The northern capital is one of the most beautiful cities in Eastern Europe. Its streets and squares are witnesses to the glorious history of the city on the Neva. The names of many of them remind of the heroes, thanks to whom Leningrad survived during the Second World War. Among them is the Square of Courage in St. Petersburg. This article is devoted to its description, history and the sights there. We hope it will be useful not only for tourists, but also for residents of the Northern capital, who rarely visit the Vyborg district and are new to its transport infrastructure.
History of creation and renaming
Until 1960, the area formed by the intersection of Bolshaya and Malaya Spassky streets, as well as Alekseevsky and Staro-Pargolovsky avenues was called Spasskaya. There was a wooden Transfiguration Chapel. She was assigned to the church of St. Equal to the Apostles Prince Vladimir. Before the revolution, during the Orthodox holiday of the Transfiguration of the Lord, a religious procession was organized to her from the nearby Vladimir Church.
In 1963, the area of courage in St. Petersburg began to radically rebuild, and it acquired its modern shape. 2 streets were straightened. Of these, the Polytechnic was renamed Prospect of the Unconquered and significantly expanded. On May 15, 1965, it received its modern name, and a year later a circular driveway was opened across the square.
Description
In the second half of 1960-1970, several houses of the old pre-revolutionary buildings were demolished on the Square of Courage, and typical residential multi-story buildings were erected instead. On two of them you can see commemorative inscriptions - "1941" and "1945" years. The remaining details of the decoration of the Square of Courage in St. Petersburg are also devoted to the great feat of Soviet soldiers during the Second World War. In its center is a large lawn, tram tracks and trees. In 1980, a project was developed for the construction of an underpass, but it was not implemented.
Square
On the corner of Polytechnic Street and Toreza Avenue, next to Courage Square in St. Petersburg, there is a small grove pleasing to the eye. Until 2010, she was nameless. However, in honor of the celebration of the 65th anniversary of the Great Victory, the authorities of the Northern capital decided that from now on this green zone would be called the Blockade Square, since in the post-war years it was equipped with the inhabitants of Leningrad, who survived the very legendary 900 days and nights that forever went down in world history. The grove was landscaped, and today it covers an area of more than a thousand square meters. There are many trees planted and benches for rest. In the spring, in the Square of the blockade, flowerbeds break and the bushes of lilac, mockbug and weigels blossom.
Metro station “Square of courage”
This object of transport infrastructure of St. Petersburg was opened in 1975. It became part of the metro line Lesnaya - Akademicheskaya, which belongs to the Kirov-Vyborg line.
The ground lobby of the Square of Courage metro station was designed by Soviet architects A. Svirsky, E. Rapoport and P. Yushkantsev. A few years later, building No. 17 located on Polytechnic Street was attached to it. From the ground lobby you can get directly to the Square of Courage. Previously, there was a second exit leading to the yards of Polytechnic Street. However, it is impossible to use it now. In 2004, the station lighting system was replaced.
Decor
The decor of the Square of Courage station was designed in such a way that everything around reminded the metro passengers of the unparalleled courage of the defenders of Leningrad and local residents, who steadfastly endured all the hardships of the blockade and did not give their beloved city to the enemy.
The wall cladding is made of gray upscale marble, and the floor is laid with granite of the same color. The southern end of the entrance to the Square of Courage station is decorated with a relief inscription “Glory to the heroes, you, Leningrad, who have defended!”, And the opposite wall is covered with strips of aluminum with decorative riveting. It is crowned with a 5-pointed star illuminated from the inside, made of stainless steel, which during the Second World War was associated primarily with the Workers 'and Peasants' Red Army.
Lighting the underground lobby of the station is organized through a variety of original lighting fixtures. In their design, they resemble the cups of the Eternal Flame and are installed above the travel areas. Most of the fixtures are placed in groups of 3 pieces. However, the extreme ones, located in the immediate vicinity of the station ends, are assembled in groups of 6 pieces.
Area of courage: how to get there
When traveling around St. Petersburg, locals and guests of the Northern capital, as a rule, do not have any problems, since the city has a well-established transport infrastructure. The most convenient way to get to the Square of Courage is the metro. In addition, there are public transport stops right next to the ground lobby of this station . They are included in the routes of trolleybuses No. 4, 6, 13 and 31, trams No. 38, 40, 55 and 61, as well as buses No. 1Ma, 9, 40, 138 and minibuses No. K10, K50, K94, K123 and many other
sights
As already mentioned, unfortunately, when the Square of Courage of St. Petersburg, the area that surrounded it, was built, it became the venue for large-scale work on the construction of typical residential buildings. To clean up the territory for their construction, many houses of pre-revolutionary buildings and the first decades of the Soviet period were demolished, including those representing cultural and historical value. Only two objects have survived, which today are rightfully considered attractions of the Vyborg region. These include:
- Kotlov's mansion. This house, whose construction was completed in 1914, is distinguished by its original Art Nouveau architecture, which sets it apart from the faceless buildings of the second half of the 20th century. From a distance, the mansion resembles an old castle with a tower, on the roof of which at one time an observation deck was built with decorative loopholes decorated with bas-reliefs.
- Round baths. The building with an outdoor pool was built in the late 30s of the last century and is one of the examples of architecture in the style of Leningrad constructivism. Few people know that these public baths worked throughout the blockade, with the exception of a short break in the winter of 1941-1942, when it was not possible to supply water and there was no fuel.
Now you know what is interesting and where is the Square of Courage in St. Petersburg. Of course, it doesn’t have such famous sights as the Senate or Palace, but its visit can be interesting to anyone who wants to just relax in the Blockade Square, as well as see the Round Baths and the house of the merchant D. Kotlov, which are monuments of St. Petersburg architecture of different periods .