In 1707, four years after
Peter the Great founded Saint Petersburg, he gave the grounds near the seaside to his right-hand man,
Aleksandr Danilovich Menshikov. Menshikov commissioned the
architects
Giovanni Maria Fontana and
Gottfried Schädel, who built his residence, the Grand Menshikov Palace from 1710 to 1727 (not to be confused with
Menshikov Palace in
Saint Petersburg, built by the same architects around the same time). Menshikov was deposed shortly after Peter's death, and died in exile, and the palace passed out of his family. In 1743, Oranienbaum became the
summer residence of
Grand Duke Pyotr Fyodorovich, the heir of
Empress Elizabeth (the future
Emperor Peter III). From 1756 to 1762, the architect
Antonio Rinaldi built the
Peterstadt Fortress ensemble on the bank of the
Karost River for Grand Duke Peter Fedorovitch. From the outside, the palace is a relatively simple building, single-storey except for the small central pavilion, painted in a mellow combination of ochre and yellow. The Upper Park was laid out from 1750 to 1770. The palace was the site of two opera premieres to libretti by
Metastasio in the middle of the eighteenth century,
Amor prigioniero (one act, composed by
Francesco Araia, 1755), and
Semiramide riconosciuta (three acts, composed by
Vincenzo Manfredini, 1760). In the 19th century, Oranienbaum became a noble manor. During World War II, Oranienbaum suffered to a much lesser extent than other suburbs of St. Petersburg, since defense was deployed here on the so-called "
Oranienbaum Bridgehead". However, the ensemble became desolate in the post-war period, and its serious restoration began only in the late 1990s. Restoration Of Oranienbaum has been a slow process. For the city which grew up around the palace see
Lomonosov, Russia. Menshikovsky Palace in Oranienbaum 01.jpg|Grand Menshikov Palace south Sledging Hill Pavilion in Oranienbaum 01.jpg|
Katalnaya Gorka pavilion, a part of the 18th-century
"Russian mountains" roller coaster complex Hall of Stone in Oranienbaum Park.jpg|
Kammenoe zalo pavilion Peter III Palace, Oranienbaum, St. Petersburg.jpg|Peter III Palace == Sculptures of Oranienbaum ==