Lion Cascade

myminifactory

This is the captivating figure of the nymph Aganippa, a masterpiece crafted by the renowned sculptor Fyodor Tolstoy. Located in the majestic Lion Cascade, it forms a harmonious composition with the Hermitage Pavilion, which was introduced to the Lower Park between 1799 and 1800. The architect Andrei Voronikhin skillfully placed it not on the slope but within the square bounded by the Birch Tree and Marly Avenues. A low stone wall stood eight ornate vases, accompanied by the statues of Hercules and Flora, which were replaced a year later with two regal lions. Water from the vases cascaded into a rectangular upper basin before flowing down two steps into the lower basin. In 1854-55, the architect Andrei Stakenschneider revamped Voronikhin's fountain. On a granite socle, identical in ground plan to the original cascade, he erected a colonnade of fourteen eight-meter tall Ionic columns crafted from dark grey granite. Their bases and capitals were intricately designed with white Carrara marble. Two magnificent bronze lions stood beside the colonnade, their jaws emitting powerful jets of water. At the center of the basin, surrounded by the colonnade on three sides, stood the elegant figure of the nymph Aganippa, another masterpiece created by the talented sculptor Fyodor Tolstoy.