Description of the attraction
The landscape park Alexandria of Peterhof is located to the east of the Lower Park and is separated from it by a stone wall cut through by the Zveriny, Nikolsky and Sea gates, and on the other side has a common border with the Znamenka estate. The northern border of "Alexandria" runs along the coast of the Gulf of Finland, the southern one - along the highway St. Petersburg - Lomonosov (Oranienbaum).
The area of the park is 115 hectares. The seaside landscape park Alexandria is spread over 2 terraces: the lower (coastal) and the upper, on which the main architectural buildings of the Alexandria palace-pack ensemble were built: the Farmer's Palace, the Cottage Palace and the Capella.
The landscape of the area made it possible to form all kinds of picturesque landscapes, in which meadows and hills, a deep ravine and gentle slopes, narrow winding paths and wide shady alleys change. The sea, which can be seen from many points of the park, brings a unique charm to the landscape of Alexandria.
A distinctive feature of "Alexandria" is the variety of green spaces. Oaks, lindens, birches, maples, poplars, ash trees grow here. You can also find many unique, exotic shrubs and tree species. Open green glades give way to groups of shrubs and trees. For several decades, "Alexandria" was enriched with various kinds of decorative details: gazebos, sculptures, guardrooms, where elements of Gothic architecture were applied. For example, near the "Cottage" palace, "Gothic sofas" with high backs were installed. And nowadays, next to the palace, you can see a skillfully executed green metal gazebo.
The Ruin Bridge, which was thrown over a deep ravine, also gave the park a sublimely romantic character. After the Great Patriotic War, the eastern abutment and 2 pedestals with huge vases made of Pudost stone were preserved from the Ruin Bridge. The bridge was so named because during its construction the ruins of the Menshikov Palace still remained nearby.
In terms of compositional design, rational use of the relief, selection and arrangement of plantations, Alexandria is an excellent example of a landscape-style park and is one of the outstanding monuments of Russian landscape architecture of the 19th century.
The main compositional axis of the park is Nikolskaya Alley, which crosses it in a straight line from west to east - from the gates of the same name in the stone wall to the Bolshoi Pond, where it connects with the intertwining of several alleys and, bordering the pond, goes to the eastern border of the park. Nikolskaya Alley divides the park into northern and southern regions: coastal and upland. Other roads of "Alexandria" are characterized by meandering, typical for landscape park construction. The alleys were created with a delicate calculation, which allows you to view the landscape from the most successful vantage points, giving the illusion of volumetric space, diversity and length of the natural environment.
