Vasilievsky Island Peter the 1 st wanted the new capital to become a sea fortress and at the same time a trading port. Because of the shoal water, the port couldn’t be developed on the Petrogradskaya Side so it was decided to move it to the Vasilievsky Island.

Big Neva and the Little Neva. Vasilievsky Island is the largest of the islands in the Neva delta. The Neva breaks into two arms here: The Big Neva and the Little Neva.

the Spit of Vasilievsky Island. The eastern tip of Vasilievsky Island which divides a branch from mainstream of the Neva is called the Spit of Vasilievsky Island.

port the Stock Exchange. There was a port until 1837 and for a long time this was one of the busiest parts of the city. The commercial port was situated here till the middle of the 19 th century. That is why this site was chosen for the building of the Stock Exchange.

Thomas de Thomon Zakharov. The Stock-Exchange was designed by the French architect Jean Francois Thomas de Thomon with the assistance of Andreyan Zakharov. The building was finished in 1816.

Greek Temple. This is the beautiful building with the colonnade and looks like as an ancient Greek Temple.

44 Doric columns Navy and Trade The main volume was skirted with 44 Doric columns spaced along its perimeter. Above them were placed sculptural groups personifying the prosperity of the Russian Navy and Trade.

Outstanding architects took part in the creating of beautiful ensemble of the Spit of Bazil Island. the Stock Exchange, Rostral columns The project of the new ensemble included the Stock Exchange, Rostral columns and granite embankment.

Central Naval Museum The Stock Exchange houses the Central Naval Museum. It was founded in 1709 by order of Peter I. The collection moved here from the Admiralty building in The exhibition hall contains over 800,000 items from the Middle Ages to modern times.

Giovanni Lucini At the both sides of this building there were the warehouses and the Customs House. They were designed by the architect Giovanni Lucini.

warehouses Two warehouses were built symmetrically between 1826 and The goods delivered to the port were stored there. Zoological Institute The warehouses now accommodate the Zoological Institute, the Zoological Museum and the Central Soil Science Museum.

Customs At the same time ( ) as the warehouses the building of the Customs was erected. Mercury Neptune Ceres Its pediment is crowned with the figures of Mercury – the God of trade, Neptune – the god of navigation and Ceres – the goddess of the harvest.

Pushkin House Now the former Customs House is occupied by the Institute of Russian Literature known as the Pushkin House.

32 The Spit is decorated with two colums or Rostral Columns, almost 32 metres high.

rostral columns The tradition comes from Ancient Greece and Rome where rostral columns used to be erected to commemorate naval victories and the shafts of the columns were adorned with prows of captured ships.

stone figures On the granite pediments at the feet of the columns are placed seated stone figures personifying the rivers Volga, Neva, Volkhov and the Dnieper.

VolkhovNeva

Dnieper Volga

G.Thibault and I.Camberlain These figures were designed by the sculptors G.Thibault and I.Camberlain.

light-houses The Rostral Columns were installed between 1805 and They served as light-houses for ships going up the Neva. gas-torches Nowadays on the top there are gas-torches. They are lighted up on festivals.