Oranienbaum is the old name of Lomonosov, and the story of the town begins with a man who liked to build on a grand scale. Alexander Menshikov, one of Peter the Great's closest friends, laid out a palace here on the south shore of the Gulf of Finland in the early eighteenth century, and the place became a favourite residence of the imperial family. Today its park and palaces are part of the Saint Petersburg ensemble that UNESCO listed in 1990.
The Zubov estate, called Otrada, which means delight or comfort, belongs to the quieter side of Lomonosov. It is one of the manor houses that grew up along this coast, built for the nobility who followed the court. The sea is close, the park is shaded, and the sense of a country retreat is still strong. Detail matters less than atmosphere here: birch avenues, ponds, and the long light of a northern summer evening.
Oranienbaum's biggest surprise is how much survived. Unlike the palaces of Peterhof and Tsarskoye Selo, it was not occupied by German troops in the Second World War, because the Oranienbaum bridgehead held out through the siege of Leningrad. The Chinese Palace, built for Catherine the Great, escaped with little damage, and its painted rooms are among the most delightful in Russia. Nearby, the little fortress of Peterstadt belonged to Peter III, Catherine's husband, who played at soldiers here before his overthrow in 1762.
The road along the coast from Saint Petersburg to Lomonosov is a ride of about forty kilometres, mostly flat and fairly fast, with plenty of traffic near the city and quieter stretches beyond. Summer is the season, with long evenings and warm light, but the sea breeze can be cool. Winter brings ice and snow, and the coast road can be treacherous. There are speed cameras on many sections, and local drivers are not always patient.
Lomonosov is a town of forty-two thousand people with pumps, shops and cafés, so supplies are no problem. A walk in the lower park, with the sea at the end of the avenue, is a good way to spend an hour.