At the beginning of the 18th century the lands of Lomonosov, which used to be called Oranienbaum, were presented to Count Alexander Menshikov by Tsar Peter I. In Alexander Menshikov's time, the palace and park ensemble was founded. The historical name of the town means "orange tree" according to translation from German. Most probably, such a name was given to the town in the honor of the palace hothouses, where exotic south plants were cultivated. The town beared the name Oranienbaum until 1948, when it was renamed Lomonosov in the honor of outstanding Russian scientist, who founded a factory (where colored glass and mosaic smalts were produced) not far from Oranienbaum.
In 1727, after Alexander Menshikov's disfavor, Oranienbaum was passed to Russian treasury, and from 1743 till 1761 it was the residence of Grand Duke Peter Fyodorovich, the future emperor Peter III. For him the amusing Petershtadt Fortress was built. Its gates remained until nowadays.
The architectural ensemble of Oranienbaum was started by constructing the Bolshoi Palace in 1710-1727 after design by architects Fontana and Shedel. The baroque-style palace was later reconstructed by architect Rinaldi. The central part of the palace is connected with the two arched galleries and two cupola pavilions, which are the Church pavilion and the Japanese pavilion. The gala staircase, created after design by architect Rinaldi, leads to the Lower Park. The compositional axis of the park is the canal, leading to the sea.
In 50-60s of the 18th century the Upper Park was formed. The buildings of the palace for Peter III and the Chinese Palace by architect Rinaldi were put up there. The Chinese Palace is built in the style of transition from baroque to classicism. It stands out for its lightness, architecture elegancy and exquisite interiors decoration with motifs of Chinese art. The palace was intended for Catherine II. It was called "the miracle full of wonders". It is decorated with paintings, sculpture, and works of applied art. The walls are faced with moldings, gildings and silk. The walls of the Bugles cabinet are covered with 12 panels, which were hand-made by Russian female craftspeople. They embroidered the bugles panels with chenille, which creates the glimmering effect of the precious embroidery. In Chinese cabinets there are rich collections of ancient Chinese and Japanese porcelain, as well as tree and ivory works of art.
In front of the south facade of the Chinese Palace there is a pond. On its shore there is the so-called Chinese cook-house and the green Pergola corridor. Next to the Pergola starts the English alley with granite benches cut in stones. The alley leads to the pavilion of the Katatelnaya Gorka - the three-story building with cupola and open galleries, decorated in the Rococo style.
From 1831 till 1917 the Oranienbaum palaces were residences of Grand Duke Michail Pavlovich and his heirs. In 1918, the palaces and park ensemble were turned into museum.
During the World War II the Oranienbaum ensemble suffered from destruction, but much more less than other summer residences. The restoration works started in 1944. In the 50s of the 20th century the palace of Peter III and pavilion of the Katatelnaya Gorka were opened to the public. Today Oranienbaum is a state museum-preserve and, in spite of the fact that the restoration works are still in process, the palace and park ensemble is an attractive sight for the citizens of Saint Petersburg and its tourists.