The traditional festival of the closing of the fountain season in Peterhof will be celebrated in September this year also traditionally: with a grandiose multimedia show. It could not be otherwise, because it is dedicated to Empress Catherine II, a woman of amazing fate and amazing scale.
Just in case, we remind you that the autumn fountain festival, although being dedicated to the closing of the high season, does not mean at all that the tap will turn off that day and the cheerful splatter will cease to please the public’s eye. Physically, the fountains will be in operation about until the middle of October.
A multimedia performance about the reign of Germany-born Catherine the Great, which this year would have turned 290 years old, will be shown at the Grand Cascade. The choice of a historical character is explained not only by round numbers, but also by the fact that Peterhof was a kind of symbolic place for the Empress, which “marked” turning points in her fate:
— she came here as a young bride, and then she was an unhappy wife;
— she would come here from a nearby estate of Oranienbaum to see her son (the future Emperor Pavel I) once in a while;
— from here she went to rule the state;
— in Peterhof began her reign.
The performance is a modern high-tech show, which will feature:
— holographic projection;
— powerful pyrotechnics;
— laser and light effects;
— active video sequence.
You will see the whole story of the heroine: from the moment when fifteen-year-old Sophie of Anhalt-Zerbst goes from Germany to Russia to marry the future Emperor Peter III, the Palace coup, followed by the murder of the Emperor, and the reign and achievements during the thirty-four years of rule (1762-1764).
Our tips and recommendations. Dress warmly, as it is almost always cool in Peterhof, except for hot days, and at the end of September and even in the evening — it’s so even more so. Сome in advance, preferably by 6 p. m. when you can enter the Lower Park on a ticket to the play. Firstly, it is possible to wander around the Park and see the fountains, and, secondly, to avoid confusion and light crush caused by a crowd. If you want to use a meteor (hydrofoil), check out the forecast for the wind and the weather in general ten times: with strong waves in the Gulf of Finland meteor do not go. This, though rarely, still happens. And read our post about how to get to Peterhof.
Date: September 20 and 21
Time: 21:00, entrance to the Lower Park with a ticket for the performance from 18:00 to 21:00
Location: Peterhof, the Lower Park, Grand cascade
Ticket price: 1000 rubles
You can easily book a package tour to Peterhof online having all your needs, including transportation and admission tickets, cared of.
If you want to see the show on a package tour, please, consult your guide when booking.
Photo credit: The Peterhof State Museum