St.Isaac's Square is dominated by St. Isaac’s Cathedral. The cathedral was named after Isaac, a Byzantine monk of the 4th century who was Peter I’s patron saint. I t is the fourth largest cupola cathedral in the world. It took 40 years to built it (1816-1855). It was designed by the French architect Montferran. It was the main Cathedral of Russian Empire till the revolution 1917, and then it was closed as a church and turned into the museum.
The building across the square is the former Mariinsky Palace (architect Stakensnaeider, 1844). It was built for Maria, the daughter of Nicolas I. Hence the name of the building. In 1884 palace was given over to the State Council - the supreme legislative body of the Russian Empire. At present this is The City Hall.
Mariinsky Palace is actually separated from the square by the Moika river and right in front of the palace is the Blue Bridge across the Moika, the city's widest bridge (almost 100 m wide). In old days this bridge was a serf market.
The monument in the centre of the square is the statue of Nicholas I (by the sculptor Klodt) set up in the middle of the 19th century. This is an exceptional example of equestrian sculpture: it is 6 m high, but it has only two points of balance - the horse’s hide legs. The base of the monument is decorated with four symbolic statues representing Justice, Faith, Wisdom, arid Strength. The statues bear portrait likeness to Nicolas’s wife and his three daughters.
The two identical buildings on the west and east sides of the square are constructed in the middle of the 19th century to house the Ministry of State Property (architect Yefimov). They now accommodate two research institutes - the Institute of Plant-Breeding and the Institute of Plant-Protection.
The building of the hotel “Astoria” dates from the later period - the early 20th century (architect Lidval, 1912). At that time it was considered the best hotel in Russia. Nowadays the hotel which recently has been restored is one of the finest in the city.
Across the square from the hotel it the building which was put up at the same time as the hotel. It was meant for the German Embassy and was designed by the German architect (Berens, 1912).
Beside St. Isaac's Cathedral there is a very interesting yellow-and-white building which, as well as the cathedral, was designed by Montferrand. It is triangular in plan, and was built in 1820 for Prince Lobanov-Rostovsky. The entrance to the former palace is decorated with marble lions made in Italy in the early 19th century.
Palace Square
Palace Square is the central square of St.- Petersburg. This is one of the world's most interesting architectural ensembles. The square owes its name to the Winter Palace - the official residence of the Russian tsars.
It took Palace Square about a hundred years to acquire its present-day appearance. The Palace is the oldest building here: it was built between 1754 and 1762 to a design by the architect Rastrelli in Russian Baroque style. It was St.- Petersburg's largest and most attractive building. For a very long time it regained the city's tallest building, too, and in 1844 an ordnance was issued by which no private house could be higher than the Winter Palace. This reguulation was valid right up till 1905.
The decoration of the palace is very typically Baroque, each facade of the palace is different and has its own character. The northern facade which faces the Neva has more serene lines, while the main, southern facade which looks onto Palace Square is abundant in ornamentations. 176 sculptures decorate the roof of the Palace.
The Winter Palace is now part of the Hermitage Museum, which was founded in 1764 by Catherine II as a court museum. It was opened to wide public at the middle of the 19th century.
Opposite the Winter Palace is the building of the General Headquarters of the Russian Army. It was constructed in l829 to a design by the prominent architect Rossi, in classical style. They say the building has the longest facade in Europe (about 550 m long). It is actually a combination of two buildings joined by en enormous arch. This arch is decorated with military symbols and a Roman chariot of glory was meant as a memorial of Russia's victory over Napoleon in the Russian-French war of 1812. The arch is about 23 m high; the horses are 3 m high; the whole sculptural group is more than l5 m wide at the front.
To commemorate the same victory over Napoleon a triumphal column was put up in the centre of the square in 1834.It is known as Alexander Column, called so in honour of the Russian tsar Alexander I during whose reign Russia won its victory over Napoleon. The monument is topped with a statue of an angel holding a cross (the face of the angel is said to be modeled on the face of Emperor Alexander I). The column was designed by the architect Montferran. This is the highest solid piece of granite of our time. It is 25 m (83 feet) high and 3,5 m (about 11 feet) in diameter. It is a terrific feat of engineering that this enormous column, weighing 600 tons (1,322,760 pounds).
NEVSKY PROSPECT
Nevsky Prospect is the city's main and busiest street. (The word "prospect* cones from the word "perspective" which conveyed the idea of a wide and straight road). It is one of the oldest streets of the city, too. It originated in 1710 as a cutting in the woods to connect the Admiralty shipyard with an important trade route, the Novgorod Road. In 1783 it was named Nevsky Prospect, after the Alexander Nevsky Lavra - a high-order monastery.
By the middle of the 19th century Nevsky Prospect had become the city's main street with its palaces, churches, public buildings. and shopping arcades; from the early 19th century it was built up with banks, hotels and apartment houses as well.
The architecture of Nevsky Prospect is a mixture of different periods and different styles. Such variety has a historical, as well as geographical explanation. The Fountain River which crosses Nevsky used to be the city's southern boundary until the 19th century, so the building in Nevsky Prospect between the Admiralty and the Fountain River were built much earlier than the part
running from Anichkov Bridge to the Alexander Nevsky Lavra.,
Тоdaу, Nevsку Prospect is the city's cultural and entertainment center (many theatres, cinemas, museums are located in the street). As well as its shopping center (the ground (first) floors of most buildings are occupied by different shops).
Nevskу begins fгоm the Admiralty - the city's compositional centre. This section of Nevsky is, historically, its oldest part, but in the early 20th century it was rebuilt and became the financial and commercial centre of St. Petersburg, with banks, tenants’ houses and big stores located here.
The dark grey stone building on eths corner of Nevsky Prospect and Small Sea Street was built in 1912 for the Vavelberg bank (architect Peretyatkovich) in imitation of the Palace of Doges in Venice. The granite facing, arcade blocks and the sculptures decorating the facade were brought from Sweden by the banker himself.
Further down Nevsky Prospect, a short section of a street crossing it runs off to the left and is closed up by the arch of the General Staff building. This section of the street connects Nevsky with Palace Square. Arch was built by the architect (Rossi).
The building on the opposite side of the Prospect, decorated with two-storied columns and pilasters used to be quite famous in St. Petersburg in the 18th and 19th centuries and was known as the "House with Columns". It was built in the 1760s on the site of a wooden Winter Palace where Empress Elizabeth lived. Later on, towards the end of the I8th century, concerts of the first musical club we re held here. The building is one of the best examples of early Russian classicism.
The building opposite the "House with Columns" (on the corner of Nevsky Prospect and the Moika Embankment) dates from the early l9th century (architect Stasov,1816). It houses the popular Literary Cafe which has been opened here in the early 19th century. This cafe often were visited by writers and poets, for example the greatest Russian poet Alexander Pushkin.
The stretch of Nevsky from the Admiralty to the Moika River is the Prospect's narrowest section: it reminds of how wide the Prospect originally was. It becomes much wider after crossing the Moika. In its widest part, Nevsky Prospect is 60 meters wide, its length is about 4.5 kilometers.
The pink-and-white building on the corner of Nevsky Prospect and the Moika embankment is the former Palace of Count Strogonov's family, one of the wealthiest noble family in Russia. Count Strogonov was a famous patron of arts, and President of the Russian Academy of Fine Arts. The palace, one of the finest Baroque buildings in the city, was constructed in 1751; its architect was Rastrelli who designed the Winter Palace. The palace now houses part of the Russian Art Museum collection.
Further down Nevsky Prospect, on the opposite side of the street, there is the building of the Lutheran Church of St. Peter. The church building was built in the 1830s by architect Brullov.
Across Nevsky Prospect - the Cathedral of Our Lady of Kazan put up in the early I9rh century. It is the major work of the Russian architect Voronikhin and a real masterpiece of High Classical style. The colonnade of the cathedral is made up of 144 columns.
The cathedral completed in 1811 became a memorial of the Russian-French war of 1812. Many trophies of the Napoleonic campaign are displayed there. Field marshal Kutuzov, Commander-in-Chief of the Russian army in the 1812 who died in 1813 is buried in the cathedral. In front of the cathedral there are two monuments to Barclay de Tolly and Kutuzov, the two commanding generals in the war (sculptor Orlovsky, 1837).
Opposite the Kazan Cathedral, on the corner of Nevsky Prospect and the саnal crossing it there is a massive dark grey building faced with granite, with a glass globe on top. This building constructed in 1904 (architect Suzor) belonged to the Singer Sewing Machine Company. Nowadays it houses the city's largest bookshop known as the "House of Boокs".
Further down Nevsky on the same side there is a yellow-and- white building of the Catholic church of St.Catherine. It dates from the 1760s and is one of the finest Early Classical ensembles in the city (architects Vallin de la Mothe). The corner building on the opposite side of Nevsky Prospect, used to accommodate the Town Hall (its original design was made by Quarenghi, 1764). In 1804, the red tower was added to the Town
Hall building {architect Ferrari), which was first used as a Fire Tower. Later, the tower was used for optical telegraph.
Beside Ostrovsky Square, on the corner of Nevsky Prospect and the Fountain River Embankment stands the former Anichkov Palace.
It gained its name from Lieutenant-Colonel Anichkov who was in command of the Fountain River army construction squad. The construction of the palace started in 1741, but later it was reconstructed several times, so there were many architects who contributed to its design: Zemtsov, Rastrelli, Rossi. The two garden pavilions were designed by Rossi (1818), the sculptures between the columns represent Russian warriors.
Since a 1935 the palace has housed the Children’s Palace with a wide choice of activities: engineering, outdoor activities, art, sport, natural sciences, libraries, and many others.
The bridge over the Fountain River near Anichkov Palace is known as Anichkov Bridge. This the first bridge over the Fountain River, built in the 18th century. The bridge became famous because of the four equestrian sculptural groups which decorate it. The sculptures were executed by Clodt in the middle of the 19th century.
The corner Baroque style building on the opposite bank of the Fountain River is the former palace of Prince Beloselsky-Belozersky (architect Stakenschneider, 1848).
The section of Nevsky Prospect from Anichkov Bridge to Insurrection Square was mostly built up in the late 19th and the early 20th century. Most of the buildings here used to be tenants' houses.
An exception is the yellow building with white columns on the left side of Nevsky. This is one of the former palaces of the Prince Yusupov family. The building designed in Late Classical style dates from the 1830s {architects Ovsyannikov and Fossati). Now it houses St. Petersburg Actor’s Club.
Insurrection square was named after the events, which took place here in February 1917. The square was then the scene of mass meetings and demonstrations against the government.
The yellow building with a tower is one of the oldest railway terminals in the country - Moscow railway Terminal. It was built in 1851 (architect Thon.) when the first railway connecting St.Petersburg with Moscow was constructed.
The granite obelisk in the centre of the square was unveiled in 1985 which was the 4oth anniversary of the victory over fascism in the WWII. It was meant to commemorate the heroic defense of Leningrad which was besieged for 900 days. The obelisk is topped by the Gold Star of a Hero City (Leningrad was bestowed the title of a Hero City for the courage displayed by its residents during the siege).
CRUISER “AURORA”
Cruiser "Aurora" was launched in St Petersburg in 1901 and first took an active part in the Russo-Japanese War of 1904-05 and participated in the Tsusima battle, in which most of Russia's Pacific fleet was destroyed. It participated in the WWI and later, was used as a training ship. Of course, it was too old to take part in the WWII, but the ship's guns were used at the front and helped to defend the city.
Since 1948 the cruiser was moored at the Neva embankment and opened to the public as a museum.
Cruiser "Aurora" is famous for the special role it played in the Bolshevik revolution of 1917. On the eve of the revolution, the night of October 25, 1917, crew of the ship took side of the revolutionaries, Aurora sailed up the Neva and was moored at Annunciation bridge. From there, at 9.45 in the evening the cruiser fired the famous shot which was the signal to start the storming of the Winter Palace. Many sailors from the crew participated in the assault of the Palace.
Earlier the same day, at 2 o'clock in the afternoon, the Aurora’s radio was the first to broadcast the appeal of the
Revolutionary Military Committee "To the Citizens of Russia" and thus, announced the victory of the Bolsheviks revolution.
The fore gun which gave the signal shot is still there, and has a memorial plaque on it.
The blue-and-white building on the embankment houses Nakhimov Naval School, named after the celebrated Russian Admiral Nakhimov. The building was constructed in the early 20th century (architect Dmitriyev); its facade is decorated the bust or Peter I who started the Russian navy. Besides being a memorial museum, cruiser "Aurora" now serves as a training ship for students of the Naval school.
THE CABIN of Peter the Great
The first residential building in the newly founded city of St. Petersburg was a wooden house or cabin, intended for Tsar Peter himself. The cabin is very small - only 60 sq. meters in area and is a strange combination of a traditional Russian house and a Dutch home with large and elaborate windows and high roof, covered with wooden tiles. Tsar Peter lived in this house between 1703 and 1708 and the living room, bedroom and study, still filled with Peter's original belongings. Peter the Great wanted all the houses of his new city to be built of stone, the way it was done in Europe. But he could not afford a stone house at the time, so he ordered the walls to be painted as if the house was made of bricks.
Now log cabin is hidden from wind and rain inside a red brick pavilion, constructed after Peter’s death to preserve it as a museum. The first house built in the city of St Petersburg is still open to the public. During the Second World War the Cabin of Peter the Great was the first museum to reopen in 1944 after the dramatic 900-day Siege of Leningrad.
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