Arrow of Vasilyevsky Island, what has changed. Memorial sign "Arrow of Vasilyevsky Island". Spit of Vasilyevsky Island: history of development
The Spit of Vasilyevsky Island is one of the most beautiful architectural ensembles in St. Petersburg. It is the eastern tip of Vasilyevsky Island, from which two embankments diverge - Universitetskaya and Makarova. From here you have a beautiful view of the Neva, the Peter and Paul Fortress, the Winter Palace, the Admiralty and the Trinity Bridge. It was created under Peter I, according to the design of the architect D. Trezzini, and was planned as a business and cultural center of the city.
There are magnificent architectural works here: the building of the Kunstkamera, the Academy of Arts, the Customs House (now the Literary Museum of the Pushkin House), the Twelve Collegiums, and now the main building of St. Petersburg University.
The dominant architectural ensemble of the Spit of Vasilyevsky Island is the Exchange building, built in 1810 in the best traditions of classicism, designed by architect J.F. Thomas de Thomon. On both sides there are symmetrical warehouse buildings, one of which houses the Zoological Museum, the other the Central Museum of Soil Science. V.V. Dokuchaeva. The Exchange itself belongs to the State Hermitage Museum. Her image can be seen on the 50 ruble banknote.
In front of the Exchange building there are two Rostral columns, which in the 19th century served as lanterns. Their author was also the French architect J.F. Tom de Thomon. The columns, decorated with rostras of ships, personify the power and greatness of the state's navy. At their base there are four allegorical figures, according to one version, symbolizing the deities of the sea and commerce, according to another - the great rivers of Russia: the Volga, Dnieper, Neva and Volkhov. Currently, the Rostral columns are lit during state and city celebrations.
On the spit of Vasilievsky Island you can visit such museums as:
— Museum of Anthropology and Ethnography named after. Peter the Great (Kunstkamera)
- Zoo museum
— Literary Museum of the Pushkin House
— Central Museum of Soil Science named after. V.V. Dokuchaeva
The Spit of Vasilyevsky Island is one of the main venues for mass celebrations, holidays and events, during which a stage is set up near the Exchange building and the Spit itself is decorated in accordance with the event. Strelka is a favorite place for walks and photographs, both for city guests, newlyweds and local residents.
The nearest metro stations: “Vasileostrovskaya”, “Gorkovskaya”, “Admiralteyskaya”.
Spit of Vasilyevsky Island- cape in the eastern part of the island, washed by the river. Bolshaya Neva and Malaya Neva. At the end of the 16th century. on this territory there was a small village; in 1703 there was an artillery battery of Vasily Korchmin, an associate of Peter I. In the 1700s. on the N.E. o...
ARROW- 1) a narrow alluvial strip of land, a long spit of sand, shell rock, gravel, protruding towards the sea (for example, the Arabat Spit in the Crimea). 2) A piece of land, usually in the form of a sharp wedge between two merging rivers, or the end of an island at … … Big Encyclopedic Dictionary
Islands- Islands. A significant part of Leningrad is located on the islands of the Neva delta. The city center is located on Admiralteysky Island. Islands close to each other form groups: islands of the Petrograd side (Petrogradsky Island, Aptekarsky Island, ... ... Encyclopedic reference book "St. Petersburg"
Islands- A significant part of Leningrad is located on the Neva delta. The city center is located on Admiralteysky Island. Islands close to each other form groups: islands on the Petrograd side (Petrogradsky Island, Aptekarsky Island, Petrovsky ... ... St. Petersburg (encyclopedia)
arrow- And; pl. genus. lok, dat. lkam; and. 1. Decrease to Arrow (1 2 digits). 2. A thin and narrow plate rotating on an axis with a pointed end, serving as an indicator of something. in various measuring instruments. Hour, minute, second. S. compass,... ... encyclopedic Dictionary
Petersburg Islands
St. Petersburg Islands- There is no clarity about how many islands there actually are in St. Petersburg. As of 2002, there are 33 islands with an official name. In addition, in the Gulf of Finland there is the so-called Kronstadt Archipelago ... Wikipedia
ARROW- 1. A cape or part of a territory that looks like an acute angle between 2 merging rivers. 2. Part of the island (for example, in Leningrad, the upper part of Vasilyevsky Island and the lower part of Kamenny Island), which has the appearance of an acute angle in plan. 3. Long narrow... ... Geological encyclopedia
ARROW- ARROW, and, female. 1. see arrow. 2. A thin and narrow plate rotating on an axis, serving as a pointer in various measuring instruments, watches. S. compass. Minute s. 3. A sign in the form of a line, two short ones extend from the end to the swarm at an acute angle... ... Ozhegov's Explanatory Dictionary
Arrow- Arrow: Arrow symbol "→". Arrow pointer, for example in a clock (clock hand), in dial gauges. Strelka is a dog cosmonaut who successfully returned from an orbital flight. The arrow is at the confluence of two or ... Wikipedia
The Spit of Vasilievsky Island is one of the pearls in the necklace of the architectural ensemble of the central part of St. Petersburg. One of the most attractive places for tourists and romantics, as it offers a wide panorama of the magnificent city.
A little history of the island
The cape on the eastern tip of Vasilyevsky Island, the largest in the Neva delta, divides the Neva into two deep channels. It apparently got its name from its shape, reminiscent of an arrowhead, with its tip protruding into the river. The location of the Spit of Vasilyevsky Island on a wide expanse of water predetermined its fundamental role in the city’s development plans. According to the plan of Peter the Great, the new city was to become a sea fortress and a trading port. The development of the military and merchant fleet was the main task of the king.
Initially, the port facilities were located on the southern side of the City (Petersburg) Island, now called the Petrograd Side, but the shallow depths did not allow the port to be used effectively. It was decided to move it to a more convenient place. The Spit of Vasilyevsky Island was chosen for this purpose.
Beginning of development
In 1709, the tsar gave the island to Menshikov, the governor-general of the new city. The prince's palace was the first stone residential building here. According to Tsar Vasilievsky’s plan, the island was to become the center of the future capital.
The creation of a development plan for the south-eastern part was entrusted to the architect Trezzini. According to his original design, the main square of the city, trapezoidal in shape, with residential buildings around it, was to be located here. It was supposed to dig a canal connecting the Bolshaya and Malaya Neva. A network of parallel canal streets was to be laid across the island. In addition, the entire island had to be crossed by a wide shipping channel, starting in the western part, facing the Gulf of Finland, and ending with a wide harbor at the spit. Not all of the architect’s plans were realized, but even now the main streets of the island do not have names, but are designated as numbered lines.
Implementation of development plans
But Peter saw the island as the cultural and administrative center of a young city, on the spit of which a large seaport would be located. In Trezzini's new project, administrative and government buildings became the basis for the development of the island. One of the key elements of the complex of buildings along the banks of the Malaya Neva and Bolshaya Neva is the building of the Twelve Colleges, consisting of twelve identical three-story sections. The building housed the highest government bodies. Now here are the faculties of St. Petersburg University, a scientific library and some administrative organizations.
In less than two decades, other outstanding buildings appeared, with the construction of which the spit of Vasilyevsky Island in St. Petersburg began to take on its current appearance: the Kunstkamera, the Novobirzhevoy Gostiny Dvor, the palace of Tsarina Praskovya Fedorovna (the wife of Peter’s brother), which later housed the Academy of Sciences. The modern academy building was erected at the end of the 18th century according to the design of the architect Quarenghi.
Spit of Vasilyevsky Island: history of development
The eastern tip of the island has not been subject to planned development for a long time. In the 30s of the 18th century, a seaport began to function here. But in 1885 it was moved to Gutuevsky Island, closer to the Gulf of Finland, since the old port no longer met the increased needs, and the fairway leading to it was complicated and did not correspond to the displacement of merchant ships coming from the sea.
Prototypes of a modern stock exchange
The first exchange building, which is now the main and central element of the architectural composition of the spit, was built during the creation of the port. The structure of the first stock exchange in Russia was wooden.
As the port developed, the area of the building became insufficient, and in 1781 a project for a new stone building was created. Its author was the architect Giacomo Quarenghi. Construction was carried out at a very slow pace and was stopped after 4 years.
The beginning of the 19th century was marked by new views on architecture. A fashion for ensembles appeared. In 1801, the architect Thomas de Thomon proposed a new design for the exchange, which he made the central element of the complex arrangement of the Spit.
Stages of formation of the arrow image
In order for the ensemble to look harmonious, the location of the exchange building relative to the coastline had to be carefully calculated. The architect solved this issue by artificially creating the outline of the arrow. Piles were driven along the shore and soil was poured. As a result, the bank became higher and extended 123 meters into the river. The outlines of the coastline became smooth and symmetrical. The Spit of Vasilievsky Island has acquired a new shape.
In front of the main facade of the exchange there is a large semicircular area, which has a smooth descent to the water and is fenced with a granite wall. The embankment of the Spit of Vasilyevsky Island served as a pier. It is decorated with wide, gentle stairs and two granite balls.
A park was laid out along the perimeter of Exchange Square in 1896. In 2003, a new attraction appeared in the park - an 18th century anchor raised from the bottom of the Neva near the Shkipersky channel.
The columns on the spit of Vasilyevsky Island were conceived by Thomas de Thomon as port lighthouses and served this function until 1885. They were installed in 1810. The columns are decorated with rostras - nasal decorations, from which they get their name. Nowadays, the fire on the rostral columns is lit on holidays.
The facades of the exchange building, built in the spirit of the temples of Ancient Greece, are decorated with sculptural groups depicting sea gods. In accordance with the general style in which the Spit of Vasilievsky Island was designed, the rostral columns are also decorated with allegorical sculptures depicting sea deities.
The final feature of the ensemble was the construction of northern and southern warehouses, which had the same architectural design. Nowadays, the southern warehouse houses a zoological museum, and the northern warehouse houses a museum of soil science. Their construction ended in 1832.
Arrow today
The paved embankment, descending directly to the water, is a favorite walking place for citizens and guests of the city. It is also a place of pilgrimage for newlyweds. The granite wall enclosing the embankment is decorated with stone faces of lions holding copper rings in their mouths. According to established tradition, it is necessary to hold on to the ring in order for the married life to be long and happy. Girls who want to get married are recommended to kiss the lion on the nose. Citywide holidays, folk festivals, and concerts are held on the square.
Vasilievsky Island, Strelka (St. Petersburg) are known all over the world. The panorama of the architectural ensemble is one of the most popular views and serves as the calling card of the city. His image is located on the fifty-ruble banknote.
The Spit of Vasilyevsky Island is one of the most famous and recognizable symbols of St. Petersburg. It houses an architectural ensemble that is unique in its beauty and shapes the appearance of the entire city. It is located in the center of the Northern capital and is included in the list of places that tourists should definitely visit.
Spit of Vasilyevsky Island in St. Petersburg
Why the arrow? This has long been the customary name for any oblong cape located at the crossroads of river streams. In St. Petersburg, located on the Neva, there are several shooters. But the one on Vasilyevsky Island stands out for its special beauty and the presence on its territory of a large number of famous attractions of the city on the Neva.
It is here that the famous Rostral Columns, the Museum of the Navy, the Kunstkamera and other objects are located that evoke strong associations with the Northern capital of Russia in almost every resident of our country. In the photo, the Spit of Vasilievsky Island looks so breathtaking. Almost everyone who gets acquainted with the photographs has an irresistible desire to see all this beauty with their own eyes.
WITH
The arrowhead of Vasilyevsky Island is one of the most fascinating architectural ensembles of the city.
Unfortunately (in my opinion) it was ruined by bridges - Dvortsov and Birzhevoy, but what to do, the city needs highways...
Vasilievsky Island began to be built up back in the times of Peter the Great.
Plan of the estate of A. D. Menshikov on the Spit of Vasilievsky Island. 1714 Fixation drawing.
In 1716, the project of the architect Domenico Trezzini was approved, according to which a closed trapezoidal square was to appear here, surrounded along the perimeter by residential buildings. However, Peter I soon decided to make the arrow the cultural and business center of the city.
In the 1730s, the port was moved here and the exchange, customs, and goods warehouses were located in these buildings. Between the academic and shopping complexes there was a vast, undeveloped area.
Date of creation: end. XVIII century Fragment of the drawing "Games on the frozen Neva".
In the 1750s, in the middle of the square, according to the design of I. Ya. Schumacher, a special pavilion for the Gottorp Globe was erected. According to the plan of 1767, approved by the Commission on the stone structure of St. Petersburg and Moscow, the empty territory should have been designed into a horseshoe-shaped square. In six years from 1783 to 1789, according to the design of Giacomo Quarenghi, the main building of the Academy of Sciences, as well as the concave part of the northern warehouse (1795-1797), was built on the banks of the Bolshaya Neva.
Chesky I., View of the Spit of Vasilyevsky Island in St. Petersburg from the Neva. 1816 Copy from a painting by M. Shotoshnikov.
In 1805-1810, the architect Thomas de Tomon built a new Exchange building on the empty square between these areas, meeting the needs of the growing Russian economy. The majestic building is made in the style of ancient temples. In front of the building, the architect installed two Rostral columns with allegorical figures at the foot, personifying the great Russian rivers: the Volga, Dnieper, Neva and Volkhov. The ensemble is completed by the buildings of the southern and northern warehouses and customs, diverging from the Exchange with wings, built in 1826-1832 by the architect I. F. Luchini.
The arrow was extended by filling soil by 150 m, the resulting area was called Birzhevaya.
The rostral columns were erected in 1810 according to the design of the French architect Thomas de Thomon, who decorated them with ship rostras. This personification shows the power and greatness of the state's navy, and also refers to the ancient Roman custom of decorating the columns with rostra (Latin rostra, plural of Latin rostrum, the bow of a ship) of defeated (captured) enemy ships. Their opening took place in 1815.
The sculptures at the Rostral columns were made by sculptors J. Camberlain and J. Thibes. Bronze was first chosen as the material for the sculptures, but due to the complexity of its processing, the choice fell on Pudost limestone, mined in the village of Pudost, Gatchina region. Soft and elastic in the ground, limestone hardens quickly once brought to the surface, creating a strong and majestic foundation. The male figure at the northern column was made by Camberlain, the rest were created by J. Thibault.
Initially they were lighthouses, and in the 19th century the columns served as lanterns for the port of the northern capital. It was already difficult to get confused)))
Inside each column is a spiral staircase leading to the upper observation deck with a huge bowl-lamp and a metal tripod holding it. Hemp oil was poured into the bowl, giving a huge pillar of fire, indicating the path for ships in the darkness of the night or the veil of fog. This was the case until 1896, when electricity was supplied to the columns.
In 1957, for reasons of economy, gas was supplied to the lighthouses and now these days they are lit only on special occasions.
At the foot of the columns there are two male and two female figures, which, according to a common hypothesis, allegorically represent the great rivers of Russia: at the northern column - the Volga and Dnieper, at the southern - the Neva and Volkhov.
However, this hypothesis has no justification; Thomas de Thomon himself wrote: “the base of each column is decorated with huge figures that symbolize the deities of the sea and commerce.”
Exchange building.
In 1926, the chief architect of the city, Lev Aleksandrovich Ilyin, proposed building a park on Birzhevaya Square. The decision was successful; the square fit harmoniously into the architectural ensemble.
A few years later, when the country was preparing to solemnly celebrate the 100th anniversary of the death of Pushkin, it was decided to name one of the squares in Leningrad in honor of the poet. The choice fell on Birzhevaya.
It was planned to erect a monument to Pushkin in the center of the square. The anniversary of the poet’s death was celebrated on a grand scale, Leningraders sadly joked: “What a life, such are the holidays!”
But life, fortunately, has changed. A more suitable place was found for the monument to Pushkin, and in 1989 Birzhevaya Square was returned to its previous name.
