The beautiful Repin Square in St. Petersburg near the Staro-Kalinkin bridge is located near the Fontanka River, at the intersection of Rimsky-Korsakov Avenue, Sadovaya and Pilot Street. The small history of this patch of land will be described in detail by this article.
Start began: Kalinkina village
When Petersburg was built up, old villages previously existed in the current center. It happened with Repin Square. At the place where the Staro-Kalinkin bridge with its beautiful towers crosses the Fontanka River and there is a modern square, named after the Russian artist Ilya Efimovich Repin, there was a village called Kalinkina.
Even before St. Petersburg, in these places, in the lower reaches of the Fontanka, there was the Finnish village of Kallola, or Kallina, which was renamed in the Russian manner to Kalinkina. It existed until the 18th century, until the borders of St. Petersburg increased and “swallowed” it, making it part of the city.
Construction of the Staro-Kalinkin bridge
Staro-Kalinkin bridge acted as a border object. This is one of the places where Petersburg began and ended in the 18th century. Initially, it was wooden, its construction began in 1730. Later, from 1783 to 1786, the bridge was redesigned. The way he looked in those days, we can observe today.
There were only seven such border bridges crossing the Fontanka. Only the Staro-Kalinkin and Chernyshevsky bridge, which is located next to the Sadovaya metro station, have survived to this day. Four through towers are installed on them. The middle span rose and passed ships. The mechanisms that raise the bridge were just in these towers. Now, as unnecessary, the middle span has been made inseparable, the mechanisms have been removed, but the towers have remained to this day as an architectural monument of past centuries.
As soon as you pass the bridge, you find yourself in Repin Square.
Kalinkina square
The square, named after the village of the same name, was supposed to "open" Petersburg for those entering. A state decree of 1766 by Catherine II read:
Appointed ... at No. 3, the square will be introduced to everyone approaching the city from the Livonian side. Such a facade, which is composed of the Commission and the Highest (Imperial) approbation will be awarded.
... not for one bargain, but following the example of other European cities and for decorating the city.
Thus, Kalinkina and similar squares along the Fontanka were the "front gate" to the city. And most of the projects of such areas were executed in the form of a semicircle in a uniform ceremonial-architectural appearance. However, the modern Repin Square in St. Petersburg turned out to be a triangular shape, since in order to create a semicircular shape, historical Kolomna would have to be rebuilt, as well as the Griboedov Canal, the former Krivusha River, interfered with.
Here, in a square in the square, one of the milestones was installed. Peter I ordered the wooden ones to be installed, and his daughter, Catherine II, issued a decree to replace these pillars with stone ones on October 22, 1772. So, this milestone stands today and indicates the distance of 26 miles to the royal residence in Peterhof.
Life of I. E. Repin in a house on the square
As soon as life in Moscow began to tire the famous 38-year-old artist, he again moved to St. Petersburg. Here he settled in the house 3/5 on Kalinkina Square in the autumn of 1882. Having lived in this house until 1895, he painted his famous canvases. This is "Ivan the Terrible and his son Ivan", "Cossacks write a letter to the Turkish Sultan" and the picture "Did not wait."
His apartment number 1, which he first rented, consisted of seven rooms. The corner room was the largest and served as an artist in a workshop in which he spent a lot of time. Friends of Ilya Efimovich came here, the famous artist V. A. Serov was a frequent guest.
In 1887, at the numerous requests of I.E. Repin, the owner of the building built on the attic floor. Then the artist moved to apartment number 5 and his attic made exactly the attic. It was during this period that he painted many of his famous canvases.
Monument to Repin on Bolotnaya Square in Moscow
This monument was erected in honor of the famous Russian artist Ilya Efimovich Repin on September 29, 1958. It is located near the Repin embankment and Luzhkov bridge. The nearest station to the monument is Tretyakovskaya. The place was chosen for a reason, and since the Tretyakov Gallery is nearby, in which numerous paintings by the artist were exhibited. Many paintings are kept here to this day. Previously, Bolotnaya Square was called Repin Square in the period from 1962 to 1992.
The monument depicts Ilya Repin in full growth in a working environment with a palette in his left and brushes in his right hand. Made of bronze, it stands on a high stone pedestal with a cartouche on which the inscription is made: "To the great Russian artist Ilya Repin from the government of the Soviet Union."
Neighborhood of Repin Square in St. Petersburg
At the intersection of three streets is located Kolomenskaya fire station. Previously, a beautiful portico of six columns somewhat brightened the atmosphere in the square. However, in the middle of the XIX century the building was rebuilt. Made of brick, it has come down to our time and looks pretty boring. Now there is only a fire tower.
On the other side of Repin Square on Pilot Street stands the building of St. Petersburg State Marine Technical University. Before perestroika, half of the university’s premises were occupied by warehouse buildings with provisions. Pilot Street was named in honor of the pilots who lived here earlier, who are specialists in escorting ships in the complex fairways of the Gulf of Finland. This street stretches from the square and rests against the river Buckle.
Here, between the Fontanka and the square, there is an island that occupies the Admiralty Association. This is the oldest enterprise in the city, founded almost from the foundation of St. Petersburg by Peter I.
A small square spread out on the square itself, equipped by the local merchant Landrin, who owned all the square’s houses on the northeast side. Square is also called bald.