Today we'll head for the south from Petersburg - along Peterhof highway. Highway runs along gulf of Finland, and the land on both sides of it was considered to be nearly resort in the old times as well as now. Such famous places as Strelna, Peterhof, Oranienbaum (Lomonosov) are situated just here.
So, we set off. Since album is called "Peterhof highway", we'll not stop for long in those places that already had Wandering camera albums devoted to them (and yet to be devoted).
First point of our stop - quite functioning monastery which rather originally shares the premises with militia school.
If walking a bit along the left wing of the monastery, one can observe how the church(?) is restored and some buildings by it.
Alongside there is a building on which it says (on the other side :) - "CELL". There are beds around it and, possibly, its owners who were watching us rather disapprovingly.
And this is Bolshoi Konstantinovsky palace in Strelna. Slightly further along highway. There's not a living soul. Entirely desolate place :(
Feels as Strelna was passed over in attention of tsars first and restores later from the moment of its construction (comparatively to other suburbs).
They probably paint the side facing highway sometimes, but the reverse side (further) - appearance is totally sad. Let's come closer to the arcs..
View on the gulf opens from here. Something is showing white in the horizon - maybe, the ship (when I was shooting, did not notice it).
Let's walk through the arc..
Once this canal used to be cleaned out. But it was long ago.
And this is what I mentioned above - view on the palace from the gulf side.
Rather original choice of symbolism, not by the author of course. However it's quite hard to say who was the author of the palace. At the least the following people participated in developing project and construction in the different times (1720-1755s): Miketti, Leblon, Rastrelli (father), Rastrelli (son), Voronikhin, Meyer, Shtakenshneider, Brullov.
Stairs on the right and left of the palace are overgrown with grass and shrubs.
Remains of the bygone park.
Such gates (by Rastrelli) can be observed on both sides of the palace.
We'll walk through this one.
An interesting building is hidden in the trees closer to the gulf. USSR emblem is above the entrance in the courtyard.
A bit further along the highway, still in Strelna, - wooden palace of Peter the I, recently (about a month ago) restored.
Palace was built in the 18th century by F.-B. Rastrelli.
Small garden encircled with fence is around the palace. Admission is understandably chargeable.
There is museum inside the palace (both floors) - decor is partly reestablished. A girl interrogates not numerous visitors how they found out about the palace, what education they've got, what else they know about Strelna :)
On leaving they grieve over why we spent there so little time.
Stairs run in the direction of the gulf, towards fountains.
Here we'll finish the first part of the journey along Peterhof highway, it'll be continued in the next
album.
I also want to draw your attention to my article on digital cameras AGFA (307/1280) which all Wandering Camera's albums are shot with.
