#peterhof

Alexei Nikolaevich in Peterhof during the Exercise ride of the Grodno Hussar Regiment, 11th July 1908

Empress Alexandra Feodorovna with Prince Nikita Alexandrovich in Peterhof, summer 1909

Firework display in the gardens at Peterhof

Peterhof was built by Tsar Peter I in the early 18th century as an Imperial summer residence, close to the newly created capital of St Petersburg. It is likely that this photograph was taken during the tenth anniversary celebrations of the coronation of Tsar Alexander III which took place in the summer of 1883.

Situated on the Gulf of Finland, almost equidistant between St Petersburg and Kronstadt (the city seaport on Kotlin Island), Peterhof consists of a collection of palaces, pavilions, chapels, fountains and formal gardens, spread across a vast parkland area originally established by Peter the Great (1672-1725), and subsequently developed by his successors. The site, however, especially its Lower Park, was occasionally decorated with spectacular illuminations, and was opened to the public to celebrate particular events and anniversaries, as shown in this photograph, which is part of a larger set capturing the celebrations of the tenth anniversary of the coronation of Alexander III.

Tsar Nicholas, Dowager Empress Maria Feodorovna, and Grand Duke Vladimir Alexandrovich in Peterhof, 1898