Weekend in St. Petersburg: not like everyone else. Andreevsky Boulevard - local Arbat Long White Nights

The prototype of most pedestrian Russian streets is called Arbat, and indeed, many of them are very similar to this Moscow landmark. But at the same time, each of them has its own unique highlights, each is worthy of a separate story, and most importantly, it will give you a lot of pleasure and impressions when you decide to walk through it. More details in the new review.

Arbat is also the most famous pedestrianized street Russia, and one of the main attractions of the capital. Historical information about this street dates back to the 15th century, and it became pedestrian in the 80s of the last century. Guests of Moscow, when visiting the capital, are sure to stroll along Arbat, enjoy visiting numerous restaurants and cafes, willingly buy local souvenirs, taking as souvenirs not only juicy photographs, but picturesque portraits by street artists. On Arbat there are the Vakhtangov Theater, monuments, houses associated with the life of famous poets - Alexander Sergeevich Pushkin, Andrei Bely and Bulat Okudzhava. Fans of rock music consider it their duty to visit the wall in memory of rock musician Viktor Tsoi, and street musicians play his songs.

Kamergersky Lane became a pedestrian street in 1998 - the facades of the houses were restored, new stylish lanterns were installed and a monument to Anton Pavlovich Chekhov was erected. This is no coincidence, because the Moscow Art Theater named after him is nearby, and after the performance you can look into the local cafes and restaurants.

Manezhnaya Street has been officially open to pedestrians since 2005. And this is great, because you can walk along it along the Alexander Garden, in close proximity from the Kremlin, at any time of the year. In addition, art lovers will certainly appreciate the proximity of the Manege Central Exhibition Hall.

Lavrushinsky Lane

Performances, exhibitions, the holy of holies of artists - all this is here, on Yakimanka, in Lavrushinsky Lane. Walking here, you will talk about art, even if you don’t consider yourself an expert on it - but how could it be otherwise, because this is where the world-famous Tretyakov Gallery is located. And, by the way, art events are held from time to time in the alley itself, right in the open air.

Stoleshnikov Lane

“Stoleshnikov Lane! It, like the sun in a drop of water, reflects the whole life of the city...” This is how the famous writer and journalist Vladimir Gilyarovsky described his place of residence. However, the first mention of Stoleshnikov Lane dates back to the 16th century. Then there was a craft settlement of weavers here, and later the nobility settled here: the princes Dolgoruky, Trubetskoy, Kozlovsky.

Now in pedestrian lane fashionable shops and luxury boutiques have grown. The lane was recognized as one of the most expensive places shopping in Moscow, as well as the second most expensive shopping street in the world (!) after the Champs Elysees in Paris... For those who think not only about the material, but also about the spiritual, as opposed to fashion stores, we recommend visiting the Church of the Holy Unmercenaries Cosmas and Damian , located here.

Malaya Konyushennaya became a pedestrian street in a solemn ceremony on September 2, 1997. Leading artists, architects and, importantly, business executives of St. Petersburg participated in the project of its arrangement. To enhance the “pedestrian” atmosphere, paving stones were laid here, the pavement was decorated with granite slabs, flower beds were laid out, young trees were planted, and benches were installed. Soon, on Malaya Konyushennaya (just at the corner with Shvedsky Lane), a monument to Gorodovoy appeared, and at the very beginning of the street, near Nevsky Prospekt, a monument to Nikolai Vasilyevich Gogol was erected. In the middle of Malaya Konyushennaya there is a unique street clock, or more precisely, a “meteorological pavilion-monument with a clock.” It was installed back in 1914, but was decommissioned in the 30s and returned to its place only in the late 90s. This small weather station records air pressure and temperature and chronicles their changes with a barograph and thermograph from the early 20th century.

Those who love meaningful walks while walking along Malaya Konyushennaya can look into house No. 4. Once upon a time the famous writer Mikhail Zoshchenko lived here, and now his memorial museum “lives” here.

By the end of the 90s, Malaya was also transformed Sadovaya street, running from Nevsky Prospekt (from the famous Eliseevsky grocery store) to Italianskaya. The “Rotating Ball” fountain appeared here - a composition of 12 flat granite steps with bronze numbers and a marble ball weighing 739 kilograms. The design makes a stunning impression, because it is heavy stone ball as if lying on the water and rotating at its slightest movement. In 2001, a monument to the photographer was also erected on Malaya Sadovaya (on the site of the once extremely fashionable photo studio of Karl Bull) - a kind of memorial in honor of all St. Petersburg photographers of the late 19th - early 20th centuries. And when you find yourself near house No. 3, be sure to look up: here on the cornice of the second floor there is a small figurine of the cat Vasilisa. On the other side of the street, by the way, sits her gentleman - the cat Elisha. This is a kind of tribute to the cats who protected Leningrad from the invasion of mice and rats after the war. There is a popular superstition among St. Petersburg residents that if you throw a coin to a cat, something very pleasant will certainly happen. Whether this is true or not can only be checked in person on Malaya Sadovaya.

If tourists are strolling along other pedestrian streets, then lines 6 and 7 Vasilyevsky Island- a delight for the residents of St. Petersburg themselves. Perhaps tourists, in their eternal bustle, simply do not have time to walk with gusto through one of the most beautiful pedestrian areas of the city. So if you are in St. Petersburg, do not fail to get to the Vasileostrovskaya metro station, go straight to Sredny Prospekt and go slowly towards Bolshoy Prospekt. At the very beginning of the route you will be greeted by a blue horse-drawn carriage. Once upon a time, even before the advent of trams, this public transport horse-drawn was very popular. It’s interesting that this horse-drawn horse is a “true” one; it was restored according to drawings from the archives of the Putilov plant.

On the boulevard (and this is a boulevard, because the middle of the street is planted with beautiful larches) there are a lot of shops, cafes, bars, restaurants for every taste. Also, while walking here, you can enjoy the view of two beautiful cathedrals - the Church of the Three Saints, one of the oldest stone churches in St. Petersburg, and the magnificent St. Andrew's Cathedral.

The longest pedestrian zone in St. Petersburg is located in historical center, next to the metro stations “Vladimirskaya” and “Dostoevskaya”. Here, the famous monument to Fyodor Mikhailovich Dostoevsky coexists with modern and even slightly avant-garde sculptures, the wonderful “Bridge” fountain, elegant lanterns and comfortable benches for rest and reflection. Unfortunately, part of the street is now reserved for parking.

Kirova Street in Chelyabinsk is a real paradise for pedestrians, an amazing place, designed with intelligence, love and without the slightest hint of provincialism. Its pedestrian zone stretches from the embankment of the Miass River to Revolution Square, and all the way you will encounter amazing sculptural compositions, stylized as a local brand - the famous Kasli iron casting. Here is a fashionable young lady admiring herself in the mirror, here is a shoe shiner, here is a thin oriental boy with camels (they are not here by chance, because Chelyabinsk has long been the official “gateway” Russian Empire to Asia), but on the contrary - a “professional” beggar. By the way, a local city belief says that whoever throws a coin into his hat and pats him on the head will be blessed with good luck and prosperity. There are also monuments to the bard Alexander Rosenbaum, Alexander Sergeevich Pushkin and a memorial stele in honor of the founders of the city.

There is another Arbat, although wider and less crowded with the public, in Kazan. Meet Bauman Street: trees in forged fences, the thinnest balls of lampshades, ergonomic benches and bright trash cans - a combination of beauty and common sense. It’s nice to stroll along Baumanka, enjoying, for example, the view of the wonderful fountain with the sculpture “Su Anasy” (the prototype of the mermaid in Russian fairy tales), or you can explore the assortment of many shops and restaurant menus. However, no matter what you prefer, you will not be left without company, because Bauman Street is one of the favorite vacation spots of citizens and guests of the city.

Part of Leningradskaya Street in Samara (from to) has been turned into a pedestrian zone. But this place, may the local city planners forgive us, was created not so much for walking as for sitting: squat, wide benches beckon you to stop, sit comfortably, relax and look around. In summer it is very green here, the fountains give off freshness, and the flowers give off an intoxicating aroma. In general, the local flower beds and lawns are real landscape wonders; they simply enchant with their well-groomed nature. And in winter, when it gets dark much earlier, the street captivates with the light of beautiful classic lanterns and the original illumination of buildings.

On the wide Weiner Street (from Lenin Avenue to Kuibyshev Street) there is an amazing fountain with twisted metal ribbons; it bears the proud name “Spirals of Time” and symbolizes the inextricable intertwining of the past, present and future. Indeed, the pedestrian street Weiner in Yekaterinburg is a real interweaving of eras. Here the Kunstkamera and fashion boutiques, fashionable cafes and the Museum of Fine Arts, where the Hermitage collection was kept during the war, coexist organically and unobtrusively. Many of the buildings here are architectural monuments, and modernity has appropriately added interesting sculptures to them, sort of frozen everyday scenes from history. For example, “Creator of the first bicycle Efim Artamonov” is a folk craftsman sitting on a huge wheel.

Lovers can keep company with the bronze lovers "sitting" on the railing, and children adore the sculptural group called "Friends" (a blacksmith, a dog and a horse). Poor students leave coins on the peddler’s tray for luck, and respectable businessmen sincerely sympathize with the banker “heading” to the car. By the way, according to urban legend, if you rub a banker’s ring, your dreams of material well-being and prosperity will come true. The 3-meter monument to Michael Jackson is the “youngest” here. Fans of the King of Pop regularly bring fresh flowers to him.

One of the main streets of the old part of Ryazan - Pochtovaya Street - is popularly called “Ryazan Arbat”, or “Ryazan Broadway”. Once upon a time, it received its name from the presence of the first post office in the province. And today, townspeople wander around here, musicians perform, and local artists exhibit their works. On the ground floors of pre-revolutionary houses, small shops, cafes, and restaurants are comfortably located. How can you not remember over a cup of coffee and dessert that this is where a luxurious confectionery store was located. He had a coffee shop that served Viennese cakes (1.5 rubles each, by the way, quite a lot of money back then) and chocolates made according to a unique recipe. According to legend, a crafty Ryazan merchant bargained for a bottle of vodka from a visiting Belgian confectioner for the method of preparing these sweets.

Of course, old Irkutsk is simply beautiful in wooden lace, breathing history, all of it is a delight for tourists with cameras. But the pedestrian Uritsky Street, although located in a more modern environment, is interesting and hospitable. And no wonder in 2011 architectural ensemble Uritsky streets were proposed to be recognized as an object cultural heritage. In addition, the city authorities are trying to carefully and tactfully complement the surroundings of Uritsky Street. For example, not long ago the sculptural composition “Magic Cello” was installed here.

This Nizhny Novgorod street is one of the oldest and most beautiful streets in the city. On half of it (from Minin Square to Malaya Pokrovskaya Street) there is no car traffic, but there are cozy benches, various cafes and cute sculptures. Next to the main post office, for example, there is a postman with a bicycle and a bag over his shoulder, then you can “meet” a fashionista and a young violinist, an innkeeper, a photographer with a faithful dog and a strict but fair policeman.

The monument to the famous Evgeniy Evstigneev standing here is also interesting. The actor is depicted as a little tired, as if he had returned home from distant travels, sitting down to rest on a bench near his native theater (Nizhny Novgorod State Academic Drama Theater named after Gorky), where his career began. And, by the way, it will be very useful to combine walking on a visit to the theater.

Who walks along Andreevsky Boulevard
You rarely see boulevards in St. Petersburg, and even more so on Vasilyevsky Island. In 2001, Vasileostrovsk residents got their own “Nevsky Prospekt” - with street musicians, fountains, beautiful flower beds and expensive shops. Over the seven years of its existence, Andreevsky Boulevard has become one of the most favorite places townspeople And first of all - Vasileostrovtsy.
A little bit of the province

The official name has been retained - 6-7th lines. Previously, cars walked here and people only had sidewalks. They managed to forget about cars. From Bolshoy to Sredny Avenue you won’t see any of the ill-fated technology – only people. But it all starts prosaically - from the Lieutenant Schmidt embankment - one of the quiet lines of Vasilyevsky Island. Where else in Russia can you find streets with this name? You can thank Emperor Peter. Although, he aimed not only at smooth highways, but also at canals. Then we could sail along all these lines in boats. Didn't have a chance...
The recently opened Blagoveshchensky Bridge (only the embankment remains from the lieutenant) still has a construction fence. Right on the corner is the famous House of Academicians, where the best minds of our country lived. I counted 29 memorial plaques on the façade. You won’t find so many gray slabs with great and not so great names anywhere else in St. Petersburg. “The famous Russian Byzantine scholar Fyodor Uspensky lived in this house.” Now the Byzantine scholar Uspensky has become even more famous.
With its tobacco shop and old bookstore, this part of the boulevard looks like a street somewhere in the provinces. And it is crossed by ancient alleys with preserved stone pavements.
Very close to the museum of Academician Pavlov. I didn't even know...
Further, on the way to Bolshoy Prospekt, there is one of the most beautiful old mansions in the city, on which inscriptions about the people who lived and worked here are still visible: “Pharmacy of Professor Dr. Pel and Sons.” Now here, as expected, is the dentistry of the Northwestern Medical Center. At the very top, under the roof, is a Russian double-headed eagle. But the inscription “State Bank” is barely visible - it is poorly preserved.
Name street

It’s really better to walk along Andreevsky from the Neva. The panorama that opens up is wonderful - here you can see the roof of St. Andrew's Court, and the spiers of St. Andrew's Cathedral, and the word "why" left by graffiti artists on the wall of one of the houses (and this wall is at the very top, near the roof). Have you noticed whose name is constantly repeated? There is no need to be clever in order to name something on the boulevard - Andrei is the only one who can live here. They can go to their own kindergarten - called “Andreyka”, pray - in St. Andrew’s Church, and even shop in “St. Andrew’s Court”.
The stone church in the name of the Holy Apostle Andrew the First-Called was built in the second half of the 18th century. There are many cathedrals in St. Petersburg, but St. Andrew's is one of the recognizable ones; perhaps even largely due to its pleasant pinkish color. Among believers, it is believed that it is here that the most beautiful voices sing during services.
According to tradition, on the day of remembrance of the saint, November 30, solemn services are held in the church and holders of the Order of St. Andrew the First-Called come from all over the world. Recently, a bust of Fyodor Golovin, the first holder of this honorary order, was installed here.
One of the most respected awards in Russia (and, by the way, the highest state award) is also mentioned on the stele near Bolshoy Prospekt. Decrees concerning the origin and revival of the order - Peter, Paul I and Boris Yeltsin are written on the memorial plaques. The first president of Russia also went down in history.
Let's sit on the cannon

The sea spirit of the nearby Harbor and Gulf of Finland is felt on Andreevsky Boulevard like nowhere else on Vasilyevsky. Knowledgeable people will recommend you restaurants called “Flagman” or “Sea Wolf”. Knowledgeable people will not be surprised by sailors who look out for beautiful girls and smile at them beautifully. Ribbons on caps are one of the distinctive features boulevard.
On this patch it is quite possible to study the history of the island - the monument to Lieutenant Vasily has been built for four years now. You can’t pass by - the legendary commander of an artillery battery sits next to his cannon and smiles at passers-by. To the incomprehensible children, who think that this is Munchausen, adults tell a well-known story - that it was this lieutenant that Peter the Great had in mind when he sent someone to the then unnamed island, to Vasily.
As befits cult sculptures, Vasily has already been polished to a shine, and they began to call him in his own way - Vasya. Climbing onto his gun is considered a matter of honor. Street musicians usually gather at Vasya's. This place is crowded, so they play (depending on the day of the week) either a young man with a guitar or a grandfather with a button accordion.
The fate of another sculptural composition on Andreevsky Boulevard is not so happy - now you won’t be able to see the horses standing by the horse-drawn carriage. Someone constantly turned away the ears of these horses, sat astride them at night, and a couple of months ago they were taken away for restoration. So the tram is horseless for now. It was on this site that the first Railway with horse traction.
"Shoe" Boulevard

In the center of the street there is a small garden - young spruce trees stand with cones all year round, pansies look out from numerous flower beds. And all this beauty is interspersed with fountains. Everything is as it should be - benches, a toilet, there is even a department of the philological faculty of St. Petersburg State University. But most of all there are shoe stores on the boulevard (at least ten, that’s for sure). It is difficult to explain such popularity of this particular product in this particular part of the land.
The lobby of the Vasileostrovskaya metro station faces Andreevsky Boulevard. Here I would keep silent about the province. The hubbub is around the clock.
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From Sredny Prospect, calm begins again - the boulevard ends and continues with lines 6-7, but even here there are very few cars. At the same time, there are signs everywhere: “Do not park cars in front of the entrance.” The most beautiful plaque is at the gates of the Annunciation Church (two orthodox temple on one street): in ancient Slavic script it is written: “Do not obstruct passage to the temple.”
You walk along the Line and you can look into the windows. There are flowers on everyone's windowsills (Pike Tail is popular). And again, a little from the province - boys are kicking balls on the basketball court, grandmothers are on the benches, and in the children's town near the temple there is noise and din - mothers are walking their children. Sometimes dads show up.
Behind Maly Prospekt there is no smell of Andreevsky Boulevard - factories start there. There is a large pipe running over the street and a whole corridor from one workshop to another.
Lines 6-7 end at the Smolenka River. If it were not a street, but a canal conceived by Peter, it would be possible to get from the Neva directly to that same Smolenka.
A little history

Andreevsky Boulevard is a fertile (and grateful) place for historians, local historians, and simply those who love St. Petersburg. There is even the second stone building of the city here - the so-called House of the Merchant Troekurov. According to some evidence, the architect of the house is none other than Domenico Trezzini. The story of the mansion, it seems, will soon end happily. For a long time there were taverns in its basements, and now, after a long reconstruction, a mini-hotel with 17 rooms is being prepared.
The territory of the nearby market and the street itself are recognized by historians as practically the only place that has been preserved within the real boundaries of the first plan of St. Petersburg.
Let us also note that at the last round table meeting on the aesthetics of the urban environment of the World Club of St. Petersburgers, Andreevsky Boulevard was recognized as a very successful architectural project. And this is even in comparison with the similar pedestrian malls Malaya Sadovaya and Malaya Konyushennaya. In addition, Andreevsky Boulevard is located far from Nevsky Prospekt and is already popularly called the St. Petersburg Arbat. Which it fully deserves.