On February 17, all parks of the Peterhof Museum-Reserve are closed to the public due to bad weather conditions. Some museums are open

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The powerful and magnificent fountain, the "Sheaf", placed in a deep pool of 12 meters in diameter, is the main water jet of the Monplaisir garden ensemble. The cordon of the fountain, was hewn from Pudost stone and decorated with tufa, while the bottom of the basin, is lined with black and white marble slabs. The central water jet, spurts to a height of four and a half meters out of the tufa pedestal, located in the middle of the basin, with twenty-four inclined water jets around it, arranged in two tiers. They resemble a large sheaf of heavy spikes, besprinkling transparent grains.

From ancient times, in Russia, the sheaf was considered a symbol of fertility and wealth, and in the language of the allegories of the XVIII century, this fountain has become the personification of power and prosperity of the Russian Empire.

Records show, that the Italian architect Niccolo Michetti, was constructing the central fountain of Monplaisir garden, according to the drawing of Peter I, that has not remained until our time. The French master Paul Sualem, was engaged in the hydraulic jet settings. The first testing of the fountain was successfully done in April, 1723.

By its scale and artistic design, the powerful multi-jet water cannon "Sheaf", fully accords with the size and appearance of "Monplaisir", the favorite summer palace of Peter I.