The first wooden gate on this important historical site of St. Petersburg was built at the beginning of the XVIII century. A few years later they were rebuilt according to the project of one famous Italian architect and became stone. And later they were rebuilt several times by different architects. The last rebuild was completed at the end of the 18th century.
The Neva Gate of the Peter and Paul Fortress is the main water gate on the Hare Island of St. Petersburg, leading to the Commandant's Wharf. They are located between two bastions: Gosudarev and Naryshkin. This is the only way out of the fortress to the Neva River.
General information about the Peter and Paul Fortress
Before moving on to the description of the Neva Gate of the Peter and Paul Fortress, we will provide some information about the entire complex, which is the first grandiose building in St. Petersburg. It was in this place by Peter I that the city on the Neva was founded in 1703. Since the territory became part of the Russian Empire in the course of hostilities with Sweden, the citadel was also built to protect against the Swedes.
Due to the fact that the fortress was laid on the island, fortress guns had to defend the city along two large branches of the river. The borders of St. Petersburg were protected by the Kronstadt fortress, built in 1704. Already in 1705, the Admiralty Shipyard (the first industrial construction) was opened on the Admiralty Island.
Today, the fortress is an object of cultural and historical heritage of the northern capital of Russia. Although it is an open-air museum, it should be remembered that this is a real and powerful fort, which was always ready to repel any enemy attack.
In addition to the Neva Gate of the fortress, there are others. Let's introduce them briefly.
Gate of the Peter and Paul Fortress
There are only four of them in the citadel, and they are located according to the cardinal points.
- From the west are Vasilievsky Gate. They serve as an entrance through the Vasilievsky curtain, facing the island of the same name (hence the name of the gate).
- From the north, the Nikolsky Gate is the entrance to the museum. In the original draft of 1703, they were not. They were created in the Nikolsky curtain only during the reconstruction of a wooden fortress in a stone (25 years after its inception).
- Nevsky Gate - the southern entrance to the fortress, on the river side (hence the name). Previously, it was possible to get through them to the fortress only by mooring to the pier.
- On the eastern side are the most magnificent and beautiful gates - Petrovsky. They were built of wood in 1708, and 10 years later they were rebuilt in stone. This gate is a monument to Peter's Baroque, designed by the famous architect Domenico Trezzini. On both sides of them, in niches, are placed statues that personify “Courage” and “Prudence”.
Above the arch of Peter's Gate there is a double-headed lead eagle, over which there is a wooden bas-relief called “The Overthrow of Simon the Magus by the Apostle Peter”, where Simon is identified with the King of Sweden Charles XII, and the apostle with Tsar Peter I. The painting is a symbol of Russia's victory over the Swedes in Northern war.
A Brief History of the Neva Gate of the Peter and Paul Fortress
The first wooden gate on this historic site of St. Petersburg was built in the years 1714-16. The stone gate was built in 1720 according to the project of the architect D. Trezzini (an outstanding Italian architect from the time of Peter I). Then they were rebuilt several times by different masters. The last version of the gate was created and built by the architect N.A. Lvov from 1784 to 1787.
This gate is also called the "Gate of Death." They received this name in connection with the fact that through them prisoners sentenced to death were taken from the Peter and Paul dungeons. On the Neva they were taken to the place of execution. However, there is a positive legend about these gates, which says that through them the “grandfather of the Russian fleet” was brought into the fortress.
Description of the Neva Gate
Nevsky Gate (St. Petersburg) - an architectural monument of classicism.
The height of the structure in the latest version is 12 meters, the width is 12.2 meters. They are installed on a base, the height of which is almost a meter. To the left and right of the arch are double columns supporting a triangular pediment. The columns and the base are made of Serdobol silver-white polished granite. The decoration on the pediment is an image in the form of an anchor with crossed branches of palm trees and a waving ribbon (work of an unknown sculptor). There is also a gilded inscription - the date the gate was created. Along the edges of the pediment - two bombs with flames.
The arch of the Neva Gate of the Peter and Paul Fortress, protruding from the curtain, looks like a classic portico.
Modern fortress, purpose
The official name of the historical core of the city is the Petrograd Fortress (1914-1917) and the St. Petersburg Fortress. It is listed in the Museum of the History of St. Petersburg. A symbolic shot is fired daily at noon from the signal cannon from the Naryshkin bastion.
In 1991, a monument to the Great Peter the Great was erected on the territory (the work of the sculptor Shemyakin). Since the beginning of the 21st century, various entertaining events and excursions have been held on the beach of the Peter and Paul Fortress. The Museum of Cosmonautics and Rocket Technology also works here. In 2005, a grand piano was installed in the flag tower, which is periodically played by famous musicians from around the world.
How to get there
The hare island is open daily for tourists from 6.00 a.m. to 9 p.m., and the complex itself (respectively, the Neva Gate of the Peter and Paul Fortress) - from 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. 2 bridges lead to the island: Kronverksky, Ioannovsky.
Not far from the fortress is the Gorkovskaya metro station, from which it is a 5-10 minute walk to the historical citadel.