Most often, tourists study only the “ceremonial” St. Petersburg. Krasnogvardeiskaya Square, located in the same district of the city, on the banks of the Okhta narrow river, as a rule, is not among the objects they visit. But just two hundred meters to the west of it flows the Neva, immediately after which begins the historical part of St. Petersburg. So, maybe it’s worth a couple of hours to study the “unknown” areas of the Northern capital?
Description
Krasnogvardeiskaya Square is divided into two parts by the Okhta River. Connects them steel Komarovsky bridge. The right-bank, larger in size, part of the area resembles a fan in shape. Important city arteries converge here, experiencing serious traffic load throughout the day: Yakornaya Street, Bolsheokhtinsky, Sredneokhtinsky, as well as Shaumyan Avenue.
The construction of the area is multi-storey, mainly late Soviet, in an industrial table, without any frills. The first buildings were erected on it in the 60s. These are three houses of the same type with seven floors, which in their shape successfully repeat the curved right-bank contour of the square.
How to get there
Krasnogvardeiskaya square has good transport accessibility. It can be reached by almost any type of public transport in St. Petersburg. Trolleybus routes (No. 7, 16, 18 and 33), trams (No. 10 and 23) and city buses (No. 5, 15, 22, 105, 132, 136, 174, 181) pass through it.
In addition, Krasnogvardeiskaya Square can be reached by metro. The nearest station is Novocherkasskaya on the Right Bank line, which is located 1.5 km south.
Krasnogvardeiskaya square: history
The area near the mouth of the Okhta River began to be actively built up in the middle of the 20th century. In 1962, a new square was formed, which was called Krasnogvardeiskaya. The origin of this toponym can be explained by the fact that the barracks and the temple of the Novocherkassky regiment were located nearby. It was on its basis in 1918 that the first infantry battalions of the Red Army were formed.
In the 1960-1970s, Krasnogvardeiskaya Square was overgrown with massive structures. Among them are three large residential buildings and one industrial building. The construction was carried out under the guidance of famous Soviet architects - F. A. Gepner, A. K. Barutchev and A. Sh. Tevyan.
In February 1983, it was decided to perpetuate the memory of the recently deceased General Secretary of the CPSU Central Committee Leonid Ilyich Brezhnev in the name of the square. A commemorative stele was also installed on it with the corresponding text, reminiscent of this event.
Central Engineering Design Bureau
This institution is known by the abbreviation TsKBM. Address: 195112 (zip code), Krasnogvardeiskaya Square (St. Petersburg), 3 lit. E. The Bureau was founded immediately after the war. In 1972, a massive structure of glass and reinforced concrete was erected for him. He is crowned by a huge square glass superstructure, which is popularly called the "Bull Tower" or "TV". Today, the building, as before, supplements the architectural ensemble of the modern Krasnogvardeiskaya Square.
TsKBM is one of the world leaders in the development of nuclear power plants. The experience of the bureau specialists is actively used in the creation of equipment for nuclear plants located in several European countries (Czech Republic, Slovakia, Bulgaria and others). The company's products are of high quality and technical characteristics, as well as a relatively low cost, which attracts customers from abroad.
Interesting Facts
Despite the “youth” of Krasnogvardeiskaya Square, it has many secrets that are known only to the old residents of St. Petersburg:
- Earlier, on the site of the KBM building, the church of Alexander Nevsky towered the 145th Infantry Regiment. The shrine was destroyed in the 20s of the twentieth century.
- In 1988, in the wake of perestroika, the square was renamed for the second time.
- In Russia there are only a few such objects, of which the bridge is a part.
- The modern Krasnogvardeiskaya Square is located on the site of the former Swedish fortress Nyenschanz. It was founded at the beginning of the 17th century by King Charles IX on lands annexed by Russia under the far-fetched pretext of its failure to comply with the Vyborg Treaty.
- The left-bank part was officially annexed only in 1983. It is adjacent to the territory of the archaeological site "Nienschanz".
Komarovsky and Bolsheokhtinsky bridges
From Krasnogvardeiskaya Square, you can easily get to the left-bank areas of the city. To do this, go along the transport line formed by Komarovsky and Bolsheokhtinsky bridges. The first of them was built in 1960 on the site of a movable wooden bridge that existed since the 18th century, which was popularly called Humpback. The project was developed by engineers V.V. Zaitsev, B. B. Levin and architect L. A. Noskov. The bridge (length - 72.7 m, width - 47 m) has a reinforced concrete structure with spans in the form of a 2-pair frame on reinforced concrete supports, which, like the facades of the spans, are faced with granite.
The construction of the second building was begun at the beginning of the last century, the grand opening took place in 1909. Before the October Revolution, the bridge bore the name of Peter the Great. In 1993, its design underwent major changes, the purpose of which was to improve its functionality.
Nearby Attractions (Krasnogvardeisky District)
The square, which previously bore the name of L. Brezhnev, is one of the decorations of the historical area, which has more than once become the arena of the struggle of Novgorodians and Swedes.
The Krasnogvardeisky district, covering vast expanses on the banks of the Neva, cannot, alas, boast a large list of cultural and architectural monuments. Nevertheless, there are sights! And many tourists coming to St. Petersburg should at least occasionally look at the right bank of the Neva.
The Okhta cape area is a real storehouse of archaeological sites. The site of an ancient man was discovered here, the settlement of the Novgorod Republic is located, as well as the remains of the Swedish stronghold of Nyenschanz. In the Krasnogvardeisky district, several ancient manor complexes have been preserved. This is the so-called Utkina dacha, the Zhernovka estate, the Kushelev-Bezborodko estate. The latter, by the way, is reliably guarded by cast-iron lions and sphinxes, near which Petersburgers are very fond of organizing photo shoots.
Now you know how the north-eastern part of St. Petersburg can please tourists. Krasnogvardeiskaya Square is a monument of architecture of the late Soviet period, which may interest foreign visitors with its laconic and yet thoughtful and completed appearance. Do not believe? Check it out!