Ломоносов

LOMONOSOV

Town of Lomonosov is located 10 kilometers to the west of Saint Petersburg on the shores of the Gulf of Finland. Lomonosov (formerly Oranienbaum) and its palace & park ensemble represent great historical and artistic value. Moreover, the architectural sights here were less damaged than in the other suburbs during the WW II.

The Grand Palace of Oranienbaum was built in 1710 - 1727 by architects D.Fontana and I.Schadel. There is a garden in a regular style in front of the palace and several terraces descend from the palace to sea. The edifice consists of the central part and lateral wings. In the parks there are artificial ponds called Lower and Red. Near the Lower pond there is the palace of tsar Peter III designed by A.Rinaldi. The ground floor of the palace was intended for the servants and was not particularly adorned, whereas the top floor was of remarkable exquisite and majestic splendor. The chambers are faced with lacquered murals and refined carvings.

Around the palace there are parterres and flower-beds of ornamental patterns and from the palace the Rowan-tree road runs amid amusing ponds, meadows and a small forest. The Rowan road leads to the central part of the Upper park where there are also the Chinese palace and the Sliding Hill.

The Chinese palace was once owned by empress Catherine II and it used to be called "a marvel full of marvels". The palace is embellished with works of painting, sculpture and decorative and applied art. 13 picturesque decorated ceilings were commissioned to craftsmen of Venetian academy. The walls were adorned with gilded moldings and covered with silk. The walls of the Bugles study are covered with 12 panneaux with bugles embroidered by Russian seamstresses with chenille which created a shimmering background.

The Chinese studies house a large collection of the Chinese and Japanese porcelain as well as the artifacts of wood and ivory which contributed to the name of the palace.

In front of the southern facade there is a pond on the shore of which there is the Chinese kitchen and a small green corridor - Pergola. Near the Pergola the English Alley starts which boasts granite benches cut in the boulders. The alley leads to the Sliding Hill Pavilion. The Sliding Hill was a complex structure the slopes of which were flanked with rows of stone columns forming galleries which in their turn were adorned with numerous sculptures and vases.