Water and Stone. Historical story. Valery Pikulev

is already left coast of Neva)

      The Trinity Bridge. Left coast of Neva

      Fencing of The Summer garden well-known for the whole world

      On a background – a left bank of Neva

      Protected at the left, protected on the right…

      Winter Palace, St. Isaac’s Cathedral and Admiralty…

      Even closer…

      Panorama of The Winter Palace, Admiralty and Spit of Vasilyevsky Island

      Here it, Spit of Vasilyevsky Island well-known for the whole world

      The Saint Petersburg Stock Exchange building

      Also we were turned back into place. And again Peter and Paul Fortress. Evening falls by St. Petersburg

      So, the first acquaintance, with St. Petersburg took place. And now, dear readers if you had a desire to learn about this Great City more, we will go further.

      Having surveyed the historic center of St. Petersburg from Trinity Bridge, “right on the spot” – and most of guests arrives in our city, as a rule, from the South (from Moscow), and it is simple to them not to bypass this bridge, – now “from the place to descend”, to us, nevertheless, it is necessary: we pass from “nodding” acquaintance to The Great City to deeper which for the majority, it is sure, will turn into great friendship. So, we will descend from Trinity Bridge and we will go there from where the city “eats-went”.

      And so far we will look once more at our handsome, – at The Trinity Bridge.

      The Trinity Bridge. View from the right coast of Neva

      …Like the good old days!

      It is a little history

      Rainy October, 1702. Troops of the associate and the friend Peter I, the general field marshal Boris Sheremetev take storm the Swedish fortress Noteburg. Peter participates in this nice business! No, not in the Commander-in-chief rank – save, God! – and only goal-scorer captain: he has no need “to be stuck out”, he and so – Peter The Great! This fortress, having a reputation for unapproachable hitherto, costs on the island in the mouth of the Neva River and, together with other fortress, – Nienschanz, – that is lower on a current, controls, and, speaking simply, – tightly bars for Russians all waterway from Lake Ladoga to the Baltic Sea. In half a year, at the beginning of May, 1703, the Nienschanz is given. Without fight.

      Symbolical reconstruction of fortress Nienschanz

      Well, on the lands which are just won from the Swede, on this major water communication, it is necessary to be fixed. Prompt in the rushes Peter makes the fast decision! And here, on May 16, 1703 – remember this blessed date (in old style)! – marshy coast of the Nevsky delta are disclosed by amicable knock of axes and squeal of saws: the forced construction of fortress began. – And, of course, on the island, that around water! The island is this, known to Swedes as Lust-Eland (“cheerful”), and to Finns – Enisaari, by Russians it was nicknamed Hare. But, about it a bit later…

      Generally, St. Petersburg is located more than on 30 islands (and to these nobody found time to bring full clarity in this question: some bring their number to the 42nd if to consider also artificial). In the city 342 bridges (and together with suburban, there are a lot of more than five hundred: call even number 580). Five hundred bridges which hung over nearly fifty rivers, channels, small rivers and channels – than not Venice!

      Let’s return, however, that May day. “In the 16th day of May (in a week of Pentecost) fortress is put and called Sanktpiterburkh” – so about this event the tsar Peter will write! This date – on May 16 (on May 27 on new style) 1703 – is also the Birthday of St. Petersburg!

      Dear reader, at you can arise a reasonable question: and why, actually, on May 27, but not the 29th … – upon transition from the Julian calendar, – by the way, one of Peter’s reforms to which time in Russia was considered not since Christmas, and… from creation of the world! – and so, upon transition from the Julian calendar to Gregorian on which there lives the whole Europe it would be necessary to add 13 days, but not 11. And it is absolutely fair … – for start date of the twentieth century. To dates of the nineteenth century agreed to add only 12 days; for the 18th – already 11. And for all other centuries leaving deep into stories add 13 days, again “not to take a steam bath”. There is such piece!

      The small island on which put fortress is separated from the neighboring huge island rather narrow, but quite fast by a channel. From this blessed island, all also began with it. There, on this small island, we will also go.

      Type of The St. Petersburg (Peter and Paul) fortress from a channel. Big Neva – at the left (off-screen)

      And so “Peter and Paul Fortress” at a descent from Trinity Bridge looks

      “Storm” of The St. Petersburg Fortress

      Well, we start “storm” of the Peter and Paul Fortress … – quite so we, Petersburgers, in a familiar way we call Peter and Paul and if absolutely officially, – St. Petersburg – fortress. Before starting this no laughing matter, – detailed acquaintance to fortress, – investigating all its back streets and being inspired by genius of architectural concepts, we will approach at first Ioannovsky Bridge, to very first of the St. Petersburg bridges. However, in those far times it was called Petrovsky…

      Ioannovsky Bridge through the Kronverksky passage (through that to a channel)

      On one of pile ice-cutting blocks before the bridge the figure of “the hare who escaped from a flood” established here to the 300 anniversary of the city is well distinguishable. On one of legends, during a flood the hare found rescue, having jumped on a boot to the tsar Peter… Here, tourists “for luck” also throw coins, trying to get a hare directly into a pan!

      Ioannovsky Bridge – one of two ways conducting in The Peter and Paul Fortress.

      One more symbol of the city: the hare who escaped from a flood

      The bridge is thrown through the Kronverksky passage and connects the Hare island on which The Peter and Paul Fortress is located, to the Petrograd island where we now also are, having descended on it from Trinity Bridge.

      Petrovsky Bridge, namely so it was called in the beginning, arose at the same time with construction of The St. Petersburg fortress, was adjustable