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{{About|the municipal town under the jurisdiction of St.&nbsp;Petersburg, Russia|the palace complex|Peterhof Palace}}
{{Infobox Russian city
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|image_caption=Modern residential boroughs of Petergof at night
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'''Petergof''' ({{langx|ru|Петерго́ф}}), known as '''Petrodvorets''' ({{lang|ru|Петродворец}}) from 1944 to 1997, is a [[administrative divisions of Saint Petersburg|municipal town]] in [[Petrodvortsovy District]] of the [[federal cities of Russia|federal city]] of [[Saint Petersburg|St.&nbsp;Petersburg]], located on the southern shore of the [[Gulf of Finland]].

The town hosts one of two campuses of [[Saint Petersburg State University]] and the [[Petrodvorets Watch Factory]], one of the leading Russian watch manufactures. A [[Peterhof Palace|series of palaces and gardens]], laid out on the orders of [[Peter I of Russia|Peter the Great]] and sometimes called the "Russian [[Palace of Versailles|Versailles]]", is also situated there. The [[Historic Centre of Saint Petersburg and Related Groups of Monuments|palace-ensemble along with the city center]] is recognized as a [[World Heritage Site|UNESCO World Heritage Site]].
[[File:Peterhof, Saint Petersburg, Russia.jpg|thumb|225px|upright|Peterhof Palace: the Samson Fountain and Sea Channel]]

==Palaces, fountains, and gardens==

Petergof is named after the [[Peterhof Grand Palace]], a sixteen-meter-high [[Cliff|bluff]] lying less than a hundred meters from the shore. The so-called Lower Gardens (''Nizhny Sad''), at {{convert|1.02|km2|sqmi|sp=us}} comprising the better part of the palace complex land area, are confined between this bluff and the shore, stretching east and west for roughly {{convert|200|m|ft|sp=us}}. The majority of Peterhof's fountains are contained here, as are several small palaces and outbuildings. East of the Lower Gardens lies the Alexandria Park with 19th-century [[Gothic Revival]] structures such as the [[Gothic Chapel in Peterhof|Gothic Chapel]].

Atop the bluff, near the middle of the Lower Gardens, stands the Grand Palace (''Bolshoy Dvorets''). To the south of it are the comparatively small Upper Gardens (''Verkhny Sad''). Upon the bluff's face below the Palace is the Grand Cascade (''Bolshoy Kaskad''). This and the Grand Palace are the centerpiece of the entire complex. At its foot begins the Sea Channel (''Morskoy Kanal''), one of the most extensive waterworks of the [[Baroque]] period, which bisects the Lower Gardens.
<gallery mode="packed" heights="145" style="line-height:130%">
File:Peterhof summer.jpg|Grand Peterhof Palace and the Grand Cascade
File:Коттедж 2007 05.jpg|"Cottage" built in 1829 in Alexandria Park in Peterhof was a summer residence of Russian Emperor [[Nicholas I of Russia|Nicholas I]]
File:Gothic Chapel, Church of Saint Alexander Nevsky in Alexandria Park, Peterhof.jpg|Church of Saint [[Alexander Nevsky]], a [[Gothic Chapel (Peterhof)|gothic chapel]] built by [[Karl Friedrich Schinkel]], in Alexandria Park, Peterhof
</gallery>

==St. Petersburg State University==
Besides the downtown campus, certain [[Saint Petersburg State University]]'s schools and departments are located in Petergof:
*[[Graduate School of Management (St. Petersburg State University)|Graduate School of Management]]'s campus in Mikhailovka (under reconstruction)
*Faculty of Biology and Soil Studies' research center in Sergievka ([[Maximilian de Beauharnais, 3rd Duke of Leuchtenberg|Leuchtenberg]] Palace)
*Petrodvorets Complex including four faculties:
:*Applied Mathematics and Control Processes
:*[[Saint Petersburg State University Department of Chemistry|Chemistry]]
:*Mathematics and Mechanics
:*Physics
*seven research institutes:
:*Astronomy
:*Chemistry
:*Computational Mathematics and Control Processes
:*Laser Research
:*Mathematics and Mechanics
:*Radiophysics
:*Physics
*as well as 12 dormitories and a number of infrastructure objects.<ref>{{cite web|url= http://www.spbu.ru/|title= Portal of St. Petersburg State University}}</ref>

The Petrodvorets Complex dates back to 1960s when it was decided to copy best international practices and to construct a brand-new suburban campus for the University, which had a crucial need for new premises. However, the idea was said to be widely opposed by the faculty, who did not want to commute two hours a day,{{citation needed|date=April 2019}} and as few as four faculties relocated to Petergof.<ref>{{cite web|url= https://petergoff.org/history-of-petrodvorets-complex/|title= History of Petrodvorets Complex (in Russian)|url-status= dead|archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20100823044004/http://campus.spbu.ru/history/index.ru.html|archive-date= August 23, 2010|df= mdy-all | quote = По первоначальному замыслу новый университетский городок, который планировалось построить южнее Старого Петергофа на участке в 666 га, должен был включить в себя все естественные и гуманитарные факультеты, их научно-исследовательские институты и остальные подразделения Университета. Но эта мечта оказалась слишком дорогостоящей, и тогда союзным правительством было принято решение о проектировании и строительстве в Петродворце в первую очередь трех естественных факультетов: физического, математико-механического и химического, вместе с их научно-исследовательскими институтами.}}</ref>

In the 1990s the number of students from other regions fell significantly, and the University sold many of its downtown dormitories. When the trend reversed, the need for housing made the University administration accommodate most students in Petergof, even those studying in downtown faculties, which has created certain tensions. Still, the idea of a suburban campus seems to be persistent, as the Government of the Russian Federation has decided to hand over the Mikhailovka estate to the University to reconstruct it and house the Graduate School of Management's campus.<ref>{{cite web|url= http://www.gsom.pu.ru/about_som/gsm_campus/|title= GSOM's campus in Mikhailovka (in Russian)}}</ref>

Due to the extensive presence of research facilities, mainly belonging to St. Petersburg State University, Petergof was named a [[naukograd]] in 2005.<ref>
{{cite web
|url= http://www.naukograd-peterhof.ru/
|title=Naukograd Petergof (in Russian)
|url-status= dead
|archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20110117162334/http://www.naukograd-peterhof.ru/
|archive-date= January 17, 2011
|df= mdy-all
}}
</ref>

==Petrodvorets Watch Factory==
Russia's oldest factory was founded by Peter the Great in 1721 first as a [[lapidary]] plant to help in the construction of the Peterhof Palaces but also other Palaces in St.&nbsp;Petersburg. It started to produce equipment and parts for the watch industry in the 1920s. After [[World War II]], the factory started to produce complete watches under the brand name ''Pobeda'' and from 1961 under the brand '''''[[Raketa]]'''''. in 1985 the factory had 7500 employees and was producing 5 million mechanical watches per year. Today, it is the last watch factory in Russia producing its own movements from A to Z, though the production is much smaller than it used to be.<ref name="Video about PCHZ">[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_Goy2mbijPY Documentary about the History of the Petrodvorets Watch Factory "Raketa"], Russian with Eng subtitles.</ref><ref name="Official site of the Russian watch factory raketa">[http://www.raketa.com facts and articles about the History of the Petrodvorets Watch Factory "Raketa"], in Russian and English.</ref>

==Telegraph Station==
[[File:2129. Петергоф. Императорский телеграф.jpg|thumb|right|Telegraph House, Alexandria Park]]

==Transportation==
[[File:PeterhofEastChapel.jpg|thumb|The East Chapel, one of a pair flanking the central buildings]]
[[File:Грузовой поезд подъезжает к переезду, Старый Петергоф.jpg|thumb|A freight train near a railway crossing in Peterhof.]]

The town is served by three railway stations (Novy Petergof, Stary Petergof, and Universitet).  The palaces of Peterhof are accessible by sea via hydrofoils based near the Winter Palace in St.&nbsp;Petersburg. The palace is also accessed by road. Public transit and private van services make trips from Saint Petersburg.

The Upper Gardens are accessible, but entry to the Lower Gardens requires the purchase of tickets (not included in the boat fee for visitors arriving by hydrofoil). The palaces and grotto are accessible only as part of guided tours.

==Local government==
Petergof is a [[Municipalities of Russia|municipal entity]] - an [[:ru:Внутригородская территория города федерального значения|intracity territory of the federal city]] of St. Petersburg. Local self-government is carried out on the basis of the charter, which was adopted by the resolution of the municipal council of the municipal formation of the city of Petergof dated 5 November 2008 No. 54-n.

The current body of local self-government - the Municipal Council - has been operating since 1998. As a result of the elections on 14 September 2014, a new composition of the fifth convocation was elected (out of 19 deputies: 18 from [[United Russia]] and 1 from the [[Communist Party of the Russian Federation]]).

The head of the municipal district of Petergof (since 2019) is deputy of the Municipal Council Alexander Shifman.

The executive body of local self-government is the local administration, headed by Tatyana Yegorova.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.mo-petergof.spb.ru/ |title=Официальный сайт муниципального образования город Петергоф |trans-title=Official website of the municipal formation city of Petergof |publisher=www.mo-petergof.spb.ru |accessdate=2017-11-18 |archive-date=2017-11-16 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171116115505/http://www.mo-petergof.spb.ru/ |url-status=live}}</ref>

==Sister cities==
*{{Flagicon|Germany}} [[Bad Homburg vor der Höhe]], [[Germany]]
*{{Flagicon|France}} [[Le Blanc-Mesnil]], [[France]]

Former sister cities:
*{{Flagicon|Poland}} [[Sopot]], [[Poland]]

On 10 March 2022, the Polish town of Sopot terminated its partnership with Peterhof as a response to the [[2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine]].<ref>{{cite web| url = https://www.zawszepomorze.pl/ukrainski-bialogrod-nad-dniestrem-nowym-miastem-partnerskim-sopotu |language=pl |title=Ukraińskie miasto nowym partnerem Sopotu? |access-date =13 March 2022}}</ref>

==References==
{{Reflist|33em}}

*Vernova, N (2004). ''Peterhof: The Fountains''. St. Petersburg: Abris.
*Vernova, N (2004). ''Peterhof: The Grand Palace''. St. Petersburg: Abris.

==External links==
{{Commons|Peterhof}}
{{wikivoyage|Peterhof}}
{{Wikisource1911Enc|Peterhof}}

*[https://web.archive.org/web/20131207135950/http://peterhof.com/en/ Peterhof's official site]
*[https://web.archive.org/web/20091016081542/http://www.niif.spbu.ru/en/ Institute of Physics]
*[http://www.raketa.com/ Official site of the Peterhof Watch Factory]
*[http://www.peterhofmuseum.ru/ Official website of the museum]
*[https://web.archive.org/web/20071111031854/http://www.gardenvisit.com/ge/peter.htm Peterhof (Petrodvorets) – a Gardens Guide review]
*[http://petergof-history.narod.ru/ Peterhof: history of gardens and town] {{in lang|ru}}
*[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_Goy2mbijPY Russian TV program about the 300 years of the Petrodvorets Factory (In Rus with Eng subtitles)]

==Further reading==
*{{Cite book|author=King, Greg|title=The Court of the Last Tsar|location=Hoboken|publisher=John Wiley & Sons|year=2006|type=hardback|isbn= 978-0-471-72763-7|pages=559 pages}}

{{Cities and towns under jurisdiction of Saint Petersburg}}
{{Administrative_divisions_of_Saint_Petersburg}}
{{Imperial palaces in Russia}}
{{Rastrelli}}
{{Saint Petersburg Navy structures}}

{{Use mdy dates|date=April 2013}}

{{Authority control}}

[[Category:Petergof| ]]
[[Category:Cities and towns under jurisdiction of Saint Petersburg]]
[[Category:Petergofsky Uyezd]]
[[Category:Naukograds]]
[[Category:Baroque architecture in Russia]]
[[Category:Fountains in Russia]]