Its Constitution Square exists not only in St. Petersburg, but also in huge Mexico City and small Luxembourg, Ukrainian Kharkov, Kiev, Donetsk and Spanish Cadiz, Girona, Malaga, Polish Warsaw and Greek Athens, in Russian Rostov-on-Don, Kostroma, Irkutsk, Tver and many other cities of the world.
The adoption of the basic law is an important point for any state, because it is clear that such events are widely reflected in urban place names. Constitution Square in St. Petersburg is relatively young. It was formed at the beginning of the 60s of the last century in the place where Krasnoputilkovskaya street and two avenues - Leninsky and Novoizmailovsky converge. In those days, the square was unofficially called Round. It is believed that the round end of traffic intersections reduces the risk of accidents at intersections. A little later, the square was dubbed Novoizmaylovskaya (in honor of the avenue of the same name).
It got its modern name a year after the adoption in October 1977 of the last Soviet constitution - "Brezhnev". III Constitution of the USSR, consolidating all the achievements of developed socialism, determined the life of the country for almost 15 years. Then the Soviet Union collapsed, the new state required new laws, which immediately appeared. The name has remained the same, although some indigenous Petersburgers believe that it should be concretized - "1977 Constitution Square".
Today the area is a convenient traffic intersection, but motorists complain about constant traffic jams and the lack of convenient parking. There are a number of interesting objects on the square. The building of the St. Petersburg Youth House with a glass facade is noteworthy.
Previously, the legendary Meridian Cinema was located here. Typical cinemas appeared in the USSR in the 1950-60s along with the construction of new residential areas. The first series of such buildings was not very successful: ordinary-looking boxes (such as "Youth" and "Sputnik") did not please the eye. And in 1963, the second model project for widescreen cinemas appeared, developed by a group of architects under the leadership of Viktor Belov. In total, 11 such buildings were erected in the city in the 1965-70s, the first of which was the Maxim Cinema. All buildings have a glazed facade, curved like a screen. If earlier there was a theater portal in cinemas, now its place has been replaced by a full-screen screen. The acoustics and general aesthetics of the auditorium have improved.
Today, all 11 of these typical cinemas are either dismantled or rebuilt for new theater and concert halls, as well as the famous Meridian. By the way, the name of the cinema was due to the fact that it was located near the famous Pulkovo meridian (previously it was mistakenly believed that the building was directly on its line). Screening films in the "Meridian" stopped back in the 90s. The building was occupied by the Leather Trade Center, which was badly damaged during the fire in 2004, after which the building was transferred to the Committee on Youth Policy under the Government of St. Petersburg, rebuilt and reconstructed.
Every fifth resident of the city is a representative of young people aged 14 to 30 years. Therefore, the committee has a lot of work. They supervise talented youth, engage in patriotic education, organize leisure for young citizens, including through modern forms: flash mobs, projects, promotions, quests; implement various student programs. The building has a concert hall for 700 people, which hosts numerous concerts, festivals, competitions, awards ceremonies.
On the south and west sides, the Constitution Square is balanced by two similar 8-story buildings, designed by architect G. L. Badalyan. Buildings of the 70-80s may seem boring, but things were really large-scale here. In one building there were several design institutes of the Ministry of
ferrous metallurgy, in another - also design institutes of the USSR Gosstroy. It was here, in these Soviet-style structures, that the projects of the largest metallurgical plants and mining enterprises were born.
At the address of Constitution Square, 7 is a modern building that has turned this area of the city into an office. In 2007, the Leader Group design bureau developed and constructed the tallest building in St. Petersburg - a skyscraper 140 meters high (40 floors). The Leader Tower business center is decorated with a tower resembling high-rise buildings in the United Arab Emirates, where a light advertisement is displayed around the clock . This is the most modern lighting in Russia. The building "Leader Tower" is a place for beauty salons and restaurants, gyms and offices. A high-speed elevator takes visitors to the 40th floor, where an observation deck is located, from where you can enjoy a bird's-eye view of Northern Venice.
Thus, the Constitution Square (St. Petersburg) has come a long way from the pompous Soviet square to the modern business center of the cultural capital of Russia. Here you can not only work, but also relax and have a snack in numerous cafes and restaurants.