History

 

The second half of the 17^th century saw the cultural landscaping of the limestone bank in Lasnamäe by five wealthy Tallinners who were allowed to build their summer mansions there. The area was cleaned from bush; drainage trenches as well as gardens for personal use were established and decorative trees were planted. The central lot belonging to alderman Heinrich Fonne was called the valley of Fonne (Ger Fonnenthal).

 

In 1714 the area was obtained by Peter I who occupied the main building of the Fonne valley as his residence.  Peter I most probably planned to design the seaside area into a park and palace complex in accord with Peterhof.  In 1718, convinced of his victory in the Northern War, he began to implement his plans. The same year architect Niccolo Michetti together with his apprentice Gaetano Chiaver was hired from Rome and together they selected a suitable place for the new palace and park on July 22, 1718. Due to construction of the imperial palace and park, the area was renamed Katarinenthal in honor of Katarina, the wife of Peter I.

 

The general gardens with Italian-French- Dutch elements of the Kardiorg Park occupied only a minor part of the park area. The majority was natural landscape with primeval oak groves, meadows and single tree clumps that could be accessed by lanes. The primordialness and massiveness was stressed by the biggest boulders that were retained. According to the wish of Peter I the park was open to all; hence the imperial park was a public park from the beginning. 

 

After the death of Peter I in 1725 the Russian court initiated an economy campaign and was not interested in realizing the grand plans of the reformer.

 

As a whole the Kadriorg palace and park complex turned out to be the grandest and most stylish Baroque establishments in Estonia.  They became examples to the Estonian nobility in the establishment of mansions, manors and their parks.

 

During later times there have been some changes made to the Kadriorg palace and park by the Estonian governor general Löwenwolde (The Swan Pond and the Sea Avenue), Nikolai I (had the palace and park spruced up, ordered the construction of Schweikert lounge together with a restaurant and a concert hall next to Mirage Pond; opened and designed views of the sea, established new walking paths and a ring road that was often used for walking and chariot rides). During the Estonian Republic in 1924 there was an idea to establish a national park and a call for schema was announced. The best of the solutions were executed with the aim to unite modern horticulture with national peculiarities. The preparatory work and the redesigning of the park commenced in 1934.

 

The neighborhood of Kadriorg

 

Since the 19^th century was still influenced by the imperial rule of Peter I, other buildings were also erected following the so-called widespread norms of the typical facade established by the czarist empire, representing rather strict and fully detailed examples of the book-style classicism that become even a little grotesque being implemented in wood. Nevertheless, the magnificent arched windows add a touch of neo-renaissance with a hint of approaching historicism.

 

There used to be many wooden buildings in the classicist style but most of them have been either demolished or completely reconstructed.