Description of the attraction
The Upper Garden is part of the Peterhof palace and park complex. It is located in Peterhof between the Grand Peterhof Palace and St. Petersburg Avenue.
The Upper Garden is a wonderful example of the restoration of a regular style garden in park construction. The area is 15 hectares. The garden plays an important role in the artistic appearance of the Peterhof ensemble and is a ceremonial courtyard - courdoner.
The Upper Garden was founded in the early days of the construction of the Peter's residence. For quite a long time it was a utilitarian "vegetable garden": vegetables were grown in the beds, and fish were raised in 3 ponds, which served as reservoirs of the fountain system.
Only by the second half of the 18th century, the Upper Garden acquired the appearance of a regular park: here, one after another, fountains began to appear. During the reconstruction of the Grand Palace, the garden was enlarged according to the design of FB Rastrelli. Its layout was based on the laws of the regular style, which is characterized by smooth, open parterres with sculptures, rectangular pond mirrors, trimmed linden alleys on both sides of the main parterre, trellis galleries (bersot), gazebos, closed bosquets with fruit plantings inside, patterned flower beds with tub plants. Gilded lead statues and a sundial were installed in the parterres, and from that moment, in its artistic appearance, the Upper Garden became equivalent to the complex of the central part of the Lower Park. At the same time, fountains appeared in the garden: "Oak" (1734), "Neptune" (1736), "Mezheumny" (1738) and the Fountains of Square Ponds.
The "Oak" fountain was the first fountain in the Upper Garden. In the center of the composition was a lead oak, hence its name. Currently, the center of the round pool is occupied by the sculpture "Cupid Putting on a Mask".
The Neptune fountain is the compositional center of the Upper Garden. At first, a sculptural and fountain composition "Neptunov's Cart", made of lead and gilded, was placed in the central pool. At the end of the 18th century, after several restorations, the Neptunov Cart was removed. Instead, a new group appeared - "Neptune", which continues to this day. It flaunts in the center of a vast rectangular pond on a high granite pedestal, decorated with 4 gushing mascarons.
The "Mezheumny" fountain is located near the main entrance to the Upper Garden. The center of the circular pool is occupied by a winged dragon, around which there are 4 gushing dolphins. The name of the fountain "Mezheumny" ("Uncertain") characterizes the history of repeated changes in the sculptural decor.
The fountains of the Square Ponds are currently decorated with sculptures "Spring" and "Summer". In addition to fountains, they are storage ponds with water for the fountains of the Lower Park.
By the end of the 18th century, the style of the regular park was lost. The trimming of trees and bushes was stopped, and after a while they grew to such an extent that they blocked the view of the facade of the Grand Palace.
In 1926, according to the drawings of the 18th century, the restoration of the garden's parterre began, and the lead sculpture was replaced with a marble one, which was buried in the ground at the beginning of the Great Patriotic War and thus saved. In general, during the Great Patriotic War, the garden was badly damaged - there was an anti-tank ditch here.
In the 1960s, restoration work was carried out according to historical documents and plans: all old trees were replaced with 20-year-old linden trees, circular plantings, covered alleys, patterned flower beds were recreated, marble sculptures were installed in their places, all fountains were put into operation. Thus, the Upper Garden acquired its original regular appearance.
