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City tour. All about Saint-Petersburg
Basil’s (Vasilevsky) Islandis the largest of the 42 islands on which the city is situated. The focal point of the Spit of Basil’s Island is the building of light gray colour with numerous white columns, reminding of a Greek temple. This is a former Stock Exchange Building, designed in the early 19th century by Thomas de Thomon. On the pediment there is a sculptural group of Neptune Emerging from the Waves and a representation of the Neva (with a crown on the head) and the river Volkhov on the one side, and Mercury, the God of trade on the other side. Now the building accommodates the Naval Museum. It is one of the oldest museums of this country. It was founded by Peter I in 1709. On display are the models of ships made in Russia. The Admiraltywas designed in 1823 by the architect Zakharov at the site of the shipyard of Peter the Great. The building has a shape of a Latin letter “U”. The central block is surmounted with a gilded spire. 2 wings of the Admiralty can be seen from the riverside. They are decorated with the anchors taken from the ships of Peter’s fleet. Now the Admiralty is a Nnaval Academy. Facade is decorated with 56 large sculpture, 11 large relieves, 3 moldings executed by Pimenov. The subject is of the Glory of the Russian Navy. The highest relief over the arch is dedicated to the foundation of the Russian Navy by Peter I. It shows Neptune with a trident presenting to Peter the Great. Besides the Tzar is the Goddess Minerva, who is looking at Russia, represented a little girl seated under a Loral tree. Russia is lining on a club of Hercules and stretching out a horn of plenty to Mercury. |
St. Isaac's CathedralThe cathedral was designed by the French architect Auguste de Montferrand in the middle of the 19th century. It took Auguste Montferrand 40 years to build it. The construction was started in 1818 and completed in 1858. St. Isaac’s is the fourth tallest 1 cupola cathedral in Europe. Its height is 101,5 metres/325 feet. It took 100 kg/220 lbs of gold to cover the dome.
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