Criss-crossed by bridges and bedecked by smaller sprays, the Water Avenue is a canal leading from the hydrofoil dock to the palace. It culminates in the magnificent Grand Cascade , a symphony of more than 140 fountains engineered in part by Peter himself. The central statue of Samson tearing open a lion’s jaws celebrates – as so many things in St Petersburg do – Peter’s victory over the Swedes at Poltava. Shooting up 62m, it was unveiled by Rastrelli for the 25th anniversary of the battle in 1735.
