Address: Peterhof, Lower Park
Coordinates: 59 ° 53'15.0 "N 29 ° 54'09.6" E
Content:
There is an unusual cascade to the east of the Marly Palace. Unlike the other three cascades of Peterhof, this one does not flow down the hillside, but occupies a spacious terrace. Outwardly, the Lion Cascade is very reminiscent of an elegant ancient Greek temple.
The history of the fountain
Conceiving his residence near St. Petersburg, the Russian Emperor Peter I wanted a separate cascade to be built near each palace. Therefore, when the Hermitage was being erected, a fountain cascade began to be planned near this pavilion. In 1720, the talented architect Nicola Michetti designed a new cascade and named it "Moiseev". However, for a number of reasons, this project was never implemented.
The fountain appeared only in 1801. It was built according to the project of another, no less eminent architect - Andrei Nikiforovich Voronikhin, and the water supply system was made under the guidance of the master of the fountain business Fyodor Alekseevich Strelnikov. In those days, the cascade occupied a large pool, where there were eight flat marble fountain bowls. The new "Hermitage" cascade was also decorated with statues of Flora and Hercules. Just a year later, the sculptures were replaced by bronze lions made by the famous sculptor Ivan Prokofievich Prokofiev. After that, the cascade was called "Lion".
View of the Lion's Cascade from the Marly Alley
In the middle of the 19th century, a major reconstruction was carried out. The fountain had to be completely dismantled and rebuilt. According to the project of the Russian architect Andrei Ivanovich Stakenschneider, the pool was significantly expanded, a picturesque stone colonnade was installed on top of the granite base, and between the columns there were snow-white bowls made of Carrara marble with single-jet fountains. Mascarons were placed under the bowls, through which water from the bowls could drain into the fountain pool.
A bronze sculpture of the nymph Aganippa, modeled on Count Fyodor Petrovich Tolstoy, appeared on a granite slide in the center of the pool. According to ancient Greek legend, the nymph was considered the patroness of the spring on Mount Helikon, which was located near the Grove of the Muses. The water from this spring had miraculous properties - it was able to inspire poets.
View of the Lion's Cascade from Berezovaya Alley
During the Great Patriotic War, the Lion Cascade, like other fountains of Peterhof, was badly damaged. When Soviet troops appeared on the territory of the palace complex, they saw the remains of a stone basement, part of the colonnade, fragments of the ceiling destroyed by the explosion and broken marble bowls. A bronze statue of a nymph was stolen. The recovery of the cascade took a long time. Only by 2000 they managed to return it to its original appearance and opened it to the public.
What a cascade looks like these days
The lion's cascade is made of Putilov stone in the traditions of late classicism atypical for Peterhof. Two-tone columns and the complete absence of gilded decorations emphasize the severity and conciseness of antique lines and forms.
In the center of the cascade there is a sculpture of the nymph Aganippa
The fountain is built on a rectangular pool, which measures 30 by 18.5 m. There are 14 gray columns carved from polished Serdobol granite along the perimeter of the pool. The architrave, the base and the capitals of the Ionic order are made of white marble, and the height of the slender columns reaches 8 m.
On the side of the Marly Alley, on either side of the fountain, there are two bronze lions, from whose mouths foaming jets of water fall. In the center you can see the figure of the nymph Aganippa. The author of the bronze statue, F.P. Tolstoy, depicted a young girl holding a large jug on her shoulder. Water pours out of the jug, falls on the base of the monument and breaks into small splashes, hitting the granite. From the inner pool, water flows through fountain steps into the lower pool, and from there flows through a granite trough.
One of the two bronze lions
The cascade is located in the west of the Lower Park. It stands on the alley leading to the picturesque Hermitage pavilion. For tourists, the Lower Park is open from 9.00 to 21.00, and on holidays - until 20.00. The entrance is paid. In summer, the water in the fountain cascade is run daily from 11.00 to 19.00.
