Peter and Paul Fortress gates of death. Peter and Paul Fortress, self-guided tour

The first wooden gates on this important historical place Petersburg were built at the beginning of the 18th century. A few years later they were rebuilt according to the design of a famous Italian architect and became stone. And subsequently they were rebuilt several times by different architects. The last rebuilding was carried out at the end of the 18th century.

The Neva Gates of the Peter and Paul Fortress are the main water gates on the Zayachy Island of St. Petersburg, leading to the Commandant's Wharf. They are located between two bastions: Sovereign and Naryshkin. This is the only exit from the fortress to the Neva River.

General information about the Peter and Paul Fortress

Before proceeding to the description of the Nevsky Gates of the Peter and Paul Fortress, we will provide some information about the entire complex, which is the first grandiose building St. Petersburg. It was in this place that Peter I founded the city on the Neva in 1703. Since the territory was part of Russian Empire during hostilities with Sweden, then the citadel was built to protect against the Swedes.

Due to the fact that the fortress was founded on the island, the fortress cannons were supposed to protect the city along two large branches of the river. The boundaries of St. Petersburg were protected by the sea, built in 1704. Already in 1705, the Admiralty Shipyard (the first industrial building) was opened on Admiralteysky Island.

Today the fortress is an object of cultural and historical heritage northern capital of Russia. Although it is a museum under open sky, it should be remembered that this is the most real and powerful fort, which was always ready to repel any enemy attack.

In addition to the Nevsky Gates of the fortress, there are others. Let's present them briefly.

Gate of the Peter and Paul Fortress

There are only four of them in the citadel, and they are located according to the cardinal points.

1. From the west are the Vasilyevsky Gates. They serve as an entrance through the Vasilyevsky Curtain, facing the island with the same name (hence the name of the gate).
2. The Nikolsky Gate serves as the entrance to the museum from the north. The original draft of 1703 did not have them. They were created in the Nikolskaya Curtain only during the rebuilding of a wooden fortress into a stone one (25 years after its foundation).
3. The Neva Gate is the southern entrance to the fortress, from the river side (hence the name). Previously, it was possible to get into the fortress through them only by mooring at the pier.
4. On the east side are the most majestic and beautiful gates - Petrovsky. They were built of wood in 1708, and 10 years later they were rebuilt in stone. These gates are a monument of the Peter the Great Baroque, designed by the famous architect. On both sides of them, in niches, there are statues that personify “Courage” and “Prudence”.

Above the arch of the Petrovsky Gates there is a double-headed lead eagle, above which there is a wooden bas-relief called "The overthrow of Simon the Magus by the Apostle Peter", where Simon is identified with and the apostle - with Tsar Peter I. The picture is a symbol of Russia's victory over the Swedes in the Northern War.

A Brief History of the Nevsky Gates of the Peter and Paul Fortress

The first wooden gates on this historical site of St. Petersburg were built in 1714-16. The stone gates were built in 1720 according to the design of the architect D. Trezzini (an outstanding Italian architect of the time of Peter I). Then they were rebuilt several times by different masters. The last version of the gate was created and built by the architect N.A. Lvov in the period from 1784 to 1787.

This gate is also called the "Gate of Death". They received such a name due to the fact that prisoners sentenced to death were led out of the Peter and Paul dungeons through them. They were taken along the Neva to the place of execution. However, there is also a positive legend about these gates, which says that through them the “grandfather of the Russian fleet” was brought into the fortress.

Description of the Nevsky Gate

Nevsky Gates (St. Petersburg) - architectural monument classicism.

The height of the structure in the latter version is 12 meters, the width is 12.2 meters. They are installed on a plinth, the height of which is almost a meter. To the left and right of the arch are twin columns supporting a triangular pediment. The columns and plinth are made of Serdobol silver-white polished granite. The decoration on the pediment represents an image in the form of an anchor with crossed palm branches and a fluttering ribbon (the work of an unknown sculptor). There is also a gilded inscription - the date of the creation of the gate. Along the edges of the pediment are two bombs with flames.

The arch of the Nevsky Gates of the Peter and Paul Fortress, protruding from the curtain, looks like a classic portico.

Modern fortress, purpose

The official name of the historical core of the city is the Petrograd Fortress (1914-1917) and the St. Petersburg Fortress. It is listed in the Museum of the history of the city of St. Petersburg. From the Naryshkin bastion, a symbolic shot is fired from a signal cannon every day at noon.

In 1991, a monument to the Great Peter was erected on the territory (the work of the sculptor Shemyakin). On the beach of the Peter and Paul Fortress from the beginning XXI century a variety of recreational activities, excursions. The Museum of Cosmonautics and Rocket Technology also operates here. A grand piano was installed in the flag tower in 2005, which is periodically played by famous musicians from all over the world.

How to get there?

Hare Island is open daily for tourists from 6.00 am to 9.00 pm, and the complex itself (respectively, the Nevsky Gates of the Peter and Paul Fortress) - from 9.00 to 20.00. 2 bridges lead to the island: Kronverksky, Ioannovsky.

Not far from the fortress is the Gorkovskaya metro station, from which the historical citadel is a 5-10 minute walk.

Peter-Pavel's Fortress the first building in St. Petersburg. This is how the city was founded in 1703 by Peter I. Since the territory was transferred to the Russian Empire during the war with Sweden, the fortress was built to protect against the Swedes. The fortress was founded on Hare Island, so the cannons of the fortress were supposed to defend the city from invasion along two large branches of the river. The maritime borders of St. Petersburg were supposed to be protected by the Kronstadt fortress, founded in 1704.

Well, already in 1705, the first industrial building was opened, the Admiralty Shipyard on the Admiralty Island, which in 1706 represented a fortress, to protect the territory as part of the Northern War with the Swedes. Now the Peter and Paul Fortress is an object cultural heritage St. Petersburg. And although now it is a museum, do not forget that this is a real fort that was ready to repel any attack.

How to get to the Peter and Paul Fortress

The Peter and Paul Fortress is located on Hare Island, which is open to the public daily from 6.00 to 21.00. The fortress itself is open to the public from 9.00 to 20.00. Two bridges lead to Zayachy Island: Ioannovsky Bridge and Kronverksky Bridge.

You can enter the territory of the island, as well as the fortress itself, on any of the bridges. Not far from the Peter and Paul Fortress is Gorkovskaya metro station, from it to the Peter and Paul Fortress no more than 5-10 minutes on foot.

You can also get here on foot: from the Admiralteisky Island through Trinity bridge. Or by Palace Bridge arrow first Vasilyevsky Island, and from there through the Birzhevoy Bridge along the Mytninskaya Embankment to the Kronverksky Bridge, but this route is the longest. The route map and opening hours of ticket offices and expositions can be found on the website of the Peter and Paul Fortress.

Ioannovsky bridge and Ioannovsky ravelin

We got to the Peter and Paul Fortress in a simple way- Metro. The ground lobby of the Gorkovskaya station is located in Aleksandrovsky Park, and when you go out into the street it is easy to lose your bearings and understand where to go. In this case, if your natural sense of direction is silent, then it is better to ask someone for directions or try to follow the main stream of people.

So after 5 minutes we find ourselves at the Ioannovsky bridge, the road to historical heart Petersburg, Peter and Paul Fortress. The bridge is the oldest bridge Petersburg, even though there is nothing left of that very bridge. Ioannovsky Bridge, originally called Krasny, as the main and only bridge to the fortress, had a lifting central section.

The Ioannovsky Bridge ends with the Ioannovsky Gates, on which the year 1740 is indicated. This is the year the construction work was completed, during which the Peter and Paul Fortress became completely stone, before that it was wooden. The fortress is additionally fortified from the east and west with protective structures called ravelins. In the eastern ravelin or Ioannovsky, those same Ioannovsky gates are built in. Therefore, having passed through them, thus bypassing the ravelin, we find ourselves in an open space directly in front of the main walls of the fortress.

Gate of the Peter and Paul Fortress

Four gates lead to the Peter and Paul Fortress, according to the number of cardinal points and their location.

• Neva Gate. This is the southern, river entrance to the fortress. It was possible to get into the fortress through the Nevsky Gate only by mooring at the pier. Hence the name of the gate.
• Vasilyevsky gate from the west, these gates serve as an entrance to the fortress through the Vasilyevsky curtain, which faces Vasilyevsky Island, hence the name.
• The Nikolsky Gates serve as the entrance to the Peter and Paul Fortress from the north. They were not in the original plan of 1703 and they appeared in the Nikolskaya Curtain only during the reconstruction of the wooden fortress into a stone one a quarter of a century after its foundation.
• Petrovsky gates, the eastern entrance to the fortress, the most beautiful gates of the fortress

It is through the Petrovsky Gates that we enter the fortress. The wooden gate was built in 1708 and rebuilt 10 years later in stone. Petrovsky gates are a monument of Petrovsky Borocco, designed by the architect Domenico Trezzini. In the niches on either side of the gate are placed statues representing "Prudence" and "Courage".

Above the arch is a lead double-headed eagle. And above it is a wooden bas-relief "The overthrow of Simon the Magus by the Apostle Peter", in which Simon is identified with the Swedish King Charles XII, and the Apostle Peter with Peter I, respectively. Thus, the whole picture is a symbol of Russia's victory in the Northern War with Sweden.

Grand Duke's burial vault and monument to Peter I

Behind the Petrovsky Gates begins, paved with paving stones, the central alley to the Cathedral Square of the fortress.

The central alley will lead us straight to Cathedral Square and its main Peter and Paul Cathedral. But first, there are a few sights waiting for us.

To the right of the alley, in the territory of its own garden, there is the Grand Duke's tomb. The role of the tomb in the Peter and Paul Fortress went to the Peter and Paul Cathedral, the tomb itself appeared here much later in 1908. The tomb was intended for the grand dukes and princesses, as well as for princes of imperial blood. Part of the burials in the tomb were transferred from the Peter and Paul Cathedral.

The entrance to the Grand Duke's burial vault is accessible from the Cathedral Square.

Opposite the tomb, on the other side of the alley, the founder of the fortress, Peter I, sits on a forged throne, behind him is the building of the chief officer's guardhouse. Sculpture of Peter I, the work of Mikhail Mikhailovich Shemyakin, Russian and American artist. When creating the sculpture, the artist drew inspiration from the famous "Wax persona", the emperor's wax counterpart, exhibited in the State Hermitage.

The "wax person" is entirely the work of Carlo Rastrelli, who, during the life of Peter I, took a wax cast from the face of the emperor and made with it a bust and an exact copy of Peter. But “Shemyakinsky Peter” owes only his face to Rastrelli's mask, let's leave the body devoid of proportions on the conscience of the artist.

Cathedral Square and Peter and Paul Cathedral

The alley leads us to the Cathedral Square, which also served as a parade ground for the garrison of the fortress.

Several main buildings of the fortress are located on the Cathedral Square. First of all, these are the Peter and Paul Cathedral, the Mint and the Boat House. The current Mint of the State Sign and the largest Mint in the World.

The botny house was built specifically to store the boat of Peter I, where it was kept until 1931, now a copy is on display here.

From this cathedral, the construction of the Peter and Paul Fortress began. The building was founded in 1703 on the day of the holy apostles Peter and Paul. The height of the Peter and Paul Cathedral with a spire was 122.5 meters. Until 2013, it was the tallest building in St. Petersburg. According to the plan of Peter I, the Peter and Paul Cathedral was to become the first building new Russia, which is why it does not look like traditional Orthodox churches, and with its height, the spire almost pierces the sky.

Trubetskoy Bastion Prison

Although you can walk around the territory of the Peter and Paul Fortress absolutely free of charge, exhibitions and museums in the fortress still cost money. Therefore, you will have to pay to visit the next attraction, but it's worth it.

What is a fortress without "dungeons"? No, of course, it did not exist in the original plans; guardhouses usually served for punishment. The prison in the Trubetskoy bastion appeared in 1872, for the sake of its construction, the inner walls of the bastion were dismantled. Thus, a pentagonal two-story prison building with a courtyard, in the center of which there were baths, appeared on the site of the tower.

The prison was planned for 73 solitary cells, where the main goal was the complete isolation of the prisoner from both the outside world and other prisoners. Over the years, populist revolutionaries were imprisoned here, including Lenin's older brother Alexander Ilyich Ulyanov, Socialist-Revolutionaries, members of the deputation who opposed the executions of 1905, including Maxim Gorky, as well as members of the St. Petersburg Council of Workers' Deputies, including Leon Trotsky .

Later, the situation radically changed twice, first during the February Revolution, and later as a result of the October Revolution of 1917. Thus, the contingent of the prison cells changed first to ministers and police leaders, and later to the provisional government, junkers and members of the Kadet Party. The fundamental difference between the Bolshevik prison and the “tsarist” prison was the abolition of the solitary confinement regime.

A particularly sad page in the history of the Trubetskoy Bastion prison was the years of the Red Terror, when prisoners were massively shot on the territory of the fortress, including 4 Grand Dukes. On the territory of the Fortress in 2010, mass graves of victims of the Red Terror were discovered.

Naryshkin Bastion and Neva Curtain

A separate pleasure in visiting the Peter and Paul Fortress is the opportunity to look at the city from the walls of the fortress. There is such an opportunity, for this you just need to climb the Naryshkin Bastion, having previously bought a ticket at the box office located here. Since the fortress was built in the shape of a six-pointed star, there are exactly six bastions in the fortress. In one of them we have just visited the prison, it was the Trubetskoy bastion, the rest are Menishikov, Golovkin and Zotov bastions. Two more Naryshkin and Sovereign, between which lies the camp called the Neva Curtain, and we have to inspect. From here, from the Naryshkin bastion, a cannon fires its salvo every day at noon, announcing the middle of the day.

From the Naryshkin bastion, beautiful views of not only the Neva, but also the fortress itself open up. The route from the Naryshkin Bastion along the Neva Curtain to the Sovereign's Bastion is called the Neva Panorama, which is how it is positioned at the box office and on advertising posters in the fortress.

The Neva Curtain is a shaft connecting the Naryshkin and Sovereign bastions. The shaft faces the Neva, hence its name. It is in the Neva Curtain that the Neva Gates, also called the Gates of Death, are installed.

On a wooden floor, we, accompanied by an audio guide broadcasting from the horns installed on the curtain, are moving towards the Sovereign's Bastion.

The sovereign's bastion was the first to be laid, now a monument has been erected on the bastion in honor of the "300th anniversary of the founding of St. Petersburg."

And from the very bastion opens beautiful view to the Neva and the Trinity Bridge. By the way, you can go into the bastion and walk along its edge, feeling like in a real dungeon.

Poster of the Sovereign Bastion of the Peter and Paul Fortress

Poterna is an underground corridor that communicates between the internal structures of the fort and its external fortifications. Thus, through the curtain of the Sovereign's bastion, one could get into the courtyard of the fortress, bypassing the Petrovsky Gates.

The entrance to the terrace is carried out from the outside of the Sovereign's bastion, from the side of the Ioannovsky ravelin. The entrance is paid, and the gallery itself is not very large, it ends with a small art exhibition.

That was the end of our sightseeing tour. Of course, we have not examined all the objects of the fortress and visited not all exhibitions and museum expositions, but what we have covered is quite enough for a 4-5 hour acquaintance with the Peter and Paul Fortress. And it's definitely worth going here. After all, the Peter and Paul Fortress is the first building northern capital, and even military. It turns out that in the Peter and Paul Fortress there is the charm of Kronstadt and the proximity of St. Petersburg attractions.

View from the Neva.

The Neva Gates of the Peter and Paul Fortress are the only way out of the citadel to the Neva. This exit appeared already at the first wood-earthen fortress in the form of wooden rectangular gates with a pier adjoining them.

On August 30, 1723, during the celebration of the third anniversary of the Peace of Nystad, the "Grandfather of the Russian fleet" - the boat of Peter I was solemnly transferred through the Neva Gate to the Peter and Paul Fortress. At the same time, a decree was issued on the annual procedure for bringing the boat to the Neva. This was repeated in 1724, and then only in 1744 and 1746.

In the early 1720s, the wooden Neva Gates designed by Domenico Trezzini were replaced with stone ones. After the second solemn removal of the boat, it was decided to update them. In the early 1730s, they were given the look that has been preserved from the inside of the fortress wall to this day. At the same time, the pier was rebuilt into an arched pier with three descents to the water.

In 1747-1748, presumably according to the project of B. Kh. Minich, the Neva Gate from the side of the river was decorated in the form of a portico with double pilasters bearing the entablature. In 1762-1767, architect D. Smolyaninov and engineer N. Muravyov drafted a granite pier with vaults. Its implementation began only when the walls of the Peter and Paul Fortress were faced with granite.

In 1780, the architect N.A. Lvov was asked to draft a new stone Nevsky Gate. In 1784-1787 this project was realized. The Nevsky Gates were inscribed by the architect into a kind of square. Their height was 12 meters and width - 12.2 meters. All architectural details were made of polished Serdobol granite. Given the height of the pier, Lvov raised the Nevsky Gate by almost a meter. The image of an anchor on the pediment, decorative bombs with tongues of fire on the edges of the pediment gave the Nevsky Gates the significance as a triumphal monument in honor of the victories of the Russian fleet.

On the northern facade appeared the monogram of Catherine II and the date "1787", indicating the year the monument was built.

In 1840, in the frieze of the portico on the north side, the inscription "Nevsky Gates 1787" was reinforced. In the 1860s, the pier of the Nevsky Gates began to be called Komendantskaya. It was from her that the commandant of the Peter and Paul Fortress sailed away on a boat on his own business. From here, prisoners sentenced to death were taken out of the fortress and taken along the Neva to the place of execution.

Under the arch of the Nevsky Gates there is a section showing the natural level of the Hare Island. Above it is a board with marks of the largest St. Petersburg floods: 1752, 1777, 1788, 1824, 1924 and 1975.

In 1952-1953 the Nevsky Gates were restored. In 1998-1999, the northern façade was restored to its appearance in the middle of the 18th century.

Description

After visiting the Neva Panorama, you can visit the expositions of the Trubetskoy Bastion prison. From the Sovereign's bastion, go back along the fortress wall facing the Neva and to the end.

From the beginning of the 18th century, the Peter and Paul Fortress also served as a prison for especially dangerous state criminals, who were placed in the casemates of the bastions and curtain walls, and special prison buildings were also built.
In the prison building of the Trubetskoy Bastion that has survived to this day (the Building of the Detention Department at the St. Petersburg Fortress - official name prison) an extensive museum exhibition dedicated to the history of the imprisonment of the prisoners of the Russian Bastille has been deployed.

The two-story building, pentagonal in plan, was erected inside the Trubetskoy bastion on the site of its dismantled internal walls in 1870 - 1872 according to the project and under the guidance of engineers K. P. Andreev and M. A. Pasypkin. The prison was created to hold political prisoners. single cameras, harsh conditions maintenance, complete isolation from the outside world - were the lot of prisoners. More than one and a half thousand prisoners languished in the dungeons of the prison of the Trubetskoy Bastion during the autocracy. In the period 1870 - 1880, Narodnaya Volya revolutionaries Pavel Kropotkin, German Lopatin, Vera Figner, Andrey Zhelyabov and many others were imprisoned in prison.
In the spring of 1887, after preventing a conspiracy to assassinate Emperor Alexander III, members of the Terrorist Faction of the Narodnaya Volya party were imprisoned, among the organizers of which was Vladimir Lenin's elder brother Alexander Ulyanov. After the trial, the conspirators were transferred from the Peter and Paul Prison to the Shlisselburg Fortress, where they were executed on May 8 (20), 1887.

At the beginning of the revolution of 1905, the writer Maxim Gorky, already known by that time, who shared revolutionary sentiments, became a prisoner of the Political Prison of the Peter and Paul Fortress for his appeal "To all Russian citizens and the public opinion of European states." The writer stayed in the dungeons for several weeks, he was released thanks to the unfolding wide campaign in defense in Russia and abroad.

In the museum you will visit prison cells, where the conditions and life of prisoners are recreated in detail. The stands exhibit many documents and photographs of that time, from which you will learn about many prisoners of the Political Prison of the Peter and Paul Fortress, whose fate is inextricably linked with the history of Russia.
After such a sad tour of the prison casemates, we suggest you finish the tour on the Neva embankment of the Peter and Paul Fortress. After leaving the museum, go back along the Catherine Curtain and Naryshkin Bastion to the Nevsky Gates, after passing through which you will find yourself on the Commandant's Quay, from where a magnificent view of the Neva opens.

Initially, the Nevsky Gates were wooden, like all fortifications fortresses, in the 1720s were rebuilt in stone according to the project of the architect Domenico Trezzini.
The current front view of the Neva Gate from the side of the Neva was acquired in the second half of the 18th century. Built according to the project of the architect N.A. Lvov in 1784-1787 from polished Serdobol granite in the form of a classicist portico with paired columns, decorated with the image of an anchor and decorative bombs with flames on the pediment, the Nevsky Gates have the significance of a triumphal monument in honor of the victories of the Russian fleet.
The northern facade of the gate from the side of the fortress is decorated with the monogram of Catherine II with the date of construction "1787". Under the arch you will see marks - these are the recorded levels of the largest floods in St. Petersburg.

On the Neva embankment, the gates are connected to a granite pier, which since 1860 has been called Komendantskaya. It was from her that the commandant of the Peter and Paul Fortress sailed on a boat to report to the Sovereign Emperor.

Stepping out onto the Neva expanse, you will again see a panorama where St. Petersburg will appear with its front facades of magnificent embankments, palaces and cathedrals.

Then we can offer two options for a walk - along the embankment along the fortress walls along the Neva River to the side Palace Bridge and Arrows of Vasilyevsky Island, having rounded the fortress from the south side, you will come to the Kronvek bridge, through which you will get to the Petrograd side. Then you can go to a cafe and relax with a cup of coffee or a hearty meal. There is a shorter way - along the embankment in the opposite direction towards the Trinity Bridge, you will come out to the Ioannovsky Bridge, through which our excursion began. There you will see several piers from which you can continue water excursion along the Neva, canals and rivers of St. Petersburg, or if you are very tired to go to the Gorkovskaya metro station.

We hope that hiking along the Peter and Paul Fortress will bring you pleasure and many memories.

Nevsky Gate- Peter and Paul Fortress. Nevsky Gates of the Peter and Paul Fortress. St. Petersburg. Nevsky Gates, in the Neva Curtain of the Peter and Paul Fortress, between the Sovereign and Naryshkin bastions, the only ones facing the Neva (hence the name). Built ... ... Encyclopedic reference book "St. Petersburg"

The gate of the Peter and Paul Fortress in St. Petersburg, located in the Neva Curtain between the Sovereign and Naryshkin bastions. It connects the fortress with the Commandant's Quay. A monument of classicism architecture. History In 1714 1716 there were ... ... Wikipedia

The Neva Gate is the gate of the Peter and Paul Fortress in St. Petersburg, located in the Nevsky Curtain between the Sovereign and Naryshkin bastions. It connects the fortress with the Commandant's Quay. A monument of classicism architecture. History In 1714 1716 ... ... Wikipedia

In the Neva Curtain of the Peter and Paul Fortress, between the Sovereign and Naryshkin bastions, the only ones facing the Neva (hence the name). Built in 1703, in the 1730s. rebuilt in stone: the inner facade has retained its original appearance, ... ... St. Petersburg (encyclopedia)

GATE OF DEATH- The Neva Gate of the Peter and Paul Fortress, through which the prisoners sentenced to death were led out to the Commandant's Quay. Compare: DEATH GATE ... Dictionary of the Petersburger

DEATH GATES- The Neva Gates of the Peter and Paul Fortress, through which prisoners condemned to death were taken out of the fortress. Compare: GATE OF DEATH ... Dictionary of the Petersburger

Channel on the plan of ra ... Wikipedia

- "Nevsky Gates of the Peter and Paul Fortress". Benjamin Patersen (Swedish Benjamin Patersen, 1750, Varberg 1815 ... Wikipedia

- "Nevsky Gates of the Peter and Paul Fortress". Benjamin Patersen (Swedish Benjamin Patersen, 1750, Varberg 1815, St. Petersburg) is a Swedish portrait painter who worked in St. Petersburg for a significant part of his life. Benjamin Patersen was born in Swedish ... Wikipedia

The architecture of St. Petersburg, in particular its historical center, is one of the most outstanding architectural complexes of the capital, created in the 18th and 20th centuries. On the territory of Russia, St. Petersburg became the first ... ... Wikipedia