Vasilyevsky Island (russian: Васи́льевский о́стров, Vasilyevsky Ostrov, V.O.) is an island in
St. Petersburg,
Russia
Russia (, , ), or the Russian Federation, is a transcontinental country spanning Eastern Europe and Northern Asia. It is the largest country in the world, with its internationally recognised territory covering , and encompassing one-ei ...
, bordered by the
Bolshaya Neva and
Malaya Neva River
The Little Neva or Malaya Neva (russian: Ма́лая Нева́) is the second largest distributary of the river Neva. The Neva splits into Great Neva (the southern armlet) and Little Neva (the northern armlet) near the Spit of Vasilievsky I ...
s (in the delta of the
Neva River) in the south and northeast, and by
Neva Bay
The Neva Bay (Russian: Не́вская губа́, ''Névskaya Gubá''), also known as the Gulf of Kronstadt, is the easternmost part of the Gulf of Finland between Kotlin Island and the Neva River estuary where Saint Petersburg city centre i ...
of the
Gulf of Finland in the west. Vasilyevsky Island is separated from
Dekabristov Island by the
Smolenka River. Together they form the territory of
Vasileostrovsky District, an
administrative division of Saint Petersburg.
Situated just across the river from the
Winter Palace, it constitutes a large portion of the city's historic center. Two of the most famous
St. Petersburg bridges,
Palace Bridge and
Blagoveshchensky Bridge, connect it with the mainland to the south. The
Exchange Bridge and
Tuchkov Bridge across the Malaya Neva connect it with
Petrogradsky Island. Vasilyevsky Island is served by
Vasileostrovskaya
Vasileostrovkaya ''(russian: Василеостро́вская)'' - is a station on the Nevsko–Vasileostrovskaya Line in St Petersburg.
It is named after Vasilyevsky Island
Vasilyevsky Island (russian: Васи́льевский о́ст� ...
and
Primorskaya stations of
Saint Petersburg Metro (
Line 3 ). There are plans to build new Metro stations on Vasilyevsky Island by extending
Line 4 (the Orange Line) to the Island. In addition, the island is serviced by bus routes and
tramway lines.
History
Originally, planners wanted Vasilyevsky Island to have canals in lieu of streets (similar to Venice). However, this plan never came to fruition and today the island has streets.
Etymology
Speakers of Russian understand the name of the island as a possessive adjective made of the Russian masculine personal name Vasily (Basil), or possibly of the family name Vasilyev (derived from "Vasily").
There are various versions of who the original Vasily was, though these may be a product of
false etymology
A false etymology (fake etymology, popular etymology, etymythology, pseudo-etymology, or par(a)etymology) is a popular but false belief about the origin or derivation of a specific word. It is sometimes called a folk etymology, but this is also a ...
, as the Russian name of the island may in fact be a corruption of its previous Swedish or Finnish name, because the island had been shown under them on Swedish maps before its present Russian history began after the
Great Northern War
The Great Northern War (1700–1721) was a conflict in which a coalition led by the Tsardom of Russia successfully contested the supremacy of the Swedish Empire in Northern, Central and Eastern Europe. The initial leaders of the anti-Swe ...
.
First Russian record of the island, and under virtually its modern name, is found in a registry book of 1500 land survey (''Pistsovaya kniga'') of
Votes'
Pyatina
Pyatina (russian: пятина) was a first-level unit of administrative division of Novgorod Land. The name ''pyatina'' originates from the word russian: пять, which means "five". Novgorod Land was subdivided into five pyatinas. The division ...
(
Vodskaya Pyatina) of
Novgorod Republic.
It makes less probable another, a later one, Vassily-related etymology dating back to the 18th century. It is connected, like many other city legends, with the person of the founder of the present-day city,
Peter the Great. One of his foremost gunner officers and military engineers, some
Vassily Korchmin
Vasili, Vasily, Vasilii or Vasiliy (Russian language, Russian: wikt:Василий, Василий) is a Russian masculine given name of Greek language, Greek origin and corresponds to ''Basil (name)#Given name, Basil''. It may refer to:
*Vasili ...
, had his
artillery battery to ward off the Swedish navy at the spit of the island and got the tsar's letters addressed "To Vassily in the Island", thus making it another possible cause of the island's name. The man was commemorated by a lively statue in a pedestrian street on the island (see photo).
Finnish etymology may lead to a corrupted compound word
Vasikkasaari, Calf Island. Another known Finnish name of the island was Hirvisaari - Elk (
Moose
The moose (in North America) or elk (in Eurasia) (''Alces alces'') is a member of the New World deer subfamily and is the only species in the genus ''Alces''. It is the largest and heaviest extant species in the deer family. Most adult ma ...
) Island.
Topography
Geographically, the island consists of two main parts. The south and east of the island are old, with buildings mostly from the 19th century. The southern embankment (with its
western part named after
St Petersburg University
Saint Petersburg State University (SPBU; russian: Санкт-Петербургский государственный университет) is a public research university in Saint Petersburg, Russia. Founded in 1724 by a decree of Peter the G ...
located there) has some of the oldest buildings in the city dated from 18th century. That part of the island is notable for its
rectangular grid of streets (originally intended to be canals, like in
Amsterdam
Amsterdam ( , , , lit. ''The Dam on the River Amstel'') is the capital and most populous city of the Netherlands, with The Hague being the seat of government. It has a population of 907,976 within the city proper, 1,558,755 in the urban ar ...
), with three lengthwise thoroughfares called ''prospekts'' – ''Bolshoi'' (''Big''), ''Sredniy ''(''Middle'') and ''Maly'' (''Small'') – going roughly from east to west, and with about 30 crosswise
''Linii'' (Lines) forming about 15 peculiarly numbered streets going perpendicularly from south to north. The island boasts the city's narrowest street named after the artist
Ilya Repin.
Landmarks
The easternmost tip of the island, called ''Strelka'' (
spit, literally ''Arrow''), features a number of museums, including the
Old Saint Petersburg Stock Exchange (''Bourse'') as well as two
Rostral columns, and is a popular tourist attraction. The edifices lining the
Universitetskaya Embankment
Universitetskaya Embankment (russian: Университетская набережная) is a 1.2 km long embankment on the right bank of the Bolshaya Neva, on Vasilievsky Island in Saint Petersburg, Russia. Starting at the Spit of V ...
along the Bolshaya Neva include the
Kunstkamera,
Twelve Collegia,
Menshikov Palace
The Menshikov Palace (russian: Меншиковский дворец) is a Petrine Baroque edifice in Saint Petersburg, situated on Universitetskaya Embankment of the Bolshaya Neva on Vasilyevsky Island.It is not to be confused with the Menshi ...
,
Imperial Academy of Sciences, and
St. Andrew's Cathedral – all dating from the 18th century. In the island center there is a considerable
Museum of electrical transport organised by transport history enthusiasts. It is based at the oldest
Vasileostrovsky tram depot
Vasileostrovsky tram depot is the oldest tram depot in Saint Petersburg. It was built in 1906 - 1908 by Westinghouse Electric. Vasileostrovsky trampark is a shrine for citizens, because it is associated with the unprecedented feat of Leningrad dur ...
. Another recent notable attraction was an animated floating anchored illuminated
musical fountain located just off the Spit.
In contrast with the
Neva embankments in the historical center, the western part of the island was developed much later, in the late Soviet times, and has mostly typical Soviet apartment blocks. A monument to Vasily, the legendary
Peter I Peter I may refer to:
Religious hierarchs
* Saint Peter (c. 1 AD – c. 64–88 AD), a.k.a. Simon Peter, Simeon, or Simon, apostle of Jesus
* Pope Peter I of Alexandria (died 311), revered as a saint
* Peter I of Armenia (died 1058), Catholicos ...
's local gunners' battery commander after whom the island may have been named, was opened in 2003.
The principal buildings of
Saint Petersburg State University are located on the island and include the
Twelve Collegia by
Domenico Tresini
Domenico Trezzini (Russian language, Russian Андрей Якимович Трезин, ''Andrey Yakimovich Trezin''; c. 1670 – 1734) was a Swiss people, Swiss architect who elaborated the Petrine Baroque style of Russian architecture.
D ...
(1722–44) and the former palace of
Peter II of Russia.
Economics, science and culture
In recent centuries Vasilyevsky Island has provided a home both to academic life and to various industries.
Science and education
The island's learning facilities have included the
Imperial Academy of Sciences with its copious
library
A library is a collection of materials, books or media that are accessible for use and not just for display purposes. A library provides physical (hard copies) or digital access (soft copies) materials, and may be a physical location or a vi ...
,
Saint Petersburg State University (including thei
Russian Language and Culture Institute, the 1st Army
Cadet Corps (later the Military Academy of Supplies and Logistics) and the
Naval Cadet Corps, and (among newer bodies) the
Civil Service Academy (now termed the North-West Institute of the
Russian Presidential Academy of National Economy and Public Administration). Many of these entities occupy historically significant buildings (for example the
Saint Petersburg Mining Institute
Saint Petersburg Mining University (russian: Санкт-Петербургский горный университет), is Russia's oldest technical university, and one of the oldest technical colleges in Europe. It was founded on October 21, ...
).
The
Russian Academy of Sciences
The Russian Academy of Sciences (RAS; russian: Росси́йская акаде́мия нау́к (РАН) ''Rossíyskaya akadémiya naúk'') consists of the national academy of Russia; a network of scientific research institutes from across t ...
with its branches has always had many of its research institutions in its cradle - on the island. They include the institutes of:
soil
Soil, also commonly referred to as earth or dirt, is a mixture of organic matter, minerals, gases, liquids, and organisms that together support life. Some scientific definitions distinguish ''dirt'' from ''soil'' by restricting the former ...
s study,
zoology
Zoology ()The pronunciation of zoology as is usually regarded as nonstandard, though it is not uncommon. is the branch of biology that studies the animal kingdom, including the structure, embryology, evolution, classification, habits, an ...
,
optics
Optics is the branch of physics that studies the behaviour and properties of light, including its interactions with matter and the construction of instruments that use or detect it. Optics usually describes the behaviour of visible, ultrav ...
, aerial photography,
Precambrian
The Precambrian (or Pre-Cambrian, sometimes abbreviated pꞒ, or Cryptozoic) is the earliest part of Earth's history, set before the current Phanerozoic Eon. The Precambrian is so named because it preceded the Cambrian, the first period of th ...
and general
geology
Geology () is a branch of natural science concerned with Earth and other Astronomical object, astronomical objects, the features or rock (geology), rocks of which it is composed, and the processes by which they change over time. Modern geology ...
,
polymer
A polymer (; Greek '' poly-'', "many" + '' -mer'', "part")
is a substance or material consisting of very large molecules called macromolecules, composed of many repeating subunits. Due to their broad spectrum of properties, both synthetic a ...
s, world
ethnography
Ethnography (from Greek ''ethnos'' "folk, people, nation" and ''grapho'' "I write") is a branch of anthropology and the systematic study of individual cultures. Ethnography explores cultural phenomena from the point of view of the subject ...
and
anthropology
Anthropology is the scientific study of humanity, concerned with human behavior, human biology, cultures, societies, and linguistics, in both the present and past, including past human species. Social anthropology studies patterns of be ...
,
physiology
Physiology (; ) is the scientific study of functions and mechanisms in a living system. As a sub-discipline of biology, physiology focuses on how organisms, organ systems, individual organs, cells, and biomolecules carry out the chemic ...
, chemistry of silicate and fireproof compounds. Possibly best-known of the institutes, the Institute of Russian Literature (known as
Pushkin House) holds manuscripts and archives of Russian prominent writers of the past and of the present.
A number of institutions maintain
museums, some of them open to the general public. Several require neither obligatory pre-booking nor pre-arranging groups-only visits (like
Kunstkamera and the
Zoological Museum of the Zoological Institute of the Russian Academy of Sciences). Others require pre-organised visits, like the Literary Museum at
Pushkin House or the Soils Study Museum
of the
Russian Academy of Agricultural Sciences.
Industries
The island, like many other areas located around the city centre, has had a number of well-developed industries and factories, ranging from shipbuilding to making pianos and to industrial bread baking.
Now, in a supposedly
post-industrial era, a number of buildings of former factories have been converted to other usages, like the former
Jacob Becker's Piano Factory
Jacob (; ; ar, يَعْقُوب, Yaʿqūb; gr, Ἰακώβ, Iakṓb), later given the name Israel, is regarded as a patriarch of the Israelites and is an important figure in Abrahamic religions, such as Judaism, Christianity, and Isla ...
.
Energy supply to many industrial facilities and housing in the island is provided by a
cogeneration
Cogeneration or combined heat and power (CHP) is the use of a heat engine or power station to generate electricity and useful heat at the same time.
Cogeneration is a more efficient use of fuel or heat, because otherwise- wasted heat from elec ...
thermal power station.
One of three biggest Saint Petersburg shipyards is Baltiysky Zavod (''Балтийский завод'' - Rus. for
Baltic Shipyard
The OJSC Baltic Shipyard (''Baltiysky Zavod'', formerly Shipyard 189 named after Grigoriy Ordzhonikidze) (russian: Балтийский завод имени С. Орджоникидзе) is one of the oldest shipyards in Russia and is part of ...
). Having had in recent years some financial difficulties, now it is recovering. There are private developers' plans to relocate the factory to
Kronshtadt
Kronstadt (russian: Кроншта́дт, Kronshtadt ), also spelled Kronshtadt, Cronstadt or Kronštádt (from german: link=no, Krone for "crown" and ''Stadt'' for "city") is a Russian port city in Kronshtadtsky District of the federal city o ...
to make way for housing development schemes.
Another redevelopment spot is claimed to change part or all of the site of former Steel-rolling Plant (Staleprokatniy zavod - Rus. ''Сталепрокатный завод''), presently known as Saint Petersburg Precision Alloys Foundry (Peterburgskiy zavod pretsezionnykh splavov).
Until recently, all of
Saint Petersburg Metro escalator
An escalator is a moving staircase which carries people between floors of a building or structure. It consists of a motor-driven chain of individually linked steps on a track which cycle on a pair of tracks which keep the step tread horizo ...
s as well as those for all the underground railroad systems of the former Soviet Union were made since the 1950s at a local facility called Zavod "Eskalator", now known as LATRES (Rus. abbr. ЛАТРЭС). Now they produce moving staircases for shopping malls around Russia as well.
A major producer of electric power and signal cables is
Sevkabel
Sevkabel, based in St.Petersburg, Russia, is a cable manufacturing company.
History
Sevkabel was founded in 1879 by the St.Petersburg subsidiary of the German company Siemens & Halske. Following the Russian Revolution in 1917, the company was ...
(Rus. for North(ern) Cable (Factory)). Traditionally a branch of metal-processing, this industry now also includes production of
optic fibre
An optical fiber, or optical fibre in Commonwealth English, is a flexible, transparent fiber made by drawing glass (silica) or plastic to a diameter slightly thicker than that of a human hair. Optical fibers are used most often as a means t ...
.
Marine and consumer electronics have been designed produced at a number facilities in the island (see e.g
Russian Institute for Power Radioengineering:, one of them being a nationalized
Siemens & Halske plant that was known in the Soviet times as (Nikolay) Kozitsky Plant making ''Raduga'' (Rus. for rainbow) colour television sets. Now it is a Raduga group company.
Like every other district of Saint Petersburg in the Soviet times, the island has had its own industrial bakery (Rus. ''khlebozavod хлебозавод'') - Vasileostrovskiy khlebozavod, now a subsidiary of
Fazer Group.
Churches
The
Lutheran Church of Saint Michael was built on the island in 1874–1876.
In popular culture
Literature
* ''
A Lonely Cottage on the Vasilyevsky Island
A, or a, is the first Letter (alphabet), letter and the first vowel of the Latin alphabet, Latin alphabet, used in the English alphabet, modern English alphabet, the alphabets of other western European languages and others worldwide. Its name ...
'', by
Alexander Pushkin
Alexander Sergeyevich Pushkin (; rus, links=no, Александр Сергеевич ПушкинIn pre-Revolutionary script, his name was written ., r=Aleksandr Sergeyevich Pushkin, p=ɐlʲɪkˈsandr sʲɪrˈɡʲe(j)ɪvʲɪtɕ ˈpuʂkʲɪn, ...
* is a poem by
Letitia Elizabeth Landon about an annual mourning feast held at the Smolensko Church on the graves of the deceased. This illustrates a painting by
Alfred Gomersal Vickers
Alfred Gomersal Vickers (1810–1837) was an English painter of seascapes and landscapes.
Life
He was born at Lambeth on 21 April 1810, the son of Alfred Vickers (1786–1868), a landscape-painter, who taught him. He was influenced by the watercol ...
, engraved by E. Smith, in Fisher's Drawing Room Scrap Book, 1837.
[ ]
Image gallery
References
External links
*
Spit of Vasilyevsky Island WebCam
{{Authority control
Islands of Saint Petersburg
River islands of Russia