Peterhof Palace – Samson Fountain and Grand Cascade
Some refer to Peterhof Palace (Peter’s Court) as the “Russian Versailles.” It is located on the southern shore of the Gulf of Finland and is home to a number of impressive palaces, gardens and fountains. Peter the Great was the one who ordered the construction of this great palace.
One of the most famous aspects of the Peterhof Palace is the Samson Fountain and the Grand Cascade. Each one is a magnificent display of the power and beauty of water. The Grand Cascade is a series of two sets of white platforms made of stone and etched in gold that descend. To the right and left of these platforms are exquisite golden statues of gods. Small fountains that shoot water up into the air are also present between each platform. In the middle of these two platformers is a man-made grotto that is two stories high. This grotto is made of carved brown stone and houses a small museum on the history of the fountains. One of the intriguing things about this museum is a replica of a table built during the time of Peter. This table carries a small bowl of artificial fruit and one reaches for it, they spray themselves with water.
Samson’s Spring is located at the bottom of the Grand Cascade. The Samson Fountain consists of a large semicircular pool that supports a golden statue of Samson. Samson is pictured there opening the jaws of a lion, which is said to be a representation of Russia’s victory over Sweden during the Great Northern War of 1700-1721. The lion is a replica of the lion that appears on the Swedish coat of arms and Samson is used to represent Russia because the victory over Sweden was won on the day of Saint Samson. The lion’s mouth shoots a vertical stream of water and it is the fountain that shoots water at a higher height throughout the entire area of the place. One interesting thing about the Samson fountain, as well as others in the Peterhof gardens, is that none of them are powered by the use of pumps. The water is supplied from a natural spring and is collected in reservoirs in the Upper Gardens of the enclosure. What causes the pressure is the large difference in elevation.
However, there is one thing about Samson’s water fountain that is a tragedy. The fountain you see today is not the one that was installed during the reign of Peter. The reason for this is that during World War II the Germans captured Peterhof in 1941. The people of Peterhof tried to bury the golden water fountains to prevent the Germans from taking them away, but they could not save them. About three quarters of the fountains, including the Samson fountain, were destroyed. After the departure of the Germans in 1944, the process of restoring the palace began and in 1947 a replica of the Samson fountain was placed.
