The Lower Dacha (New Palace), at Peterhof

[BobG]

Does anyone have any pictures of the "New" or "Lower" Palace at Peterhof?  It was the palace Nicholas and Alexander used when at Peterhof and was destroyed by the Soviets in the 50's.  I have been unable to find anything about the palace in any books or on the internet.  Any help would be appreciated.

[BobAtchison]

As far as I know there has been only one book on the palace that was published in Russia before WWII and it was reprinted by the Peterhof Museum people about 8 years ago.  The original book was really only a pamphlet.  The picture quality isn't great either, and there are just a few.

Many pictures that previous authors have described as being of the Alexander Palace are actually of the Lower Palace at Peterhof.

There is also a good section on the Lower Palace in a Soviet book on architectural monuments in the environs of Leningrad.  I found a copy in Russia 10 years ago.

So - about the palace... it was originally a telegraph tower near the seashore.  In 1883-85 the architect Tomishko built a small datcha or pavillion  there.  In 1896 Nicholas II had it extensively expanded. After the revolution the palace became a museum. Here was kept the Imperial train that Nicholas abdicated in. before the war the palace was taken over by Soviet officials who used it as a residence.  During the war the palace was damaged.  In 1946-47 Stalin ordered the palace blown up.  The palace vanished from all maps and curators at Peterhof were forbidden to tell people where it was.  One curator was jailed for pointing out the location of the palace in the 50's to some tourists.

I climbed all through the ruins of the palace in the 80's and 90's.  It was an amazing place, full of the remains of blasted remains of china and furniture.  I remember once seeing an ikon of Aleksey and a bunch of burnt candles on top of one of the mounds that covered the palace site.  It was a wild place, overgrown with trees and vegetation.  The mosquitoes were awful there.  It was a dangerous place.

I heard a few years ago that there were plans to build a new datch there for the government, and I don't know what happened to that idea.

Things from the Lower Palace were sold after the museum closed.  You can find things from there in the antique stores of Petersburg today.  The Peterhof curators buy back what they can.  They have the grand piano from the palace in the Cottage now.

Bob

[Lanie]

I purchased a book called Nicholas II: The Imperial Family a year or so ago, published in 1998, and it talks about Peterhof and has old photographs from the rooms in the Lower Palace (I believe, I don't remember, I should go get it!) and even a reproduced fabric made to match this rose fabric that covered one of Alexandra's rooms.  If anyone's interested I wouldn't mind scanning them in!

[David Newell]

I have abook published by the Peterhof State Preserve in 1998 called Nicholas II, The Imperial Family. I bought this in hatchard's London. It has very good pictures of most of the rooms oft . The ISBN is 5-88810-013-7. Hope this helps. David he Dacha and original architects colur drawings of the Dacha

As far as I know there has been only one book on the palace that was published in Russia before WWII and it was reprinted by the Peterhof Museum people about 8 years ago.  The original book was really only a pamphlet.  The picture quality isn't great either, and there are just a few.

Many pictures that previous authors have described as being of the Alexander Palace are actually of the Lower Palace at Peterhof.

There is also a good section on the Lower Palace in a Soviet book on architectural monuments in the environs of Leningrad.  I found a copy in Russia 10 years ago.

So - about the palace... it was originally a telegraph tower near the seashore.  In 1883-85 the architect Tomishko built a small datcha or pavillion  there.  In 1896 Nicholas II had it extensively expanded. After the revolution the palace became a museum. Here was kept the Imperial train that Nicholas abdicated in. before the war the palace was taken over by Soviet officials who used it as a residence.  During the war the palace was damaged.  In 1946-47 Stalin ordered the palace blown up.  The palace vanished from all maps and curators at Peterhof were forbidden to tell people where it was.  One curator was jailed for pointing out the location of the palace in the 50's to some tourists.

I climbed all through the ruins of the palace in the 80's and 90's.  It was an amazing place, full of the remains of blasted remains of china and furniture.  I remember once seeing an ikon of Aleksey and a bunch of burnt candles on top of one of the mounds that covered the palace site.  It was a wild place, overgrown with trees and vegetation.  The mosquitoes were awful there.  It was a dangerous place.

I heard a few years ago that there were plans to build a new datch there for the government, and I don't know what happened to that idea.

Things from the Lower Palace were sold after the museum closed.  You can find things from there in the antique stores of Petersburg today.  The Peterhof curators buy back what they can.  They have the grand piano from the palace in the Cottage now.

Bob

[BobAtchison]

Hatchard's has such great books - when I used to go to London I'd always go by that small but wonderful royalty section... I am going to get that book... Thanks for telling us about it.

[Lanie]

That's the book I was talking about, Bob--I got it off of a website called motka.com, and it is very popular on Ebay now-a-days.

[BobG]

After your post, I ordered the book on the web, and as you said it had a great discription and pictures of the Lower Dacha.  Thanks so much.
Bob

[Katharina]

Does anyone know what happened to the italian pavilion where Nicky and Alix scratched their names into a window pane in 1884? (See his diary)
What did this pavilion (or house as it is sometimes translated) look like?

[jda]

The Italian Pavilion  was actually the Lower Palace  or Dacha.   It was built on orders of Alexander III  for Nicholas in1883-85 by architect Tomishko in the Italian Renaissance style.  Look in Peter Kurth"s book Tsar page 28 and the book Nicholas II by Abris Publishers page 38.        

[Katharina]

Dear jda,
at first I didn't want to accept your answer: To me a pavilion is small building at street level or at most one-storeyed. Then I re-read the pages you mentioned and now everything makes sense. It's rather simple ...
Thanks so much

Katharina

[BobAtchison]

The reason for the confusion is probably that the Lower Palace was greatly expanded by Nicholas II from the original structure.

[Antonio_P.Caballer]

Hello all!

 That book is really wonderful!!
 Now, have anyone some floor plan of the palace??
I would like  to see if possible some photograph of the vestibule, Nicholas and Alexandra´s bedroom or any other that cannot be found on this book...
 By the way, i have a good photograph of the palace right after WWII and even if badly damaged was not in worse condition than the Grand Palace....

Thanks!!!!!
 

[BobAtchison]

That is very interesting, Antonio - I have never seen pictures of the Lower Palace after the war - perhaps you can share it with us!

I am sure they have many great pictures at Peterhof.  The director there told me they had extensive documentation on the Lower Palace including photographs of all of the rooms.  That was 9 years ago.  From what I have seen Peterhof has been publishing some of what they have - they have really been making an effort to educate people on the Lower Palace and its history.

Bob

[Antonio_P.Caballer]

 I´m very happy to share any photograph i could have, the only problem is that i´m not very good with computers...i could do a good digital copy on glossy paper and send it to some direction you tell me. That´s for me the easiest way, but if it is not possible i will tray to call for the help of some friend. Just tell me how should i do it.
The photograph comes from a very interesting book published for the tercentenary of Peterhof (1705-2005) full of photographs of the postwar period.
By the way, i found in a catalogue from the exhibiton "The Hermitage during the war of 1941-1945" a war-time photograph of aone of the showrooms of the museum full of non-evacuated furniture. You can see in the foreground to the right of the door on top of a crate on of the distinctive chairs from the grand duchesses´drawing room at the Lower Dacha (page 200, picture 229). í found it interesting since i like this palace and its interiors very much.

[M. Breheny]

I have come across several photographs taken at the New Palace at Peterhof in Hugh Brewster's "Anastasia's Album."  There are pictures of the grand duchesses, Alexei, Anna V (on crutches). and Rita K. taken on the sandy beach behind the palace.  There also is a picture taken from one of the windows of the "tower" looking out over the beach area.  Some of these are poignant photos of young people having fun: chasing each other, laughing (Olga and Rita), playing with a goat (?) (Alexei), and wading in the water.