Fontanka (originally the river was a Nameless Canal (Безымянный ерик – небольшой водный проток, вытекающий из реки и в нее же впадающий). The water from it was used for the fountains of the Summer Gardens, that is why the river got the name the Fountain River (Фонтанная река), or just the Fontanka (6.7 km long). According to some historians the Fontanka River was called Golodusha at the beg. of 18^th cent. but not the Nameless Canal.) and the Lebedinka River (later transformed into Swan Canal). Rare trees and flowers were brought in from different parts of Russia and from the Natherlands. The SG were planned in the geometric style with carefully clipped trees and shrubs, numerous summer houses, trellises, mazes, sculptures (more than 150), fountains (more than 50), pavilions and artificial ponds. As a result the park could be a rival of the elegant Gardens of Versailles Peter I appreciated so much! The overall territory of the palace and park ensemble originally included the First and the Second SG, the Third (nowadays Mikhaylovskiy) and the Big Meadows (nowadays the Field of Mars). Soon the SG became the Emperor’s residence. Between 1710 and 1712 the Summer Palace of Peter I was built in the Gardens to the design by D.Trezzini (the exterior and interior décor was completed only in 1724 by A.Schluter). Its façade is decorated with 29 bas-relieves depicting allegories that honour Russian victories in the Northern War. On the roof one can see a gilded weather-vane depicting an ancient protector of Russian warriors – St George the Victorious. Peter I lived there since early spring to late autumn. The Emperor himself occupied the first floor (the rooms belonging to Peter I were quite narrow and low (Peter I was 2 m 4 sm high), for he could not stand spacious premises with high ceilings and if he had to stay at a house with high ceilings he always asked to make them lower by tightening a canvas), while his wife dwelled on the second floor. From May to September all royal celebrations and assemblies (assemblies or dancing-parties were introduced by Peter I. Assemblies were organized by the nobility and were open for every nobleman or a distinguished man who could come to the party with his wife and children without any invitation. Usually the assemblies opened at 16:00 or 17:00 p.m. and closed at the 22:00 p.m. As a rule, a host had neither to receive, nor see out, nor treat guests. Usually the assemblies were held in four apartments: the first was used for dances, the second for playing chess and cards, the third for chattering and smoking, the fourth for ladies who wanted to play ball (игра в фанты). The Emperor himself liked to socialize with seaen, drinking beer and smoking tobacco with them. Almost everything was allowed at such assemblies with only one exception – quarrels and lies were strictly forbidden. Those who were admitted guilty were to drink the Grand Eagle – a big goblet of vine.) were held in summer residence of the Emperor. One of the greatest wonders of the SG was the collection of Italian marble statues most of which were made by Italian sculptors of the Venetian school (A.Tarsia, M.Gropelli, G.Zorzoni, A.Tagliapietra). Among them there were figures of Minerva and Flora, muses, spirits of Times of the Day (Aurora, Noon, Sunset, Night) by G.Bonazza, allegorical statues Truth and Justice, Sincerity and Charity, Architecture and Navigation, the group Eros and Psyche. In front of his Palace Peter I set up the sculpture Peace and Abundance that symbolized the victory over Sweden: a seating woman with a torch in hands symbolizes the end of war, while the horn of abundance personifies Russia, under her feet there are numerous spoils of war. Peace is personified by a winged goddess Victory with a palm branch in hands. She is trampling on a dying lion (depicted on the Swedish coat-of-arms) and crowns Russia with a laurel wreath. The essence of Peter’s message addressed to the enemy that agreed to conclude an armistice is carved in Latin on the pedestal:Great is who gives; great is who receives;But the greatest of all is who can accomplish both.(Велик и тот, кто дает, и тот, кто принимает, но самый великий тот, кто, то и другое совершить может) By the mid. of 18^th cent. the SG lost their significance as an official royal ground and became the park visited by the nobility. Formal parks were out of fashion having made way for the landscape ones. Pushkin recollected that so called bride parades were held there on Sundays: young well-dressed ladies all in jewels, accompanied by their mothers stood on both sides of alleys while young gentlemen were walking along appreciating the wealth of every maiden. Rhe SG were also used for sports competitions as the documents affirm. In 1771-1784 the railings designed by Yu.Velten and P.Yegorov in the style of Russian Classicism and made at the Tula Works were put up along the Neva river frontage of the SG. The flood of 10^th September 1777 destroyed most of the constructions located in the garden that were not reconstructed afterwards. On 7 November 1824 the G were attacked by another flood (nowadays on the façade of the Summer Palace one can see a bronze plate at the height of the first floor window that shows the level of water – there were more than 300 floods in S-P; the heaviest floods took place in 1777, 1824, 1924 and in 1955). In 1799 the stone terrace on the Swan Canal was designed by G.Pil’nikov (later on cast-iron tripods were installed there by C.Rossi in 1826). The Coffee-House that had been built in the mid. of 18^th cent. by A.Schluter was rebuilt in 1826 by C.Rossi and V.Demuth-Malinovskiy. A year after the Tea-House was built by L.Charlemagne who also designed the cast-iron railings on the Moyka Side. On 10 September 1839 the Porphyry Vase presented by the King of Sweden to Emperor Nicholas I was placed at the Carp Pond. On 12 May 1855 the Monument to Ivan Krylov, an outstanding Russian fabulist was installed there by P.Klodt with the bas-relieves on the pedestal illustrating Krylov’s fables.