Fountain "Samson", the full name of which sounds like "Samson tearing the lion's mouth", located in the central part of the basin of the Grand Cascade in the Lower Park. At the 3rd ehmetrovom granite pedestal the statue of the biblical hero Samson fighting a lion, and out of the mouth of a lion, torn hero, sees an unusually high water jet. At the feet of the statues are placed 8-gilded dolphin fountains, and in 4 niches at the base of the pedestal hit the water flows of 4 ex-lions' heads, which are the epitome of 4 ex-cardinal.

Fountain "Samson" is the largest and most powerful fountain Grand Cascade. A jet of water from its jet reaches a height of almost 21 meters.

Fountain "Samson" in Peterhof appeared in 1735 in honor of the 25th anniversary of the victory at Poltava over the Swedish Russian troops. Selecting the plot for the composition of the monument was not accidental. During the Northern War, the image of a lion on the Swedish coat of arms is a symbol of the enemy, and there was a battle of Poltava June 27, 1709, the day of St. Sampson. It is for this reason that the biblical Samson triumphing over the lion could more fully and artistically characterized by a Russian victory over Sweden.

The original sculpture was made of lead. Model developed by sculptor Bartolomeo Rastrelli. The idea of ​​the pedestal, according to some sources, belonged to the architect M. Zemtsov.

In 1802, lead sculpture, pretty oplyvshuyu, was replaced by a bronze. It was cast by the model M. Kozlovsky. Architect A. Voronikhin created a new pedestal with semicircular niches. They were placed golden lion heads, made by sculptor M. Dumninym.

During World War II the Germans have stolen the statue of Samson. There is a version that bronze was used for military purposes.

Restore the legendary Fountain was a matter of honor. In 1947, the sculptor V. Simonov, together with assistant N. Mikhailov carefully studied the pre-war photos of the fountain, and created a model in which the sculpture was cast in bronze at the Leningrad plant "Monumentskulptura." In September 1947, the fountain "Samson tearing the lion's mouth" was opened after restoration work. In 1956, on the preserved samples were recreated 8 bronze dolphins fountains.

At the end of December 2010 the statue was dismantled and sent for restoration, and in April 2011, returned to his seat.

There is a legend that "Samson" was not built in 1735, and 10 years earlier - in 1725, during the life of Catherine I, which, though, and expressed a desire, almost ascended the throne to perpetuate Russia's victory in the Battle of Poltava allegorical way of Samson killing the lion. Another legend tells that, supposedly, the fountain was built at all under Peter the Great, who spent "Samson" a big victory of the Russian fleet Gangut.