Czaar Peterhuisje

Description

The "Czaar Peterhuisje" in #Zaandam (Noord-Holland), a 1632 wooden worker's cottage built from old ship timber, is one of the Netherlands' oldest surviving timber structures. In 1697, 25-year-old Tsar Peter the Great, traveling incognito as Pjotr Michajlov to study shipbuilding, stayed there for eight days with blacksmith Gerrit Kist. His 2.04m height and Russian entourage quickly betrayed his identity, prompting a move to Amsterdam. Saved from demolition in the late 18th century, the house was purchased in 1818 by King Willem I as a gift for his Russian daughter-in-law Anna Paulowna, descendant of Peter. It remained royal family property, passing through generations, with protective stone coverings added, first in 1823, then a grander Russian-inspired one in 1895 by architects Gerlof and Abraham Salm. Both the cottage and its ornate 1895 enclosure are national monuments, managed by the Zaans Museum. Inside, visitors find a bedstee, tiled hearth, portraits of Peter and Catherine I, his carved signatures alongside royals', a death mask, and even a 1897 tax notice for 5 cents. Restored in 2013, it hosts a small exhibit on Peter's visit. A replica stands in Moscow's Kolomenskoje since 2013, built jointly by Dutch and Russian forces.