The ensemble of the Summer Garden and the Summer Palace is the earliest in Saint Petersburg. According to the project of Peter I, the Summer Garden was founded on the site chosen by the tsar. The garden was planted with flowers and trees and decorated with marble sculptures, which were to deliver to young Saint Petersburg from Europe. Famous architects, such as Matveev, Zemzov, Miketti, Leblon and others participated in the Summer Garden creation.
The Summer Garden was laid out as a regular garden with a geometrical pattern of crossing alleys, trimmed shrubs, and symmetrically arranged statues and fountains. In the time of Peter the Great it was the gala tsar residence, a place for social and court life of Petersburg. Architect Tresini designed the Summer Palace for Peter I, but it was too small for royal receptions. That's why Peter the Great, who liked to have fun, organized parties calling assemblies in the Summer Garden's alleys. To entertain the tsar and his courtiers the garden was equipped with grottos, pavilions and even a maze.
The flood of 1777 dramatically destroyed the Summer Garden: the system of fountains and the maze were ruined, many statues were damaged, and trees were pulled out. After the flood the original look of the Summer Garden was never restored, but some features are still remaining. The garden has regular planning and is decorated with precious marble sculptures by Italian masters of the 17th-18th centuries such as Baratta, Bocacca and others. The collection of sculptures in the Summer Garden is the oldest in Russia. The choice of mythological statues wasn't accidental, as the images of antique heroes and gods was intended to symbolize the reforms and transform ideas of Peter the Great. In the Summer Garden used to be about 200 statues, but only 89 of them survived until nowadays. The most famous of them is the so-called nymph of the Summer Garden - the statue of Flora, made of white marble by an unknown Italian sculptor of the beginning of the 18th century.
One of the decorations of the Summer Garden on the Neva side is the world-famous railing made by architect Velten in 1784.
In the 19th century, in the Summer Garden two pavilions were built. They are the coffee house designed by Rossi, and the tea house designed by Charleman. The Summer Garden was turned into prestigious place for walks of the noble public; the main alley was intended for horse riding. Common people were either not allowed in the garden, or limited by strict cloth and behavior conditions.
In front of the tea house in 1855 the monument to the famous Russian fabulist Krilov was put up. It was designed by sculptor Clodt. The pedestal of the monument is the granite cube covered with high relieves depicting the plots and the characters of Krilov's fables.
In the 19th century, the Summer Garden was the favorite place for walks of many outstanding Petersburg citizens such as Pushkin, Jukovsky, Goncharov, Tchaikovsky, Blok and many others.
Near the entrance to the Summer Garden, on the bank of the Fontanka River, in 1710-1714 architect Tresini put up the Summer Palace for Peter I. In the palace, there was no heating, as it was intended only for summer use, hence the name of the palace. It was one of the first stone palaces of Saint Petersburg - the 2-storeyed building with high roof. The interiors of the palace features relative modesty. It is well-known that Peter the Great disliked high ceilings and preferred small cozy rooms. Nowadays the palace features original lay-out and interior decoration. On the first floor of the palace there was a reception hall, where everyone, regardless his status, was allowed. One of the favorite rooms of Peter the Great was the turnery where he liked to work. Among the most interesting exhibits of the palace are the big mirror in wooden framed, which is believed to be made by Peter himself, paintings by Dutch artists, rare crockery made of glass, metal and faience, carved oak panel depicting the goddess of wisdom Minerva, unique Dutch glazed tiles. On the second floor of the palace there is a cook room with a sink made of black marble. This sink is an obvious proof of the first in Petersburg water-pipe existence.
Nowadays the Summer Garden is one of the most picturesque and peaceful places in Saint Petersburg where the citizens and the guests of the city like to spend their free time enjoying nice surroundings and gracious swans in the pond of the garden.