St. Petersburg was founded by Peter the Great in 1703 during the Great Northern War against Sweden.
A new city was planned
to be both a fortress and a modern European city. Peter the Great wanted St. Petersburg to become
the most beautiful city in Europe.
Domenico Tresini, a friend of Peter and a famous architect, elaborate the first plan of the city center.
According to this plan the following structures were erected: the Summer Palace of Peter I,
the building of Twelve Collegiums,
Alexander Nevsky Monastery. Later famous architects I. Korobov and P. Eropkin joined D. Tresini in development
of the general plan of St. Petersburg. Tha main ideas of their plan were to create
three main avenues meeting at the St. Petersburg Admiralty,
direct lines on Basil's Island and panoramic embankments on the Neva river.
The construction in the city was continued after Peter I as well.
Famous architects, such as V. Rastrelli, D. Kvarengi, K. Rossi,
A. Monferrand, created fascinating ensembles of major city squares and streets. Majestic palaces, granite and
marble sculptures added to the beauty of the city.
Nowadays all those streets, avenues and embankments, which were built in the 18th and 19th centuries,
create the St. Petersburg historical center. This part of the city combines
several districts and the most part of the area
is enlisted in the UNESCO's World Heritage List.
Major sights
1. Nevsky Avenue
Nevsky avenue (Nevsky Prospect in Russian) appeared in 1710 when two direct streets were built:
one going from the Admiralty and another one
starting at Alexander Nevsky Monastery. They met in present Revolution square
(Ploschad Vosstaniya) where the road to Novgorod the Great
started (present Ligovsky avenue). These two parts of the street were built seperately,
that is why there is a tiny breaking of the street
in the area of Revolution square. The first name of the street was Nevsky Perspective Street,
and only in 1776 it received the
name of "Nevsky avenue". After the revolution of 1917 the street was renamed, and it became the
Avenue of October 25th.
But it was still the main street of the city.
The historical name of the street was returned only in 1944.
Today this street is very popular among the citizens of St. Petersburg and its guests.
The total length of the avenue
comes to about 4,7 km. Along this avenue one can observe various architectural ensembles dating back
to different historical periods.
2. Palace Square
The most grandiose square of St. Petersburg is Palace Square.
It is surrounded by magnificent buildings of Winter Palace and
General Headquarters.
The square was planned when the Winter Palace was under construction.
When the Palace was finished the territory of the square was filled with tons of construction garbage.
The authorities allowed the citizens to take all the garbage free of charge.
The square was cleaned in several hours as thousands of people came to collect the garbage for their household purposes.
In the middle of the square one can see Alexander's Column -
a monument to heroes of the war agains Napoleon in 1812, created by A. Monferrand.
It is the highest column in the world representing granite monolith, which weighs 600 tons.
There is an angel on the top of the column. The angel's face has the features of Alexander I's face.
The square witnessed many important historical events such as
the Bloody Sunday of 1905, February revolution and October revolution of 1917.
In 1923 the square was named after M.S. Uritsky, the bolshevik and head of Petrograd Cheka (secret police).
The historical name was returned only in 1944.
Nowadays the square in often used as a place for
numerous city events and concerts.
3. Spit of Basil's Island
The Spit of Basil's Island is the eastern end of Basil's Island in St. Petersburg.
This is one of the most magnificent architectural ensembles
of the city. First constructions appeared on the island during Peter's times. Peter the
Great planned to create a cultural and business center
on the spit. In the first quarter of the 18th century the buildings of the Collegiums,
of the Cabinet of Curiosities and of the Academy of Sciences
were built on the southern shore of the island. The northern shore remained as a port.
In 1805-1810 the architect Thomas de Thomon used an
empty area between two districts for building of a Stock and Commodity Exchange, which was
needed due to the economic growth of Russia. It was
a big building, created using features of the antique style. In front of the
Exchange one can see two rostral columns with the sculptures, which
symbolize great Russian rivers: the Volga, the Dnieper, the Neva and the Volkhov.
Later in 1826-1832 the buildings of storehouses and customs
were added to the ensemble.
4. Field of Mars (Marsovo Pole)
At the beginning of the 18th century the territory of the present Field of Mars was just a small piece of
waterlogged land. In 1711-1721 the swamp was drained by means of two man-made canals. The place was named the
Big Meadow. At the times of Empress Elizabeth the garden with alleys and trees was laid out on the field,
the so called
"Promenade". In 1805 the park received a new name - the Field of Mars.
It became the main square for military parades.
Nowadays there is a tomb to the unknown soldier with the eternal flame in the center of the
field as well as a memorial, devoted to the victims of the revolution of 1917.
Find a tour of St. Petersburg Historical Centre in our selection
of St. Petersburg tours
and St. Petersburg excursions.
