Summer Garden, Saint Petersburg

The Summer Garden is a park ensemble, a monument of landscape art of the first third of the XVIII century, located in the center of St. Petersburg. The park was founded under decree of Peter I in 1704. The Summer Garden is the oldest garden in St. Petersburg. The construction of the garden started by master Ivan Ugryumov under direction of Peter I. The Tsar dreamed of his own Versailles and himself drew its original plan. He planned to create a regular, architectural park with accurate layout and straight paths, neatly trimmed trees and bushes. Prominent architects and master gardeners took part in the creation of the park. The park must have become a place of relaxation, combining the features of urban and suburban estates. The Summer Garden is surrounded by water. Natural boundary of the park from the north and east are the Neva and Fontanka Rivers, from south and west — the Moika River and the Swan Canal. The three parallel-arranged direct avenues crossed by the perpendicular paths lead from the Neva River into the territory. August 18, 1710 architect Domenico Trezzini began construction of the stone Summer Palace of Peter I, preserved to this day. The were built fountains, distinguished for their beauty, in the garden. Those were the first fountains in Russia. Severe flooding of 1777 destroyed the fountains. During the reconstruction of the park the the fountains and water supply were restored. Peter I brought from Italy sculptures for the Summer Garden and was very proud of them. In the XVIII century there were more than two hundred sculptures, but later many of them were either destroyed in the flood, or moved to suburban royal summer residences, the Hermitage and the St. Michael’s Castle. Now the Summer Garden is adorned by 90 sculptures — copies made of artificial marble. The famous lattice in the Summer Garden were made by Y. Felten and P. Egorov between 1771 and 1884. 36 granite columns with vases and urns are connected with  openwork metal grating adorned with gilded details. In the 50-ies of the 19th century there was set a monument to a famous Russian fabulist Ivan Krylov. The Sculpture, made by sculptor P. Klodt depicts Ivan Krylov, sitting on a rock with an open book in his hands. The pedestal is made of stone of Serdobol and decorated with high relief compositions on subjects of the most famous fables of Krylov. May 27, 2012 the Summer Garden in St. Petersburg was opened after the reconstruction. The reconstruction work had been lasting for about three years, and restorers have done everything possible to keep the Summer Garden as it was in the 18th century. Among the new items in the Summer Garden there are the Archaeological Museum, which contains interesting objects found by archaeologists during the restoration of the park. The pond was renovated, there are a summerhouse, a small greenhouse with the Pharmaceutical Garden and a Poultry Yard. Visitors can take a tour of the park, and enjoy the exhibitions and performances of a brass band on Sundays.