Impressions of a person located on the tip of the island. Vasilyevsky Island - arrow, rostral columns, stock exchange. Stages of formation of the arrow image
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.
Located right on the banks of the Neva, the Spit of Vasilievsky Island has always attracted both residents of St. Petersburg and its guests. It is from here that the most picturesque view of the city opens. From the stone shore you can admire the Peter and Paul Fortress, the Hermitage and the Admiralty.
There is a tradition of holding weddings and memorable celebrations on the Spit of Vasilyevsky Island. And just recently there was another reason to explore this area. In 2003, a memorial sign was installed here in honor of the tercentenary of St. Petersburg, donated by the city customs service. The sign is a bronze circle with a diameter of 240 centimeters, located on a granite pedestal. The plate depicts the buildings that make up the architectural ensemble of the Spit of Vasilyevsky Island.
The grand opening of the memorial sign took place on November 14, 2003. The main architect of the unique monument was Yuri Anatolyevich Nikitin, a historian and professor, author of several books on the history of architecture. The sculptors who brought the idea to life were Alexander Sergeevich Kunats and Dmitry Mikhailovich Nikitin. Alexander Vasilyevich Timofeev was chosen as the designer of the bronze bas-relief.
In addition to the three hundredth anniversary of the Northern capital, the memorial sign symbolizes another historical event. On November 12, 1703, the first merchant ship from Holland delivered a cargo of wine and salt to St. Petersburg. This date is considered the founding day of the North-West Customs Service.
The location for the installation of the bronze monument was not chosen by chance. It was in the buildings located on the Spit of Vasilyevsky Island that at one time the customs service of St. Petersburg was located. Each building is captured and signed.
History of the Spit of Vasilyevsky Island
This architectural ensemble is located in the easternmost part of Vasilyevsky Island. Going down to the banks of the Neva, it harmoniously fits into the landscape and is a standard of architecture in St. Petersburg.
The history of the island begins in the twenties of the 18th century. It was then that Peter I decided to organize a business center of the city here. The Building of the Twelve Colleges and the Exchange were built according to the design of Domenico Trezzini. Also included in the chief architect’s plan were Gostiny Dvor and the Cathedral.
The building of the Twelve Colleges was made in the Peter the Great Baroque style and was intended to house the highest bodies of state power. Today it houses the St. Petersburg State University and Pedagogical Institute.
A separate building was built to house the city Exchange, but soon a Naval Museum was organized there, which existed there until 2010 and was then moved to the Kryukov barracks. Now the issue of using the former Exchange building has not been resolved. At the same time, buildings for the Kunstkamera and the Academy of Sciences were erected. On the northern bank along the Malaya Nevka River there were port services: customs, a warehouse and a trade exchange.
In the second half of the 18th century, the untouched territory of Vasilyevsky Island was designated for the construction of the northern warehouse, which became the main building of the Exchange building. Today the premises house the Museum of Soil Science named after Vasily Vasilyevich Dokuchaev. The author of the project for the northern warehouse was Giacomo Quarenghi, a member of the Imperial Academy of Arts.
In 1805, construction of the new Exchange building began. Main architector Jean-François Thomas de Thomon executed it in the antique style and decorated the area in front of it with two Rostral columns. At the foot of each of them there are statues symbolizing the great Russian rivers: the Neva, Dnieper, Volga and Volkhov. In front of the Exchange building, a square was laid out, consisting of an eastern and western part. The first of them is called Exchange Square, and the second is Kollezhskaya.
At the same time, Cape Strelki of Vasilyevsky Island was being developed. The built stone ledge above the water served as a ceremonial pier. For its construction, soil was poured into the Neva bed; the total height of the embankment was 123 and a half meters.
The flood that occurred in 1824 severely destroyed the Exchange building. To restore the structure, the northern and southern warehouses had to be rebuilt.
For a long time, the architectural ensemble of the Spit of Vasilyevsky Island remained untouched. But modern multi-storey buildings have gradually destroyed the harmony created several centuries ago. Development companies and local authorities are engaged in an irreconcilable struggle for the territory.
Rostral columns got their name from the ancient Greek tradition of decorating structures of this kind with a war trophy, in this case the bow of a ship, which translated into Latin sounds like “rostra”. This symbol personified the power and strength of the country.
While walking along Vasilyevsky Island, you can wander into the narrowest street of St. Petersburg - Repin Street. Its width is only 5 meters and 60 centimeters. Previously, it was called Pesochny and Solovyovsky Lane. The road appeared due to its advantageous location on a hill, where it was convenient to lay a path.
Another interesting fact is that the image of the Spit of Vasilievsky Island is depicted on the fifty-ruble banknote. On one side there is a statue of the Neva at the foot of the Rostral Column, on the other there is a view of the Strelka from the river. If you look closely at the sculpture's foot, you will notice the erroneously depicted sixth toe.
There are more than one legends around the Spit of Vasilyevsky Island. Among them there is one that says that lions located near the descent to the river help to get married. In order for a girl to find a groom, she must kiss the animal's nose. And for those who have already found their happiness, a ring sticking out of the lion’s mouth will help strengthen their relationship. To do this, it is enough to hold on to it together.
You can see St. Petersburg from the most picturesque angle by walking along the Spit of Vasilyevsky Island. There are a large number of historical museum buildings located here. Guests and residents of the city will certainly receive the best impressions.
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 in 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 Vasilievsky 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 - bow 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 Vasilyevsky 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.
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
In Russian speech, an arrow refers to a long and narrow cape, which is located at the intersection of water streams. So, for example, in St. Petersburg there are several similar switches: “Malaya”, separating the Malaya and Bolshaya Nevka; then located on Galerny Island, and the most famous Spit of Vasilyevsky Island, which is one of the main historical symbols of the city.
This is truly one of the most beautiful ensembles located on Strelka. Couples in love and newlyweds love to walk here; tourists from all over the world come here to admire the amazing view of the city from the island. From here you have a stunning view of the Palace Embankment and the Peter and Paul Fortress.
Currently, the Spit of Vasilyevsky Island is a very recognizable place. Tall red buildings attract the attention of citizens and guests of the cultural capital. But earlier, 300 years ago, it was not columns that towered on this very spot, but the structures stood for fifteen years, but later the territory underwent radical changes. According to the plans of Peter the Great, Vasilievsky Island in St. Petersburg was perfectly suited for the city center.
So, in 1716, a plan was signed according to which work began on the development of the area under the leadership of Here it was planned to rebuild the houses of influential people of St. Petersburg, the imperial palace, the central square, as well as Mytny Dvor, the Academy of Sciences, etc. Unfortunately, the grandiose plans of Peter I and his great architect was not destined to come true. After the death of the emperor, the construction of houses on the island was suspended, and people left the city. The only thing that saved Strelka was the trading port. Ships that came from distant countries were unloaded here, the stock exchange worked here, and the customs office carried out its activities. once again became the center of city life. It was called the “market place”, “Dutch Exchange”, “Vatrushka”, “Bird Conservatory”. Thanks to trade, Strelka became famous throughout the country. Only here it was possible to buy various foreign outlandish goods, here sailors rested and ships unloaded. In the nineteenth century, the shore of this island of St. Petersburg was expanded and strengthened, and a wide pier was built here for the convenience of merchant ships.
The famous lighthouses, decorated like rostral columns, by which we recognize the Spit of the island, were built in 1810 to make it easier for sailors to navigate their way. For a long time, their lights showed travelers the way to the Bolshaya and Malaya Neva. The columns were decorated with images of ship bows and various figures symbolizing the major rivers of the Russian Empire.
The Spit of Vasilievsky Island is currently one of the most beautiful architectural monuments of the city. Here in the park an anchor was installed in honor of the tercentenary of St. Petersburg, one of the largest and most beautiful singing fountains in Europe was opened. Museum of the Navy, Central