Montplesier.

Monplaisir.
In Peterhof, in addition to the magnificent Grand Palace of the era of Empress Elizabeth I, there are no less remarkable and interesting buildings and structures. Among them, a special place is occupied by the small palace of Emperor Peter the Great. You can rent a car to travel around St. Petersburg on the bookingautos website. Rates in Russia starts from 11 euros per day.

It is called Monplaisir, which means - "my pleasure". This palace became the first major building of Peterhof and was built by the architect I. Braunstein from 1714 to 1723 in the monarch's favorite style - the Dutch. From the beginning of its construction, it is customary to count the pages of the building chronicle in the history of the "Russian Kingdom of Fountains". The palace was the favorite brainchild of Peter, it was he who gave the palace such a name, chose a place for construction and drew up a building plan. The first pavilion of the palace is the so-called "lusthaus" - "amusement house".

Square in plan with a brick floor and four large doors, it culminates in a four-sided dome through which light pours down from above. The interior is decorated with canvases by Western European artists of the 17th and 18th centuries. From the "Lusthaus" you can get to the East Gallery, which is about twenty meters long.

It seems very spacious and light, since about twenty windows, which are at the same time doors, visually unite the room with the surrounding magnificent park. There is almost no wall on the south side, on the north the window openings are narrow and form piers, which are faced with oak - the favorite material of the great reformer of Russia. The walls of the East Gallery contain paintings by Dutch and Flemish artists, which were acquired under the guidance of the owner of the palace. Tsar Peter Alekseevich was especially fond of canvases with views of the sea.

Having crossed the threshold of the next room of the palace, the Lacquer Office, you suddenly find yourself in the magical world of the East with its bright colors and intricate landscapes, as well as objects of decorative and applied art. Along with the Lacquer Cabinet, among the premises of the palace, the Kitchen should be distinguished, which, by the way, according to the tradition of the beginning of the eighteenth century, was located in the central part of the palace. It is interesting to note the fact that quite often in this very kitchen, which was then called Povarnya, the royal mistress of Monplaisir herself, Empress Ekaterina Alekseevna, was happy to "conjure" over the preparation of various dishes. 

The most respectable and voluminous room in the palace is the Hall, which was intended for receiving guests and diplomats. Often, it was here that balls were held, which at that time were called "assemblies". A special room in the palace is the emperor's bedroom. It is arranged, like all rooms in the palace, in the Dutch style. The decor is dominated by restrained and calm tones - brown and olive. The fireplace gives a special comfort to the bedchamber. The large four-poster bed draws everyone's attention. The abundance of authentic things creates a special effect of the invisible presence of the owner of the palace ... In Monplaisir, everything looks as if its inhabitants went out for a walk for a few minutes, and visitors missed them ... oh, what a pity!