Strelna is a beautiful palace and park on the southern shore of the Gulf of Finland, 20 kilometers from the center of St. Petersburg. Peter the Great planned to build a country palace here similar to Versailles, however, due to difficulties with the construction of cascades of fountains in Strelna, the royal residence was moved to Peterhof. The palace in Strelna was completed only by the end of the 18th century, and it became the residence of the Grand Dukes.
Nowadays, the Konstantinovsky Palace and the Park are the official Residence of the President of Russia. Presidential meetings and international summits are held here. Access to the Konstantinovsky Palace and the Park is only possible as part of an excursion. It is necessary to find out the schedule of excursions, and it is advisable to buy tickets online. Several excursions are held in the Konstantinovsky Palace, one excursion is held in the Lower Konstantinovsky Park.
History of Strelna
The village of Strelna on the shore of the Gulf of Finland was first mentioned in 1500. In 1630, these lands passed into the possession of Sweden, and the estate of the Swedish Governor-General of Livonia, Johan Schutte, appeared here. In 1703, Russia conquered the lands at the mouth of the Neva River and Peter I began the construction of St. Petersburg. To protect the city, Peter I built fortresses in Kronstadt, so he often traveled there along the southern shore of the Gulf of Finland.
In 1711, a wooden Travel Palace of Peter the Great was built in Strelna on the site of the Shyutte estate. This place was located in the middle between St. Petersburg and Kronstadt, so the tsar decided to arrange here an intermediate house for possible stop. The Travel Palace of Peter I has survived to this day unchanged, since already in the 18th century it became a museum.
Peter I wanted to build a royal palace with a huge regular park, canals and cascades of fountains. Two rivers Kikenka and Strelka flow in this place. Peter I believed that their waters would create cascades of fountains and deep channels in Strelna Park. Peter I commissioned the Italian Bartolomeo Rastrelli and the Frenchman Jean-Baptiste Leblon (the author of the master plan of St. Petersburg in 1717) to prepare the design of the palace and park.
The construction of the palace began in 1720, but when planning the park, the architects faced a key problem – the inability to create cascades of fountains, due to too small a height difference. Very large sums of money were required to create hydraulic systems. At the same time, in Peterhof, the height difference made it possible to build a palace complex with magnificent cascades of fountains without difficulty.
Hydraulic engineer Christoph Minich convinced Peter I to move the royal residence to Peterhof. The swampy area near Peterhof provided more water than the Strelna’s River, so it was possible to make huge fountains in Peterhof (the height of the Samson Fountain is 21 meters). For this reason, all work in Strelna stopped already in 1730, and the Peterhof Palace and Park appeared 10 kilometers to the west.
In the middle of the 18th century, Empress Elizabeth decided to complete the palace in Strelna. In 1797, Paul I handed it over to his son, Grand Duke Konstantin Pavlovich. After his death, Nicholas I handed over the palace to his son, Grand Duke Konstantin Nikolaevich. He handed over the palace by inheritance to his son, Grand Duke Konstantin Konstantinovich. According to the names of the owners, the Palace in Strelna was called the "Konstantinovsky Palace".
Sights in Strelna
Most people come to Strelna to the Konstantinovsky Palace and the Konstantinovsky Park, which is called “Russian Versailles” Park. For a long time, they were ruined. In 2000, the palace in Strelna decided to make the Palace of Congresses for international summits. It was also the main residence during the celebration of the 300th anniversary of St. Petersburg in 2003, which was attended by 45 heads of state.
Now the Konstantinovsky Palace and the park are the official Residence of the President of Russia. It’s impossible to visit, like other palaces of St. Petersburg. There are several excursions around the palace, but it is better to buy tickets online in advance. Excursions are canceled when state meetings are held in the palace. The tour of the park is called "Russian Versailles Park". You will be able to see the regular Lower Park and walk to the embankment of the Gulf of Finland.
Next to the Konstantinovsky Palace, the wooden Travel Palace of Peter I, built in 1711, has been preserved. In the 18th century it became a museum and has been preserved to this day unchanged. From the palace you can go down along the Strelka riverbed to the Sea Strelnya Embankment to walk along the shore of the Gulf of Finland.
On the opposite side of the St. Petersburg Road is the Orlovsky Park. In the middle of the 19th century, the estate of Alexey Orlov was located here. He was close to Tsar Nicholas I and he gave Orlov land in Strelna. Orlov built a wonderful Gothic-style palace here, which has not survived to this day. Now the Oryol Park is a favorite recreation place of local residents.
