Oranienbaum, Russia

Oranienbaum, a Russian royal residence on the Gulf of Finland west of St. Petersburg, is part of a UNESCO World Heritage Site that includes its palace complex and the city center. In 1707, four years after founding Saint Petersburg, Peter the Great gave the seaside land to his close associate, Aleksandr Danilovich Menshikov. Menshikov hired architects Giovanni Maria Fontana and Gottfried Schädel, who built the Grand Menshikov Palace between 1710 and 1727. After Menshikov fell from power following Peter’s death and died in exile, the property left his family. In 1743, it became the summer residence of Grand Duke Pyotr Fyodorovich, heir to Empress Elizabeth and later Emperor Peter III. From 1756 to 1762, architect Antonio Rinaldi constructed the Peterstadt Fortress complex along the Karost River for the grand duke.

The palace itself is a modest, single-story structure except for a small central pavilion, painted in a soft ochre and yellow. The Upper Park was developed between 1750 and 1770. In the mid-1700s, the palace hosted two opera premieres with libretti by Metastasio: *Amor prigioniero* (one act, music by Francesco Araia, 1755) and *Semiramide riconosciuta* (three acts, music by Vincenzo Manfredini, 1760). During the 19th century, Oranienbaum functioned as a noble manor. In World War II, it suffered less damage than other St. Petersburg suburbs due to defenses on the Oranienbaum Bridgehead, but the ensemble fell into neglect after the war. Serious restoration only began in the late 1990s and has progressed slowly. For the city that grew around the palace, see Lomonosov, Russia.