University embankment
So let’s continue our tour. You know, we are still on Vasilievsky Island. And you remember that the idea of Peter the Great to create the administrative center here failed due to isolation of the island, as it cost a big problem of transportation: there were no permanent bridges across the Neva at that time, besides Peter himself forbade constructing bridges, he issued an edict banning the construction of bridges across the Neva; instead, every resident of the city received a boat free from the government and was taught how to use it; the instructions were written by Peter I himself. Only temporary pontoon bridges had been used to span the Neva until the first permanent iron and stone bridge over it was built in 1850, the present day Lieutenant Schmidt Bridge. So gradually the administrative center moved to the other bank of the Neva River, and this part of the city has been developed as a scientific and educational center since that time. There are many scientific research institutes, libraries, archives, museums spread on the island, including the prestigious University of our city- St Petersburg University.
The long red-and-white building is the main office of St Petersburg State University (Trezzini, 1741). The building was designed in the early 18th century for the twelve ministries of Peter I’s government (known as Twelve Collegia). The university moved here in 1819. It is the oldest Russian university, founded in 1724. Many outstanding Russian scientists studied and taught at the university: Mendeleyev, the founder of the Periodic Table of Elements (on the façade of the building at the main entrance there is a memorial plaque dedicated to Mendeleyev; it is the plaque with the bas-relief of Mendeleyev, another memorial plaque is that of Vladimir Lenin, who passed his examination as an externe student of the Law Department), then Pavlov, the famous physiologist; Popov who invented radio in Russia – these are but a few names associated with St Petersburg State University. Nowadays student’s body of the University is about 21,000; there are 21 departments where students are trained in 39 specialities, annually the University turns out 3,600 specialists. The main office of the University houses two departments- Geological and Biological Departments. Departments of the University are scattered around the city in many different buildings.
The green building next door also belongs to the University. It accommodates two departments – the Department of Languages and Literature and the Department of Oriental Studies. This early 18th century Baroque structure once used to be Peter II’s residence.
The yellow building further down the embankment is, in all probability, the oldest palace in the city. It is the former Palace of Prince Alexander Menshikov, an eminent statesman and a close friend of Peter I’s. In 1707 Peter I gave the entire Vasilievsky Island to Menshikov. Though the tsar took his gift back again 7 years later, Menshikov managed to use that 7-year period for building himself this luxurious palace, which was considered the city’s richest building. Now the palace has been restored and belongs to the Hermitage.
The big yellow building with a low flat dome is the former Academy of Fine Arts (Kokorinov and Vallin de la Mothe, 1788). The Russian Academy of Fine Arts was founded in 1757, and a great number of eminent Russian artists, sculptors and architects have studied and worked there. Boys would live in this building from the age of five until they graduated at the age 15- it was an experiment to create a new species of human: the artist. It mostly worked; many great Russian artists were spawned here, including Ilya Repin, Karl Bryullov and Anton Losenko. At present the building is still occupied by the Academy, which is the world’s largest art college.
In front of the Academy of Fine Arts there is a pier decorated with two Egyptian sphinxes (said to be about 3500 years old). These sphinx figures once guarded the burial temple of Pharaoh Amenhotep III. Russia bought them from Egypt and shipped them to St Petersburg in 1832. It took one year to transport them from Egypt; they were put up at the embankment in 1834.
Further down the University Embankment gradually comes into Lieutenant Schmidt Embankment named so after the nearby bridge. One can see some distance ahead the Temple of the Assumption (успение) (Uspenskoe Podvore Optina Pustin), it is a stunning neo-Byzantine church (1895) built on the site of a previous monastery by architect V.Kosyakov. It was closed in 1934, and from 1957 turned into the city’s first and very popular year-round skating rink. This is one of the best places to see the process of church reconstruction- the scale of destruction, despite having been in repair since 1991, is still visible. The 7,7m, 861kg metal cross on the roof was only replaced in 1998. There is a monument to the Admiral Ivan Krussenschtern, a participant of the first Russian round world voyage in the early century.
Now we are crossing the Neva River again by Lieutenant Schmidt Bridge. It is the first permanent bridge across the Neva river built in 1850, originally named after Nicholas I during whose reign it was under construction, however, later was re-named after Lieutenant Schmidt, a revolutionary of the Black Sea event of 1905 on the Potyomkin battle-ship. It is the first to open at night at 1.10a.m.
So we are entering Labor Square, the name is due to the former Trade Unions once occupied the ground floor of the Nicholaevsky Palace, constructed for the son of Nicholas I named after his father in 1853-1861 by architect Stakenschneider. Today it is a famous center of entertainment where one can enjoy performances of Russian Folklore Ensembles, Russian folkloric music, songs and dances.
We are turning now to the right to move along English Embankment, the name is due to the fact that in the early 18th century here was an English settlement, up today there is Former Anglican Church located in building 56 down this Embankment.
On our way we can see a lot of palaces stretching along. The first one on the right is worth mentioning, it is the prestigious Wedding Palace in our city, which is number 1. To get marry here a future wed should apply a registration form three months beforehand at least. And after a three-month-trial period they are to marry here, and according to the Civil marriage regulation to get a marriage certificate. Marriage in a civil marriage office is still obligatory; the church marriage is also available, but only after the official registration in the Civil Marriage Office.
Driving along English Embankment we can see the opposite University Embankment with a lot of buildings of the 18th century-construction-period: the Academy of Fine Arts, the Menshikov palace (first stone palace in the city), the University buildings.
On the right hand side corner of the yellow-and-white building (the former Senate and Synod, architect Carlo Rossi, 1834) we are turning to enter a beautiful architectural ensemble of the city with the former Senate Square, present day’s name is Decembrists’ Square, with the monument of the-so-called Bronze Horseman in the center of it, with the one of the wings of the Admiralty flanking the square on the eastern side, with the gilded-cupola-cathedral of St Isaac.