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Oranienbaum palaces-museums rank among the palace-and-park ensembles of St.-Petersburg suburbs. Nor Peterhof beauty, neither Pushkin elegant splendour or Pavlovsk severe nobility could be compared with the refined charm of Oranienbaum's palaces. The breath of time, the charm of the olden days and, the most important - the authenticity give it non-comparable colour. The palaces of Lomonosov (the former Oranienbaum), saved by the defenders of the legendary Oranienbaum "spot" during the World War II, happily avoided the sad fate of the other suburban memorials, are the witnesses of the Russian national culture of the XVIII century achievements. Lomonosov, the modern name of the city was given in the 1948 in the honour of the greatest Russian scientist Mikhail Vassilievich Lomonosov, who founded the factory of the coloured glass in 1754 near Oranienbaum, in the village Ust-Ruditsa. The foundation of the park-and palace ensemble dates from the start of the XVIII century. In 1710 at the Southern coast of the Finnish Gulf, in forty kilometres from St.-Petersburg, near the Peterhof, Alexander Danilovich Menshikov, the prominent statesman and Peter the Great loyal supporter, started the construction of his residence, not giving up in the splendour and the scope of the Peterhof. Grand Place was ready in 1727.
At the same time with the palace construction the park was founded. This park was named the Lower and it is the typical sample of the regular parks, made in Russia in the first half of the XVIII century in the French manner. Menshikov named his property Oranienbaum, in German it means "the orange tree" (orange - the orange,baum- the tree). The village of the "working people", situated not far from the palace, in 1780 became the city. The coat of arms was conferred on the city: the tree with the oranges on the silver shield.
After the disfavour of the prince Menshikov the palace construction was suspended and then began only in the start of 1740-s, when Oranienbaum became the festive summer residence of the grand duke Peter Feodorovich (the future emperor Peter III), announced by the empress Elizabeth Petrovna as the throne heir. But the construction works reached the largest volume in the 50-70-s of the XVIII century, in the period of the so-called Upper Park and Palace on its territory construction. During these years (1709-1796) the "funny fortress" Peterstadt with the Palace in the complex (Palace of Peter III) for the grand duke Peter Feodorovich and "Own Dacha" with the Chinese Palace and Sliding Hills for the empress Catherine II were constructed according the projects of Antonio Rinaldi.
Sensitive to the time trends architect A.Rinaldi could unusually tactfully combine in his palace structures of Oranienbaum the features of the bright, festival baroque with the severe and strictly logical classicism. The architecture and decoration of Oranienbaum palaces represent the style, developed at that time in the Western Europe - rococo ( from the French term "rocail" - shell, twist ).
During the years of World War II Oranienbaum has suffered much: in September 1941 it was circled by Nazis, cut from Leningrad and blocked from the land during two years and a half. But the legendary Oranienbaum "spot" became the most significant place for the Russian Army offensive action. On January 20, 1943 the forces from the "spot" met and joined the forces from Pulkovo in the region of Ropsha. The blockade ring was broken. During the very first months of the war the most valuable art collections were evacuated to the far rear. The unique palaces and parks suffered very slightly thanks to the courage of Oranienbaum "spot" defenders.
Just after the end of the World War II the restoration works in the palaces and parks of Oranienbaum began. On June 09, 1946 the Upper Park was opened foe the visitors, then the Chinese Place-museum, in 1953 -the Palace of Peter III, and in 1959 the Sliding Hill pavilion. The restoration works were conducted by Leningrad architects K.D. Khalturin, A.E. Gessen, I.N. Benois, I.I. Varaki and Ye.V. Kazanskaya. The architect M.M. Plotnikov was rewarded with the title of the State Reward laureate for the outstanding achievements in this action.
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