The St. Petersburg Admiralty building is one of the most recognizable symbols of the city. It was built under Peter I and has since been used as the location of colleges, ministries and other government agencies.
The brainchild of Peter I
The importance that the Admiralty building represents for the city is underlined by the fact that it was erected immediately after the founding of the new capital. Peter I personally was involved in the development of the plan and blueprint of the shipyard, necessary for the construction and parking of ships. All the necessary preparatory work was done in just a few months, and in 1705 the very first Admiralty building appeared.
Due to the fact that at that time Russia was at war with Sweden (including at sea), all business buildings were fenced with a fortress wall and protective bastions. They were necessary in the event of the siege of St. Petersburg, although they were never used. The first ship, completely made in the Admiralty, was launched in 1706.
Then an order appeared (an analogue of the ministry), which was responsible for the entire Russian fleet. So Peter I was finally able to realize his dream of a new capital of the country, which, in addition, was the heart of its shipbuilding.
At that time, in addition to administrative buildings, forges, workshops and boathouses were located here, where new ships were created. The Admiralty Canal was built along the building, which became part of a single system of city canals. Thus, this place was also an important transport hub.
Spire boat
For the first time, the Admiralty building was rebuilt in 1711, and eight years later it received its famous spire. At the very top there was a ship figure made by Dutch masters famous for their love of the fleet. It was their European experience that Peter tried to instill in the city of his dreams.
There are still sharp debates about the ship on the spire by researchers and local historians. There is no unified theory about his prototype. There are two popular points of view. One says that the model of the ship was the first ship to receive St. Petersburg at its port. From the very beginning, life was in full swing here, and the convenient shipyard became the home of many crews. According to another theory, the ship’s figure was drawn from the silhouette of the frigate “Eagle”. This was the first warship of the Russian fleet, built by order of the father of Peter, Alexei Mikhailovich, in the 60s of the XVII century.
The spire of the Admiralty was repaired several times. During these procedures, the boat was changed. At the same time, the original figure, made by the Dutch during the years of Peter I, was lost. The spire immediately attracted the inhabitants of the city. For them, he became an unofficial symbol of St. Petersburg. The ship of the Admiralty in this rank can successfully argue with the Bronze Horseman, movable bridges and the Peter and Paul Cathedral.
In the 18th century
Over the long years of its existence, the Admiralty building in St. Petersburg was rebuilt several times. In the 1730s architect Ivan Korobov erected a new stone building, replacing obsolete buildings. At the same time, the author of the project retained the old Peter's layout, but changed the appearance, giving it monumentality.
The importance of the presentability of the facade was extremely high, because the Main Admiralty was located at the intersection of the central and busiest streets of the capital - Nevsky Prospekt, Voznesensky Prospekt and Gorokhovskaya Street. Then the so-called “needle” appeared - a gilded spire.
Over the next decades, the city authorities systematically engaged in the refinement and reconstruction of the areas adjacent to the complex. During the holidays, they became a favorite place for festivities. At the end of the reign of Elizabeth Petrovna, the meadow surrounding the building was completely tiled. This walking route immediately became popular among residents and visitors of the city.
The water area around the Admiralty served as the central platform for naval naval exercises. The channel, the former transport artery inside the city, was periodically clogged. When Elizaveta Petrovna began to carry out regular work to clean it.
Zakharov's project
In the middle of the 18th century, the Winter Palace was built. It corresponded to a style that was later called Elizabethan Baroque. The palace was very close to the Admiralty. Their striking dissimilarity and belonging to different eras easily caught my eye. Therefore, at the beginning of the 19th century, the city authorities considered several projects to update and rebuild the Admiralty building.
Andreyan Zakharov was chosen to be the lead architect. He began work in 1806 and passed away before he could see his brainchild. His project was continued by the students. They did not change the basic messages and intentions of Zakharov.
The new facade of the Admiralty
According to the proposal of the architect, almost the entire Main Admiralty was rebuilt. From the old building there was only a former tower, on which rested a gilded spire with a boat. The previous fortifications remaining in the city from the time of the Northern War were demolished. Now the capital was enjoying a peaceful life, and the need for bastions disappeared. In the liberated place appeared a boulevard popular among Petersburg residents. Now here is the no less popular Alexander Garden.
The duration of the new facade reached 400 meters. All architectural decisions of Zakharov were implemented with only one goal - to emphasize the key importance of the Admiralty building in the guise of the capital. G. St. Petersburg, both then and now, is difficult to imagine without the famous facade of this administrative complex.
Building decoration
Restoration work of the XIX century added to the ensemble of the Main Admiralty many new sculptures that complement the rich image of the building. Decorative reliefs created by Russian masters depicted antique plots and allegories, as well as the history of the creation of the fleet in Russia. All this emphasized the imperial status of a great sea power, whose ships plowed all the seas of the world.
In the year the building was built (1823), according to Zakharov’s project, the complex acquired its own unique interior. Most of it has survived to the present day and today is of great cultural value. Important features of the halls of the Admiralty are their distinctive severity combined with rich and bright lighting, creating an amazing atmosphere.
Fleet Citadel
An interesting history of the Admiralty includes different periods of its use. Initially, according to the precepts of Peter, the naval board was in the building, and later - the Naval Ministry.
Also here was the headquarters, whose members were the most titled admirals of the empire. It was in these walls that decisions were made on the eve of key military campaigns in the history of the Romanovs. The strategy, born and agreed upon in the Admiralty, was used during naval operations in the Crimean and World War I.
Naval museum
Civilians had access to only some of the buildings of the huge complex. In particular, from the very appearance of the Admiralty, the Naval Museum was opened in it. The most important monuments of the Petrine era were stored here. For example, these were ship models, drawings and personal correspondence of the first emperor regarding the creation of the Baltic Fleet.
Until 1939, this rich museum hosted the Admiralty building. Architect Zakharov expanded the area for expositions, which, with each generation, increased and increased. In the Stalin era, the museum moved to the building of the former St. Petersburg Stock Exchange on the spit of Vasilyevsky Island.
At the last Romanovs
The construction of ships in the Admiralty ended in 1844. All equipment was transferred to the Novoadmiralteysky shipyard. Because of this, the need for channels surrounding the complex has disappeared. They fell asleep. So at this place appeared Horse Guards Boulevard.
In 1863, by decree of Emperor Alexander II, a small church inside the Admiralty complex received the status of the Cathedral of St. Spyridon of Trimyphuntus. Then the bell tower was erected. These changes could not but affect the appearance of a huge building. The Orthodox Church did not like the reliefs depicting pagan gods - characters of ancient mythological plots.
For some time there was a stubborn struggle between the clergy and the Ministry of the Sea. In the end, Alexander II agreed to make concessions to the church. The building was deprived of several sculptures and other objects of art. The destruction of the monuments took place, despite the active protest of architects and artists of St. Petersburg.
In 1869, the Admiralty tower acquired its own dial, discharged from Europe. He sagged for forty years, after which he was replaced by the latest electric counterpart during the reign of Nicholas II. The Admiralty often became the place of work of members of the Romanov dynasty, as some relatives of the tsars received the highest ranks in the fleet. For example, Grand Duke Konstantin Nikolaevich was in charge of the entire Ministry of the Sea from 1855 to 1881.
Modernity
After the October Revolution, the Bolshevik government placed a naval school in the building. Soon it received the name of Felix Dzerzhinsky. The institution also trained engineers. In this regard, in the 30s, the Admiralty was a strategically important laboratory for the production of engines for missiles.
Fortunately, the building was almost not affected by German air raids during the blockade of Leningrad. The famous spire with a boat was sheathed. The last major restoration of the building took place in the Brezhnev era in 1977.
In the post-Soviet era, there is a heated debate among Petersburg residents about the future fate of the Admiralty. In 2013, an Orthodox church appeared in a tower with a spire, at the opening of which was attended by the highest generals of the Russian fleet.