Description
After viewing the Nevsky Panorama, you can visit the exhibitions 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 housed in casemates of bastions and curtains, and special prison buildings were also built.
In the building of the Trubetskoy Bastion prison that has survived to this day (the Building of the Prison Department at the St. Petersburg Fortress - official name prison) there is an extensive museum exhibition dedicated to the history of imprisonment of prisoners of the “Russian Bastille”.
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 design and under the leadership of engineers K. P. Andreev and M. A. Pasypkin. The prison was created to hold political prisoners. Solitary confinement, harsh conditions of detention, 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 Trubetskoy Bastion prison under the autocracy. In the period 1870 - 1880, revolutionaries-People's Will were imprisoned in prison - Pavel Kropotkin, German Lopatin, Vera Figner, Andrei Zhelyabov and many others.
In the spring of 1887, after preventing a plot to assassinate Emperor Alexander III, members of the “Terrorist Faction” of the Narodnaya Volya party, among the organizers of which was Vladimir Lenin’s older brother Alexander Ulyanov, were imprisoned. 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 already well-known writer Maxim Gorky, 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 spent several weeks in prison; he was released thanks to a wide campaign of 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 display 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 fates are 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 the Naryshkin Bastion to the Neva Gate, passing through which you will find yourself on the Komendantskaya pier, from where a magnificent view of the Neva opens.
Initially, the Neva Gate was wooden, like all the fortifications of the fortress; in the 1720s they were rebuilt into stone ones according to the design of the architect Domenico Trezzini.
The Neva Gate acquired its current ceremonial appearance from the Neva in the second half of the 18th century. Built according to the design of the architect N. A. Lvov in 1784 - 1787 from polished Serdobol granite in the form of a classic portico with paired columns, decorated with an image of an anchor and decorative bombs with tongues of fire on the pediment, the Neva Gate has the significance of a triumphal monument in honor of the victories of the Russian fleet.
The northern façade of the gate from the fortress side is decorated with the monogram of Catherine II with the construction date “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 gate is connected to a granite pier, which in 1860 began to be 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.
Coming out onto the Neva expanse, you will again see a panorama where St. Petersburg will appear with its grand 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 towards the Palace Bridge and the Spit of Vasilyevsky Island, going around the fortress on the south side, you will come out to the Kronveksky 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 have 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 your boat tour along the Neva, canals and rivers of St. Petersburg, or if you are very tired, head to the Gorkovskaya metro station.
We hope that hiking A tour of the Peter and Paul Fortress will give you pleasure and many memories.
View from the Neva.
The Neva Gate of the Peter and Paul Fortress is the only exit from the citadel to the Neva. This exit appeared already at the first tree-earth fortress in the form of a wooden rectangular gate with an adjoining pier.
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 Gate, designed by Domenico Trezzini, was replaced with stone ones. After the second ceremonial removal of the boat, it was decided to update them. In the early 1730s, they were given the appearance that on the inside of the fortress wall has been preserved 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 design of B. Kh. Minich, the Neva Gate from the river side was designed in the form of a portico with double pilasters carrying an entablature. In 1762-1767, the architect D. Smolyaninov and engineer N. Muravyov drew up a project for 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 draw up a design for the new stone Neva Gate. In 1784-1787 this project was implemented. The Neva Gate was 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. Considering the height of the pier, Lvov raised the Neva 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 Neva Gate significance as a triumphal monument in honor of the victories of the Russian fleet.
The monogram of Catherine II and the date “1787” appeared on the northern façade, indicating the year the monument was built.
In 1840, the inscription “Neva Gate 1787” was strengthened in the frieze of the portico on the north side. In the 1860s, the Nevsky Gate pier began to be called Komendantskaya. It was from her that the commandant of the Peter and Paul Fortress sailed away on a boat to do his 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 Neva Gate there is a section showing the natural level of Zayachy 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 Neva Gate was restored. In 1998-1999, the northern façade was restored to the appearance it had in the mid-18th century.
The Peter and Paul Fortress is the first building of St. Petersburg. This is exactly how the city was founded in 1703 by Peter I. Since the territory passed 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 fortress’s cannons 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 structure was opened, the Admiralty Shipyard on Admiralty Island, which in 1706 was 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 even though it is now a museum, we should 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. There are two bridges leading to Hare Island: Ioannovsky Bridge and Kronverksky Bridge.
You can enter the territory of the island, as well as the fortress itself, via any of the bridges. Not far from the Peter and Paul Fortress there is Gorkovskaya metro station, from it to the Peter and Paul Fortress is no more than 5-10 minutes on foot.
You can also get here on foot: from Admiralty Island through Trinity Bridge. Or by Palace Bridge first to the spit of Vasilievsky Island, and from there across the Birzhevoy Bridge along the Mytninskaya Embankment to the Kronverksky Bridge, but this route is the longest. Directions and opening hours of ticket offices and exhibitions can be found on the Peter and Paul Fortress website.
Ioannovsky Bridge and Ioannovsky Ravelin
We reached the Peter and Paul Fortress the most in a simple way- Metro. The ground entrance hall of Gorkovskaya station is located in Aleksandrovsky Park, and when you go outside, it’s easy to lose your orientation 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 the historical heart of St. Petersburg, the Peter and Paul Fortress. The bridge is the oldest bridge in St. Petersburg, although nothing remains of that same 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 Gate, 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 which it was wooden. The fortress was additionally fortified on the east and west protective structures, called ravelins. The very same Ioannovsky Gate is built into the eastern ravelin or Ioannovsky. 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
There are four gates leading to the Peter and Paul Fortress, according to the number of cardinal directions and their location.
- Neva Gate. This is the southern river entrance to the fortress. It was possible to get into the fortress through the Neva Gate only by mooring to the pier. Hence the name of the gate.
- Vasilyevsky Gate from the west, this gate serves as the entrance to the fortress through the Vasilievsky curtain, which faces Vasilievsky Island, hence the name.
- Nikolsky Gate serves 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 Gate, the eastern entrance to the fortress, the most beautiful gate of the fortress
It is through the Petrovsky Gate that we enter the fortress. The wooden gate was built in 1708 and rebuilt 10 years later in stone. Peter's Gate is a monument to Peter's Boroque, designed by the architect Domenico Trezzini. In the niches on either side of the gate are statues representing “Prudence” and “Courage”. 
A lead double-headed eagle is installed above the arch. 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 Ducal Tomb and Monument to Peter I
Behind the Petrovsky Gate, the central alley to the Cathedral Square of the fortress begins, paved with paving stones. 
The central alley will lead us straight to Cathedral Square and its main Peter and Paul Cathedral. But first there are several attractions awaiting us. 
To the right of the alley, in the territory of its own garden, is the Grand Ducal 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 grand dukes and princesses, as well as for princes of imperial blood. Some of the burials in the tomb were moved from the Peter and Paul Cathedral. 
The entrance to the Grand Ducal Tomb is accessible from 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, work by Mikhail Mikhailovich Shemyakin, Russian and American artist. When creating the sculpture, the artist took inspiration from the famous “Wax Person”, a wax double of the emperor, 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 emperor’s face and used it to make a bust and an exact copy of Peter. But “Shemyakin’s Peter” owes only his face to Rastrelli’s mask, while the body, devoid of proportions, will be left to the artist’s conscience. 
Cathedral Square and Peter and Paul Cathedral
The alley leads us to Cathedral Square, which also served as a parade ground for the fortress garrison. 
Several main buildings of the fortress are located on Cathedral Square. First of all, these are the Peter and Paul Cathedral, the Mint and the Boat House. The current Gosznak Mint and the largest Mint in the World. 
The boat house was built specifically to store the boat of Peter I, where it was kept until 1931; a copy is now on display here. 
The construction of the Peter and Paul Fortress began with this cathedral. 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 its 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, exhibitions and museums in the fortress still cost money. Therefore, you will have to pay to visit the next attraction, but it will be worth it. 
What is a fortress without “dungeons”? No, of course it did not exist in the original plans; guardhouses were usually used for punishment. The prison in the Trubetskoy Bastion appeared in 1872; for the sake of its construction, the internal walls of the bastion were dismantled. So, in place of the tower, a pentagonal two-story prison building with a courtyard appeared, in the center of which there were baths. 
The prison was planned for 73 solitary cells, where the main goal was the complete isolation of the prisoner both from the outside world and from other prisoners. Over the years, populist revolutionaries served their sentences here, including Lenin’s elder brother Alexander Ilyich Ulyanov, the 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 changed radically twice, first during the February Revolution, and later as a result of the October Revolution of 1917. Thus, the population of the prison cells changed first to ministers and police chiefs, and later to the provisional government, cadets and members of the Cadet Party. The fundamental difference between the Bolshevik prison and the “tsarist” prison was the abolition of solitary confinement. 
A particularly sad page in the history of the Trubetskoy Bastion prison was the years of the Red Terror, when prisoners, including 4 Grand Dukes, were massacred on the territory of the fortress. In 2010, mass graves of victims of the Red Terror were discovered on the territory of the Fortress. 
Naryshkin Bastion and Neva Curtain
A special 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, all you need to do is climb the Naryshkin Bastion, having previously purchased a ticket at the ticket 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 just visited a prison, it was the Trubetskoy bastion, the others are the Menishikov, Golovkin and Zotov bastions. There are two more, Naryshkin and Gosudarev, between which lies the camp called the Nevskaya Curtain we will have to examine. 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 there are beautiful views of not only the Neva, but also the fortress itself. The route from the Naryshkin Bastion along the Neva Curtain to the Sovereign Bastion is called the Nevsky 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 Gate, also called the Gate of Death, was installed. 
Along the wooden flooring, accompanied by an audio guide broadcasting from horns installed on the curtain, we move towards the Sovereign Bastion. 
The Sovereign's Bastion was founded first; now a monument has been erected on the bastion in honor of the “300th anniversary of the founding of St. Petersburg.” 
And from the bastion itself it opens beautiful view to the Neva and to the Trinity Bridge. By the way, you can enter the bastion and walk along its turn, feeling like you are in a real dungeon. 
Postern of the Sovereign Bastion of the Peter and Paul Fortress
Poterna is an underground corridor communicating between the internal structures of the fort and its external fortifications. Thus, through the trench of the Sovereign's bastion one could get into the inner courtyard of the fortress, bypassing the Petrovsky Gate. 
The entrance to the postern is from the outside of the Sovereign's Bastion, from the Ioannovsky Ravelin. There is an entrance fee and the gallery itself is not very large, ending with a small art exhibition. 
This is where the sights we visited ended. Of course, we have not examined all the objects of the fortress and visited not all exhibitions and museum displays, 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 the Peter and Paul Fortress contains the charm of Kronstadt and the proximity of St. Petersburg attractions.
Neva Gate- Peter and Paul Fortress. Neva Gate of the Peter and Paul Fortress. Saint Petersburg. Neva Gate, 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 gates of the Peter and Paul Fortress in St. Petersburg, located in the Neva Curtain between the Sovereign and Naryshkin bastions. Connects the fortress with the Commandant's pier. A monument of classicism architecture. History In 1714-1716 there were... ... Wikipedia
Nevsky Gate is the gate of the Peter and Paul Fortress in St. Petersburg, located in the Neva Curtain between the Sovereign and Naryshkin bastions. Connects the fortress with the Commandant's pier. 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 internal facade retained its original appearance,... ... St. Petersburg (encyclopedia)
GATE OF DEATH- Neva Gate of the Peter and Paul Fortress, through which prisoners sentenced to death were taken to the Commandant's pier. Wed: DEATH GATE... Petersburger's Dictionary
DEATH GATE- Neva Gate of the Peter and Paul Fortress, through which prisoners condemned to death were taken out of the fortress. Wed: GATE OF DEATH ... Petersburger's Dictionary
Channel on the plan... Wikipedia
- “Neva Gate of the Peter and Paul Fortress.” Benjamin Patersen (Swedish Benjamin Patersen, 1750, Varberg 1815 ... Wikipedia
- “Neva Gate of the Peter and Paul Fortress.” Benjamin Patersen (Swedish Benjamin Patersen, 1750, Varberg 1815, St. Petersburg) is a Swedish portrait artist who worked in St. Petersburg for a significant part of his life. Benjamin Patersen was born in Swedish... Wikipedia
The architecture of St. Petersburg, especially its historical center, is one of the most outstanding architectural metropolitan complexes created in the 18th-20th centuries. On the territory of Russia, St. Petersburg became the first... ... Wikipedia
Nevsky Gate (Russia) - description, history, location. Exact address, phone number, website. Tourist reviews, photos and videos.
- Tours for the New Year in Russia
- Last minute tours in Russia
Previous photo Next photo
The Neva Gate connected the Naryshkin and Sovereign bastions of the Peter and Paul Fortress; they were built in 1716, when the walls of the citadel were still made of wood and earth. This was the only exit towards the Neva; building materials, weapons and provisions that arrived by ship were delivered through them. The inside of the gate has been preserved since it was rebuilt in stone in 1732 until today. In the 80s 18th century architect N. A. Lvov created a project that most fully met the requirements of those years: the new gate was not only beautiful, but also functional due to the powerful granite pier.
What to see
Looking at the gate from the Komendantskaya pier, you are amazed at its harmonious and austere beauty in the classicist style. The width and height of the structure is about 12 m, it is made of light gray granite. On each side there are two columns connected at the bottom by two beams, and on top decorated with a triangular pediment (the name of the gate and the year of its creation are indicated on it) and a decorated pattern depicting an anchor and two crossed palm branches entwined with ribbons.
In the arch of the Neva Gate you can see marks of rising water levels during severe floods that befell St. Petersburg in the 18th-20th centuries.
On top of the pediment there are prototypes of cannonballs with tongues of flame, symbolizing the military purpose of the fortress. Having passed under them inside and turned around, we will see a more modest composition, but in general terms it repeats the main facade. The arched shape of the entrance is framed by 4 flat pilasters and a triangular pediment with decorations in the form of the letter “E” - the monogram of Empress Catherine II, a golden crown and snow-white banners.
Practical information
Address: St. Petersburg, o. Zayachiy, Peter and Paul Fortress, 3k 4D. Coordinates: 59.949245, 30.318423.
How to get there: 10-15 minutes by car from the Moskovsky railway station, 12 minutes on foot from the Gorkovskaya metro station.
Opening hours: the fortress territory is open from 9:30 to 21:00, completely closed at 22:00. Entrance to the fortress territory is free. Excursions and visits to exhibitions are paid separately.
