Cottage Palace, Gothic style estate in Petergof, Russia.

The Cottage Palace is a compact two-storey neo-Gothic building with a mansard roof in Alexandria Park, Petergof, designed by Adam Menelas and completed in 1829. Its asymmetrical plan has three-part facades, with open and closed balconies and terraces placed according to the sun and prevailing winds. Cast-iron tracery, pointed arches and trefoils decorate the porches and bay windows; the east terrace was used for breakfasts and the west for evening tea.

Nicholas I ordered the construction of this residence in 1826 as a private summer home for his family, separate from the grand ceremonial palaces nearby. It remained in use by the imperial family throughout the 19th century and was expanded on several occasions before the revolution of 1917 ended its royal life.

The rooms inside feel like a family home rather than a formal palace, with personal objects, paintings, and furniture arranged in a way that reflects everyday domestic life. Visitors can see how the imperial family chose to spend their summers away from the ceremony of court life.

The estate sits inside Alexandria Park, a short walk from the main fountain gardens, and can be reached on foot from Peterhof train station. The path runs through parkland, so comfortable shoes are a good idea, especially after rain when the ground can be soft.

The building carries the English word Cottage in its name, which was an unusual choice for an imperial residence and reflected a deliberate wish by the tsar to signal informality and family life over official grandeur. This name was kept throughout the reigns of several emperors and was never replaced with a more formal Russian title.