Grand Cascade at Peterhof - Fountains on Waymarking.com

The general form of Grand Cascade at Peterhof was planned by Peter the Great himself. Specifics of the fountains were developed by several architects working on the construction of Peterhof. Work on the fountain began in 1715 with construction of the canal which links its basin to the sea. Peter witnessed the first trial start up in 1721 and the fountains were formally inaugurated in 1723.

The cascade, which is located below the center of the palace terraces, features seven steps with water jets and numerous gilded statues of figures from classical mythology. The waters flow into a circular basin connected to the canal and into a grotto between the two arms of the stair-steps where a large fountain is placed. In 1735 the Samson fountain was placed in the center of the pool. Its sculpture depicts Samson tearing open the jaws of a lion and it commemorates the victories of Russia over Sweden early in the 18th century.

The original lead statues of the fountain were replaced with bronze ones late in the century and during the 19th century various repairs and reconstructions were done. During World War II some of the statues were removed before the German occupation but several major ones, including the Samson Statue, were lost in the destruction of Peterhof. When the fountain was rebuilt after the war these were recast using plans and photographs of the originals. The reconstruction of the cascade was completed by 1950. A seven year rebuilding of the water system and further restoration of the cascade was completed in 1995. Its 138 water jets are operational from May to October.

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