Peter the Great’s House

Peter the Great’s House in St. Petersburg

Peter the Great’s House is a unique house on Petrovskaya Embankment, which was the first residential structure in St. Petersburg. This small house, built by soldiers in three days in the summer of 1703 from rough pine logs, is the only wooden building that has survived since the founding of St. Petersburg. Peter’s house was carefully preserved as a precious relic, for which they built a brick case, protecting it from destruction.

General Information

The place for construction was chosen so that strategically important objects – water expanses, surrounding terrain and bastions of the fortress – could be seen from the windows. The builders were Russian soldiers and Swedish prisoners, and the work was completed extremely quickly – in just three days.

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This small and low house consisted of only three small rooms – a study, a dining room and a tiny bedroom. The furniture in the cabin was only the most necessary, some of it made by the king himself. This unpretentious dwelling quite met Peter’s tastes – he did not like spacious and luxurious chambers. At the Tsar’s wish, in order to preserve the lodge for posterity, a protective canopy was placed over it, and then a special brick case was erected over it. Then it was remodeled so that the house was inside it as in a matryoshka doll, visitors now walk around the museum between the two walls – the house and the case.

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Once inside, you can tour the lodge from the outside and look through its windows, finely glazed with translucent “moon” glass. The rooms contain authentic household items from the Petrine era and even personal belongings of the Tsar himself: a uniform dress, a boxwood smoking pipe – a gift from Menshikov, Petrov’s cane covered with stingray leather. Pay attention to the pear wood armchair in the study near the desk – according to legend, it was made by Peter the Great himself. Next to the house there is a fan boat, also built by Peter himself and served him for crossing the Neva. In addition, there is a small museum exposition telling about Russia’s victory in the Great Northern War and the founding of St. Petersburg.

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In the late 19th century, a cast-iron fence was erected around the house and a bronze bust of Peter was placed in front of it. Soon the embankment in front of it was dressed in granite, and the descent to the water was decorated with fantastic sculptures of “Shi-tsza” (mythological lions-my-frogs) brought from Manchuria. These giant statues at the water’s edge are still pensively contemplating the Neva waves.

Visitors

• Address: 6 Petrovskaya Nab. Metro “Gorkovskaya.”
• Tel: 232-45-76.
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• Open daily, except Tues, from 10.00 to 18.00, popndo 17.00. Inspection – 15-20 min.
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• Entrance -70 p., preferential (Russian children, students, pensioners) – 20 p. For foreigners – 200 p., foreign children and students – 70 p.