We believe that you should start exploring Petrograd’s stories with its old outback.
Almost until 19 century the Fontanka river (река Фонтанка) was the natural edge of the city, that’s why there was a border post located here. In 1726 the bridge had been reconstructed to a drawbridge. It’s noticable that in those days, the bridge was bred also at night –– to avoid wolf’s penetration from the nearest forests.
In the Tsarist times Anichkov Bridge was nicknamed "The Bridge of Eighteen Balls». It was caused by the fact that from the opening to the 1917 - there was a guard, watching round the clock. And therefore - it was 4 sculptures of men and horses (male) + watchman, so you can calculate…
Almost until 19 century the Fontanka river (река Фонтанка) was the natural edge of the city, that’s why there was a border post located here. In 1726 the bridge had been reconstructed to a drawbridge. It’s noticable that in those days, the bridge was bred also at night –– to avoid wolf’s penetration from the nearest forests.
In the Tsarist times Anichkov Bridge was nicknamed "The Bridge of Eighteen Balls». It was caused by the fact that from the opening to the 1917 - there was a guard, watching round the clock. And therefore - it was 4 sculptures of men and horses (male) + watchman, so you can calculate…
One of the countless legends, emerged around Catherine Square, says - there are hidden treasures under the monument.
People say that foundation ceremony of the monument was very impressive and one of the witnesses thrown her diamong ring to the pit, to express the token of graduiate to Catherine. Rich people, being around, joined her and started throwing their jewels too. The foundation ceremony got out the schedule because of that huge amount of people, wanted to «donate» in Catherine’s honor.
The rumors say that those treasures are still here.
People say that foundation ceremony of the monument was very impressive and one of the witnesses thrown her diamong ring to the pit, to express the token of graduiate to Catherine. Rich people, being around, joined her and started throwing their jewels too. The foundation ceremony got out the schedule because of that huge amount of people, wanted to «donate» in Catherine’s honor.
The rumors say that those treasures are still here.
The Alexandrian Theater (Александринский театр). In the days of the theater’s premieres and benefices, a long queue of carriages was lined up around the theater.
Among the "golden youth" it was indecent to go to the theater on foot, so the enterprising coachmans specially set their carriages near the theater, on Nevsky Prospekt, whence young people arrived at their destination.
Among the "golden youth" it was indecent to go to the theater on foot, so the enterprising coachmans specially set their carriages near the theater, on Nevsky Prospekt, whence young people arrived at their destination.
Temple of Saint Catherine is associated with lots of bright persons.
In 1798 there were remains of Poland King Stanislav Ponyatovsky buried here, because he lived in Saint-Petersburg his latest year of life. (In 1938, according to the Poland government request, relics were transferred to his homeland - Volchina). Furthermore, there was another Poland King buried in 1922 - Stanislav Leshinsky.
And also there are Victor Moro’s grave located in the underground section of church. Moro was French Napoleone’s generalus, switched to Russian side, in the French-Russian war of 1812.
But, if you are still reading this optimistic post, there are some events not caused by death happened here 🙂
In 1837, J. Dantes and E. Goncharova married here. Goncharova was a sister of Alexander Pushkin’s wife and Dantes is the person who killed Pushkin in duel in 1837.
Oh, it’s about death too, sorry.
In 1798 there were remains of Poland King Stanislav Ponyatovsky buried here, because he lived in Saint-Petersburg his latest year of life. (In 1938, according to the Poland government request, relics were transferred to his homeland - Volchina). Furthermore, there was another Poland King buried in 1922 - Stanislav Leshinsky.
And also there are Victor Moro’s grave located in the underground section of church. Moro was French Napoleone’s generalus, switched to Russian side, in the French-Russian war of 1812.
But, if you are still reading this optimistic post, there are some events not caused by death happened here 🙂
In 1837, J. Dantes and E. Goncharova married here. Goncharova was a sister of Alexander Pushkin’s wife and Dantes is the person who killed Pushkin in duel in 1837.
Oh, it’s about death too, sorry.
One of the Russian Empress Elizabeth’s first decrees was about the foundation of the Anichkov Palace. The first architector - Michail Zemcov died in 1743, that’s why Rastrelli replaced him.
In 1740 the Fontanka river (река Фонтанка) was the natural edge of the city and Nevsky prospect was just an usual trail, so Elizabeth decided to make something beautyfull there. In her opinion, the palace in the shape of letter H would decorate the city’s look. The palace stands sideway to Nevsky Prospekt, because the builders dug a small canal from the Fontanka, with a tiny harbor at the end.
The palace was gifted to Elizabeth’s favorite - Razumovsky. When Catherine II became the Empress, she decided to buy the palace and then gifted it to her favorite - Potyomkin. Outcluding the palace the gift contained 100 thousands of rubles (huge amount of money), which Potyomkin spent to the transform the palace from Baroque to the Classicism. The transformation took 12 years, from the 1762 to the 1778.
Anichkov palace - oldest building on Nevsky prospect, preserved to this day. Also, it's one of the Alexander Pushkin's points of stay. It's known that tsar Nikolai I, trying to chat up with N. Goncharova, wanted her to join the dance ball (with husband, of course). But Puskin had been avoiding this kind of actvities. Then, Nikolai has granted him the rank of the junker-chamber, which did not allow him to reject the invitation without a good reason.
There was another Pushkin's visit to the Anichkov Palace in 1836, November 23 - a tet-a-tet meeting with the Emperor, when Nikolai asked to cool down the conflict with Dantes. But, 3 months later, the mortally wounded poet was driven to his last apartment on the coast of the Moika river.
In 1740 the Fontanka river (река Фонтанка) was the natural edge of the city and Nevsky prospect was just an usual trail, so Elizabeth decided to make something beautyfull there. In her opinion, the palace in the shape of letter H would decorate the city’s look. The palace stands sideway to Nevsky Prospekt, because the builders dug a small canal from the Fontanka, with a tiny harbor at the end.
The palace was gifted to Elizabeth’s favorite - Razumovsky. When Catherine II became the Empress, she decided to buy the palace and then gifted it to her favorite - Potyomkin. Outcluding the palace the gift contained 100 thousands of rubles (huge amount of money), which Potyomkin spent to the transform the palace from Baroque to the Classicism. The transformation took 12 years, from the 1762 to the 1778.
Anichkov palace - oldest building on Nevsky prospect, preserved to this day. Also, it's one of the Alexander Pushkin's points of stay. It's known that tsar Nikolai I, trying to chat up with N. Goncharova, wanted her to join the dance ball (with husband, of course). But Puskin had been avoiding this kind of actvities. Then, Nikolai has granted him the rank of the junker-chamber, which did not allow him to reject the invitation without a good reason.
There was another Pushkin's visit to the Anichkov Palace in 1836, November 23 - a tet-a-tet meeting with the Emperor, when Nikolai asked to cool down the conflict with Dantes. But, 3 months later, the mortally wounded poet was driven to his last apartment on the coast of the Moika river.
The city legend
In 1812 there was a famous earl - Sheremetiev in Saint-Petersburg. Once in a Christmas Eve, his serf - P. Eliseev bring unbelievably tasty strawberries for the guests. Sheremetiev was so excited, so he called Eliseev to ask - «How could I thank you?». Eliseev - being an entrepreneur, mentally - asked for a freedom. Sheremetiev decided - yes, and also gave him a 100 of rubles (good money at those times). Thanks to his talent, Eliseev became a famous person in Peterburg and created a copartnership called «Eliseevs brothers».
In a few decades, descendants opened the trading house, which would be the hub for managing the copartnership.
Creation
In 1902-1903, «Eliseev brothers» built the «House of merchants Eliseevs» with architector Baranovksy on the Nevsky prospect. The location was not picked accidently: huge and beautiful building should attract potential clients. That’s why the building was founded on the main street, around the Anichkov palace, "The Passage" and other well-known places. There were 4 statues installed on the facade - constructed by A. Adamson. Statues symbolicated Science, Art, Industry and Trade. That’s how Adamson wanted to express the basics of modern civilization.
And one more legend
People say that before the revolution of 1917, the merchats, leaving Russia, melted all of their riches into the gold chandelier, to get it back some day. (‘cause they thought that the Bolsheviks's coming to power - is the temporary thing). But, when restoration started - there was no gold chandelier found in the building. Somebody said that merchants walled their money (literally, into the walls), but again - nothing was found there.
In 1812 there was a famous earl - Sheremetiev in Saint-Petersburg. Once in a Christmas Eve, his serf - P. Eliseev bring unbelievably tasty strawberries for the guests. Sheremetiev was so excited, so he called Eliseev to ask - «How could I thank you?». Eliseev - being an entrepreneur, mentally - asked for a freedom. Sheremetiev decided - yes, and also gave him a 100 of rubles (good money at those times). Thanks to his talent, Eliseev became a famous person in Peterburg and created a copartnership called «Eliseevs brothers».
In a few decades, descendants opened the trading house, which would be the hub for managing the copartnership.
Creation
In 1902-1903, «Eliseev brothers» built the «House of merchants Eliseevs» with architector Baranovksy on the Nevsky prospect. The location was not picked accidently: huge and beautiful building should attract potential clients. That’s why the building was founded on the main street, around the Anichkov palace, "The Passage" and other well-known places. There were 4 statues installed on the facade - constructed by A. Adamson. Statues symbolicated Science, Art, Industry and Trade. That’s how Adamson wanted to express the basics of modern civilization.
And one more legend
People say that before the revolution of 1917, the merchats, leaving Russia, melted all of their riches into the gold chandelier, to get it back some day. (‘cause they thought that the Bolsheviks's coming to power - is the temporary thing). But, when restoration started - there was no gold chandelier found in the building. Somebody said that merchants walled their money (literally, into the walls), but again - nothing was found there.
The City Duma is a complex of buildings located on the corner of Nevsky Prospekt and Dumskaya Street. This complex includes building of the City Duma and the tower of the City Duma (height of about 47.5 meters).
Variability of the appearance
Initially the building of the City Council copied the view of the Silver Rows, but then it was constantly rebuilt, so it completely lost its original appearance.
N.E. Efimov in 1847 began construction of a three-story building in a laconic Renaissance style. The building was finally built in 1852.
In 1913 the architect A.V. Kenel completed two more floors. There is even an urban myth about this:
The citizens did not like the change in the building, the press wrote a lot of criticism, so the architect A.V. Kenel was very worried about this. After his death, there were mystical myth that he walks around the completed city hall floors and says "What do not you like here?".
In 1986, it was decided to dismantle the upper floor.
The Italian architect Giacomo Ferrari completed the tower. It was on the side of the corner of the block, although usually such towers were erected above the building.
The first backlit clock in St. Petersburg
Historians think that D. Ferrari installed a clock on his tower. Judging by the correspondence of F. Terepov (mayor) from 1870, he wanted to illuminate the tower clock, but it did not happen until 10 years later.
In 1882, engineers made a diagnosis of the clock and said that it was very outdated and dilapidated, so the government offered the watchmaker F. Winter to make new ones. They signed an agreement for 3570 rubles, but with the proviso that Winter will receive this money after all the works. Also, F. Winter would have been fined if the clock once a month lagged behind more than two minutes.
The watchmaker knew his work well, so the clock worked until the summer of 1986. It was then that one drunken tourist unscrewed the nut from the clock. The clock stoped. The press called this event "the clinical death of the main clock of the main Leningrad avenue." But soon the nut was returned and the clock again earned.
Variability of the appearance
Initially the building of the City Council copied the view of the Silver Rows, but then it was constantly rebuilt, so it completely lost its original appearance.
N.E. Efimov in 1847 began construction of a three-story building in a laconic Renaissance style. The building was finally built in 1852.
In 1913 the architect A.V. Kenel completed two more floors. There is even an urban myth about this:
The citizens did not like the change in the building, the press wrote a lot of criticism, so the architect A.V. Kenel was very worried about this. After his death, there were mystical myth that he walks around the completed city hall floors and says "What do not you like here?".
In 1986, it was decided to dismantle the upper floor.
The Italian architect Giacomo Ferrari completed the tower. It was on the side of the corner of the block, although usually such towers were erected above the building.
The first backlit clock in St. Petersburg
Historians think that D. Ferrari installed a clock on his tower. Judging by the correspondence of F. Terepov (mayor) from 1870, he wanted to illuminate the tower clock, but it did not happen until 10 years later.
In 1882, engineers made a diagnosis of the clock and said that it was very outdated and dilapidated, so the government offered the watchmaker F. Winter to make new ones. They signed an agreement for 3570 rubles, but with the proviso that Winter will receive this money after all the works. Also, F. Winter would have been fined if the clock once a month lagged behind more than two minutes.
The watchmaker knew his work well, so the clock worked until the summer of 1986. It was then that one drunken tourist unscrewed the nut from the clock. The clock stoped. The press called this event "the clinical death of the main clock of the main Leningrad avenue." But soon the nut was returned and the clock again earned.
In the days of the second World War, statues of horses were deconstructed, packed and hidden in the garden of Anichkov palace. It was replaced with boxes full of ground, where the citizens grew the grass. In November 1942 the huge part of bridge was destructed by an air-attack.
After the war horses were brought back, the bridge was repaired but the footprint of the shell were left here to remind about the war and the Leningrad blockade (that’s how the city was called in USSR).
After the war horses were brought back, the bridge was repaired but the footprint of the shell were left here to remind about the war and the Leningrad blockade (that’s how the city was called in USSR).
History of creation
At the beginning of the XVIII century, residents had to move across the Moika from one island to another. So they built a ferry out of improvised means.
In 1738 made a pedestrian wooden bridge. It was also designed in such a way that one of its parts can be lifted for passage of ships. Initially, he was nicknamed the "Color Bridge", because it was constantly painted in different colors.
In 1768, the "Color Bridge" was converted into a regular travel card, completely changing its design.
Its today's name, it got in 1790 thanks to a bar "Potseluy»(literally «kiss»), which was on the banks of the Moika River. It was owned by the merchant N.V. Potseluy (in Russian it's the same as a kiss)
It was rebuilt in 1808-1816. They did this with interruptions. Project of V.I. Geste.
The last time it was completely redesigned in 1905-1906, when they wanted to start tram lines along the "Potseluev Bridge", but the engineering commission said that the bridge would not survive. Also, they restricted the passage of cargo over 200 poods and began to strengthen the bridge.
Legends of the "Potseluev Bridge"
In XVII the city's border ended near the Moika River, so the bridge was a meeting and parting place. Here, lovers said goodbye to each other, if someone had to leave St. Petersburg.
It was believed that if someone kissed on the bridge, he would definitely return.
Also, sailors and prisoners were said goodbye to their ladies.
There is a legend that the bridge was used by the secret meeting place of lovers who should not have been seen together.
There was an ancient custom to kiss with pedestrians, regardless of whether you know them or not.(But do not try to kiss someone in our time, just don’t)
At the beginning of the XVIII century, residents had to move across the Moika from one island to another. So they built a ferry out of improvised means.
In 1738 made a pedestrian wooden bridge. It was also designed in such a way that one of its parts can be lifted for passage of ships. Initially, he was nicknamed the "Color Bridge", because it was constantly painted in different colors.
In 1768, the "Color Bridge" was converted into a regular travel card, completely changing its design.
Its today's name, it got in 1790 thanks to a bar "Potseluy»(literally «kiss»), which was on the banks of the Moika River. It was owned by the merchant N.V. Potseluy (in Russian it's the same as a kiss)
It was rebuilt in 1808-1816. They did this with interruptions. Project of V.I. Geste.
The last time it was completely redesigned in 1905-1906, when they wanted to start tram lines along the "Potseluev Bridge", but the engineering commission said that the bridge would not survive. Also, they restricted the passage of cargo over 200 poods and began to strengthen the bridge.
Legends of the "Potseluev Bridge"
In XVII the city's border ended near the Moika River, so the bridge was a meeting and parting place. Here, lovers said goodbye to each other, if someone had to leave St. Petersburg.
It was believed that if someone kissed on the bridge, he would definitely return.
Also, sailors and prisoners were said goodbye to their ladies.
There is a legend that the bridge was used by the secret meeting place of lovers who should not have been seen together.
There was an ancient custom to kiss with pedestrians, regardless of whether you know them or not.(But do not try to kiss someone in our time, just don’t)
There are some not obvious attractions in Saint-Petersburg and one of them is the Gryphons’s Tower in the Vasilievsky island. (Gryphon/griffin is a huge magical animal being with wings). That building was belonged to mysterious apothecary William Pel, so the tower with the tall of 11 meters (in fact, it’s just the chimney) created few city legends.
People were saying that apothecary’s secrets are protected by gryphones, which is sitting of its top. A legend says - there are secret alchemical laboratory, where William makes his experiments. And he reached the success in making mercury into gold, ostensibly. And also the “recipe of happiness, of course.
People coming to apothecary’s yard believe that the tower can make their wishes come true and to change a destiny to the better.
May 1, 1994 an artist A. Kostroma numerated all of the bricks and put a big egg on the top of tower. Now an egg is lost (it’s stolen or maybe gryphons hatched and flew away) but numbers one the bricks is still here.
People were saying that apothecary’s secrets are protected by gryphones, which is sitting of its top. A legend says - there are secret alchemical laboratory, where William makes his experiments. And he reached the success in making mercury into gold, ostensibly. And also the “recipe of happiness, of course.
People coming to apothecary’s yard believe that the tower can make their wishes come true and to change a destiny to the better.
May 1, 1994 an artist A. Kostroma numerated all of the bricks and put a big egg on the top of tower. Now an egg is lost (it’s stolen or maybe gryphons hatched and flew away) but numbers one the bricks is still here.