Admiralty building plan. History of the Admiralty. Building in the 18th century

Admiralty

Admiralty (Main Admiralty building) is a complex of buildings that formerly housed the Main Admiralty of the Russian Empire. Located on the 2nd Admiralty Island in St. Petersburg, it is considered one of the masterpieces of architecture, a monument of Russian classicism.

The ship on the spire of the building is considered as one of the symbols of the city, along with the Bronze Horseman and the contours of the opened Palace Bridge against the backdrop of the Peter and Paul Cathedral.

Admiralty Fortress, built according to the drawings of Peter I

Initially, the St. Petersburg Admiralty was built as a shipyard according to drawings signed by Peter I himself.

The St. Petersburg Admiralty was founded on November 16 (5), 1704, the following record has been preserved:

They laid out the Admiralty House and had fun in the osteria and had fun, length 200 fathoms, width 10 fathoms

Marching journal of Peter I

The preparatory work was completed in record time and at the beginning of 1705 the main buildings were built at the shipyard and the first ships were laid down on the boathouses.

In war conditions it was necessary to protect the shipyard, so in 1706 the Admiralty was a fortress. It was fenced with an earthen rampart with five earthen bastions. Along the perimeter were dug ditches filled with water, a glacis embankment and an explanade - a vast meadow for viewing the firing area in the event of a surprise enemy attack. In the first building, a vertical dominant with a metal spire was implemented. The space free from buildings extended to modern Malaya Morskaya Street.

On May 10 (April 29), 1706, the first launch of the ship took place - a ship with 18 guns was built. By 1715, about ten thousand people worked in this division of the Admiralty Order. At that time, the Admiralty was a one-story mud-brick building, located in the form of a strongly stretched letter “P”, open towards the Neva River. The building housed warehouses, workshops, forges, as well as services of the Admiralty Department. The yard was occupied by boathouses for the construction of sailing ships; there was an internal canal along the perimeter of the yard.

The canal around the Admiralty had not only a defensive function, but also a transport one - timber from New Holland and other building materials were delivered through it. It was integrated into the city canal network, connecting to the Admiralty Canal. The canal was filled in in 1817.

Architecture

Building from 1711

In 1711, the first restructuring of the Admiralty was carried out. During the work on the gate, a spire with a boat was installed, erected by the Dutch master H. van Bolos. Under the boat on the spire there is a gilded ball, inside of which there is a round capsule made of pure gold. It contains all samples of gold coins minted in St. Petersburg since its foundation. This ball has never been opened, since the secret of turning one of its halves in the right direction is irretrievably lost.

The original boat stood on the spire until 1815, and during the renovation it was replaced by a second boat. In this case, the original ship of Von Bolos was lost. The second boat stood for 71 years, and in 1886, during the next repair of the spire, it was removed and replaced with an exact copy. The second ship is placed on display at the Naval Museum. The weight of the boat is 65 kg, length - 192 cm, height - 158 cm.

The Admiralty building made a serious impression on the inhabitants of that era. A description of this alley of chamber cadets in the retinue of Duke Karl-Friedrich of Holstein-Gottorp has been preserved:

On the Admiralty, a beautiful and huge building located at the end of this road, there is a beautiful and rather tall spitz, which goes directly opposite the avenue

There is an opinion that the prototype of the Admiralty ship was the first Russian warship - the frigate "Eagle", built in 1667-1669 by order of Alexei Mikhailovich. This statement is based on the fact that none of the ships built by Peter before 1719 had anything in common with the ship on the Admiralty spire.

There is a legend that the three flags on the masts of the boat were made of pure red gold, and the personal compass of Peter I was kept in the bow. There is also a legend that the boat repeats the silhouette of the first ship that entered the newly built port of St. Petersburg.

Building from 1738

In 1732-1738, the architect I.K. Korobov built the stone building of the Admiralty. The architect managed, while maintaining the original plan, to give the structure a monumentality that corresponded to its city-forming function. In the center, above the gate, a slender central tower with a gilded spire, sometimes called the “Admiralty Needle,” was built. The weather vane ship was raised to a height of 72 meters, and it remains in this position to this day.

In the 1740s, this area around the Admiralty was used for military exercises and as pasture for cattle. On holidays, Admiralty Meadow became the site of citywide festivities and fairs; Carousels, booths, and roller coasters were installed here.

The space around the Admiralty was also streamlined: in the 1760s, the architect A.V. Kvasov determined the boundaries of the central squares surrounding the Admiralty building.

Until the mid-18th century, the area south of the Admiralty was called Admiralty Meadow. On the Admiralty Meadow, soldiers trained and folk festivities were held.

In the second half of the 18th century, the fortress canal became heavily polluted and began to accumulate dirty sewage water. In the middle of the 18th century, Empress Elizaveta Petrovna ordered the canal to be regularly cleaned and the meadow to be paved. The Admiralty Meadow was completely paved only towards the end of the reign of Catherine II (in the last quarter of the 18th century).

By this time, the southern part of the meadow was built up, and the boundaries of Admiralty Square in front of the main facade of the Admiralty were determined.

Building 1823

By the beginning of the 19th century, the utilitarian architecture of the Admiralty no longer corresponded to its position as the “central” building in the city: three main highways (Nevsky Prospekt, Gorokhovaya Street and Voznesensky Prospekt) converged towards it with rays. To the east of the Admiralty, the undeveloped space reached the Moika River, along which Bolshaya Lugovaya Street ran. There was a need to change the appearance of the building so that it would harmonize with the nearby Winter Palace and other majestic architectural ensembles located next to the Admiralty.

In 1806-1823, the architect A.D. Zakharov brilliantly solved this problem. The idea for the new look of the building was the theme of Russia's maritime glory and the power of the Russian fleet. Zakharov rebuilt the Admiralty almost completely, leaving only an elegant tower with a spire. The fortifications at the shipyard were destroyed, and a boulevard was laid out in their place (now the Alexander Garden is located on this site). Preserving the configuration of the plan of the existing building, Zakharov created a new, grandiose (the length of the main facade is 407 m) structure, giving it a majestic architectural appearance and emphasizing its central position in the city (as mentioned above, the main highways converge towards it in three rays).

The architectural ensemble of the Admiralty consists of two U-shaped buildings (external and internal). The Admiralty Ditch ran between them. The outer building was occupied by administrative institutions of the Russian sea and river fleet, and the inner building still housed production workshops.

In the center of the building is a monumental tower with a spire (architect I.K. Korobov), surrounded by a colonnade in the middle part, which has become a symbol of the city. The base of the tower is cut through by an arch, and 12- and 6-column porticos are installed on the flanks of the middle part. They are repeated on the side facades. The pavilions facing the Neva echo the base of the central tower and are topped with flagpoles with sculptures of dolphins. The strict rhythm of divisions gives the composition of the Admiralty a special integrity. The composition of the two wings of the facade, symmetrically located on the sides of the tower, is built on a complex rhythmic alternation of simple and clear volumes (smooth walls, strongly protruding porticoes, deep loggias).

Sculpture occupies a special place in the architectural design of the Admiralty. In the pediments of the side porticos there are reliefs depicting the Greek goddess of justice Themis, rewarding warriors and artisans. S. S. Pimenov, V. I. Demut-Malinovsky, A. A. Anisimov took part in the creation of the sculptures. The central arch is flanked by statues of nymphs carrying globes standing on high pedestals (sculptor - F. F. Shchedrin). Above the arch are the floating Glories and the allegorical bas-relief “Establishment of the Fleet in Russia” (sk. I. I. Terebenev). On the corners of the first tier are figures of ancient heroes: Alexander the Great, Achilles, Ajax and Pyrrhus. Above the colonnade there are 28 sculptural allegories: fire, water, earth, air, four seasons, four cardinal points, the muse of astronomy - Urania and the patroness of shipbuilders - the Egyptian goddess Isis, etc. Decorative reliefs organically correlate with large architectural volumes, wall sculptural groups emphasize in the grandiosely unfolded facades there is a living human measure. The sculptures of the Admiralty do not simply indicate the functional purpose of the building, they affirm the image of Russia as a maritime power.

Inside, in the interiors of the Admiralty (the lobby with the main staircase, the meeting hall, and the library have been preserved), the stern severity of monumental architectural forms is softened by an abundance of light and exceptional elegance of decoration.

Story

The construction of sailing ships at the Admiralty Shipyard continued until 1844. Later, only naval institutions remained in the building: the Naval Ministry, the Main Naval Headquarters, and the Main Hydrographic Directorate. In 1709-1939 it housed the Naval Museum.

Since June 1917, the Central Fleet, the central democratic body of the fleet supporting the Provisional Government, was located here. During the Great October Revolution, it was dissolved, and on October 26, on the initiative of V.I. Lenin, the Naval Revolutionary Committee (NMRC) was created, which mobilized the forces of the fleet to create and strengthen the Soviet state. The MRK was located in the Admiralty wing facing the Bronze Horseman.

Since 1925, the building has housed the Higher Naval School. F. E. Dzerzhinsky. Until the end of 2008, the headquarters of the Red Banner Leningrad Naval Base was also located there.

Preservation and restoration

During the siege of Leningrad, the Admiralty spire was covered; the shelter was removed on April 30, 1945. Restoration work in the building was carried out in 1928, 1977 and 1997-1998.

Modernity

In post-Soviet times, various projects for the new use of Admiralty premises arose repeatedly. So in 2006, a proposal was put forward to move the Central Naval Museum here, to a limited area, in the building of which the government of St. Petersburg planned to open an oil exchange. In the fall of 2007, a proposal appeared to locate the command of the Navy at the Admiralty. Meanwhile, city residents noticed that the Admiralty tower had cracked. The situation is being sorted out by KGIOP

According to Defense Minister Anatoly Serdyukov (September 2010), the move of the Main Headquarters of the Navy and main structures to St. Petersburg will begin after the completion of repairs at the Admiralty. In 2009, the Naval School and the headquarters of the Leningrad Naval Base moved from there. At the same time, the head of the Ministry of Defense noted that the command post will not be moved in the next year or two.

Interesting facts

In 1932-1933, the building housed the Gas Dynamics Laboratory, the first design bureau in the USSR for the development of rocket engines.

The Admiralty needle is depicted on the medal “For the Defense of Leningrad” and on the badge awarded to graduates of the Leningrad Mechanical Institute.

During the gilding of the Admiralty spire in 1977, the draft Constitution of the USSR was placed in a ball under the boat, where a special casket was installed.

Material from Wikipedia - the free encyclopedia

Address: Admiralteysky proezd, 1

The famous Admiralty. This is, first of all, a historical monument - it was here that Peter the Great personally founded a shipyard for the creation of Russian ships, and here the Russian fleet, which has a heroic and glorious history, was created.

Secondly, the Admiralty is an architectural monument of the Russian Empire style 18th-19th centuries. The history of the creation of the Admiralty both as a shipbuilding industry and as an architectural urban planning complex is very interesting.

History of the creation and development of the Admiralty

18th century

As a complex of structures created for construction and repair Russian ships, The Admiralty arose under Peter the Great. The very first Russian admiralty was built in the city Voronezh, and the ships built there took part in the Azov campaign.

In the new city being built on the Neva, in close proximity to the sea, God himself ordered the construction of ships, as they say.

Construction of ships at the St. Petersburg Admiralty Shipyard

At the beginning of the 18th century, on the banks of the Neva, with the active participation of Peter, a wooden Admiralty building was built fortress-shipyard. It was wartime, therefore, during the construction of the shipyard, appropriate protective measures were taken, which consisted of constructing earthen ramparts, bastions and ditches filled with water. Also, on the north-eastern side, due to deforestation, a mandatory esplanade(flat, visible area).

Already by 1706, in less than two years, was built and launched first Petersburg ship. And ten years later, the Admiralty Prikaz was already working 10 thousand people, who worked on the construction of ships, in workshops and warehouses, and were engaged in various administrative affairs of the department. During the Admiralty there even existed camera model, a special room for storing diagrams, drawings and even models of already built ships. Later, the camera model grew into Maritime Museum.

Admiralty early 18th century

In 1716, a complex of one-story admiralty buildings was stretched along the Neva in a U-shape. A in 1719 The Admiralty entrance gate is for the first time decorated with a metal spire with a figurine three-flag ship, made by Dutch craftsmen. Since then, the ship of the Admiralty spire has become a symbol of the city. It is not known for certain from which ship the silhouette of the Admiralty ship was created; they say that its flags were pure gold, and one of Peter the Great’s personal construction tools was placed in the bow.

That first boat, which stood on the spire for almost a hundred years, was lost during repair work. The second boat weighs 65 kg, installed to replace the first one, lasted more than seventy years, and then was sent to the Maritime Museum. It was replaced by one that repeats it exactly - the third boat.

Only after the death of Peter, already in the 30s of the 18th century, the stone Admiralty buildings were finally built. Architect I. Korobov was able to create a monumental structure without changing its original plan. He decorated the entrance gate slender tower with a gilded spire ending weather vane. Since then that boat has been sailing on 72 meters height, visible from different parts of the city.

At that time, Palace Square did not yet exist, there was no current Winter Palace, and the no longer needed esplanade gradually turned into the Admiralty Meadow, where folk festivals, military exercises were held, and royal cattle were grazed.

In the 60s of the same century, according to the urban planning plan A. Kvasova the boundaries of the main city squares were determined. Admiralty Meadow was covered with stone pavement and gradually turned into Palace Square. Three main city streets - Nevsky Prospekt, Gorokhovaya and Voznesenskaya - converged on the Admiralty building.

The city became prettier, developed, its appearance became stylish and recognizable. The time has come to bring the Admiralty building itself to a common harmonious denominator with the magnificent structures built nearby. This task fell on the shoulders architect A. Zakharov at the beginning of the 19th century.

19th century

Starting from the idea of ​​creating the Admiralty as a symbol the power of the Russian fleet, Zakharov completely rebuilt the buildings, preserving, however, the general existing plan and the tower with spire I. Korobov.

The remains of the Admiralty Meadow and the shipyard structures were turned into boulevard, who later became Alexander Garden. The grandiose structure, stretching 400 meters along the Neva, consisted of external and internal buildings. Korobovskaya Tower was the dominant center. To prevent the very elongated building from looking monotonous, it was divided into rhythmic parts- sometimes a protruding portico, sometimes a smooth wall.

Throughout the buildings you can see a variety of sculptures, bas-reliefs, allegorical sculptures, etc. The leitmotif of all decorations is easy to read marine theme and the power of the Russian maritime power.

Over the entire period of existence of the Admiralty shipyard, more than 250 Russian ships. But from the mid-19th century, the building began to be used only as a purely administrative building. By the way, some great princes from the Romanov dynasty served here. The Naval Museum was also located here.

In the 60s, under Alexander II, the small Admiralty church turned into Cathedral of St. Spyridon of Trimifuntsky, for which the bell tower was erected. The increased status of the ecclesiastical institution of the Admiralty led to differences in secular and ecclesiastical attitudes towards some of the images decorating the Admiralty walls. As a result of numerous discussions, some of the pagan sculptures and architectural decorations were removed, although the architects and artists of the city opposed their removal.

At the end of the 60s, there appeared on the Admiralty Tower watch European production. Under Nicholas II, these clocks were replaced with electric ones.

Clock on the Admiralty building

20th century

After the revolution, the Admiralty building was occupied and Naval Revolutionary Committee, and design bureau Gas dynamic laboratory, And Higher Naval Engineering School named after. F. Dzerzhinsky.

Since 2013 The Admiralty building was given to the High Command of the Russian Navy. And Peter the Great’s ship, albeit in a restored form, still floats over the city and over the Neva through the years, through social upheavals, wars, devastation and restoration. Let's wish him further Happy sailing!

The Admiralty, along with the Peter and Paul and St. Isaac's Cathedrals, is the dominant feature of the Northern capital and the center of the three-ray layout that developed back in the Petrine era. The “Admiralty Needle,” which “crossed centuries of history,” is one of the symbols of St. Petersburg, without which it is impossible to imagine the panorama of the Neva banks.

The first building of the Admiralty was founded according to the plans of Peter the Great in 1704. He built St. Petersburg as the main center of Russian shipbuilding and navigation, and therefore the Admiralty was built both as a shipyard and as a fortress - the Northern War was going on. Buildings located "at rest", i.e. in the shape of the letter "P", opened to the Neva; In a vast courtyard, ships were assembled on slipways and launched onto the water on boards greased with lard. In the central building - in the tower under the spire - the Admiralty College worked, which controlled the Russian fleet.

All buildings of the first Admiralty were wooden and by the 1720s. pretty dilapidated. Construction of new, stone buildings in the 1730s. headed by architect I.K. Korobov, one of the "chicks of Petrov's nest." He recreated the entire production complex, maintaining the general outline of the previous building. For its time it was outstanding, but by the beginning of the 19th century. it already looked old-fashioned and too utilitarian against the backdrop of the new ceremonial buildings of St. Petersburg.

The current Admiralty building is the third in a row - in 1806-1823. erected by Andreyan Dmitrievich Zakharov (1761-1811), chief architect of the Admiralty Department. He was a graduate of the St. Petersburg Academy of Arts, studied in Paris and devoted his entire life to serving architecture. The architect showed respect for the works of his predecessors, partially preserving the walls of old buildings, window openings and the Korobov spire. By the beginning of the 19th century. The Admiralty lost its significance as a shipyard and fortress, and therefore the new buildings had to acquire a completely different artistic image. Facing the city and its main thoroughfares, the Admiralty began to be perceived as a symbol of the sea. Its other side “looks” at the Neva - it is a symbol of St. Petersburg’s power over the water element, part of the sea facade of the city.

The Admiralty is an outstanding monument of classicism, in the appearance of which some researchers see features of the French Empire style. Architect Zakharov skillfully avoided the monotony of the long façade, stretching over 407 m, by decorating it with porticoes that create a play of light and shadow. The central multi-tiered tower with a triumphal arch is reminiscent of the gate towers of ancient Russian monasteries. Its spire, more than 70 m high, is topped with the famous three-masted weathervane ship with spread sails - the symbol of St. Petersburg (it weighs 65 kg and is covered with 2 kg of pure gold). The giant building is not overwhelming; it is proportionate to man in everything and in some incomprehensible way combines monumentality and softness.

The sculpture, according to Zakharov’s plan, does not decorate the building, but forms a single whole with it, turning the Admiralty into a monument to Russian naval glory. The architect's co-authors were the best sculptors of that time: F.F. Shchedrin, S.S. Pimenov, I.I. Terebenev, V.I. Demut-Malinovsky. They sculpted generals and heroes of antiquity installed on the corners of the tower’s base, allegorical statues of natural elements crowning its columns, groups of sea nymphs on the sides of the triumphal arch, masks of sea deities on the keystones of the first floor. The subject of the 22-meter high relief on the attic of the tower “Establishment of the Fleet in Russia” makes the Admiralty building a kind of encyclopedia of the Russian fleet.

The Admiralty is part of the ensemble of central St. Petersburg squares: its walls are in good harmony with the facades of the Winter Palace on Palace Square, as well as with the buildings located on Decembrist and St. Isaac's Squares.

The Admiralty building is one of the best architectural monuments of St. Petersburg. The ship on the spire of the Admiralty is widely known as one of the symbols of the city on the Neva. The word “admiralty” itself means a place for the construction and repair of military ships. The first shipyard in St. Petersburg was built in June 1703 on the site of the future Kronwerk of the Peter and Paul Fortress. However, the city needed a large Admiralty shipyard. By order of Peter I, a new shipyard was to be built on an island between the Neva and the Mya River (now the Moika River). This island became known as Admiralteysky.

On November 5, 1704, a shipyard-fortress was laid, built according to a general plan-drawing drawn up by Peter I. The Admiralty shipyard, built according to a “P” plan, was approximately 425 meters long and 213 wide. In the very depths of the courtyard there was the “sovereign office” - the Admiralty House, from which one-story wooden side buildings stretched. In 1711, a tower with a spire was built in the center of the main facade, which seven years later housed the Admiration Board, the highest governing body of the fleet. In the courtyard of the Admiralty there were boathouses - rooms or platforms where ships were built or repaired. There was also a chamber in which naval architects and draftsmen worked.

Since St. Petersburg at that time lived under the constant threat of attack by the Swedes, a fortress wall with five earthen bastions and a deep dry ditch, at the bottom of which stood rows of sharpened stakes, was built around the Admiralty. Along the perimeter of the shipyard-fortress, two canals were dug from the Neva - internal and external. A year later, the construction of the Admiralty was almost completed. To create free space for shelling from fortress guns, the forest was cut down up to the Moika (Mya) River. Soon this place became known as Admiralty Meadow. The first ship from the Admiralty Shipyard was launched on April 29, 1706. During the reign of Peter I, a total of 262 warships left the slipways of the Admiralty. Moreover, each laying down or launching of a ship was accompanied by volleys of fireworks, cannon shots, shouts of “hurray” and general celebration.

From the Admiralty Shipyard to New Holland in 1717, the Admiralty Canal was dug, through which timber was delivered to the shipyard for the construction of ships. On the island of New Holland, formed by the Moika River, the Kryukov and Admiralty Canals, warehouses were located, specially arranged away from the shipyard to avoid fires. By 1727, the Admiralty building had become very dilapidated, and they decided to rebuild it in stone. According to the design of the architect I.K. Korobov, the building was decorated with a slender tower topped with a beautiful spire. Korobov recreated the entire Admiralty complex, preserving the architectural silhouette of the building from Peter the Great's time.

At the beginning of the 19th century, when the appearance of St. Petersburg was changing, the Admiralty building, against the background of the Winter Palace on the one hand, and the Bronze Horseman on the other, began to look quite modest. The reconstruction work of the building was entrusted to the outstanding architect A.D. Zakharov. Construction took place from 1806 to 1823. The third, contemporary building of the Admiralty consists of two U-shaped buildings - external and internal. The central façade of the building, more than four hundred meters long, is decorated with six multi-column porticoes. In the center of the facade there is a multi-tiered tower with an entrance arch, decorated with a colonnade and topped with a dome with a spire.

The building, designed by Zakharov in the style of Russian classicism, began to look much more solemn. The Admiralty became a three-story building; the building is decorated with 56 statues, 11 bas-reliefs and 350 stucco decorations. Above the entrance arch of the central tower of the Admiralty there are two flying glory with bowed banners. Above them is the high relief “Establishment of the Fleet in Russia.” Even higher, on the parapet of the tower, there are statues of ancient heroes - Alexander the Great, Pyrrhus, Ajax and Achilles. Four statues face the Winter Palace, representing the main directions of the wind (northern - Boreas, western - Nodir, southern - Zephyr, eastern - Not), and images of two goddesses - Isis and Urania (patrons of shipbuilding and astronomy). Their counterparts also look towards the Bronze Horseman. The central tower of the Admiralty is topped by a gilded dome with a clock and an octagonal lantern with a small dome that turns into a spire 23 meters high.

The entire history of the Admiralty is inextricably linked with the fleet. At different times, it housed various maritime and educational institutions: the Admiralty College, the Naval Ministry, the School of Naval Architecture, the Higher Naval Engineering School named after. F.E. Dzerzhinsky.

One of the main architectural decorations of the cultural capital of Russia is the Admiralty. This complex of buildings in the Empire style was built in the 18th century. The first mention of it dates back to the beginning of the named century.

It should be noted that initially its purpose and appearance were different from what it is now: the buildings were erected for the repair and construction of ships. Later the buildings were rebuilt. Today the famous building complex houses command of the Russian Navy.

The silhouette of a boat, crowning one of the majestic buildings of the complex, is currently a symbol of the northern Russian capital.

The beginning of the story

In the travel magazine Peter the Great A record has been preserved of the foundation of the “Admiralty House”, the length of which was two hundred fathoms and the width - ten fathoms. The same entry mentions that after the foundation of the building was laid, this event was cheerfully celebrated in a drinking establishment.

Construction work progressed very quickly. Already two years after the recording was made, the project "Admiralty House" was brought to life. The "house", built according to the emperor's drawings, was a real fortress(it was necessary to protect the shipyard). It was surrounded by moats with water, and the building was also protected by an earthen rampart.

The building itself was low (consisting of only one floor) and very long. The premises of this building were used as warehouses and forges; some rooms were given to the Admiralty Department, or rather, its services. There was a dug in the courtyard of the building channel(it was filled up at the beginning of the 19th century). It was necessary for the delivery of building materials and also had a defensive function.

A few years after the building was completed, a special room was equipped in it, intended for storing drawings and models of ships. Here you could see a model of each ship built at the shipyard and familiarize yourself with its drawings. At the beginning of the 19th century, this room was turned into a museum. It existed here until the end of the 30s of the XX century.

Boat silhouette

The history of the famous boat, which is currently one of the symbols of the city, begins in the late 10s of the 18th century. It was then that the silhouette of a ship appeared above the gates of the Admiralty. He was placed there Harman van Bolos- Dutch carpenter. The silhouette of the ship was mounted on a long metal spire.

What kind of ship became the prototype of this decorative element? Historians have still not been able to establish this. Some adhere to the following version: the model was the silhouette of the ship that was the first to enter the newly completed St. Petersburg port. According to another version, the spire is topped with a reduced silhouette of a completely different ship, built in the 60s of the 17th century; it was the first Russian ship intended for military purposes. Which of the two versions is correct? The answer to this question has not yet been found.

There is a legend that the flags on the masts of the famous ship were made of gold. It is currently impossible to either confirm or refute this legend, since the original silhouette of the boat that crowned the spire was lost at the beginning of the 19th century and replaced by a new one.

This new boat was also replaced after about seventy years. The silhouette that currently adorns the spire is an exact copy of the second replaced boat.

Building in the 18th century

The stone building was erected in 30s of the 18th century. His project was developed Ivan Korobov. The architect was faced with the task of creating a truly monumental, majestic structure, and this goal was achieved.

The most striking detail of the building was the high tower crowning the gate. Its spire was covered with gold. According to some historical documents, the gold used to cover the spire was obtained by melting down ducats that the Dutch government presented to the Russian emperor as a gift. However, this information raises doubts among historians. One way or another, the bright spire sparkling in the sun to this day makes a great impression on guests of the capital. Its tip ends in a weather vane - the famous silhouette of a boat. This silhouette is at an altitude of seventy-two meters (the height of the tower is forty-nine meters, the height of the spire is twenty-three meters).

In the 40s of the 18th century, the vast space near the building was used as pasture. Military exercises also took place here. On holidays, fair festivities were held on this field; everything around became colorful with brightly colored carousels and booths.

At Elizaveta Petrovna Serious problems arose with the fortress canal: dirty water began to accumulate in it (wastewater was drained there). The Empress ordered the systematic cleaning of the canal bed. During the same period of time, a large area near the building was paved.

Admiralty in the 19th-20th centuries

At the beginning of the 19th century there was a need for perestroika Admiralty. Now it was located in the central part of the city, not far from it stood majestic palaces, and therefore it should have looked less utilitarian, more bright and elegant. The building reconstruction project was developed Andreyan Zakharov. The changes he made to the appearance of the Admiralty were very significant, but they did not affect the most striking and recognizable detail of the building - the elegant tower above the gate and the gilded spire with a weather vane-ship. Experts find that the task facing the architect was solved brilliantly.

The new main facade of the building in the 19th century looked very impressive (and even today it makes a great impression): its length is four hundred seven meters. Let us briefly talk about other architectural features of the majestic structure and the entire architectural ensemble, which plays such an important role in shaping the appearance of the cultural capital of Russia.

The architectural ensemble includes two U-shaped bodies. They were once separated by a moat. In the 19th century, one of the buildings was occupied by workshops, and the other by institutions of the country's river and sea fleet.

The central element of the ensemble is tower topped with a spire, which has already been described above. There is an arch at its base, and the middle part of the tower is decorated with a colonnade.

Please note that the overall composition of the architectural complex is distinguished by its severity, amazing integrity and clear rhythm.

Separately, a few words need to be said about sculptures, which are an important part of the architectural ensemble. Among them are the image of the goddess of justice rewarding artisans and warriors, nearby - figures of nymphs holding globes, sculptures of four famous heroes of the ancient world... One cannot fail to mention twenty-eight sculptural allegories. They symbolize the elements, seasons, cardinal directions; one of the statues depicts the muse of astronomy; part of the architectural ensemble is also the figure of the Egyptian goddess, patron of sailors; The complex of buildings is also decorated with other allegorical sculptures. Please note that all of the listed images are united by one theme: they affirm the image of our state as a maritime power. Many other sculptures, not listed here, but which are part of the famous architectural ensemble, are dedicated to the same theme.

Not only the architectural appearance of the Admiralty has been preserved to this day, but also part of vintage interiors. This is the main staircase located in the lobby, as well as a library room and a hall intended for meetings. The interiors are distinguished by severity, but it is softened by the elegance of the decoration. The windows are located so that all rooms are perfectly illuminated; this bright light also softens the aforementioned austerity of the interiors.

During the years of the siege, the bright gilded spire with a boat, which was a very noticeable target for the enemy, was covered with a cover. Shortly before the Victory, this cover was removed.

The building of which this spire is a decoration, restored several times throughout the 20th century. Restoration work was carried out in the late 20s, then in the second half of the 70s and at the end of the 90s. In the 70s, the spire was gilded; then a special container with the text of the Constitution of the Soviet Union was placed in the cavity of the ball located under the silhouette of the boat.

Present time

Several years ago, townspeople noted an alarming fact: a rather large crack. Currently, this alarming situation is being considered by the Committee on State Control, Use and Protection of Historical and Cultural Monuments.

Five years after the discovery of the crack, the move to the premises of the architectural complex of the high command of the Navy took place, this event was marked raising the St. Andrew's flag over one of the towers.

A year later, on the territory of the Admiralty there was the temple is open. This church has one unusual feature: there is no cross above its dome, as it is replaced by the cross depicted on the St. Andrew's flag.

There are plans to make some small changes to the current appearance of the architectural complex. According to these plans, the space of the courtyards will be covered with a glass dome, and the historical buildings will be connected by glass passages.