In the Summer Garden, Peter the Great Summer Palace is located on the small island which is formed by the Neva, the Fontanka, the Swan Canal and the Moika. The Summer Palace was built by the Italian architect Domenico Trezzini in 1714 and served as a residence of Peter the Great. While the construction work was underway, the tsar lived in a wooden cabin on the other bank of the Neva. In comparison with the palaces of Peter's successors, the two-storey palace looks rather modest. The facades of the palace are adorned with nine bas-reliefs on maritime subjects - they are works by the famous Prussian sculptor Andreas Schluter. The interiors of the palace are unique and original. One can also see works of art of the beginning of the 18th century, Dutch oak furniture, a genuine Russian turnery workshop (turnery was one of the passions of the tsar), portraits and clothes of the tsar and a cunning meteorological instrument from Dresden.
Closed: on Tuesday
