When he returned from his expeditions, he made up his mind to put up a seaport in which he believed that he can make a strong army and a powerful empire. He thought that Russia should open its doors to world trade so he had built an opening to the Baltic Sea. In order to construct this seaport, he needed a vast land. Because of this, he started war with Sweden that lasted 21 years. After the war, Peter won the land to where he would construct what has to become St. Petersburg. He lost many people in the process of building the city. After the construction was completed, Peter forced nobles to come and live in the city. This helped to populate the city and he also carried out political and cultural reforms. Among these were plans to establish a governmental institution called the Senate, which was made up of ten ministries called Kollegii. Peter also brought about a new poll tax. This helped supply funding for an active foreign policy and it boosted trade and manufacturing.

The Peterhof buildings started as several wooden houses that were built for the convenience of Peter the Great of Russia. He wanted a place to rest from a long and tiring trip so the site of the Peterhof was chosen, a perfect place where he can see the fortification in Kronstadt and the naval yard. The sketching and planning of the construction of the Peterhof began after Peter conquered Sweden in the year 1710 and the building construction started by the year 1714.

Peterhof comprises several big parks, a magnificent water fountain (link to http://www.ethanpaulfountains.com) system, the Great Palace as well as a number of pavilions and buildings containing a lot of art treasures. The palace was used as the Russian imperial family’s splendid summer residence. Peter was totally amazed with the magnificent buildings in France that he decided to build Russian Versailles. After he built the Mon Plaisir Palace, “My pleasure”, the castle park and the buildings were constantly expanded. The Grand Palace the largest of Peterhof's palaces that looks truly imposing, the Marly Palace that overlooked the poultry houses, fishponds, vegetable gardens, cellars, greenhouses and orchards that has become the Upper Gardens and the pavilion known as the 'Hermitage' which is originally intended to be a dining room to receive other royals, though not completed until the year after Peter the Great's death. The Hermitage was designed by J. Braunstein and completed by Mikhail Zemtsov, this palace features one of the first elevators in Russia and very large windows to view the grounds.

All these buildings were raised during the initial construction of Peterhof during the reign of Peter the Great and are considered as historic royal buildings. After Peter died, Empress Elizabeth, who ordered the expansion of the Grand Palace and greatly extended the park and the famous system of fountains, includes the truly spectacular Grand Cascade. During Catherine the Great's reign later in the century, Francesco Bartholomeo Rastrelli also crafted the final look of Peterhof. Improvements to the park continued throughout the 18th and 19th centuries. The palace was badly damaged during the Second World War but many effects had beforehand been stored.