Palace of Peter the Great

The Palace of Peter the Great is located next to the Konstantin Palace in Strelna. This was where Peter I originally intended to create a palace and park ensemble to rival Versailles, before problems with the local terrain forced him to abandon these plans and move further down the coast to Peterhof.

The wooden palace was built around 1716 and rebuilt between 1719 and 1720. In the eighteenth century, it was used as a resting place for monarchs on their way to Kronstadt, Peterhof or Oranienbaum. The palace never stood empty and has survived intact to the present day.

The Palace of Peter the Great is surrounded by an apiary, an orchard and a kitchen garden, where various strains of vegetables are grown, including three varieties of potato. The potato was allegedly first introduced to Russia by Peter the Great at Strelna.