🖼 Grand Peterhof Palace

Петергоф

Rastrelli's long Baroque palace on a terrace above the Grand Cascade and the Sea Canal.

The first palace of 1714–1725 was modest; in 1745–1752 Rastrelli rebuilt it for Elizabeth Petrovna.
The facade facing the sea is 268 m long, yet the palace is quite narrow: it has about 30 halls.
The Dance Hall of about 270 m² takes up the whole west wing and is considered the palace's most opulent interior.
The Chesme Hall is hung with Hackert's paintings of the 1770 victory over the Turkish fleet — six of the twelve depict the battle itself.
So that Hackert could paint the explosion convincingly, the old frigate ‘St Barbara’ was blown up in 1771 in the roads of Livorno.
During the occupation the palace burned and the central part collapsed; the first four restored halls opened on 17 May 1964.

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