The uniqueness of St. Petersburg in its extraordinary architecture, which has its own bright personality. No wonder the historical center of St. Petersburg is included in the UNESCO heritage as a whole.
This young city has such a rich history that it would be enough for several cities. It was the capital of the great Russian Empire, events took place here, affecting not only this country, but also the world as a whole. The historical center and monuments of St. Petersburg are witnesses to this.
History of the city
In the distant 1703 on the island in the place of separation of the Neva River into 2 branches - the Bolshaya and Malaya Neva - the fortress of St. Petersburg was laid down, the construction of which was carried out in a hurry, as the war dragged on, and on the shores of the Gulf of Finland it was required to gain a foothold in any way.
Marshy lands slowed down the erection of the walls of the fortress and claimed the lives of thousands of people who could not stand the exorbitant physical efforts and difficult working conditions. The first wooden buildings were erected in the courtyard of the building: the Peter and Paul Church, the Senate, the arsenal and the Main Pharmacy. It took almost 300 years for these places to become what is included in the historical center of St. Petersburg.
After 3 years, the earthen walls were gradually replaced by stone, which took almost 35 years. Initially, Peter I wanted the city to be completely at the intersection of canals, following the example of Venice, but the development went according to other architectural plans. In modern Petersburg, canals occupy only 10% of the area, which is about 300 km.
St. Petersburg is also proud of its bridges, of which there are more than 300 of the most various sizes and types in the city. Growing up, the city gradually acquired features that are well known today to Petersburgers.
Nowadays, guides tell guests of the northern capital what the historical center of St. Petersburg looks like and why it has such an arrangement.
Peter-Pavel's Fortress
The fortress, which became the first building of the future capital and today known as the Peter and Paul Cathedral, got its name from the church located on its territory. Today it is the historical center of St. Petersburg, which Petersburgers affectionately call “Petropavlovka” and habitually expect a noon cannon shot from its walls.
The structure of the fortress includes such architectural monuments as the Commandant and Engineering House, the Treasury and the Peter and Paul Cathedral. Already at the beginning of the 18th century, the bastion became a prison for political criminals, and one of the first prisoners was the son of Tsar Peter I Tsarevich Alexei.
Gradually, the stone walls began to decay, so it was customary to “dress” the Neva and the walls of the bastion in granite. That is what the Peter and Paul Fortress looks like today, which has become the largest museum of history in Russia.
Admiralty
The very first building on the left bank of the Neva was the Admiralty building. The usual shipyard, originally conceived by Peter I, located not far from the Peter and Paul Bastion, became a real fortified fortress. The decision to build the fortress was a constant threat of Swedes attacking the young city.
The first building of the Admiralty was completed in 1705, and today, this whole architectural ensemble is recognized by UNESCO as one of the best in the world. His appearance changed gradually. Initially, it was a building constructed in the form of the letter “P”, inside which the shipyards were located. A moat was dug around him, beyond which was a meadow for a better view of the area.
After a while, the meadow turned into the Alexander Garden, surrounded by 3 squares - St. Isaac's, Senate and Palace. More than 300 ships were built at the shipyards of the Admiralty until it was closed at the end of the 19th century, and the building was completely rebuilt. It was then that it "found" its famous spire. On it is fixed a weather vane in the form of a ship, covered with gold.
The Admiralty today is a beautiful monument of early classicism, a part of the world heritage. The historical center of St. Petersburg originates from the Admiralty and diverges in three rays of the famous streets - Nevsky Prospekt, Gorokhovaya Street and Voznesensky Prospekt.
Saint Isaac's Cathedral
Being the fourth largest in the world, St. Isaac's Cathedral in St. Petersburg has a rather long and sad history of construction. Considering that the first version of the cathedral was built in 1707, and its final version was consecrated in 1858, the construction took almost 150 years.
Originally it was a wooden church built too close to the Neva. In 1717, it was decided to replace it with a stone building, but already in 1724 serious damage was found in the cathedral due to its proximity to the river and poor foundation. They tried to rebuild and strengthen it at the behest of Catherine I, but after another restoration, he burned down from a lightning strike.
It was decided to build St. Isaac's Cathedral on the Admiralty Meadow, where he began to separate St. Isaac's and Senate Squares. The new project was conceived as quite monumental and bright, laid out in marble, but the death of Catherine II suspended the construction when the building was erected halfway.
Ascended to the throne, Paul I ordered the completion of the cathedral in stone, deciding to use the remaining marble for the construction of his palace. These discrepancies in the structure led to the fact that his plaster began to crumble. A new reconstruction of the building was required, for which Alexander I already in 1809 announced a competition between architects.
It should have been the fourth version of St. Isaac's Cathedral. Montferrand was chosen as the project implementer, the achievements of which were an unprecedented number of piles driven into the foundation (10 762), a 40-year-old construction site and the enormous cost for those times that made the cathedral the most expensive in Europe (23 256 852 rubles and 80 kopecks).
Nevertheless, St. Isaac's Cathedral in St. Petersburg is today one of the most beautiful in the world and is also included in the UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Nevsky Prospect
Nevsky is the main avenue that personifies the historical center of St. Petersburg. It stretches for 4.5 km from the Admiralty to the Alexander Nevsky Lavra, connecting 4 islands on the Neva. Immediately conceived as the main “perspective” of the city, Nevsky Prospect was built from two sides at the same time and did not escape the incident. Reaching the middle, the builders saw that they were mistaken in the calculations, so it has a kink. The part, built in 1718 from the monastery, was called Nevskaya, and the site from the Admiralty, completed in 1720, was called the "Great Perspective."
The gradual development of Nevsky Prospekt by palaces of nobility, philistine houses and churches has led to the fact that today it is the only main street in the world, on which there are churches of all 4 Christian denominations and the most famous buildings that make up the historical center of St. Petersburg.
In Soviet times, they tried to rename the street, but the names did not take root, so Nevsky Prospect is nowadays known as Broadway in New York, Arbat in Moscow and Deribasovskaya in Odessa.
Spit of Vasilyevsky Island
To understand what the historical center of St. Petersburg looks like, just come to Vasilievsky Island. Back in the days of Peter I, it was decided to build up the "arrow" of Vasilyevsky Island.
According to the project, the Twelve Colleges (the highest state institution), the Exchange, the Cathedral and the Gostiny Dvor were to be built here, but the construction was only partially carried out as planned. The Kunstkamera and the palace of Tsarina Praskovya Fedorovna were built, which later became the Academy of Sciences.
An academic town was formed on the south side, and on the north side of the “arrow” there were berths for unloading ships and the Exchange, where deals were concluded. Also here are Gostiny Dvor and residential buildings.
At the end of the 18th century, it was decided to rebuild the Exchange and build new academy buildings. Thanks to this, majestic lighthouse columns appeared on the island, which today are the "visiting card" of the island.
Front Embankment of the Neva
The first embankment, which once met foreign ships, was called English. Its gradual development was immediately aimed at the fact that it is the “face” of the city and runs on the principle of “continuous facades”. After facing it in granite at the end of the 18th century, it became the most fashionable place in the city. It was here that houses were owned by the most notable people of the Russian Empire.
Palace Square
The image of the Palace Square was formed gradually. Built in 1762 by Rastrelli, the beautiful Winter Palace overlooked the backyards on the other side of the square. Its development became a long process, since only by 1829 the construction of the longest arcuate building in Europe was completed according to the project of Carl Rossi. Consisting of 2 houses connected by a triumphal arch, the building today amazes with its beauty and monumentality.
In 1834, the Alexandria Column was installed on Palace Square. In the 40s, the area was replenished with the building of the headquarters of the Guards Corps and the Postal Court.
UNESCO Asset
The entire historical center of St. Petersburg, the description of which does not convey all its beauty and grace, is included in the UNESCO heritage list. Perhaps he is one of the "youngest" historical monuments of this magnitude on this list.