The seaside town of Lomonosov is 40 km. south-west of St. Petersburg.
Its origin dates back to 1710, when Alexander Menshikov, Peter the Great’s friend and the first Governor-General of St. Petersburg, decided to outdo the tsar by building an even bigger  palace than Peter’s  Peterhof. The original German name Oranienbaum (translates from German as “orange tree”) was allegedly given to Menshikov’s residence because of the greenhouses built nearby the palace for raising pineapples, grapes and oranges. Soon after the end of WW II the town was renamed Lomonosov, in tribute to the founder of the Russian Academy of Sciences.
After Peter’s death in1725 Menshikov was exiled, midway through construction, and the palace wasn’t  finished until Catherine the Great made it one of her holiday spots. The palace was rebuilt several times turning into Russia’s largest palace constructed in Peter’s times.
Formation of the architecture and park ensemble was completed mainly in the 18th century when the Grand (Menshikov) palace, the Peter III palace, the Chinese palace, the Sliding Hill and some other structures were built there to designs of the most prominent architects.
During WW II Lomonosov was among very few St.Petersburg’s suburbs that were not occupied by Nazis and were not damaged in combats. Owing to this fact its architectural monuments preserved their original beauty and high historic value. Restoration of the dilapidated monuments was started soon after the end of WW II. After many years of small financial backing (if compared with Petrodvorets, Pushkin and Pavlovsk), it is in full swing at these days.

Grand (Menshikov) Palace
Open: 10:00 – 17:00 (June – September)

Closed on Tuesdays and on the last Monday of every month.

Address: 48, Dvortsovy prospect, Lomonosov
(It can be reached by local trains from the Baltic Rail Station or by minibus # 348 from the metro station Prospekt Veteranov.

Phone: +7 (812) 422 47 96

http://www.oranienbaum.org/