OREANDA-NEWS. November 25, 2011. In the Hermitage architectural ensemble, the Small Hermitage is a link between the magnificent Baroque building of the Winter Palace and the splendid constructions of the age of Classicism. Here in the centre of St. Petersburg a project of complete control system for the pump of the Hanging Garden Fountain has been realized.

SPC “Rakurs” drive department specialists have assembled turnkey complete control system basing on frequency converters. The solution’s special features are ease and reliability. There has been no need in SPC “Rakurs” specialist’s arriving for the system implementation, any person having electro technical education has been able to perform it.

The task of pump control system realization was simple for SPC “Rakurs” drive department specialists but extremely important as it has been designed for the Hanging Garden Fountain created by Italian Sculptor Felice de Fovo which has been extant till our days in the Garden of the Small Hermitage.

The Small Hermitage was built on the wish of Catherine II. As soon as she inherited the throne one of her first orders was to build a new residence. The building was erected near Winter Palace. The Southern Pavilion was erected in 1765-66 to the order of Empress by the architect Yury Velten. The appearance of this building organically combined the features of the Late Baroque style with Early Classicism. A new Empress’s residence differed by great splendour and luxury, there were a lot of main galleries, separate living facilities for her favourites and a special pavilion made comfortable for the Hanging Garden and received the name “Orange House”. Later, in 1767-69, the architect Jean Baptist Vallin de la Mothe constructed the Northern Pavilion on the bank of the Neva using the Early Classicism style. The two structures are joined at the level of the first floor by the Hanging Garden, which has galleries on both sides. This architectural ensemble was called the "Small Hermitage," because in the Northern Pavilion Catherine II had parties with games and performances which were known as "small hermitages".