The list of the most romantic and interesting places in the northern capital of Russia rightfully includes the island of New Holland. In St. Petersburg for many years this territory was closed to the public. The island has acquired a unique look, which combines the features of various historical eras embodied in stone. New Holland in St. Petersburg is a masterpiece of architecture. It is built in the early classic Russian style.
Appearance story
New Holland in St. Petersburg is an artificial island. It appeared in 1717, after the construction work was completed on the territory between the Admiralty and Kryukov canals, as well as the Moika River, a drainage system. At the direction of Peter I, a wooden house was built on the island. In it, the king rested when he made trips to the Galery Palace, located nearby.
The area surrounding the house reminded Peter of Holland. That is why the island got its unusual name. The very house of the sovereign began to be called "Dutch." A little later, fruit trees were planted around the building, and a small pond was dug nearby.
Start of construction on the island
02/19/1731, it was decided to erect warehouses in New Holland, in which the ship forest was to be stored. The order was received by I.K. Korobov, who in those years held the position of chief architect of the Admiralty. In the summer of 1732, construction was started. It lasted six years. Already in 1738, seven buildings appeared around the entire perimeter of the island. The forest, which was stored in warehouses, was used by the Admiralty in the construction of ships. However, by 1750 all the buildings were dilapidated and were demolished.
Design of new facilities
On the island of New Holland in St. Petersburg, after the demolition of dilapidated warehouses, it was decided to build new ones. Korobov’s student, S. I. Chevakinsky, took up the design. Already in 1765, the results of his work appeared. The project developed by the architect involved storing logs using the latest Dutch technology. They should have been standing upright, while having a slight slope. The entire warehouse complex contained such an amount of forest that could be used for the construction of fifteen ships. Along the perimeter of the building it was supposed to arrange stone structures.
According to the architect's idea, the pond, which was excavated during the reign of Peter I, was supposed to turn into a rectangular pool. It became wider, connecting at the same time with the Hook Channel and the Sink with two ducts. As a result, New Holland turned out to be divided into two islands. One of them was called Pokrovsky, and the second - Kolomensky.
For the architectural design of the warehouse complex, architect J. B. Wallen-Delamot was called for help. The architect decided to avoid the gray monotony of buildings. He put forward a proposal for processing the facades of warehouses with a large rust. At the same time, tall arched windows were arranged in the buildings.
Construction of new facilities
04/13/1765 the Empress approved the project for the construction of structures on the island of New Holland in St. Petersburg. Four hundred masons were immediately involved in the construction. The engineer I.K. Gerard supervised all the work. However, the unexpected happened: in the summer of 1766, Gerard lost the project. This loss is evidenced by the announcement he gave in the newspaper St. Petersburg Vedomosti.
The famous arch, which is located on the island of New Holland (St. Petersburg) (see photo below), was built over eight years. The construction began in 1770. However, it turned out that it was built with errors. Because of this, after five years, the arch was dismantled, and in 1784 it was rebuilt. The height of the structure is twenty-three meters, and the span is a little more than eight meters. The arch is composed of granite blocks, each of which weighs about four tons.
In 1780, Gerard was replaced by the architect M. Veshnikov. The construction of warehouses along the Moika was completed in 1784 already under his supervision. Further construction was uneven, intermittently. From the courtyard side, the warehouses were built up to the height of the external facade at the beginning of the 19th century. In the years 1848-1849. The construction of the building located on the corner of Kryukov and the Admiralteysky Canals was completed. Next, the island was surrounded by a wall. However, they did this only from the Admiralty Channel.
In total, twenty-six buildings were erected on the island, the total length of which was two hundred and sixty meters. The height of these structures increased imperceptibly as they approached the arch.
The architect of the military department A. Staubert on the island of New Holland (St. Petersburg) designed the Sea Prison. This building was built in 1828. Working on the project, the architect called his brainchild "Tower". During the existence of the prison, its name in everyday life has constantly changed. As a result, it was popularly called the "Bottle". An expression existing in Russian is also associated with this building. When they say "Do not go into the bottle," they mean that you must behave wisely so as not to get where you should not.
New Holland - the island on which the forest was stored. For use in the construction of ships, this material was transported along the Admiralty Channel to the shipyard.
The fate of the territory after the October Revolution
In the Soviet period, the island of New Holland (St. Petersburg) was occupied by military units. They tried to sell this territory to foreign investors in the 1990s. However, deals were broken due to protracted negotiations with the military. At the beginning of this century, the director of the Mariinsky Theater Valery Gergiev put forward a proposal to transfer the island to the ownership of the northern capital.
The artist was planning to place a new stage in New Holland. However, a more positive decision was never made. Only in November 2004 the island came under the jurisdiction of St. Petersburg.
Historical facts
New Holland is the place where the loud voice of Tsar Peter the Great sounded when he crucified his ship masters. The first spark radio station in Russia was created on this island and a prison was built according to the European model. In New Holland, on the initiative of Admiral Makarov, as well as the scientist Dmitry Mendeleev, the foundation of the country's only research center was laid. In his unique indoor pool, work was carried out with ship models. On the same island, Mendeleev conducted research in the laboratory that existed at the maritime department. The scientist worked on various types of gunpowder.
It was from the island of New Holland that V. Lenin called on the people to make a revolution. He remembers this place and many other secrets that have not been accessible to the general public for many years.
Present day
The territory of New Holland, on which Russian inventors and scientists worked for three hundred years, only in 2010 began to transform into an accessible public space. At the same time, the island has become one of the most interesting cultural sites of the northern capital.
Currently, the project “Summer in New Holland” is being implemented. Various events are held on the island. In their list of exhibitions and concerts, a variety of shows and competitions. In the territory closed in the past, you can sit in cozy cafes and watch movies.
If you chose New Holland (St. Petersburg) as a place to rest, how to get to it? First you need to get to the Theater Square. This can be done from Spasskaya, Sadovaya, or Sennaya Ploshchad metro stations. Then you should move along the embankment of the Kryukov Canal to the place where it intersects with the Moika. This journey takes no more than twenty minutes.
Island layout
The entire territory of New Holland today is divided into two parts by the main road. One of them is an ideal green lawn, the area of which is five thousand square meters. The second part is pebbles with old shipping containers installed. In these improvised pavilions they cook, give out sports equipment and designers work.
Visitors to the island have the opportunity to lie on the grass, use the sun loungers that are issued for free, and play frisbee. Volleyball and futsal teams train on a specially equipped field. New Holland has many wooden benches. Floors and fences by the water are also made of this material. There are stone niches right on the lawn where you can light a fire. The island has Wi-Fi, which is free for visitors.
Project "Shop"
Here is a public garden. Already on the first weekend, visitors rented out six of the eighteen beds in it. On the island of New Holland (St. Petersburg), flowers are not grown. Herbs, green onions, parsley and watercress are preferred. It is planned to establish a greenhouse for peppers, tomatoes and cucumbers in the neighborhood.
Part of the beds given to various projects. For example, the House of Life, which is a cafe-bar, is engaged in the cultivation of vegetables and potatoes. There are beds belonging to the magazine "Dog Ru", a chain of restaurants "Probka Group", etc.
Reconstruction
The cultural program “Summer in New Holland” touches on various forms of self-expression. Within the framework of this project, since the island was opened to the public, various events have been held in the territory, affecting the literary sphere and theater, music and design, as well as other forms of art.
An interesting place is the island of New Holland (St. Petersburg). The year 2014 was marked by the beginning of reconstruction work here. In this regard, art projects are temporarily stopped and visiting the territory is prohibited. It is planned that the public will open New Holland in 2015.