#neva river

[miamaimania]

Henri Cartier-Bresson — Peter and Paul's Fortress on the Neva River, Leningrad, Soviet Union, 1973

[mim70]

Dubrovskaya Thermal Power Plant

Leningrad Region, Kirovsk

[alexxx-malev]

Russia. Saint Petersburg. Neva River Санкт-Петербург. Нева

[poniz-lettering]

lace of the bridge

[shelf-days]

Меня бесит что из-за того что я все каталогизирую, сортирую и расставляю — в блоге потерялась лёгкость!

Вот почему я сразу как снял не выложил потрясающие льдины на потрясающей Неве в потрясающем Питере, потрясающей России!?

Короч две недели назад последний лёд с Невы сходил, круто да, а сегодня наверное пойду корюшку поем)

[russpals]

Peterhoff Palace Complex

Photographs: Different views of Peterhof, which, rather than one specific place, is an astoundingly beautiful complex of palaces, gardens, pavilions, and fountains. The photos here and the text are a mere preview of a fraction of the place in all its grandeur.

The Grand Palace, Lower and Upper Gardens and Fountains

The Peterhoff Palace (which comes from the Dutch "Pieterhof," meaning "Pieter's Court") is a complex of palaces, gardens, pavilions, and fountains located in Petergof, Saint Petersburg, Russia, commissioned by Peter the Great in response to Louis XIV Palace of Versailles in France.

Peter the Great began constructing his new capital, St. Petersburg, in 1703 after successfully adding Swedish provinces to Russian territory.  Saint Petersburg allowed Russian access to the Baltic Sea through the Neva River that flowed to the Gulf of Finland.

Throughout the early 18th century, Peter the Great built and expanded the Peterhof Palace complex. Based on his sketches, he constructed the Monplaisir Palace (French: "my delight"). This would be Peter's summer retreat that he would use on his way coming and going from Europe. Later, he expanded his plans to include a group of palaces and gardens further inland, on the model of Versailles.

Most of the Peterhoff land is comprised of what is called the "Lower Gardens." In the middle of the lower gardens is the Grand Palace. The area behind this palace is the "Upper Gardens" and is comparatively smaller. The Grand Palace is not the only historic royal building in Peterhoff. The palaces of Monplaisir and Marli, as well as the pavilion known as the 'Hermitage,' were all raised during the initial construction of Peterhoff during the reign of Peter the Great.

There are a number of cascades and fountains through the grounds, which have various symbolic meanings and are in themselves great technological achievements. The greatest of these is that all of the fountains in Peterhoff operate without the use of pumps. Water is supplied from natural springs and collects in reservoirs in the Upper Gardens. The elevation difference creates the pressure that drives most of the fountains of the Lower Gardens.

Gothic Chapel in Peterhof:  An Orthodox church in the name of Saint Alexander Nevsky situated in the Alexandria Park; Nicholas I ordered its construction to complement the Cottage Palace

Alexandria Park, the Cottage Palace, and the Farmers Palace

To the east of the main park at Peterhof lies an expanse of landscaped parkland in the English style, named after Alexandra Fedorovna, wife of Nicholas I. The land was used as a royal hunting ground for most of the 18th century and left to go wild after the court moved to Tsarskoe Selo.

In 1825, the land was passed to Nicholas I, who commissioned a Scottish architect and landscape gardener to create an English-style estate with a "cottage" palace and home farm. This was partly a concession to Alexandra (nee Charlotte of Prussia), who found the pomp and grandeur of court life oppressive. Alexandra loved the cottage. The Cottage Palace was completed in 1829 and became the permanent summer residence of the Tsar's family. Alexandria Park is one of the best-landscaped parks on the outskirts of St. Petersburg.

The building is equal parts seaside villa, Gothic castle, and English farmhouse, but extremely elegant, with several charming decorative details. The palace's interiors exemplify the private tastes of Nicholas and Alexandra and their children and grandchildren. The spectacular trompe l'oeil murals around the staircase, depicting gothic arches and vaults, and Nicholas's Naval Study, with superb views over the Gulf of Finland, are particularly impressive.

The Farm Palace was initially a pavilion in Alexandria Park close to the Cottage Palace and Gothic Chapel. Meant to be a pastoral farm with a row of household buildings, it was later expanded into a summer residence for the family of Tsesarevich Alexander Alexandrovich of Russia. The palace became the favorite summer residence of Alexander II and his family. After many reconstructions, the house was named "The Farm Palace" in 1859. It would eventually be a favorite of Alexander III and Nicholas II.

The Lower Dacha at Peterhoff (badly damaged in World War II and destroyed in the 1960s) - in the process of reconstruction

The Lower Dacha was in Alexandria Park, part of the Peterhof complex created by Tsar Peter I in the early 18th century as an Imperial summer residence. The palace was the home of Tsar Nicholas II while in residence at Peterhof (it was built for him), and several of his children were born there. It was badly damaged during the Second World War and was destroyed in the 1960s. The Lower Dacha is in the process of being restored. It is expected that the restoration will be completed by 2025. The picture below where the intact building can be seen, is from the early twentieth century. Photographs of the ruins have been included as well.

[lahilden]

The Winter Palace

The Winter Palace is located in Saint Petersburg, Russia. The palace was built on the Neva River in 1708 for Peter the Great upon an earlier Dutch-style wooden house. The wooden house was replaced by a stone building in 1711. In the 1730’s Empress Ann Loannovna, a descendent of Peter, had the palace reconstructed and a larger one created. It was completed in 1735, and seventeen years later, Empress Elizabeth had the building rebuilt. The Winter Palace served as the official residence of the Russian Emperor from 1732 to 1917. The palace holds the State Hermitage Museum, founded in 1774, and is considered the largest art museum in the world if calculated by gallery space. In 1837, the palace suffered through a fire that nearly destroyed the interiors, but Tsar Nicholas had it reconstructed with new contemporary designs added to the Neoclassical style. After the assignation of Tsar Alexander II in 1881, it was clear the property was too large to be properly secured. In 1917, the palace served as the seat of the Provisional Government under Alexander Krensky, and the Bolshevik-led revolutionary forces besieged and looted the palace. In 1917, The Winter Palace became a part of the State Hermitage Museum, with restorations taking place in the 1940 and 50s. The three-story, 460-room building, forms a quadrangle with an interior courtyard accessed by three archways. The four facades are richly decorated with two levels of ionic columns, parapets, 176 sculptured figures lining the roof, and more. The interior is lavish, and improvements were made throughout the 18th and 19th centuries. Known for luxury, the building has elegant staterooms, St George’s Hall throne room, an 1812 War Gallery, the Hermitage Museum, the Jordan staircase, Peter the Great Memorial Hall, the Golden Drawing Room, and more. The Winter Palace is open to the public. 

[toneburst]

St Petersburg, Russia (via)