167 



PETERSBURG, ST. 



PETERSBURG, ST. 



168 



the northern or right batik of the Great Nevka lie, from south to north, 

 1, Wassily-Ostrov; 2, St. Peter's Island, the Island of Petrovsky, and 

 the Apothecaries' Island; 3, Kammenoi-Oatrov, Krestovsky, and 

 Ye lagin, a group of islands covered with gardens, groves, avenues of 

 trees, and country-houses, which in summer are the resort of the rich. 

 The city U divided into 12 districts, and these again into quarters. 

 Few cities have such long and broad streets as St. Petersburg. They 

 are from 60 to 120 feet broad ; and the Nevsky Perspective is 14,850 

 feet long, the Great Perspective 10,220 feet, and'eight others 6000 feet. 

 The stone pavement a in general bad, and requires to be laid down 

 afresh every year: a pavement of hexagonal blocks of wood, covered 

 with tar, has been found to b more durable and cheaper, and is used 

 in many of the principal street*, which have broad flag-pavements fur 

 the foot- passengers. There are no wells, bnt the water of the Neva is 

 held in high estimation by the inhabitants. A bridge of granite has 

 been recently constructed across the Neva. There are two bridges of 

 boats over the Neva, and three over its arms ; one of them, near the 

 citadel, is 2730 feet long. These bridge? are removed whenever danger 

 is apprehended from the ice, both at the beginning of the winter and 

 in the sprin. There are about 130 bridges over the canal*, many of 

 which are of granite ; several of cast iron, two of which are handsome 

 suspension brid -ea ; and many of wood. The Great or Southern Neva 

 i> here from BOO to 1200 feet wide, and its south or left bank, to the 

 extent of 10,000 feet, exclusive of the Admiralty, which divides it into 

 two parts, is furnished with a quay of cranite ; a work which for 

 utility and magnificence will remain a lasting monument of the reign 

 of Catherine 1 1. The part of the quay to the east of the Admiralty is 

 called the Imp- rial Quay, or the Quay of the Court; that on the west 

 was, till the present war broke out, denominated the English Quay, 

 being liued with a row of splendid mansions originally built or occupied 

 by English merchant*. The Quay of Wamily-Ostrov, on the opposite 

 bank, which wa* completed in 1834, is still finer, but not so extensive. 

 It is adorned with two colossal sphinxes brought from Egypt, which 

 are placed in front of the Academy of Arts. Among other buildings 

 hen are the Cu-t-nn House, the Academy of Sciences, and the Hotel- 

 do-Mines. There are 140 Russian-Greek churches, 40 of other 

 Christian communities, 2 Greek convents, a synagogue, and a mosque. 

 Divine service is performed in 15 languages. Of the Greek chun-li s 

 the tmxt remarkable are 1, the Isaac's church, a magnificent edifice 

 built of marble ; 2, the beautiful cathedral of the Mother of CM 1 of 

 Casan ; 3, the church of St. Nicholas; 4, the church of Alexander 

 Neviky, in the convent of the some name, containing the body of the 

 Mint in a silver sarcophagus ; S, the chnrch of St. Pe-er and St. Paul, 

 in the citadel, which contains the tombs of the imperial family. The 

 number nf magnificent palaces and pnblie building* is so great that we 

 can do little more than barely enumerate the most remarkable : 

 1. The Imperial Winter Palace ha* been described as the meet eon- 

 'is by all traveller*; it was entirely destroyed by fire in 1837, 

 bat was rebuilt in all it* magnifternce in the space of twelve months. 

 Two f the apartment* deserve especial notice the Salle Blanche, or 

 WhK* Hall, a beautiful ball-room, the decoration* of which- are in 

 pure white relieved with eliding ; and St. George's Hall, which is fitted 

 up with great magnificence, and is nard for the reception of ambeeaa- 

 dor* and on other state occasions. By the great exertion of the imperial 

 guard, the fire was prevented from extending to the Hermitage, Imilt by 

 Catherine, which contain* a costly library, a valuable collection of paint- 

 ing*, and other treasure. The Hermitage communicate* with the 

 Winter Palice by covrred gallvrir*. 2. The Marble P;- lace, an elegant but 

 gloomy-looking building. 3. The Taurida Palace, with it* fine gardens ; 

 so caller! in honour of the conquot of the Crimea, the ancient Taurida, 

 This palace wan presented to Prince I'ot-uikin by Catherine II., but 

 tnbeeqnently became the property of the erowc by purchase. 4. The 

 Anitebkov Palace, the residence of the late emperor Nicholas while be 

 WM grawMnke. 5. The Old Michsilov Palace, where the emperor 

 Panl mided and dwd. . The New Michailov Palace wa* built 

 h*tWMi the yean 1810 and 1825, and in one of the fineet palace* in 

 ftsiuu*. The number of what are ealled crown-building* is very great. 

 Among them are 1, the Admiralty, mil-rounded on three ride* by the 

 dockyard*; S, the iplendid building belonging to the general staff ; 

 8, fa the very extensive loaac* Square, the Senate Hon*e, the General 

 8yood, the Palace of the War Department, the large and handaome 

 riding-echool of the guard; 4, the Alexander Theatre, in the Nenky 

 Ptnpaetiv* ; 8, the fine palace of the Imperial Assignat Hank ; , the 

 New Areeoal ; 7, the Gwtinoi-1 >vor, or Merchant*' Inn, a great baaaar, 

 two HoriM high ; 8, the Academy of the KIM Art*, Ac. The Field 

 of Man, adorned with a etatoe of avwaroff, b extensive enough to 

 admit 40,000 or 50,000 men to be reviewed in it. The Field of Mars 

 is bounded on two side* by the imperial garden*, on tli- third by the 

 Winter Palace, and on the fourth by a row of massive building*. The 

 Mat recent of the public monument* is the Alexander Column, about 

 1*0 fM* m height, erected in honour of Alexander I. There are also 

 * celebrated eqoeatrian statue of Peter the Great, and a granite 

 ebcliak, 89 foe* high, in honour of Romaniov. 



The KuMian *overe%ns have done much to promote science and 

 lorn***;; ualMuiei and *ehoola hare been founded and liberally 

 endowed by them, and iMrnid men invited from foreign countries. 

 Among these eetabuahmenta are the university, founded in 181* ; 

 the academy of MJanoM, founded by Pe 



founded by Peter I., on toe plan of Leibnita ; 



the academy of fine arts; the pedagogical institution for training 

 teachers in the higher departments of learning; the ecclesiastical 

 ! seminary in the conveut of St. Alexander Nevsky ; the medico-chirur- 

 i gical academy; four gymnasia; the Oriental institution; numerous 

 j institutions for the army and navy ; the mining academy ; the female 

 ' schools of St. Catherine; the Smoluoi convent; and the foundling 

 hospitals. The collections of all kinds are very rich. In the splendid 

 I collection of minerals of the Mining Aca iemy there is a lump of 

 1 native gold weighing 80 Ibs., and a lump of platinum of 10 Ibs. The 

 Imperial public library consists of above 400,000 volumes; that of 

 the Academy of Sciences of 100,000 volumes ; and almost every 

 ' establishment has its own library. Hospitals and charitable institu- 

 tions of all descriptions are numerous and well supported. 



The ground on which St. Petersburg stands is low and swampy, and the 

 surrounding country is a mora'S and forest, except where it has ben 

 ! ameliorated by industry and art. It is liable to be inundated by the Neva. 

 I in general the ice in the Neva does not break up before the 2i!nd of March, 

 | nor later than the 27th of April ; the earliest time of the river's freezing 

 I is the 20th of October, and the latest the 1st of December. The few 

 bright days are generally during the greatest heat or the severest cold. 

 The spring is very short ; a sudden transition brings summer at once, 

 which all classes hasten to eujoy, in the adjacent villas, in hospitality 

 and social amusement!). In summer the nights are bright ami generally 

 warm. During the night, parties, frequently attended by music, pro- 

 menade the streets in every direction ; and the simple melody of the 

 popular ballads floats on the air from the boats that glide on the canals 

 and the *mo jth surface of the Neva. In autumn St. Petersburg is 

 one of the most disagreeable spots on the face of the earth. In winter 

 the cold, when it once seta in, is equal and constant, and it strengthen* 

 and braces the body. Travelling in sledges over the hard snow is 

 convenient and agrjeable, and the people defend themselves very 

 efficiently against the cold. All commercial intercourse with foreign 

 countries being suspended during the winter, the citizens indulge their 

 national fondness for luxury and amusements. The (,-reat maskr-d ball 

 (as it is called) on New Year'* Day brings together persons of nil < 

 in the Winter Palace; tickets are very easily obtained, and above 30,000 

 are usually issued. Nobody however is masked, nor is there nny 

 dancing. The river being frozen over for several mouths, the populate 

 a-e amused with swings, roundabouts, and the like ; and by the ice- 

 hill*, which are inclined plain* of considerable height, covered with 

 block* of ice. The ascent is by a flight of steps at the back. A low 

 (ledge with one person in it glides down the plane with such rapidity 

 that it is carried by the impetus to the next ice-hill, when the driver 

 takes hi* sledce on his back, ascends the steps, and descends on the 

 other side. There are likewise great popul ir uminementi during Lent 

 in Isaac's square. The bath establishments are much frequented. 



In summer those persona who have the means go into the country. 

 There are numerous country-houses in the Hands, and on the road to 

 Peterhof, Strelna, and Oranienbaurn. Peterhof, on the Ray of Cron- 

 stadt, the road to which is a noble causeway bordered by Hue gardens 

 and ooontry-seat*, ha* a large garden and fine waterworks. A grand 

 fete is generally celebrated here on the 13th of July in honour of the 

 birthday of the emprrm Alexandra, when the gardens are splendidly 

 illuminated and enlivened with bands of music, and sometimes as 

 many ai 260,000 persons are assembled. Orauienbaum, on the Unit' 

 of Finland, is still more beautifully situated th-m Peterhof. Zarskoje- 

 8elo ia a very magnificent imperial country-neat, with an immens ; park 

 and noble garden*. A large portion of this palace was burnt down in 

 1820. At a short distance is the Pulkowaberg, a flue observatory, 

 erected by the emperor Nicholas. Pavlovsk, near the town of the 

 same name, is an imperial country-seat, with a fine park laid out in 

 too Engli'h style by Brown. At Gatscbina, Tschesme, aud Strelna, 

 there are likewise country-seat* belonging t rial family. 



[CBOXITADT.J la 1854 batterie* aud strong defensive works W.T.- 

 erected on both side* of the Neva, in anticipation of on attack by the 

 Anglo-French fleet upon Cronstadt and the capital. 



8t Petersburg i* not only the capital but the greatest manufacturing 

 city of the empire. There are numerous manufactories of silk, cotton, 

 woollen, leather, glass, gold and silver articles, watches, surgical instru- 

 ment*, paper, snuff and tobacco, sugar, &<-. Some manufacturing 

 establishment* the government has considered it advisable to carry on 

 upon its own account ; such are the great manufactory of tapestry, a 

 large manufactory of aqna-fortis, with an assay-office and a mint ; a 

 plate-glass manufactory, which produce* mirrors 14 feet high mid 7 

 feet wide ; a porcelain manufactory ; a great manufactory of cotton 

 and linen, in which steam-engines are. employed, at Alcxandrovsk, 

 near the city ; a cannon-foundry, and powder-mills. 



The commerce of St. Petersburg is very considerable. Ship* of 

 Urge burden cannot come up to St Petersburg in consequence of a 

 bar aero** the mouth of the Neva, which ha* not more than nine feet 

 of water upon it The gros* import* into St Petersburg in 1849 were 

 valued at 71,546,996 silver rubles, or about 11,800,0001. sterling; the 

 exports amounted to 38,340,747 silver rubles, or about 6,000,0001. 

 sterling. The chief items in the export* were henjp, flax, tow, linseed, 

 tallow, hides, various hempen and flaxen manufactures, timber, leather, 

 bone*, potash, bristle*, iron, copper, furs, Ac. The imports are chiefly 

 colonial produce ; tissues of cotton, flax, silk, and wool ; dyestnfls, wine, 

 spirit*, Ac. The harbour i* at Cronstadt. [CROBBTADT.] When large 



