Address: Peterhof, Lower Park, Sand Pond
Coordinates: 59 ° 53'09.4 "N 29 ° 54'20.6" E
Content:
On the way from the Grand Palace to the Lion's Cascade, there is an oblong Sand Pond. In the middle of it you can see a powerful water cannon and four gilded dolphins. This is an old Whale Fountain, which they began to equip during the life of Peter I.
View of the Sand Pond and the Whale Fountain
The history of the fountain
In 1717, the Russian emperor visited France and was impressed by the beauty of Versailles. He wanted to build a new cascade "Parnassus" on the hillside in Peterhof and make a copy of the Versailles fountain "Neptune" next to it. To implement the tsarist idea, in 1724, a large body of water began to be dug in the western part of the Lower Garden. The design of the pond was carried out by the architect Nicola Michetti, and the direct work was supervised by the hydraulic engineer Vasily Grigorievich Tuvolkov.
In three years, the new reservoir was ready and surrounded by an earthen dam. However, for a number of reasons, the granite cascade conceived by Peter the Great was never built. And the pond, which was called "Sand" or "Sterlet", stood abandoned for a long time.
In 1738, the imperial residence near St. Petersburg was reconstructed and it was decided to make a water cannon on the Sand Pond. The design of the fountain decoration was entrusted to the experienced architects Johann Blank and Ivan Davydov. The pond was deepened, cleaned, and its banks were reinforced with sod. In addition, a double ramp with a wooden balustrade or "Emblem Descent" was built to the reservoir. The fountain master Paul Saul was involved in hydraulic works.
General view of the fountain
Two years later, a 7 m high wooden statue was erected in the center of the pond, which was made by the court sculptor Johann Konrad Osner. A strong stream gushed from the mouth of an outlandish whale-like animal. Around the wooden sculpture in the pond were placed mythical sea oxen or bulls cast from lead. To make the figures look more believable, the famous lacquer master Gendrig van Brumkorst painted them with paints.
At first, the fountain looked great, but after a few decades the tree decayed, and the lead lost its former luster. Therefore, in 1800, on the site of the old statues, the famous fountain master Fyodor Alekseevich Strelnikov arranged a pressure water cannon. He inserted a special nozzle into the hole of the pipe, thanks to which a powerful jet could be obtained from a small amount of water. The central water column Strelnikov was surrounded by four bronze dolphins. The design of the fountain was completely changed, but in Peterhof the water cannon on the Sand Pond continued to be called Kitovs.
Central water cannon
In the middle of the 19th century, the fountain was dismantled. For more than 70 years, the old reservoir stood without decoration. But when the post-war restoration of the Peterhof fountains took place, they decided to restore the water cannon. To create it, experts used drawings and drawings of the 19th century. The renovated Whale Fountain was opened in 1963.
What a fountain looks like today
The sand pond measures 135 by 57 m. The picturesque figured reservoir is lined with tall trees, so that even on the hottest day there is a lot of shade. Neat walking paths are laid around the entire pond, but the best view of the fountain is from the southern shore, where the reservoir is not surrounded by green bushes.
The main water column is shaped like an inverted cone and rises to a height of 8 meters. Around it are four gilded dolphins, from whose mouths thin foamy streams erupt. To prevent the pond from overflowing, excess water is discharged through open channels and an underground pipeline into the bay.
Dolphin at the fountain
For the 300th anniversary of St. Petersburg, a large hollow metal ball was installed on the powerful central stream of the fountain. It shimmered beautifully in the rays of the sun, but did not let the main stream show its strength and distorted the composition of the water cannon. A low water column on the surface of a large pond looked ugly, so after a while the ball was removed. Today, visitors to the park can see the Whale Fountain as it was conceived at the beginning of the 19th century.
The whale fountain is located in the Lower Park, the territory of which is open from 9.00 to 21.00, and on holidays - until 20.00. To get to the Lower Park, you need to purchase a ticket. In summer, the water in the fountain is run every day from 11.00 to 19.00.
