Lomonosov was called Oranienbaum until 1948, and its history is a story of ambition. Prince Alexander Menshikov, Peter the Great's close friend and favourite, began a grand palace here in the early eighteenth century, on the shore of the Gulf of Finland, and the name, meaning orange tree, came from its greenhouses. Later, the estate passed to the imperial family, and in the 1760s Catherine the Great had the Chinese Palace built in the park, a small, richly decorated pavilion with painted ceilings and exotic interiors. The ensemble is part of the UNESCO listing of Saint Petersburg and related monuments.
What sets Oranienbaum apart from Peterhof, a few kilometres to the east, is that it escaped destruction in the Second World War. The Germans never took it, because the Red Army held a small pocket of land here, known as the Oranienbaum bridgehead, for nearly three years, and the palaces survived in good condition. The town's historic centre is therefore a place where the old streets, merchant houses and churches are largely original, and the park retains a wilder, more overgrown air than the manicured gardens of its neighbours.
Riding to Lomonosov from Saint Petersburg, you follow the coast road through Peterhof, with a stream of traffic, or take the quieter back roads through woods and fields. The roads in the town are narrow and sometimes cobbled, with trams and heavy lorries in the port area. The park is pleasant to walk through, with birch, lime and pond. Early mornings and late evenings are the quietest times, and summer is mild with long days, while winter brings snow and ice.
Lomonosov has fuel stations, shops and restaurants, and the nearby towns have the same. Taste pirozhki, small stuffed buns, and a glass of tea from a samovar if a café offers it. Allow at least a couple of hours for the palaces and park, and check opening times, because some buildings close on certain weekdays and the parks charge small fees.