One of the most famous historical areas in such a metropolis as St. Petersburg is Vasilievsky Island. Its sights are located mainly on the embankment of the river. The Big Neva, which washes it on one side, and the waters of the Baltic Sea (the Gulf of Finland), the Malaya Neva and Smolenka rivers splash on the other.
History of Vasilievsky Island
This is the largest island on the Neva, covering an area of 1050 hectares. For many years he remained unpopulated until Peter I presented it to A. D. Menshikov, where he built his castle, now called the Menshikov Palace.
Active development of the island began only in the 18th century, when the king decided to make the center of the capital there. Its eastern edge - Vasilievskaya arrow - was conceived as quarters for the aristocracy. The arrow is actually an artificial part of the island. It was designed by the architect Tom de Tomon during the reign of Tsar Alexander I, who also presented the idea of the entire architectural ensemble of the Neva embankment.
Tourists and guests coming to St. Petersburg, Vasilievsky Island, sights and its promenade always visit, because this area is one of the oldest and most beautiful places in the city.
Exchange and rostral columns
The decoration of the Vasilyevsky arrow was the building of the Trade Exchange (1810), built in the 19th century. The snow-white building, made in the Empire style, is decorated with a colonnade. The descent and the stairs in front of the Exchange are located in a semicircle. The building itself looks like an ancient Greek temple, and groups of sculptures near the entrance complement this similarity.
Two rostral columns were installed on both sides of the square. They got their name from the bow of the ship (rostr). Initially, the columns served as beacons installed for ships to enter the trading port. There were luminary bowls above, and each captain of a sailing ship knew: since the rostral columns were shining, St. Petersburg was waiting for guests.
At the foot of the columns are allegorical marine sculptures (authors J. Kamberlen, S. Sukhanov and F. Thibault), symbolizing the four large Russian rivers.
Sights and museums in St. Petersburg, Vasilievsky island
Now the island is the cultural and administrative center of the city. Right along the University Embankment there are many interesting museums:
- Kunstkamera - a museum of rarities and wonders, which was still beginning to collect Tsar Peter I; interest in its exhibits is extremely large, and therefore the museum often carries its exhibitions around the cities of Russia.
- The Central Naval Museum has collected about 2 thousand unique models of ships, which are truly masterpieces of art; collections of weapons and flags, marine equipment. It was founded by Peter I at the Admiralty in 1709.
- Zoological Museum - presents all animals of the world (from birds to whales) of natural zones from the equator to the Arctic Circle.
- Menshikov Palace - today represents the Museum of Russian Culture of the 18th century.
- Museum of Soil Science.
- Museum of the History of St. Petersburg University.
- Literary Museum, etc.
- Academy of Sciences and Academy of Arts (built in 1757).
How to get to Vasilievsky island
Tourists need to consider that in such a peculiar city as St. Petersburg, Vasilievsky Island, you can see its sights only during the day, because ground transport crosses bridges over the Neva. Bridges are drawn every night to ensure the passage of river and sea vessels along the Neva.
On Vasilievsky Island there are a large number of cafes and restaurants, located river and sea stations, metro.