Address: Peterhof, Lower Park
Coordinates: 59 ° 53'06.8 "N 29 ° 54'33.0" E
Content:
A beautiful fountain at the foot of the Grand Cascade has long become one of the visiting cards of Peterhof. The gilded statue of Samson pacifying a ferocious lion symbolizes Russia's glorious victories over Sweden. The main jet of a powerful water cannon rises to 21 meters, and the majestic spectacle attracts a lot of tourists.
Fountain "Samson" against the background of the Grand Cascade and the Grand Palace
The history of the fountain
When Peter I was planning the construction of a new country residence, he wanted a fountain with a sculpture of Hercules, who defeats the Lernaean hydra, near the main palace. However, not all of the plans of the Russian emperor were destined to come true.
During his lifetime, Peter I himself was often called the biblical Samson, who managed to overcome an angry lion. The lion was considered one of the symbols of Sweden, and its image adorned the royal coat of arms. Comparing the Russian emperor with Samson, and the king of Sweden Karl XII with the lion, confidants and historians tried to emphasize the importance of the military victories won by Russia at the beginning of the 18th century.
View of the fountain from the Grand Cascade
The Samson fountain began to be built under the Empress Anna Ioannovna, who wanted to time the new water cannon to coincide with the 25th anniversary of the famous Battle of Poltava. This battle took place in 1709 and became decisive in the protracted Northern War. It is noteworthy that the Swedish army was defeated on June 27 - the day of the Monk Sampson the Stranger, who was revered as the heavenly patron of Russian soldiers.
The model for the sculptural group was made by the famous sculptor Bartolomeo Carlo Rastrelli, and the stone base for it was made by the architect Mikhail Zemtsov. In 1735, the statues were cast from lead and installed in a ladle under the Grand Cascade. In those days, Samson had a beard and wore a flowing cloak.
View of the fountain from the Sea Channel
By the end of the 18th century, lead sculptures began to deteriorate and lost their former luster, so it was decided to replace them with bronze ones. In 1802, Academician Mikhail Ivanovich Kozlovsky made an expressive sculptural group, completely preserving the composition of the old fountain. True, in his performance, Samson turned into a mighty young man, more like the mythical Hercules than the famous biblical hero.
When the Great Patriotic War began, the Nazis began to dominate the suburbs of St. Petersburg. The German occupation lasted until 1944, and as a result, all the fountains of Peterhof were destroyed. Statues from "Samson" disappeared, so in the post-war years they had to be made anew. The sculptor V.L.Simonov and his assistant V.N.Mikhailov, using the surviving drawings and old photographs, made new sculptures, and in 1947, visitors to Peterhof were able to see the picturesque fountain in action.
General view of the Samson fountain
The old fountain was restored several years ago. To prevent the gold from being washed off with water, it was applied to the statues in two layers, spending almost 1 kg of gold leaf. In addition, the sculptures were covered with two layers of protective varnish.
What a fountain looks like today
The statues, sparkling in the sun, rise on a three-meter stone plinth, similar to a cliff ledge. A young strong lion is depicted crouching before the decisive jump. Before him stands naked Samson, who with a strong jerk tears the mouth of the beast, and a powerful water column bursts out of it, like the last roar.
Sculptural composition of the fountain
Around the main characters, on a stone pedestal, figures of eight gilded dolphins are visible, which are considered symbols of the peaceful Baltic Sea. Oblique streams of water also shoot out of their mouths. Even lower, at the base of the man-made rock, are gilded lions depicting the four cardinal points. They are also small water cannons, the jets of which beat parallel to the surface of the pool.
The water that feeds the picturesque fountains rushes to Peterhof from the Ropsha Heights, and from the reservoir ponds of the Upper Garden flows by gravity into the Lower Park. Interestingly, the Samson's water column reaches the height of a 6-7-storey building without the use of any pumps or other lifting devices. Its power is provided solely by the differential pressure.
View of the fountain against the background of the Voronikhinskaya colonnade
The Samson fountain is located in the Lower Park, the territory of which is open to visitors from 9.00 to 21.00, and on holidays - until 20.00. To get here, you need to purchase a ticket. In summer, the water in the fountain is run daily from 11.00 to 19.00.
