The Russian city of Peterhof is famous all over the world for its unique palace and park complex and fountains. But if quite a lot is usually known about the fountains themselves, then a lot of interesting stories and facts about this object, as they say, remain behind the scenes. But the history of the appearance, and the amazing mechanism of the functioning of the complex, of course, are of interest. To your attention 6 little-known facts about the unique system of fountains in Peterhof.
1. The fountain complex of Peterhof was ordered in honor of the military victory
Not everyone knows that Emperor Peter the Great ordered the creation of a palace and park complex in Peterhof for a reason. He was a kind of symbol of victory in the Northern War with Sweden. By the way, hints of such a message can also be found in the architecture of the ensemble itself: it is for this reason that many sculptures there are dedicated to heroes or warriors. The most famous of them is the statue of Samson tearing the mouth of a lion.
2. The fountain complex does not have a single pump
Looking at this large-scale ensemble, you will not immediately believe that water for fountains is supplied without the participation of at least one pump. However, this is true: the jets rise up under due to natural pressure. In fairness, it should be noted that the project of a fountain complex with a large number of pumps really existed. However, he was personally rejected by Peter the Great - it was his idea to use the abilities of the natural elevation difference.
3. The piping system has not changed for over 200 years
The palace and park complex of Peterhof is famous not only for its beautiful views, but also for the quality of communications. So, most of the pipes through which water moves outwards have not changed since the 18th century. In fact, all communications were converted once, back in the first decades of the ensemble's existence, when they decided to abandon wooden pipes in favor of cast iron ones. In addition, a color system was invented that distinguishes which pipes feed one or another part of the complex or a particular fountain.
4. Hidden fountains are functional
Throughout the palace and park complex there are not only ground and prominent, but also hidden fountains in the grottoes. This idea also belongs to Emperor Peter. The meaning of the idea was to create a territory there that would save from the heat, because the constant maintenance of air humidity due to these cracker fountains allows you to fight the summer heat. In addition, the Russian ruler added a playful context to this element of the complex: the fountains do not allow anyone to leave the grottoes dry.
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5. Grottoes are not subject to destruction
The grottoes in the Peterhof palace and park complex also deserve attention. At least, because the builders used natural stone - tuff - to finish the steles and vaults. Its peculiarity lies in the fact that, with the porous structure of this rock, it does not undergo natural destruction under the influence of environmental factors. Therefore, the grottoes of Peterhof have been in such good condition for three hundred years.
6. Most of the sculptures in Peterhof are not original
A considerable number of sculptures and statues that can be seen today in Peterhof are copies of the original ones. However, the reason is not that they failed to survive to this day due to poor quality material or insufficient maintenance. The thing is that many sculptures were irretrievably lost or seriously damaged during the Great Patriotic War. In fairness, it is worth clarifying that several original statues or parts of them are stored in the grottoes, for example, a genuine miracle fish and a faun's head created by Bartolomeo Rastrelli.
In addition to the topic: 10 residences of Russian emperors, whose splendor is breathtaking
Source: https://novate.ru/blogs/280322/62545/