The Summer Garden is a park ensemble, a monument of garden and park art of the first third of the 18th century in the Central District of St. Petersburg, the Palace Embankment of the Neva river.
The garden was founded by order of Peter I in 1704 and was originally regular. It occupies a separate island of the same name, washed by the rivers Neva, Fontanka, Moyka and Swan Canal.
Starting from 1712, the planting of the Summer Garden was further elaborated by the Dutch gardener Jan Roosen, who was the chief gardener of the park till 1726. The well-known French architect Jean-Baptiste Le Blond, who arrived in St. Petersburg in 1716, added to the park the flavour of a Garden à la française. The Summer Garden was largely completed in 1719.
Marble sculpture of the Summer Garden
The main part of the collection is marble sculptures by Italian masters of the late 17th – early 18th centuries.
At the beginning of the 18th century, the confidants of Peter I, art connoisseurs Count Savva Raguzinsky-Vladislavich and Yuri Kologrivov, were acquiring sculptures in Italy at the beginning of the 18th century.
Already in 1710, there were about thirty statues and busts in the garden. In subsequent years, their number increased and by 1728 it had already reached more than a hundred. Many sculptural works are signed by their performers.
Working hours
Summer period: May 1 – September 30
The summer garden is open on Mondays, Wednesdays, Thursdays, Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays from 10:00 to 22:00. The entrance closes half an hour earlier, at 21:30. On Tuesday, the garden is closed for planned preventive maintenance of the territory and the fountain complex.
Winter period: October 1 – March 31
The summer garden is open on Mondays, Wednesdays, Thursdays, Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays from 10:00 to 20:00. The entrance to the garden closes half an hour earlier, at 19:30. On Tuesday, the garden is closed for planned preventive maintenance of the territory and the fountain complex.
April 1 – April 30
Summer garden is closed
The work of museums and pavilions of the garden
Museum of the History of the Summer Garden (Pavilion Dovecote): from May 1 to March 31, 10:00 – 18:00. Tuesday is a day off.
Pavilion Museumification of the fountain “Lacoste”: from May 1 to October 31 10.00 – 18.00. Tuesday is a day off.
Tea House – museum shop: from May 1 to March 31 during the opening hours of the Summer Garden.
Coffee house – cafe: from May 1 to March 31 during the opening hours of the Summer Garden.
Small greenhouse – cafe: from May 1 to September 30 during the opening hours of the Summer Garden.
The work of the Summer Palace of Peter I
Sessions of visits to the expositions of the Russian Museum with excursion service (group up to 5 people).
Visiting the exposition of the Summer Palace of Peter the Great session.
From 11:00 to 16:00 excursion groups every hour.
Ticket prices
Entrance to the garden is free
Ticket offices are open from 10:00 every day except Thursday and Tuesday.
Thursdays from 13:00.
In summer, tickets can actually be purchased only during the first hour of the box office. Tickets are sold daily for the current day only.
