City gardens of Peter I. Vegetables for the royal table or about botany in the summer garden History of Dutch gardens in Russia

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Summer Palace Peter I is considered one of the oldest buildings in St. Petersburg. The house is in a very beautiful place called Summer Garden. This park was laid out at the beginning of the 18th century, when Northern capital They were just starting to build. To work on your summer residence Peter I invited famous architects and gardeners. The Tsar dreamed of arranging a garden here in the Versailles style. Looking ahead, let's say that he succeeded and to this day the Summer Garden remains one of the favorite vacation spots for tourists and city residents.

The Summer Palace of Peter I in St. Petersburg is not distinguished by its splendor. This is a very modest building in the Baroque style, completely different from the royal mansions.

Peter chose the location for the Summer Palace between the Neva and Fontanka (in those years - Nameless Erik), exactly where the estate of the Swedish major Erich von Konow was located. It was here that a small two-story stone house was built according to the design of the architect Domenico Trezzini. True, Peter initially made the house plan on his own, and Trezzini only corrected it. It is worth noting that the Summer Palace of Peter I is not distinguished by its splendor. This is a very modest building in the Baroque style, completely different from the royal mansions. The layout of both floors is exactly the same. There are only 14 rooms, 2 kitchens and 2 internal corridors. The tsar's rooms were located on the first floor, and his wife Catherine's on the second. The owners used this house only in warm weather - from May to October. That is why the Summer Palace of Peter I has thin walls and single frames in the windows. The façade of the palace is decorated with 28 bas-reliefs depicting the events of the Northern War.

On the roof of the Summer Palace of Peter I there is a copper weather vane in the form of St. George the Victorious slaying a serpent. The weather vane sets in motion the mechanism of the wind device located inside the house. A special display panel indicated the direction and strength of the wind. Peter I ordered this unusual device for that time in Dresden from the court mechanic.

Despite its outward simplicity, the Summer Palace of Peter I had everything that was required for the needs of the sovereign. In the reception room he read letters, dealt with complaints and sometimes received visitors. Next door there was a lathe and a lathe, at which Peter worked, a bedroom, a dressing room, a kitchen, a dining room and a large room - the assembly. A punishment cell was provided for those who were guilty. The interior decoration of the palace glorified Russia's victory over the Swedes in the Northern War in allegorical form. On the second floor there was Catherine’s bedroom, a nursery, a room for maids of honor and a separate room for dancing.

It is interesting that the Summer Palace of Peter I was equipped with a sewerage system - the very first in all of St. Petersburg. The building was washed on three sides by water, which entered the house using pumps. The flow of the Fontanka River served as the driving force for the sewerage system.

Next to the palace there is another building - the Human Quarters. Here was the famous Amber Room, a huge library and numerous collections of various things that Peter collected. For example, the anatomical collection of the Dutch scientist Ruysch was kept in the Human Chambers. In fact, this house housed a large museum: here the king brought various curiosities, mechanisms, many compasses, astronomical instruments, stones with inscriptions, household items of different nations and much, much more.

The Summer Palace served its main function as the Tsar's country residence until the mid-18th century. Then officials began to use it. For some time the palace even stood abandoned. This is what saved it from perestroika. In 1934, a historical and art museum was located here. The building was damaged during the Great Patriotic War. But a large-scale reconstruction in the mid-50s of the 20th century helped to completely restore the palace. Today the Tsar's residence is part of the Russian Museum; anyone can go inside and find out how Peter I lived.

Practical information

Summer Garden address: St. Petersburg, Kutuzov embankment, 2. The nearest metro station is Gostiny Dvor. Entrance to the garden is free, opening hours are from 10.00 to 20.00. Day off is Tuesday.

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Peter I

The Summer Garden is the oldest garden in St. Petersburg.

Already in the spring of 1704, Peter I wrote to boyar Streshnev with instructions to send flowers to St. Petersburg for his estate.

He built it on the banks of the Neva, on the site of the estate of the Swedish major Konau, overgrown with spruce trees.

Peter himself drew a plan for the future park. At first it was planted only with annual flowers, that is, “letnik”. That's why they called it Summer.

The garden originally occupied about a quarter of its current area.

Le tny garden in 1717

Probably already in 1704, a wooden manor house was built for Peter I on the banks of the Neva - the future Summer Palace . Its construction was entrusted to Ivan Matveevich Ugryumov. He planted flower beds here, and in 1706 he began to install fountains in the Summer Garden (the first in Russia).

A. Benoit. Peter 1 on a walk

18 August 1710 architect Domenico Trezzini began construction of the stone Summer Palace.

The Havanese was dug out on its southern side, and the water came close to the walls. That is, the building was washed on three sides by water, and it was possible to enter it only from a boat.

Behind the servants' house there was a water cocking tower, the roof of which was crowned with a gilded two-headed eagle.

In 1714, on the same line with the Summer Palace, the architect G. I. Mattarnovi erected three open galleries (“lustgauses”). We rested here in bad weather.

A. Benoit. Summer Garden under Peter the Great. Postcard

In the middle of the galleries there was a marble statue of the goddess Venus. This sculpture was given to Peter I by Pope Clement XI. By order of the king, Venus was guarded by a sentry so that no one would harm her. Venus became the first public image of a naked female body in Russia.

Venus in the Summer Garden

The galleries, like the Summer Palace, stood on the very banks of the Neva. The shore was fortified with piles. Later it was moved deeper into the river.

In 1711-1716, to drain the territory, the Swan Canal was dug, separating the Summer Garden from the Amusement Meadow (now the Field of Mars). Approximately in the middle of the Summer Garden from the Lebyazhy Canal to the Fontanka in 1716, another canal was dug. The territory to the north of it became the First, to the south - the Second Summer Garden. At the same time, the Moika and Fontanka rivers were connected. Since then, the Summer Garden has been located on the island. The territory south of the Moika, including the modern Mikhailovsky Garden .

In the northwestern corner of the Summer Garden, close to the Neva and the Swan Canal, there was a one-story wooden Second Summer Palace. Behind it, along the ditch, there was a bathhouse. In the Third Summer Garden, on the banks of the Moika, Catherine’s wooden Summer Palace and the houses of her servants were built.

In 1718, according to the design of J.B. Leblon, an Aviary was built not far from the Summer Palace. Not only birds lived here (black storks, eagles, cranes, swans, pigeons, pelicans), but also rare animals (porcupine, blue fox). Near the Poultry House, where the monument to Krylov is now located, the Dolphin Cascade was built. This was the name of a fountain decorated with vases in the shape of dolphins.

Summer Palace of Peter I

In the first half of the 18th century, regular parks were in fashion, and it was on this principle that the Summer Garden was organized. Straight alleys were laid across its territory. Trees and bushes were carefully trimmed into the shape of a cube, ball or pyramid. The garden work was supervised by the Dutchman Jan Roosen.

A pond was dug in the southern part of the Summer Garden, where different breeds of fish began to be bred. Most often, carps were released here, which is why the pond began to be called Karpiev. In addition to fish, a tame seal also lived here for some time. An Oval pond was dug on the territory of the 1st Summer Garden.

On the territory of the 2nd Summer Garden, the architect M. G. Zemtsov built a Labyrinth - a complex system of paths surrounded by walls of bushes. The paths to the Labyrinth were laid along bridges. There were joker fountains installed here, under the jets of which visitors to the Summer Garden often fell.

About the appearance of moralizing fountain sculptures in the Summer Garden in 1735, Jakob Stehlin wrote this:

The Swedish gardener Schroeder, while decorating the beautiful garden at the Summer Palace, by the way, made two curtains or small parks, surrounded by high trellises, with seating.

The Emperor often came to look at his work and, having seen these parks, immediately decided to do something instructive in this place of entertainment.

He ordered the gardener to be called and told him: “I am very pleased with your work and the handsome decorations. However, do not be angry that I will order you to redo the side curtains. I would like people who walk here in the garden to find something instructive in it. How can we do this? “I don’t know how to do this otherwise,” answered the gardener, “unless your Majesty orders the books to be placed in places, covering them from the rain, so that those walking around can sit down and read them.”

More than six dozen fountains decorated with sculptural characters from Aesop’s fables were placed in the Summer Garden. At the entrance there was a sculpture of the fabulist himself. Each fountain had a sign explaining the content of the fable.

Initially, the water-lifting mechanism that supplied the fountains was horse-drawn. In 1718, it was replaced by the first steam engine in Russia, designed by the French engineer Desaguliers. Water for this machine was taken from Nameless Erik, which has since become known as Fontanka.

View of the Fontanka River from the Grotto and the Reserve Palace

In 1721, according to the design of A. Schlüter and G. Mattarnovi, a Grotto was built on the banks of the Fontanka - a garden pavilion with columns and a high dome. This pavilion was divided into three rooms, each of which contained a fountain. Organ music sounded as they worked. The organ was powered by jets of fountains. After the death of Peter I, the nude Venus was moved here from the Gallery. Later she found herself in Tauride Palace, and is now exhibited in the Hermitage.

Stone greenhouses were built on the border of the 1st and 2nd Summer Gardens. Southern plants were grown here, including tropical milkweed, oranges, lemons, tulips and Lebanese cedars. In summer, these plants were displayed along the garden alleys.

According to the plan of Peter I, the Summer Garden was to be decorated with allegorical sculptures. All sculptures were selected on four themes: the nature of the universe (1), collisions from Ovid’s Metamorphoses (2), an ideal model of the Earthly world (3) and its real embodiment (4). To implement this plan, special agents were sent to Italy: P. Beklemishev, Y. Kologrivov and S. Raguzinsky. They purchased both antique sculptures and works of the late 17th - early 18th centuries. Many sculptures were made to order. By 1725, more than a hundred busts and statues were installed in the Summer Garden; by 1736 there were already more than two hundred.

Since 1721, when the main landscaping work was completed, the Summer Garden became the royal residence.

Peter I often held holidays in the Summer Garden; here he held the famous Peter the Great assemblies. The expressions “penalty” and “drink to the bottom”, widely known in Russia, began precisely at these assemblies. It was then that the latecomer began to be given a “penalty” cup of wine, which he had to drink “to the bottom.”

Peter's Assembly

City residents were notified of the start of the next holiday by cannon shots from the bastions. Peter and Paul Fortress. Guests arrived at the Summer Garden along the Neva and disembarked from boats onto a wooden pier. Behind the pier there was an alley and two platforms. Dances were held on the Ladies' Square, and on Shkiperskaya there were tables with chess, checkers, tobacco and wine.

Under Empress Anna Ioannovna, bear, wolf and boar baiting was organized in the Summer Garden. Animals scampered around the garden, breaking sculptures and trampling plants. At the end of the “fun,” the animal corpses were given to the St. Petersburg meat aisles.

A.Benoit. Empress Anna Ioannovna chases a deer on horseback

V.I. Surikov. Empress Anna Ioannovna in the Peterhof Temple

It was under Anna Ioannovna that the tradition of hiding winter time sculptures in wooden boxes.

From the middle of the 18th century, the Summer Garden became a place for a select public to walk. Since May 1756, by decree of Empress Elizabeth Petrovna, decently dressed visitors were allowed to walk here on Thursdays and Sundays.

Under Catherine II, days for walking became more frequent.

Since May 1773, pupils of the Smolny Institute began to walk in the Summer Garden; for the first time they were taken outside the educational institution. The newspaper “St. Petersburg Vedomosti” then noted that the girls were accompanied by “a crowd of gawking revelers” who had conversations with the girls about “various matters” and noted their “noble lack of shyness.”

Levitsky D.G. Portraits of Smolyanok.

In the 1760s, according to the design of Yu. M. Felten, the Palace Embankment. On the side of the roadway, in 1771-1784, a fence was built near the Summer Garden (designed by Yu. M. Felten and P. E. Egorov), which became one of the symbols of St. Petersburg.

For the fence, 36 “pillars of wild sea stone” were used, mined in Finland. The pillars turned into columnsThey were stonemasons from the village of Putilov, Shlisselburg district, and the lattice was made by Tula craftsmen.

There is a legend that tells about an Englishman. He was very rich, heard a lot about St. Petersburg, and one day in his declining years he decided to visit it. On one of the white nights, his yacht sailed to St. Petersburg and stopped at the Summer Garden. Having looked at the fence, the Englishman decided not to go ashore at all, since, according to him, he could not see anything more beautiful anyway. After some time, the yacht took the opposite course.

Summer Garden (original)

1704-1706 - laying out the garden

1721 - completion of main work

Peter I chose the place for his summer royal residence on the left bank of the Neva and the Nameless Erik (Fontanka), almost opposite Peter and Paul Fortress. The best architects I.M. Matveev (Ugryumov), J.-B. Leblon, M. G. Zemtsov created the appearance of the Summer Garden, masters of landscape art J. Roozen, and later I. Surmin were engaged in green decoration.

A small part of the Neva coast at the source of the Nameless Erik (Fontanka) belonged to the Swedish dignitary Conan. On the map of the late 17th and early 18th centuries. In this place a building is shown - a residential building. Konau's domain extended not far, and to the south the area was marshy.

The summer garden was founded early spring 1704 Formed in 1704-1706. and initially occupied only the northern part of the site, which faces directly onto the Neva. At the same time, a system of straight perpendicular alleys was determined, which has survived to this day. The summer garden was created in a regular (architectural) style, in the manner of parks that existed at that time in Europe. Some researchers believe that Peter I himself outlined the direction of the alleys, the position of the flower beds and fountains. In the first years (1704-1707) the work under the leadership of Peter was carried out by the arch. Ivan Matveev (Ugryumov). He expanded the boundaries of the garden, determined the initial layout, began constructing fountains, draining the area, creating solid soil and planting trees, and prepared Konau mansions for the sovereign. The architect Fyodor Vasiliev, who arrived at Peter’s request, built the first oak galleries of the Corinthian order. In 1707, Matveev dies, and Peter entrusts A.V. with the organization of all work and supervision of construction. Kikin, and from 1709 - A.A. Menshikov.

Russian and foreign architects, gardeners, and market gardeners worked to implement the plan under the control of the Tsar in the garden. In 1709, a group of young people was brought from Moscow to learn gardening crafts. Some of them subsequently worked independently: S. Lukyanov, I. Surmin, I. Yakovlev.

The first known plan of the Summer Garden was drawn up by Jan Roosen in 1713. This plan already shows the Summer Palace of Peter I, just built according to the design of D. Trezzini, which occupied the north-eastern corner. It was the Summer Palace that gave the name to the Summer Garden, which was initially called the “royal garden”. Gardener Jan Roosen arrived in St. Petersburg in 1712 and worked in the Summer Garden for 13 years (1712-1726), he supervised all garden work. Several plans of the garden have been preserved: J. Roosen (1716 (1714?)), J. Leblond (1717), M. Zemtsov (1723), as well as a drawing attributed to Peter (1714-1716?).

The layout of the original garden is based on a central longitudinal alley, onto which there are figured flower beds inscribed in squares with images of currencies, cartouches and other ornaments. Each of the flower squares was intersected by diagonal paths and had a gazebo in the center. Behind the flower beds there were areas planted with young linden trees. Two more longitudinal alleys were laid parallel to the central one. The eastern part separated the residential part of the garden from the palace of Peter I. The western part was a continuous green trellis, separating the bosquets along the Swan Canal and leading to the Carpiev Pond. The engraving by A.F. Zubov (1717) gives an idea of ​​the original appearance of the Summer Garden ensemble, which was dominated by metrically planted trees, the crowns of which were trimmed into the shape of a cube, ball or pyramid. A trellis (up to 2-3 m high) stretches along the straight alleys of the garden, forming green walls with niches for statues. The garden work was supervised by the Dutchman Jan Roosen.

In 1714-1716. In the southern part of the Summer Garden, a pond was dug, where different breeds of fish began to be bred. Most often, carps were released here, which is why the pond began to be called Karpiev. In addition to fish, a tame seal also lived here for some time. In the center of the pond there was a multi-jet fountain. The pond has survived to this day.

Part of the modern Summer Garden and the Champ de Mars was then a lowland overgrown with stunted bushes. In 1711-1716. To drain the territory along the western part of the garden, a canal was dug (later called the Swan Canal), separating the Summer Garden from the Big Meadow (Field of Mars). Approximately in the middle of the Summer Garden from the Lebyazhy Canal almost to the Fontanka, by 1716 another canal was dug - the Transverse. Thus, the 1st and 2nd Summer Gardens appeared. On the bridge spanning the Transverse Canal there were joker fountains. At the same time, the Moika and Fontanka rivers were connected. Since then, the Summer Garden has been located on the island. The 3rd Summer was called modern Mikhailovsky Garden.

The summer garden consisted of three parts: the Front Garden (1st garden) - from the Neva to the Transverse Canal, the Red Garden (2nd garden) or the economic garden, where fruit trees grew, - from the Transverse Canal to the Moika, "Her Majesty's Garden" (3rd garden) - behind the Moika, on the site of the modern Mikhailovsky Garden and Sadovaya Street. Peter gave this garden to Catherine.

Simultaneously with the construction of reservoirs, work was carried out to strengthen the soil for planting trees. Over the course of several years, soil was brought into the garden. By order of Peter, trees of various species were brought from all over Russia and from abroad, and they were planted both in summer and winter. There were many firs growing in the garden, which Peter loved. They stood in several rows along the Swan Canal, along the alley leading to the Coffee House, along the Fontanka. In the first quarter of the 18th century. in the garden grew oaks, lindens, elms, maples, rowan, spruce, as well as boxwood, elm, chestnut, etc. Fruit trees also grew in the Summer Garden: apple trees, cherries, pears, and native bushes. “Herbs” were planted between the trees in the beds: parsley, carrots, beets, parsnips, peas, beans, and aromatic herbs. IN summer time tubs with tropical plants were displayed in the alleys and areas of the front garden.

The summer garden was distinguished by its varied and rich flora. A.E. Regel reported where the plants were delivered from: lindens and lilies from Narva, elms from Moscow, hornbeams from Kyiv, cedars from Solikamsk, apple trees from Sweden, peonies and barberries from Holland and Germany, peas, meadowsweet from Siberia. In the garden, work was underway to replant mature trees and acclimatize foreign varieties.

Along the main axis of the Neva, the garden faced a gallery located right next to the water. Three open galleries (on the site of the existing fence of the Summer Garden) were built by architect. G.I. Mattarnovi in ​​1714. They rested here in bad weather. We got to the Summer Garden directly from the boats, along the steps of the galleries. Two side galleries with a roof on wooden columns and carved capitals were richly decorated. The roof of the central gallery rested on twelve paired columns (“on pillars of Russian marble”), its floor was lined with black and white marble slabs, and the roof was decorated with a balustade of chiseled balusters and tubmas. The central gallery was decorated with a marble statue of Venus (“Lady Venus”). This sculpture was presented to Peter I by Pope Clement IX. By decree of the tsar, she was guarded by a sentry in the uniform of the Preobrazhensky regiment with a halberd, so that no one would damage her. Venus became the first public image of a naked female body in Russia. The statue of Venus was in the Summer Garden until the middle of the 18th century. The statue was later moved to the closed Grotto.

On the main alley (from the Venus Gallery to the Transverse Pond) there were four platforms: 1st - Palace (Ladies'), 2nd - Shkiperskaya, 3rd - Virtues, 4th - Cycle of the Day. There were fountains on each site. The queen and her court ladies usually sat near the first white marble fountain. Near the second, on the octagonal Skipper's platform, Peter and the visiting foreigners were located. A little further away there was a fountain decorated with gilded vases.

To the west of the cellars on the banks of the Moika stood the palace of Catherine I - the Golden Mansions. It was probably located on the site of the Rossi pavilion. According to indirect data, the palace was built in 1710-1711. On the roof of a small wooden building stood a gilded lantern with eight windows. The lantern ended with a high spire. The walls of the main hall of the palace were decorated with gold leather, the ceiling was covered with a picturesque canvas. There were tiled stoves in each room.

In 1717 near the river. In front of the Golden Mansions, a pavilion with fountains was built, where a huge Gottorp globe with a starry sky was placed in the inner sphere (then the globe was transferred to the Kunstkamera).

In 1717, A. Leblon drew up a new plan for the Summer Garden, which, without changing the existing layout, made additions and improvements. This project also included the areas around the Summer Garden (the future Champ de Mars, Mikhailovsky Palace and the Engineering Castle). The new project fixed the longitudinal compositional axis of the garden. On southern territory garden (3rd Summer Garden) the plan houses the residence of Catherine I. This palace, built only 25 years later, with its wide courtyard facing the Moika, was supposed to play the role of an architectural dominant. The garden behind this palace, by the nature of its layout, seemed to continue the Summer Garden of Peter I. The huge meadow behind the Swan Canal (Field of Mars) was divided by road alleys into 8 large triangles converging to a central round square. The garden behind the Moika was divided into small rectangular parts. At this time there was already an old wooden palace Catherine's - "golden mansions". Around it, in regular blocks of the garden, fruit plants were planted, and among the garden paths there were many trillage alleys.

Leblond developed in detail the layout of the flower beds along the Swan Canal, which were outlined in Peter's sketch (1716). Moreover, each figured parterre and bosquet was designed as a non-repeating separate micro-composition. The main bosquets with ideas were located around the Main Avenue. In one bosquet, Leblon designed an oval pond, in another, a cascade with a flower bed and sculpture, in a third, with a fountain in the center, cruciform encircling roads, in the fourth, an enclosure and an “animal yard.” New sculptural groups, green cabinets, gazebos, ponds and fountains have been introduced into the garden plan.

An Oval pond was dug on the territory of the 1st Summer Garden. In the center of the pond there was a small island with a gazebo, the dome of which ended with a carved lantern. Along the perimeter of the almost square bosquet there were trellises and trellises. Between the bars along the shore of the pond there were 8 wooden houses - “bird houses” for the birds that lived in the pond. Rare fish swam in the pond and a small boat on which a dwarf jester rode. On the roof of the gazebo in the shape of a Chinese pagoda, a weather vane sparkled - a golden dragon.

Where the monument to Krylov is now located, a bosquet with a Dolphin cascade and a swimming pool was built. The cascade was decorated with gilded lead and decorated with vases in the shape of dolphins. The floor and walls of the pool were decorated with white marble. In the southern part of the bosquet there was a greenhouse. The platform with the cascade was surrounded by wooden trellises, on the poles of which 24 lanterns with intricate carvings hung.

Opposite the bosquet with a cascade there was an area with bird and animal cages. There was a gallery stretching from east to west. In the gallery, the floor was covered with Putilov slabs, the walls were covered with canvas. A double dome rose in the middle of the roof. It was a dovecote. The bosquet was framed by trellises, and 13 canopies with bars were installed inside on three sides. Between the sheds there were three galleries - the animal yard. Birds (black storks, eagles, cranes, swans, pigeons, pelicans) and rare animals (porcupine, blue fox, large hedgehog, sable) lived here. In the center of the bosquet there was a fountain with a round pond made of white marble, the cornice was trimmed with black marble.

North of the animal yard was located the last of the 4 main bosquets with ideas - a spruce grove. Spruce trees growing in regular rows crossed the covered (circular) paths that went criss-cross, forming a platform with a fountain in the center of the bosquet. The fountain was decorated with a marble group "Venus with Cupid". The fountain's reservoir was decorated with lead, shells, and white and black marble tiles. Hanging lanterns lit candles in the covered alleys.

There were covered paths in both the 2nd and 3rd gardens.

In addition to the spruce tree in the 1st garden there were also oak and linden groves. An oak grove with a fountain in the center was located near the Summer Palace of Peter I. A linden grove was on the site of the Tea House.

Leblond's death in 1719 interrupted his work. The bosquet with a cascade was completed according to the design of Leblon M.G. Zemtsov. Gazebos at the bends of the road were built by G.-I. Matarnovi. The grotto, the construction of which was supervised by Leblon, continued to be built by G.-I. Matarnovi and Michetti, and Zemtsov completed and decorated the interiors.

The garden was also decorated with three picturesque panels by artist. Georg Gsell. The wooden panel (366.5 x 70 cm) consisted of four panels separated by pilasters. The polychrome images on them are taken from the book "Symbols and Emblems..." (unicorn, lion, warrior...).

Greenhouses were built to store tropical trees in winter. One of them was in a bosquet with a cascade, the other stone greenhouse was located in the Red Garden on the border of the 1st and 2nd Summer Gardens. In 1728, not far from it, another stone greenhouse was built according to the design of architect. K. Schroeder. Southern plants were grown here, including tropical milkweed, oranges, lemons, tulips and Lebanese cedars. In summer, these plants were displayed along the garden alleys. Later, 7 small wooden greenhouses appeared in the 2nd garden - steam, winter, pineapple, African, etc. There was a hut here, in which in the 1730-1740s. The sculptor "Yagan Zweigof" worked. He restored damaged statues and busts.

In 1723-1725 M. G. Zemtsov made a measuring drawing that reflects the state of the Summer Garden in the last years of the life of Peter I. By this time it was erected stone palace at the intersection of the Lebyazhya Canal and the Neva. The central bosquets received a new layout. In 1725, Zemtsov built a “Hall for Glorious Celebrations” next to the second palace and made a new layout of the flower garden adjacent to the palace. The territory of the garden was expanded due to the plot raised near the Neva, but there was no passage along the Neva yet. At the same time, the grotto on the Fontanka was rebuilt and decorated with gilded sculptures. The summer garden was often rebuilt and replenished with new buildings. Therefore, what is shown in Zubov’s engraving largely does not correspond to Zemtsov’s plan.

On the territory of the 2nd Summer Garden between the Transverse Canal and the Carpiev Pond, a labyrinth was created in imitation of the famous Versailles Labyrinth (completed in the 1730s). The labyrinth was a complex system of paths among the bushes, with recessed niches (there were 32 of them), where a fountain flowed, and each fountain was decorated with sculptural characters from Aesop’s fables, cast from lead (based on the drawings of M. Zemtsov, like the design of the labyrinth). Each fountain had a sign explaining the content of the fable. At the entrance to the Labyrinth stood a gilded lead statue of a hunchbacked Aesop. The paths to the Labyrinth passed along bridges with fountains.

In the Summer Garden, for the first time in Russian garden art, a large complex of various fountain devices was built. In 1705-1706 under the leadership of master I. Matveev, the beginning of a complex water-pressure system of the Summer Garden was laid. In 1725, there were 25 fountains in the Summer Garden, and by 1736 - more than 50. The first fountains were supplied with water from the Nameless Erik, since then the Erik began to be called the river. Fontanka. Water cocking towers were erected on the bank of the Erik. Initially, the water-lifting mechanism was horse-drawn; from 1719, a steam engine was used. To ensure a more reliable supply of water to the fountains, they began to dig through the Ligovsky Canal. Water was supplied from the League River to the pools built on the street, called Basseynaya. From there, the water went through lead pipes to the water towers, where it was lifted by a wheeled vehicle. This first water pipeline began operating in 1725. The old water supply towers were rebuilt in the middle of the 18th century. F.-B. Rastrelli, he gave the buildings the appearance of elegant pavilions and decorated them with Baroque decor.

Sculptures

According to the plan of Peter I, the Summer Garden should be decorated with allegorical sculptures. (see Summer Garden. Sculpture). All sculptures were selected on four themes: the nature of the universe, collisions from Ovid’s Metamorphoses, an ideal model of the Earthly world and its real embodiment. To implement the plan, special agents were sent to Italy: P. Beklemishev, Y. Kologrivov and S. Raguzinsky. They purchased both antique sculptures and works of the late 17th - early 18th centuries. Many sculptures were made to order. By 1725, more than a hundred busts and statues were installed in the Summer Garden; by 1736 there were already more than two hundred. Already at this time, the Summer Garden had the largest collection of garden sculptures in Russia.

In 1721, when the main landscaping work was completed, the Summer Garden became the royal residence. The garden was intended not only for walks, but also as a place for entertainment, ceremonies, and diplomatic meetings. Celebrations were constantly held in the open air garden, the famous Peter the Great assemblies and receptions of foreign ambassadors were held. The city residents were notified of the start of the next holiday by cannon shots from the bastions of the Peter and Paul Fortress. Guests arrived at the Summer Garden along the Neva and disembarked from boats onto a wooden pier. In the summer, court festivities were held in the alleys of the garden and in the covered galleries along the Neva. In the middle gallery there was a table with refreshments, in the side galleries there were tables with snacks for officers and non-noble persons. Dances were held on the Ladies' Square, and on Shkiperskaya there were tables with chess, checkers, tobacco and wine. After dinner and dancing, grenadier guards appeared in the alleys, they carried large tubs of bread vodka on poles. Each of the guests had to drink a glass. During the celebrations, an orchestra played in the garden. As a rule, the holiday ended with fireworks.

Catherine's Summer Palace

In the early 1720s. Peter decided to build a palace for Catherine symmetrically to the first palace - on the banks of the Neva and the Lebyazhy Canal, in the place where the soap house and the hut to it had previously stood. Here, over the course of 4-5 years, an ensemble was created, which included Catherine’s Palace, the Art Gallery and the Hall of Glorious Celebrations.

The second summer palace or New Chambers was built in 1721-1726. The construction of the palace began. Dutchman Stefan Van Zwieten according to the drawing of Peter I, but did not cope with the work. D. Trezzini began to observe the work, and then M.G. Zemtsov, who had to actively correct the project. Zemtsov completed the construction. The part of the building facing the Neva was two-story, the rest of the premises were one-story. The building had a large terrace and stairs leading down to the water. The palace had 4 rooms along the Neva and 15 along the Swan Canal. The interiors were close to those of Peter's Palace. The ceilings of some rooms were decorated with picturesque lampshades, art. B. Tarsia.

Picture gallery

The wooden gallery was built perpendicular to the elongated part of the second palace along the Swan Canal. It had 12 glazed windows and doors with semi-circular transoms, on the sides of which stood columns with capitals of the Corinthian order. The perimeter of the flat roof was decorated with a balustrade of turned balusters and pedestals. The gallery was designed and construction was supervised by the master of chamber buildings, Francois de Waal.

While in Amsterdam in 1716-1717, Peter acquired many paintings by Rubens, Rembrandt, Van Dyck, Stein, Bruegel and others. Many of these paintings were housed in the Picture Gallery in the Summer Garden.

The courtyard between Catherine's palace and the gallery was paved with yellow brick. South of Art gallery a parterre flower garden with a fountain in the center was laid out.

Hall for glorious celebrations

In 1725, architect. M. G. Zemtsov built the Hall for Glorious Celebrations next to the second palace - a palace for holding particularly important celebrations. At this time, preparations were being made for the wedding of Peter's eldest daughter Anna with the Duke of Holsztan. The hall was built in 4 months. The wedding took place in May 1725, after the death of Peter

The Hall building was erected next to Catherine’s palace, on the bank of the Neva. The wooden building on a stone foundation consisted of a two-story ceremonial hall and four small rooms. In one of them there was a staircase leading to the lantern. Large order pilasters with Corinthian capitals compositionally united the two floors of the building. The building was crowned with a balustrade with vases. A high two-flight staircase led to the main entrance. Main entrance was richly decorated.

The inside of the hall was striking in its richness and splendor. The walls were decorated with carved oak and decorative paintings, tapestries and gilding. The ceilings were decorated with narrative paintings inside gilded frames. The picturesque lampshades for the Hall were made by art. L. Caravaque and B. Tarsia. According to Peter's plan, the walls were to be decorated with paintings of scenes from the history of the victories of the Russian army: the Battle of Kulikovo (A. Matveev), the Battle of Poltava (I. Nikitin), the Battle of Gangut (I. Odolsky).

With the accession of Anna Ioannovna in 1732, the Hall was dismantled and moved to the Carpiev Pond.

Second Summer Palace of Anna Ioannovna

In 1732, approximately on the site of the Hall for Glorious Celebrations, Arch. F.-B. Rastrelli built the Second Summer Palace - the residence of Anna Ioannovna. The main facade of this wooden building faced the Neva, where steps descended from the porch, which served as a pier. The one-story palace of strict proportions was decorated with restrained decor. The palace had 28 rooms. The palace was built in 2 months. After the death of the empress, E.I. Biron was arrested in this palace. In 1747, by order of Elizabeth, the palace was dismantled and transported to Ekateringof.

Grotto

Construction of the Grotto - a garden pavilion with columns and a high dome on the banks of the Fotanka - began in 1914. The project was drawn up by an architect-sculptor. Andreas Schlüter, began the construction of J.-B. Leblon, continued the work of G.-I. Matarnovi and N. Michetti, and from 1723 he completed and decorated the interiors of M.G. Zemtsov. Construction was completed in 1725. This pavilion was divided into three rooms, in each of which there was a fountain, in the central hall there was a fountain with Neptune and a water organ.

During the time of Peter I, the Summer Garden was accessible to almost everyone (decently dressed and without a beard).

After the death of Peter I, during the short years of the reign of Catherine I, the Supreme Privy Council often met in the Summer Palace - in fact, the highest power in the country, since the decree establishing this body read: “no decrees should be issued before until they have been discussed in the Privy Council.” . In the 1730-1740s. The Summer Garden remained the ceremonial royal residence. To enter the Summer Garden at this time it was necessary to obtain special permission. Citizens in decent clothes were allowed to stroll in the 1st and 2nd gardens; access to the 3rd garden was prohibited. Since the 1760s free access was opened to the 1st Summer Garden.

Even after Peter’s death in 1725, the established order in the garden continued to be strictly monitored.

In 1725, the “Hall for Glorious Celebrations” was built on the banks of the Neva (architect M. G. Zemtsov). In 1725, in the “green room” to the left of the grotto, Catherine ordered the construction of the “Favorite” fountain, modeled on the one in Peterhof. In 1736-1738, in the right “office” the Lacoste fountain was installed, named after Peter’s favorite jester. In the 1730s. Zemtsov completed the Labyrinth.

In 1732, Arch. F.-B. Rastrelli on the Swan Canal creates an amphitheater with a cascade, flower beds, turf benches, many gilded lead sculptures, vases and urns. At this place a light bridge was built across the canal. The Summer Garden connected with the Amusement Field.

In 1740, Anna Ioannovna gave orders to cover the sculptures for the winter. In the garden, old greenhouses are being repaired and new ones are being built. In 1744, Elizaveta Petrovna ordered the “large birdcage” to be replaced with a new one. Garden work was carried out with the utmost care to care for trees, trellises and flower beds. In the 1730-1740s. Russian gardeners were already working in the garden. For many years, Ilya Surmin, a student of Roozen, supervised the garden work. By the middle of the 18th century, the Summer Garden reached its peak as a regular garden.

Under Anna Ionnovna, celebrations still took place in the Summer Garden, although not so magnificent. More often than not, the queen was fond of hunting in the garden or in the Big Meadow.

In the 1740-1750s. under Elizaveta Petrovna in the Summer Garden, masquerades for the St. Petersburg nobility were replaced by balls with dancing until dawn. In 1741, in the 3rd garden according to the project of architect. F.-B. Rastrelli began construction of the Summer Palace. Elizabeth's court moved there.

The Summer Garden, having lost its significance as a royal residence, gradually turned into a walking garden for the nobility and changed its appearance. In 1743, some of the Labyrinth sculptures were removed, and the fountain in the Birdcages was dismantled.

In 1763-1767 There was a major reconstruction of the Neva embankment at the northern border of the Summer Garden. An artificial embankment moved the Neva away from the border of the garden by 50 m. In the 1760s. furnished Palace Embankment, on stilts (architect Yu.M. Felten).

1770-1784 - construction of the lattice of the Summer Garden from the Neva side (architects Yu.M. Felten, P.E. Egorov).

In 1777 there was a severe flood. The fountain system was destroyed, the grotto and a significant number of sculptures and trees were damaged. Instead of restoration work, the “Havana” at the Summer Palace, the transverse canal and the Oval Pond were filled up, the grotto was destroyed, galleries, gazebos, and poultry houses were dismantled.

In 1798-1799, a view terrace was built on the banks of the Lebyazhy Canal (architect G. P. Pilnikov).

Anna Ioannovna turned the Summer Garden into an animal pen. Here they hunted bears and hunted wild boars, which scampered among marble statues and fountains and destroyed trees and flower beds.

At the end of the 18th century. The regular park style was replaced by a landscape style.

(. pp. 49-52, . pp. 48-63, . pp. 21-33. added by Mary)

(N. A. Naryshkina. The Summer Garden is the soul of St. Petersburg. History of St. Petersburg. No. 3 (13) / 2003)

(B.G. Sinyukhaev, Sadovaya Street, Lenizdat, 1974)

(E. Nikolin, Briefly about Leningrad, Lenizdat, 1988) (text by Mary)

The Summer Garden is the favorite brainchild of Peter I, a pearl in the park necklace of St. Petersburg. It is a branch of the Russian Museum. In 1704, Peter I ordered a large garden to be laid out for himself, and after just a few years of its existence, the Summer Garden became the center of political and official life, court ceremonies and celebrations.

The layout of the garden is simple: three parallel straight alleys lead from the Neva deep into the territory; they are crossed by several perpendicular ones. The natural border of the garden from the north and east was the Neva and Fontanka rivers. In the west and south, the garden is limited by artificial channels - the Lebyazhy Canal and the canal that connected the Fontanka with the source of the Moika River. The northern part of the garden, adjacent to the palace and more formally furnished, was called the First Summer Garden. Southern part, in which, along with gardening projects, there were outbuildings and an orchard, was called the Second Summer Garden.

In accordance with the rules of elegant gardening, the alleys of the Summer Garden were completely lined with evenly trimmed bushes. The alleys of the First Summer Garden were decorated with marble statues and busts brought from Italy. At the intersection of the central alley with the side alleys there were fountains.

A Grotto was built on the banks of the Fontanka - the first garden building of its kind in Russia. Those entering the Grotto were greeted by the mysterious kingdom of the sea god, illuminated by the rays of the sun penetrating through the lantern. Reflected in the large mirrors of the niches, the fountains of the Tritons gurgled... The gilded chariot of Neptune rose on a mountain built from various stones and shells, symbolizing Peter I; in a cave under the mountain a lion languished, personifying Sweden. A large section of the Second Summer Garden was occupied by the Labyrinth, on the paths of which fountains with gilded lead were placed. sculptural groups based on the plots of Aesop's fables.

A significant part of the garden was occupied by buildings. In the north-eastern corner of the garden there was Peter's Summer Palace, and in the north-western corner, near the Neva and the Swan Canal, symmetrically to the Summer Palace of Peter I, the Second Summer Palace was built with services for Peter's wife Ekaterina Alekseevna. Unfortunately, both buildings have not survived to this day.

By the time of the reign of Empress Elizabeth Petrovna, the trees had grown and become stronger, and the fountains were functioning properly. Flower beds of complex geometric patterns were re-laid out - the parterres, located along the Swan Canal opposite the facade of the Second Summer Palace. From the south, the ground area was closed by the Amphitheater - a cascade decorated with sculptural busts of Roman emperors. The main construction at that time moved beyond the Moika, to the territory of the Third Summer Garden - the modern Mikhailovsky Garden and the garden around the Mikhailovsky Castle.

The heyday of the Summer Garden, which occurred in the second half of the 18th century, gradually became a thing of the past. Europe became interested in landscape parks, and the old regular gardens went out of fashion. The fate of the Summer Garden was aggravated by the devastating flood of 1777, from which plantings, statues, and fountains were severely damaged. Catherine II ordered the plantings to be restored and the fountains to be dismantled. By the beginning of the 19th century, the garden lost many statues, all the ancient designs and entertainment facilities. Of the previous buildings, only Peter's Summer Palace and the dilapidated Grotto remained. At the same time, during the era of Catherine II, the Summer Garden received a new decoration - a magnificent fence.

In the 19th century The summer garden becomes a favorite place for walks for city residents. It continues to develop as a public city garden “for the well-dressed public.” At the direction of Emperor Nicholas I, extensive work is being carried out in the garden.

In 1826, the remains of the Grotto were rebuilt as a coffee shop. In 1827, a wooden Tea House was built nearby. On the Moika side, the garden is surrounded by a cast-iron fence. In 1839 south gate A porphyry vase was placed in the garden - a gift to Nicholas I from the Swedish king Charles Johann XIV. The vase was made in the city of Elfdalen (Sweden) and is called Elfdalen.

In 1855, a monument to I. A. Krylov was erected on one of the garden sites - this was the first monument to a writer in Russia. In 1917, the Summer Garden lost its “imperial” status. In the flood of 1924, up to six hundred trees in the garden were killed, statues and busts were overturned and damaged. Since 1934, the restoration of the garden was carried out by the directorate of the Summer Garden and the Palace Museum of Peter I.

At the beginning of the Great Patriotic War, statues and busts were hidden in the ground for two months. An anti-aircraft battery was located in the garden. After the war, the Summer Garden was completely restored. The statues and busts returned to their places.

In 2009–2011, the garden underwent a comprehensive restoration.

Operating mode:

• from May 1 to September 30: from 10:00 to 22:00;
• from October 1 to March 31 from 10:00 to 20:00;
• from April 1 to April 30: closed for drying.
• Tuesday is a day off.

Studying the history of the appearance of gardens in St. Petersburg, Tsarskoe Selo, one involuntarily plunges into the activity of Peter I, unfamiliar to most of us, as an organizer and creator, a zealous owner of the first gardens.

He carefully preserved forest areas during the initial construction of the city. The most valuable of the broad-leaved species - oak - was almost never found. And those trees that were found were especially taken care of. In the first description of St. Petersburg 1710-1711. mention is made of Peter’s order to hold “in special honor” two ancient oak trees that grew on the seashore of the island of Retusari (Kotlin). They were surrounded by a fence, and a gazebo overlooking the sea was built in the shade, in which the king loved to “sit with the shipmen.” But in descriptions of the city five years later, there is no longer any mention of these oaks.

Peter I's particular passion for oak was explained by the fact that it was the main tree species from which ship hulls were then built. One of the ships of the young fleet built in 1718 was even named “Old Oak”. They said that Peter the Great himself planted acorns according to Peterhof road, wanting oak trees to be planted everywhere. Noticing that one of the nobles smiled at his efforts, he turned around and said in anger: “I understand that you think I won’t live to see the mature oaks. True, but you’re a fool. I leave an example for others so that, by doing the same, descendants over time they built ships from them. I’m not working for myself, it’s for the benefit of the state in the future!”

Another valuable broad-leaved species, beech, was extremely rare in the forests of the times of Peter I. Perhaps its last specimens were found in the 50s of the last century on the Duderhof Heights.

When building up the city, Peter I preserved the mother forests as much as possible: a small spruce grove was left on the banks of the Neva in front of the current Trinity Bridge; another spruce grove was preserved on the banks of the Moika River, opposite the Particular Shipyard; The spruce forest was left on the island during the establishment of New Holland. The latter was declared a protected area by Peter, which marked the beginning of the history and protection of urban nature itself. The laws were strict: for cutting down protected forests, as well as trees suitable for the construction of ships, “the death penalty will be inflicted without any mercy, no matter who it is” (decrees of Peter I of November 19, 1703, of January 19, 1705) . Judging by the fact that the decrees were repeated, logging continued, there were punishments for them, but, as historians say, it did not come to the death penalty.

But the forests, of course, were doomed to be cut down, since the city was being built, and the main material at the beginning was wood. In addition, the owners of estates along the Fontanka were ordered to cut down dense forests in order to deprive the habitats of the “dashing people” who “carried out attacks” on the townspeople.

Construction of the first gardens

Gardens at the beginning of the 18th century were arranged in the Dutch style, which Peter I loved so much. As a child, he grew up in such gardens in Moscow, which were strongly influenced by the Dutch Baroque. This love for beautiful gardens, trees, fragrant flowers and herbs remained with him throughout his life. His passion for gardens was supported by considerable knowledge in botany and horticulture. Peter I, in fact, was the first and main landscaper of St. Petersburg. He single-handedly decided what plants would grow here, and was passionate about this, as well as many other urgent matters. Where does such love and knowledge in gardening come from?

According to the historian I.E. Zabelin, “not one of our ancient Tsars, in his home life, was engaged in agriculture with such passion as Tsar Alexei Mikhailovich” (Peter’s father). “...due to his lively character, he devoted himself to every task with particular ardor” and, in addition, “loved to bring every matter ... to complete order and order.” It is surprising that he went down in history under the name of Quiet... The fruits of his labors were extensive gardens in Izmailovo and Kolomenskoye, in which not only ordinary fruit trees and berry gardens grew, but also rare, even exotic species for the Moscow region: walnuts, Siberian cedars , fir. A vineyard was also planted, but the Astrakhan vine did not grow well there.

(It’s interesting that at the behest of Tsar Alexei Mikhailovich and with his participation, the first Russian ship “Eagle” was built on the Oka River. Historians find similarities in the profile of the ship on the spire of the Admiralty with that first ship. So the passion for building ships, apparently, is also not accidental in the life and works of Peter I).

Peter, in all likelihood, inherited his father’s taste for gardening. He planted the same gardens at the palace in Preobrazhenskoye, where he lived at the beginning of his reign, before leaving for St. Petersburg. In Peter's gardens, overseas wonders were grown: cypress, wintering under cover, many flowers from Western Europe. Tulips, daffodils, carnations, marigolds, marigolds (calendula), yellow lilies and other rarities bloomed here. Rose hips were held in high esteem, which was then called “soroborinny flower” (real roses were not yet grown in Russia at that time). Peter especially loved fragrant herbs, wrote out their seeds and ordered them to be planted along the paths: rue, tansy, hyssop, “German mint”, kalufer (or kanufer, balsam chamomile - a perennial from the Caucasus, Asia Minor, a spicy herb, added to snuff in the 18th century century). It was from the Moscow region and Moscow that Peter ordered plants to be sent for planting in St. Petersburg. In the spring of 1704, the first flowers and herbs were sent for the arrangement of the Summer Garden

It is known that the Summer Garden was “built in 1711 according to a plan drawn by the sovereign himself” (S. N. Shubinsky). Peter I took care of planting gardens not only in St. Petersburg, but also in Moscow, Taganrog, Riga, and Ukraine. He was involved in all the details of garden construction, giving orders while he was abroad; subscribed to books on gardening and created designs for new gardens.

Judging by the tsar’s papers, he himself ordered tree seedlings from Holland through Revel, as well as from Moscow, Lvov, the Siberian province, and Ukraine. He especially loved linden trees, familiar to northern places, and chestnuts. The trees were removed under the supervision of gardeners, with all precautions taken to preserve them. In 1712, 1,300 linden trees were ordered from Holland. In addition, elm, cedar, hornbeam, larch, and poplar were imported to Russia from Holland. The oak trees that Peter treasured so much were imported from the surrounding Novgorod areas.

As early as 1707, foreign gardeners were invited who were capable of replanting large, mature trees without damage, as was done at the French court. One of these masters was Martin Gender, a gardener from Potsdam. Letters from Peter to Apraksin have been preserved: “...you should buy young orange, lemon and other trees, which are a curiosity here.

Plant in boxes to be transported next spring." For the wintering of heat-loving fig trees (figs) and grapes, "warm anbars" (greenhouses) were built. The more extensive economic ties with Europe became, the more diverse became the range of plants that were planted in St. Petersburg and its surroundings.

Many documents have been preserved confirming this. T.K. Goryshina in her book “The Green World of Old Petersburg” provides interesting information about this. So, in 1719, an order was sent to gardener Schulz in Hamburg for “3000 pieces of syringa hispanica (lilac), 100 pieces of roses, 20 pieces of double clematis, low tree cherries” (i.e., bush-shaped), a lot of apricots, peach and chestnut trees. Gardener Steffel was ordered to send an extensive selection of seeds and bulbs of flowering plants, spicy and fragrant herbs, and another “2000 arshins for bushbom.” This was the name given to boxwood, an evergreen shrub that in the 18th century was grown trimmed to create continuous linear borders, and was measured by arshins (1 arshin = 711.2 mm). Orders like this were sent to Amsterdam, Gdansk, Sweden. Even in Peter’s decree (dated January 3, 1717, to Konon Zotov) regarding the sending of noble children to France for education maritime service, at the end there is an unexpected instruction: “Also find laurel trees, which are placed in pots so that the stems are no higher than 2 feet from the ground to the crowns” (1 foot = 304.8 mm).

Greenhouses had to be built for heat-loving southern plants. Trees were brought from Moscow, Novgorod district, and from areas north of St. Petersburg. Plants were brought from Sweden on ships specially sent there. Hundreds and even thousands of broad-leaved trees were brought for the parks of St. Petersburg: linden, maple, elm. It is known that in the spring of 1723, about eight thousand linden, ash, elm and maple seedlings were brought to the Summer Garden. European gardens and parks were mainly created from these rocks. Thanks to the initiatives of Peter I, these species from exotic plantings have now become predominant in the green attire of the city, its gardens and parks.

Peter's determination, speed and pressure were also reflected in the methods of landscaping the city. He had no time to wait for small seedlings to grow; he needed to plant large, mature trees. In a letter to Major Ushakov dated February 8, 1716, Peter orders that linden trees be prepared near Moscow in the winter, their tops cut off, and taken to St. Petersburg in the spring. Such transportation by horse-drawn carts took at least three weeks. We soon became convinced that this was not best way transplants. We started summer transplants with a lump of earth, which turned out to be much more effective. Even winter digging was practiced using a special machine, burying trees until spring. In this way, it was possible to transplant even very capricious breeds. But the main thing, of course, was the careful care of highly professional gardeners for each plant.

It is interesting to note that the heat requirements of imported plants did not bother the customer too much; the “southerners” were simply placed in greenhouses. They were attentive to the soil conditions in which plants grew in their homeland. For example, when ordering horse chestnut from Holland, Peter I ordered to take trees growing on different soils, and to collect and send soil samples in “bags” in order to select the most suitable soil for planting.

In the post-Petrine era, the composition of foreign flora largely depended on the foreign gardeners working at that time, who brought their tastes and preferences to the appearance of city gardens and parks, in addition to their colossal professional experience and knowledge. Naturally, German gardeners ordered many plants from Germany, and the Dutch from Holland. When the Tauride Garden was established at the end of the 18th century, the work was carried out by the English gardener V. Gould, and most of the trees and flower plants were brought from England. There were even garden incidents: in the middle of the 18th century, while working in Tsarskoye Selo Park, gardener Jacob Rechlin insisted on uprooting most of the main tree species - linden, already growing in it, as “not very decent”. It was replaced with clipped yew and laurel in tubs. (It should be noted that in the last few years, the front part of the regular park and the square in front of the Catherine Palace were again decorated with tubs of laurel trees with spherical and pyramidal crown shapes).

History of Dutch gardens in Russia

Trying to rebuild Russian life, Peter began by creating gardens, sending his people abroad to study Dutch gardening art. Peter's favorite gardener was the Dutchman Jan Rosen, who also created the Tsarskoye Selo garden. At the request of the sovereign, sculpture was added to the classic Dutch garden, which decorated the alleys and labyrinths of the garden. The ideological intention of this innovation was to introduce elements of a European, secular attitude towards the world and nature into the worldview of visitors. A new, pan-European emblem was introduced into the consciousness of Russians. In this regard, in 1705 in Amsterdam, by order of Peter, the book “Symbols and Emblems” was published, which was later reprinted several times.

The book presented examples of the symbolic system of gardens, their decorations, triumphal arches, fireworks, sculptural decorations of buildings and gardens. In fact, it was a new, secular “primer” of the sign system to replace the previous, church one.

In an effort to establish closer cultural ties with Europe as soon as possible, Peter I strove to make ancient mythology understandable and familiar to Russian educated people. Landscape art was the most accessible and at the same time powerful. The Summer Garden, as the first city garden, became a kind of “academy” where Russian people underwent the beginnings of European cultural education. Labyrinths of trimmed living plants were arranged there according to the models of Versailles, as well as scenes from people’s lives on the themes of “Aesopian parables.” Peter valued “Aesop’s Proverbs” so much as an important element of the new European education that they were translated by Ilya Kopievsky and published in Amsterdam in Russian and Latin as one of the first books. The same themes were used in the construction of parks in Peterhof and Tsarskoe Selo.

Historians note Peter’s special love for rare flowers (their seeds and seedlings were ordered from abroad), for “porcelain sets for decorating flower beds,” and also a passion for garden firecrackers. A variety of joker fountains still attract the attention of numerous guests in the beautiful parks of Peterhof.

The Dutch garden was filled with fruit trees and shrubs, arranged in a regular style, and always a lot of flowers. The owner's house could be located on the side of the main axis of the garden, on both sides of which there were terraces and green “offices”. (The summer garden is an example of this.) In Dutch gardening, it was customary to densely plant a house (or palace) with trees. Likewise, in the Old Garden of Tsarskoe Selo, the trees used to be tightly adjacent to the garden facade of the Catherine Palace.

These ancient linden trees mostly survived the Great Patriotic War. In the 60s, reconstruction of the Old Garden began in order to revive its regular “Versailles” appearance, in imitation of which it was created. Every reconstruction of historical objects, be it architectural monuments or parks, which are living objects that change over time, provokes discussions among specialists and society about exactly what period of the existence of a given object its historical appearance should be restored. In the case of the Dutch Garden in the Catherine Park of Tsarskoe Selo, the choice was made in favor of the period of greatest prosperity of the park and palace in the middle of the 18th century, during the reign of Elizabeth Petrovna. Most of the old trees, which could no longer be trimmed according to the rules of a regular garden, were cut down, to the great chagrin of many admirers of the Tsarskoye Selo gardens.

Later, the concept of “Dutch garden” came to mean a small garden near a house with a lot of flowers. It began to have a similar meaning in English, called "Dutch Garden". "Dutch gardens" were classified as romantic gardens. These were the gardens of Russian estates of the 19th century, being an integral and organic part of the transition from the architecture of a house or mansion to the landscape part of the estate park. D. S. Likhachev in his book “Poetry of Gardens” describes in great detail and fascinatingly the history and various styles of gardens from different times and countries, including the romantic gardens of Tsarskoe Selo.

History of plant species new to St. Petersburg

Most often, our private gardens resemble in the composition of crops those ancient Dutch gardens with which they began to decorate the capital and its suburbs. And fruit trees, berry gardens, garden vegetables and many flowers were certainly planted in them. How did the accumulation and enrichment of types of ornamental and food crops and methods of caring for them take place? And again we have to return to Peter’s times.

Thousands of people were employed in the construction of St. Petersburg. Working conditions in local climate were monstrously heavy. In order to somehow maintain the health of workers and the army, by decree of Peter the Apothecary Garden was founded in 1714 on one of the islands in the delta of the Neva River. A variety of medicinal plants began to be grown there. But Peter’s idea from the very beginning was much broader than this practical task.

Gardeners were required to breed rare “overseas” plants. Subsequently, the Apothecary Garden grew into the Medico-Botanical Garden. On its basis, in 1823, the Imperial Botanical Garden was established, which by the beginning of the 20th century became one of the largest botanical gardens in the world, a center of botanical science. His collections of living plants, herbarium, and collection of botanical literature become famous far beyond the borders of Russia.

The collection began with herbaceous plants, but by 1736 it also included tree species of about 45 names. Through the efforts of botanical scientists, the collections were continuously replenished after each expedition. Over the years, the number of tree species alone acclimatized in our conditions reached 1000 names, not to mention herbaceous garden and greenhouse plants. Next Botanical Garden became a source of introducing into the culture of St. Petersburg and its environs new, many hundreds of species of ornamental plants adapted to local conditions.

Special scientific institutions collected collections of agricultural crops, developing new technologies for their cultivation, creating new varieties and hybrids. The Institute of Plant Growing and its Experimental Stations located throughout the country became such an institution. Since 1938, the Control and Seed Experimental Station in the city of Pushkin has been studying and introducing ornamental crops into production and landscaping of the city. IN best years Her work in the collection and production included more than 1,300 species and varieties of ornamental plants, including flower crops in open and protected ground, beautiful flowering shrubs and a large arboretum. The history of many now familiar ornamental plants began in past centuries.

It is interesting that the tree caragana (yellow acacia, as it is called in common parlance), which is now so common in landscaping, was “introduced” into plantings by the scientist gardener G. Ekleben, who in 1758-1778 served as the chief master of the Imperial Gardens. He was an ardent supporter of breeding the “Siberian pea tree,” as this breed was then called, not only as an ornamental plant, but also as a food plant, eating its fruits as peas and lentils. True, the nutritional merits of caragana were never recognized then. Getting acquainted with the history of ornamental gardening in St. Petersburg, we will learn about plants that were fashionable at different times, methods of cultivating them and preserving them in northern places. In the first half of the 18th century, roses and boxwood were considered the most fashionable. And the now familiar way of covering them for the winter with spruce paws, felt, and matting was invented by the Dutch gardener B. Fok.

Many ornamental plants in those days were bred as spices: gillyflower, anemone, golden rod (solidago), gentian (gentian) and other species.

In St. Petersburg, there were attempts to acclimatize foreign plants for practical use, and not just for decorative purposes. These experiments were carried out by the Free Economic Society, created in 1765. In 1801, Alexander I granted him the western half of Petrovsky Island. On a plot of land cleared of forest, forage grasses (sainfoin, alfalfa, timothy), buckwheat, oilseeds, dye and fragrant herbs, as well as sesame and cotton were sown in the hope of proving that “all this can be born near St. Petersburg.”

One of the historians of St. Petersburg subsequently was very critical of the new beginnings, but rightly noted the undoubted value of these experiments. This enriched the future cultural flora of our places, and also became one of the sources of urban weeds. During these experiments, it was possible for the first time to grow larch from seeds, which so decorated the city and its parks. But in general, the daring experience did not bring the expected result, and in 1836 the land was taken away from the Free Economic Society, and it was allowed to build dachas on Petrovsky Island.

In general, the number of species of foreign plants in St. Petersburg was quite significant, although not all attempts at acclimatization were successful. This, together with the ensemble architecture, also made the capital different from the rest of the country. Many species ended up in greenhouses, while others were called “culture escapees” by botanists because they actually leaked through garden fences and scattered across streets, vacant lots, lawns and other habitats. Already in late XIX century (and now too) wild garden flowers have come across the city: early American aster, Central European daisy, subtropical cosmos, Asian aquilegia, and now the ubiquitous North American Jerusalem artichoke. One of the wild medicinal chamomiles - fragrant - from Aptekarsky Island spread not only to St. Petersburg, but also went further, deep into Russia and to the Far East.

Elena Kuzmina