Peterhof State Museum Reserve

• Director Elena Kalnitskaya presents her selection of favourite objects, sharing their stories
• A exploration of Russian history through the hidden treasures of “The Russian Versailles”
• The fourth Russian institution to join the Director’s Choice series

The Peterhof State Museum-Reserve is one of the most visited and attractive museums in Russia, the “fountain capital” of a huge country. Uniting today more than 30 expositions located on the territory of Peterhof, Alexandria, Strelna and Oranienbaum, the museum acquaints its guests with the great past of Russia.

The history of each Peterhof monument is deeply individual, but, being formed into single architectural ensembles, its are an organic synthesis of history, art, architecture, human destinies. The planning structure of Peterhof skillfully combines regular and landscape parks, palaces of different architectural styles, small forms and fountains. The famous water supply system, which has no analogues in the world, keeps the memory of its creator – emperor Peter the Great.

The Peterhof collections, collected by the crowned owners of the residence to decorate it, consist of a variety of museum items. “There is a soul in every museum object,” says Director Elena Kalnitskaya, and this is clear in each work of art presented in this book. Each object, tells its own story, but also invites the reader to better understand the history of Russia.

Art historian, Elena Kalnitskaya, has been the Director General of the Peterhof State Museum-Reserve since 2009. During her tenure as director, she has organized large-scale restoration work in the palaces and parks of Peterhof and Oranienbaum. She has contributed to the implementation of a large-scale program for the development of the museum: holding major Russian and international exhibitions, organizing scientific conferences, and publishing the catalogs of the collection. She is also the author of over 200 scientific and popular publications dedicated to the history of the culture of the Russian Empire.