An interesting route around the Ploshchad Vosstaniya metro station. Square on the Uprising Square Architectural design of the high-rise
Square on Vosstaniya Square
We will meet another green island in the middle of Nevsky Prospect on Vosstaniya Square at the intersection of Nevsky and Ligovsky Prospekts. The square first received its official name in 1849. Then it was called the Square to the Znamensky Bridge. A bridge across the Ligovsky Canal led to the church in the name of the Entry of the Lord into Jerusalem. The church was built in 1804 according to the design of the architect F.I. Demertsova. It was popularly known as Znamenskaya, or “Znamenye”, according to one of the aisles. It was also called Pavlovskaya, after the name of the famous scientist, Nobel Prize winner Ivan Petrovich Pavlov. He was its zealous parishioner, and according to one legend, he even got married in it. In 1940, after Pavlov's death, the church was demolished. Now in its place stands the ground pavilion of the Ploshchad Vosstaniya metro station.
In 1857, the name of the square was edited, giving it a modern sound. Now it began to be called Znamenskaya.
On May 23, 1909, an equestrian monument to Alexander III was unveiled on Znamenskaya Square - a rare example of satire in monumental sculpture: the overweight figure of the king with the heavy gaze of a secret alcoholic, as his contemporaries believed, perhaps not without reason, on a well-fed, corpulent beast, as if nailed to a coffin-shaped pedestal. Almost immediately a scandal broke out. The loyal part of St. Petersburg society demanded that the statue, shameful for the monarchy, be immediately removed. The democratic public, on the contrary, welcomed a work of such accusatory power. The City Duma got involved in the dispute. And only the author of the monument, Paolo Trubetskoy, an Italian subject who was brought up far from the “all-seeing eye” and “all-hearing ears,” remained unperturbed and joked: “I’m not involved in politics, I just depicted one animal on another.” In the salons they told an anecdote about one Georgian prince who exclaimed, looking at the monument: “I know that Sasa is a zopa, but why bother emphasizing this?” It must be said that the monument really evokes mixed feelings. If you believe folklore, many St. Petersburg residents felt ordinary awkwardness towards him. There is an anecdote about a visiting Englishman who asked his St. Petersburg friend to show him a new monument, “what Trubetskoy did.” “And so, brothers, I felt offended,” the Petersburger later said, “that I took him to Falconet’s Peter the Great.” - “So what about the Englishman?” - “Nothing, he praised.”
Monument to Alexander III on Znamenskaya Square
However, there is a legend trying to explain the current situation. As if the monument to Alexander III, which seemed so crude in the architectural environment of St. Petersburg, was actually intended to be installed in the Urals, “on the border of Asia and Europe,” high in the mountains. It was supposed to be viewed from the windows of a train moving along the Trans-Siberian Railway. This would provide an opportunity to look at the monument differently. The figures of the horse and rider would not seem so massive and clumsy.
Paolo Trubetskoy came to Russia in 1897 to teach at the Moscow School of Painting, Sculpture and Architecture and immediately took part in a competition to design a monument to the tsar who had died several years earlier. Having won the competition, the sculptor began work. He made 14 versions of the monument, but none of them satisfied the official commission. Legend has it that as soon as she heard Maria Feodorovna, the widow of the late emperor, approaching one of the projects, she joyfully exclaimed: “The spitting image of Sashenka!” - The members of the high jury, looking at each other and shrugging their shoulders in surprise, finally decided on this option.
The monument was subjected to unprecedented ostracism in February 1917. As soon as they called him back then: “Scarecrow”, “Chest of Drawers”, “Cattle on Cattle”, “Fool on a Hippopotamus”, “Bear on an Elephant”. They developed sophistication in ditties, poems and songs.
The old fashion for the so-called pyramid riddles was revived, the answers to which brought incredible delight to the street crowd. Several versions of these wonderful riddles have been preserved in folklore:
On the square there is a chest of drawers,
There's a hippopotamus on the dresser,
There's a freak on the hippopotamus,
There is a cap on the back.
What kind of fool is this daddy?
On the square there is a chest of drawers,
There's a hippopotamus on the dresser,
An idiot on a hippopotamus
The idiot is wearing a hat
There's a cross on the hat
Who will say the word -
Togo is under arrest.
The fate of the monument turned out to be sad. In 1937, the monument was removed from the square, by that time it was no longer Znamenskaya, but the Uprising. The reason is traditional, he allegedly interfered with tram traffic along Nevsky Prospekt. For a long time, the monument was kept behind a cast-iron grill in the courtyard of the Russian Museum. According to the apt expression of folklore, he became the “Prisoner of the Russian Museum.” During the siege of Leningrad, he almost died from a shell. By this time, a belief had formed in Leningrad: the well-being of the city, its honor and dignity were protected by three horsemen: Peter I - on Decembrist Square, Nicholas I - on St. Isaac's Square and Alexander III - on Vosstaniya Square. And the fact that one of them was forced to leave his historical place was considered by Leningraders as a sign of trouble.
It is no coincidence that one of the first victories of the democratic public in post-Soviet St. Petersburg is considered to be the liberation of the monument to Alexander III from behind bars of the Russian Museum. Voice: “Freedom for the prisoner of the Russian Museum!” - was heard. The monument was taken out of prison, but was installed not in its historical place, but in front of the entrance to the Marble Palace. In the courtyard, on a low pedestal, until recently occupied by the notorious “Lenin armored car.” They said it was temporary. What was meant by this is unknown. The historical site of the monument to Alexander III in front of the Moscow railway station has been occupied.
Meanwhile, the life of the former Znamenskaya Square, by that time renamed Vosstaniya Square, continued. In 1952, on the site of the removed monument, a ground square was laid out, in the middle of which a foundation stone was installed for the future monument to V.I. Lenin.
Monument to Alexander III at the Marble Palace
However, over time, plans changed. The foundation stone was removed, and in 1985, for the 40th anniversary of the Victory of the Soviet people in the Great Patriotic War, an obelisk to the “Hero City of Leningrad” was erected in the center of the park on Vosstaniya Square, designed by A.I. Alymov and V.M. Ivanova.
The multi-ton granite monolith, processed in the shape of an army bayonet, immediately attracted the attention of urban folklore. It is perhaps difficult to find a monument in the city that has earned so many negative definitions. The softest of them: “Border Pillar”, “Stone Nail”, “Screwdriver”, “Chisel”, “Reamer”, “Spindle”, “Fork”, “Pin”, “Nail”, “Skewer”, “Pipette” , “A parachutist’s nightmare.” But even among this not very flattering series there are also harsher ones: “A bayonet in the throat of Nevsky Prospekt.”
There was talk of moving the obelisk to Courage Square. It seemed to many that there, near the world-famous Piskarevsky Memorial Cemetery, on the square, the very name of which is dedicated to the memory of Leningraders who defended their city from the fascist invasion, the obelisk would acquire its true meaning.
The debate about what should be on the square - a monument to Alexander III or an obelisk to the hero city of Leningrad - continues to this day. Sometimes it seems that the square itself is included in the dispute. And in fact, it turned out that the obelisk has an unexpected optical effect. The shadow of the star crowning the stele, according to urban folklore, at a certain time and under certain lighting forms the clear outline of a double-headed Russian eagle on the asphalt of Nevsky Prospekt.
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Vosstaniya Square.
If you look at a map of the central region of St. Petersburg, it is easy to see that it is drawn by two almost straight lines intersecting at a slight angle. At the place of the only bend there is one of the significant city squares - Vosstaniya Square.
This historical place has always served as the city’s main entry gate, and today the Moskovsky Station with all the necessary infrastructure is located here: the Oktyabrskaya Hotel for accommodating visitors, the Ploshchad Vosstaniya metro station for their further travel, and the Obelisk to the Hero City of Leningrad - as a calling card of the city, emphasizing its high status.
History and general information
In the first decade of the 18th century, two clearings were cut to the Novgorod highway, which passed here even before the founding of St. Petersburg. One came from, the other from. Due to an error in the calculations, the second section approached the road a little to the north, and the trajectory of the clearing gave a bend.
At this place, an extensive intersection of the new Great Prospect (Nevsky Prospekt) and the old Novgorod road (Ligovsky Prospekt) was formed. The construction of the wooden Church of the Sign of the Blessed Virgin Mary transformed the intersection into Znamenskaya Square. The wooden building of the temple, erected on the instructions of Empress Elizabeth in 1765-1767, was then rebuilt in stone by the architect F. I. Demertsov.
Until the middle of the 19th century, there was a wasteland here, when muddy roads turned into a swamp. From the description of the famous lawyer A.F. Koni, made in 1840: “Znamenskaya Square is vast and deserted... Two-story and one-story houses frame it, and past... a river flows, along the steep banks of which grass grows. The water in it is cloudy and dirty, and rough wooden railings stretch along the shore...”
Everything changed with the construction of the railway between Moscow and St. Petersburg (1843-1851), when it was decided to build a terminal station on the southern edge of the square.
Moscow station
The bright station building, designed by architect K. A. Ton, topped with a two-tier clock tower, looking more like a palace than a passenger terminal, transformed the square.
Until 1924, the station was called Nikolaevsky, as was the railway line. The building, built in 1844-1851, was rebuilt several times, and now only the façade remains of its original design - a twin of the Leningradsky Station in Moscow.
Oktyabrskaya Hotel
In accordance with the plan for the transformation of Znamenskaya Square, developed by the architect N. E. Efimov, a hotel building with rooms, a winter garden, a concert hall and a restaurant was planned opposite the magnificent station building. Built in 1857, the Znamenskaya Hotel changed its appearance and names several times: “Znamensky Station”, “Northern”, “Bolshaya Severnaya”.
In the 20th century, it received a name that has survived to this day - “Oktyabrskaya”. Now, looking at the solid building of the hotel, it is difficult to believe that in the 1920s it housed the city hostel of the proletariat (GOP), street children from all over Petrograd were brought here, which is where the word “Gopniks” came from - unpresentable inhabitants of Ligovka...
Monument to Alexander III
In 1907, the first tram line, laid along Nevsky Prospekt, connected the station with the Admiralty. Two years later, a monument to Alexander III, as the founder of the Siberian Railway, was erected in the center of the station square.
The equestrian statue, made by sculptor P. P. Trubetskoy, caused conflicting reviews; many considered it a caricature and demanded its removal. However, the monument remained on the square until 1937 and became a witness and an involuntary participant in historical revolutionary events.
Znamenskaya Square found itself at the center of massive popular unrest, bloody clashes with the police, rallies were held here and barricades were built. In memory of the February Revolution in 1918, the square received its modern name.
The Bolsheviks left a monument to the autocrat and, in a very peculiar way, used it for propaganda purposes. In 1919, the lines of D. Bedny were carved on the pedestal:
“My son and my father were executed during their lifetime,
And I reaped the fate of posthumous infamy:
I’m hanging here as a cast-iron scarecrow for the country,
Having forever thrown off the yoke of autocracy.”
For the tenth anniversary of the October Revolution in 1927, a bronze statue of the monarch was used in the festive decoration of the square. She was imprisoned in an iron cage, with masts, a wheel and the inscription “USSR”.
After 10 years, the monument was nevertheless put into storage. Now the sculpture is on public display in the courtyard.
Obelisk and metro station
The modern appearance of Vosstaniya Square was formed in the middle of the last century.
In the center of Vosstaniya Square, in memory of the Great Patriotic War and the courage of the city’s defenders who defeated fascism, for the 40th anniversary of the Victory, the Obelisk “Hero City of Leningrad” was erected, made of a 360-ton granite monolith in the form of a pentagonal stele designed by architects V.S. Lukyanova and A.I. Alymov.
The Church of the Sign was demolished in 1940, and in its place a pavilion was built for the Ploshchad Vosstaniya station, which opened in 1955 as part of the first stage of the metro. This is a deep pylon station (58 meters), the design of its underground hall is dedicated to the October armed uprising.
The round classical station building with risalits and a rotunda with a spire, which was originally decorated with a star in a laurel wreath, belongs to cultural heritage sites and is a symbol of the St. Petersburg metro. Before the opening of the Obelisk, crowned with the hero's golden star, the star on the spire of the metro station was replaced by the letter "M", then lost.
Vosstaniya Square is always crowded and noisy; on holidays it is transformed and looks especially impressive and colorful. And the first thing every visitor sees when leaving the station building is “Hero City Leningrad”. Thus, the heroic past of the city, with which the history of the square is closely connected, is reminded of itself by the neon inscription on the Oktyabrskaya Hotel.
Where is it and how to get there
Vosstaniya Square is located at the intersection of Nevsky Prospect and Ligovsky Prospekt in the historical center of St. Petersburg.
You can get there by metro to the Ploshchad Vosstaniya station of the same name.
For more than thirty years now, the symbol of greatness and pride has been on the square. The uprising reminds St. Petersburg residents of the heroic feat of the residents of their home city during the Great Patriotic War. The obelisk to the hero city of Leningrad, erected on the fortieth anniversary of the Victory over the Nazi-German invaders, is one of the most monumental and recognizable monuments of the Soviet period.
Description of the obelisk on the square Uprisings
The design of the monument includes a base with a width of about 9 m, a base with a height of 10 m and a diameter of 3.6 m, and a main vertical part with a height of more than 22 m. At the top of the monument there is an insignia - “Golden Star” (1.8 m in diameter). The total height of the structure is 36 m, weight – 750 tons. At the base of the vertical obelisk lies a regular pentagon, echoing the star at the top.
The edges of the granite base are decorated with bronze bas-reliefs, which depict significant military stages: blockade, assistance from the rear to the front, attack (offensive) and victory. Above the high reliefs is the Wreath of Glory, also made of bronze, 4.5 m in diameter.
How to find the monument
The obelisk on Vosstaniya Square in St. Petersburg is an integral part of the ensemble dedicated to the Victory. It is surrounded by other significant buildings: Moskovsky Station, the Oktyabrskaya Hotel and the entrance to the Ploshchad Vosstaniya metro station. The monument ends the panorama of Nevsky Prospekt, starting from the Admiralty.
Located next to the Moskovsky railway station, the obelisk is easy to find - it can be seen from Nevsky Prospekt, and the metro station overlooks the square.
A grandiose stele “To the Hero City of Leningrad” rises above one of the largest city squares. This 36-meter obelisk was erected in May 1965. The monument is crowned with the “Golden Star of the Hero” and involuntarily reminds every citizen and tourist of the dramatic history of the city during the Great Patriotic War.
pl. Uprisings
The building of the Nikolaevsky station (named after the railway) was erected in 1847-1851 according to the design of the architect Konstantin Ton and is a “twin” of the Leningradsky station in Moscow, built by him. The station was not renovated until 1868, but due to the significantly increased passenger traffic, it was decided to urgently reconstruct it. So, a two-story outbuilding was built here to receive luggage, and the right wing of the building was connected to the royal chambers.
Already in 1912, the authorities announced a competition for the design of a new building for the Nikolaevsky station, but the architects were faced with a difficult task. The difficulty of the restructuring was that the new station could only be expanded towards the tracks, since by that time Znamenskaya Square had already been formed. However, the architect Vladimir Shchuko figured out how to do the right thing, which helped him win the competition. Soon, construction began on the arrival building, which was to become the left wing of the new building, without disturbing the harmony of the ensemble of Znamenskaya Square.
In 1923, in connection with the renaming of the Nikolaevskaya Railway to Oktyabrskaya, the station received the same name, but in 1930 it was renamed again, calling it Moskovsky, as we know it to this day.
pl. Uprisings
The building, built in the 1930s, formerly housed the St. Nicholas Edinoverie Church. During the years of persecution of religion, the temple was closed and partially rebuilt. Today, the Museum of the Arctic and Antarctic is located here, telling St. Petersburg residents about the exploits of travelers, exploration of the most remote corners of the planet and their strange inhabitants.
st. Marata, 24
You won’t find this street on the city map, but it still exists, although it is hidden from the eyes of the uninitiated behind two doors leading to the art center “Pushkinskaya, 10”. For all those who are close to the romantic lyrics of the legendary The Beatles, this place will become a real mecca of the Fab Four in St. Petersburg. The walls of the building are decorated with a yellow submarine, bas-reliefs of the band members, as well as various elements and details, one way or another connected with the work of the group, which won the hearts of millions of listeners around the world.
art center “Pushkinskaya, 10”, Pushkinskaya st., 10 (entrance from Ligovsky pr., 53)
House from a Russian fairy tale
On the quiet Kolokolnaya Street, running parallel to Nevsky Prospekt, there is a house from a Russian fairy tale. Its facade attracts attention with its bright majolica decor and amazing decoration with many details. Flowers, leaves, kokoshniks on the facade, decoration of balconies - you can look at all this for a long time, especially if you are lucky enough to get into the courtyard. In the courtyard of the house there is a whole ensemble with a turret, tiled flies and beautiful details. The house was built by architect Nikonov in 1900. At the beginning of 2012, the building was restored after a fire, and today it has acquired an even more vibrant and fabulous appearance.
Kolokolnaya st., 11
The Bread Museum has a unique collection of more than 14,000 exhibits that show the life and lifestyle of our ancestors through the ingenious invention of man - bread. The exhibition shows the history of the creation of bread, the development of bread baking in St. Petersburg from its foundation to the present. The museum displays various samples of baked goods, tools, utensils, baking dishes, a collection of samovars, signs of commercial establishments, paintings, objects of applied art, documents and a collection of books on cooking. A small shop with a Russian oven and all the necessary equipment for baking and selling bread has been recreated.
Ligovsky Ave., 73
"Muzeros"
The museum claims to be the largest in Russia. The exhibition tells visitors about the development and evolution of sexual relations from pagan times to the present day. The special pride of the collection is a copy of the 18th century dining chair for the pleasures of Empress Catherine the Great. The museum does not forget about the modern achievements of the sex industry: 3D multimedia and interactive attractions await their visitors. The exhibition is constantly replenished by the city residents themselves.
The space is open 24 hours a day. Excursions and master classes are offered.
st. Sedova, 11, shopping center "Evrika"
The first book center of the famous St. Petersburg chain, opened in 2005. Concerts, master classes, meetings with writers and other interesting events began to be held here for the first time (and are still being held). Then the “Park of Culture and Reading” appeared on Nevsky, but for many bookworms “Bukvoed” on Vosstaniya remains the most favorite. There is a cafe hidden among the book halls. The store provides access to books to thirsty bibliophiles 24 hours a day.
Ligovsky Ave., 10
On Wednesdays, Russian auteur films are shown for free in a small hall, and on Fridays they stage European and Hollywood classics. Regulars are advised to arrive early to take comfortable seats, and after the screening to stay to discuss the film in a close circle of cinema lovers.
Liteiny pr., 58
The amazing exhibits of the exhibition (micro-crafts by master V. Aniskin) are so small that poppy seeds and hair cuts serve as podiums for them. Spectators look at the creations exclusively under the lenses of microscopes, which are built into exhibition forms and equipped with an autonomous LED lighting source.
Nevsky pr., 81
This is not just a cafe, but a real street courtyard under the roof of one of the houses in St. Petersburg. Sitting at the table, you can watch the dim light from the windows, listen to the water gurgling in the drainpipes or the yard cats meowing at each other. The picture is complemented by numerous power lines over the chiffonier roofs, antique furniture with various antique utensils, and musical instruments placed throughout the hall. And right there there was a shabby black piano, the sounds of which can be heard every Thursday. Any St. Petersburg resident, entering the “Music of the Roofs” cafe, will plunge into an atmosphere of nostalgia, and every foreign guest will be able to truly experience the “music of the roofs” of St. Petersburg.
st. 1st Sovetskaya, 12
Hotel "Oktyabrskaya"
“Oktyabrskaya” (or in the old manner “Znamenskaya”) on the station square is considered to be the oldest hotel in the Northern capital. No wonder, because for the first time its doors opened to guests in 1851. "Oktyabrskaya" does not consist of one building at all, but of two - the first stands exactly on the square opposite the Moskovsky Station, the facade of the second faces Ligovsky Prospekt. The design of both buildings was carried out by the architect Alexander Gemilian.
Already in the first years of its existence, the hotel managed not only to accommodate a lot of guests, but also to change a good dozen owners. This happened for the reason that in those days there were quite strict rules for the operation of taverns and hotels. Therefore, until 1887, almost complete redevelopment took place here several times.
The history of the hotel was not influenced in the best way by revolutionary events - all the property was described, and the Oktyabrskaya itself was transferred to the department of the Nikolaev Railway. So, in the 20s, an old hotel with a long history was turned into the City Hostel of the Proletariat, where street children were taken from all over the city. By the way, in those days “Oktyabrskaya”, turned into a “hostel”, was simply called GOP, and its inhabitants, accordingly, were called gopniks. Thus, the word “Gopnik” enriched the Russian language not without the participation of the old hotel.
Vosstaniya Square
Church of Our Lady of Lourdes
The Roman Catholic Church in Kovensky Lane was built in 1903-1909 for the needs of the French Catholic community according to the design of architects Leonty Benois and Marian Peretyatkovich.
The appearance of the new Catholic church was extremely ascetic, strict and gothically gloomy. The architecture of the building uses Romanesque style motifs, as evidenced by the towers, asymmetry of forms and the portal in the idea of an arch, which is located in the center of the main facade.
After the October Revolution and the events of the civil war, all Catholic churches in Petrograd and its suburbs were closed, but the French church continued its work and remained one of the few operating Catholic churches in the city. When the Soviet authorities broke off diplomatic relations with France in 1941, and the rector of the church, Father Florent, was expelled from the country, services in the church stopped, but were resumed fairly soon.
To this day, the temple is active; divine services and organ evenings are regularly held here.
Kovensky lane, 7, lit. A
Ovsyannikovsky Square. Garden named after N. G. Chernyshevsky
In the second half of the 19th century, on his own initiative and with his own money, merchant Stepan Ovsyannikov created a park for public use. To create the project, he attracts the architect Nikolai Grebenok. This place was not chosen entirely by chance. Firstly, the abandoned wasteland had been confusing the eyes of the townspeople for many years, and secondly, the merchant himself lived in a house whose main facade still faces a picturesque square, and therefore could not help but be concerned with creating a green area where they could walk his children and grandchildren.
That square, built in the 19th century, had the shape of a polygonal figure with seven straight sides, with fountains built on round platforms. The square itself was decorated with trees and shrubs of various species, and its territory was enclosed by an iron fence on a stone foundation. There were three entrances to the garden: from Mytninskaya Street, 4th Sovetskaya Street and Malookhtinsky Avenue.
When Ovsyannikov dies, at the behest of Emperor Alexander II, the square is named in his honor, and the layout of the square changes several times: the entrance from Mytninskaya Street is removed, the number and direction of paths are changed, fountains are removed and created again.
The square received its modern name - the Garden named after Nikolai Chernyshevsky in 1952: it was here on May 19, 1864 that the civil execution of Nikolai Chernyshevsky, a Russian revolutionary, writer and scientist, took place. Despite such a good reason and the passage of time, native St. Petersburg residents still continue to call this green paradise the Ovsyannikovsky Garden.
Mytninskaya st., 10; Bakunina Ave., 9; 3rd Sovetskaya st., 21
The monument to Alexander Pushkin on Pushkinskaya Street was opened on August 7, 1884 on the initiative of the city public administration. The creators of the monument were sculptor Alexander Opekushin and architect Nikolai Benois. The figure of the writer stands on a pedestal made of black marble, on each side of which lines from “The Bronze Horseman” are engraved in gold.
There is an interesting urban legend according to which before the war they wanted to move the monument to another place. Workers and equipment arrived and intended to go to the monument, but the children playing in the garden surrounded the workers and began shouting, waving their arms: “This is our Pushkin.” Confused workers called one of the Leningrad officials, who remained silent for a long time, and then agreed to leave the monument in its historical place.
Pushkinskaya street