The idea of «Russian Versal»

Peter the Great XVIII c.

Peter I was planning to found "Russian Versal" in the country house of Strelna and selected a project for it with great attention. He had accepted the only one idea from the project presented by Carlo Rastrelli - to place the main palace in the ensemble on the littoral eminence behind the park falling to the gulf. French architect Jan Leblon suggested erecting of the Water Temple with a great cascade on the round island opposite the palace and making a system of canals and alleys. But unexpected death of the architect had prevented the realization of this project in a full measure. The project of Sebastiano Chipriani seemed too expensive and grandiose to the emperor. And eventually the full approval was given to the project of Nikollo Miketi. The first stone of the palace was laid in 1720. On time of departure of the Italian architect to his motherland the emperor had lost the interest to Strelna. All funds had been given to the construction of the maritime summer residence in Peterhoff.

Jan Leblon (1679-1719 ãã.) The project of the main front of the Stone palace and park in Strelna 1717

After Peter's death building of the palace was stopped and in Anna Ioanovna's time it was on fire. The desolation of the palace lasted till the accession to the throne of Elizaveta Petrovna. Bartolomeo Rastrelli, her favorite and son of Carlo Rastrelli who was the author of the first project of the ensemble was not able to complete the construction because of lack of time and funds. But the main look of the palace was already formed. There were constructed three arch trusses in the center of the building that had two wings and a wide terrace with grotto arcade. The pylons were erected in the Nizhny (Lower) Park.

N. Miketti Main (north) front and the plan of the Stone palace 1719 St.Luka Academy, Rome

Another forty years the large palace able to house all tsar's court was empty and ownerless. Only its cellars were used as storehouses of Tokay wines.

B. Rastrelli The main front of the Big Strelna Palace Mid. XVIII c.

B. Rastrelli (1700-1771)

Empress Elizaveta Pertovna A fragment of the portret by Carl Vanloo 1760