Peterhof
“Peterhof” deck manufactured at the St Petersburg Colour Printing Plant in 1999.
Peterhof souvenir deck manufactured by the St Petersburg Colour Printing Plant (Kombinat Tsvetnoi Pechati) in 1999 with court cards depicting representatives of the Russian Romanov dynasty who were rulers from 1613 until the Russian Revolution of February 1917. The designs were originally published by Piatnik as “Romanow (nr. 1141)” in 1997. Peterhof Palace was founded at the beginning of the 18th century and became the Russian Tsars’ summer residence during the 18th-19th centuries. It contains the world’s largest system of fountains and water cascades.
Each court card portrays a Tsar or Tsarina whose life and fate was associated with the Palace. The three named Jokers are Aleksandr Menshikov (statesman and friend of Tsar Peter the Great), Grigorii Rasputin (mystic and self-proclaimed holy man who befriended the family of Nicholas II, the last Emperor of Russia), and Ernst Johann von Biron (briefly regent of the Russian Empire in 1740).
Above: “Peterhof” deck manufactured at the St Petersburg Colour Printing Plant in 1999. 52 cards + 3 jokers + extra card in box. The three jokers depict Rasputin, Biron and Menshikov. The deck had been printed previously by Piatnik with the title “Romanow (nr. 1141)” in 1997.
Above: Peterhof Palace was founded at the beginning of the 18th century and was the Russian Tsars’ summer residence in the 18th-19th centuries.
NOTE: a pack of the same name was published by Mednyi Vsadnik as a photographic souvenir of the Peterhof palace, treasures, fountains and gardens. Extra descriptive notes courtesy Peter Burnett.
By Simon Wintle
Member since February 01, 1996
I am the founder of The World of Playing Cards (est. 1996), a website dedicated to the history, artistry and cultural significance of playing cards and tarot. Over the years I have researched various areas of the subject, acquired and traded collections and contributed as a committee member of the IPCS and graphics editor of The Playing-Card journal. Having lived in Chile, England, Wales, and now Spain, these experiences have shaped my work and passion for playing cards. Amongst my achievements is producing a limited-edition replica of a 17th-century English pack using woodblocks and stencils—a labour of love. Today, the World of Playing Cards is a global collaborative project, with my son Adam serving as the technical driving force behind its development. His innovative efforts have helped shape the site into the thriving hub it is today. You are warmly invited to become a contributor and share your enthusiasm.
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