The English Embankment (russian: Англи́йская на́бережная; ''Angliyskaya Naberezhnaya'') or English Quay is a street along the left bank of the

Bolshaya Neva River The Great Neva or Bolshaya Neva () is the largest armlet of the river Neva. It starts near the Spit of Vasilievsky Island (easternmost tip of the island). The Great Neva is long; the width is from and the depth up to . Its tributaries are Font ...

in Central Saint Petersburg. It has been historically one of the most fashionable streets in

Saint Petersburg Saint Petersburg ( rus, links=no, Санкт-Петербург, a=Ru-Sankt Peterburg Leningrad Petrograd Piter.ogg, r=Sankt-Peterburg, p=ˈsankt pʲɪtʲɪrˈburk), formerly known as Petrograd (1914–1924) and later Leningrad (1924–1991), i ...

, and in the 19th century was called by the French term, ''Promenade des Anglais''. It was from the English Embankment that at 2 AM on October 25, 1917, the gunshot from the ''

Aurora An aurora (plural: auroras or aurorae), also commonly known as the polar lights, is a natural light display in Earth's sky, predominantly seen in high-latitude regions (around the Arctic and Antarctic). Auroras display dynamic patterns of bri ...

'' sent the signal to storm the

Winter Palace The Winter Palace ( rus, Зимний дворец, Zimnij dvorets, p=ˈzʲimnʲɪj dvɐˈrʲɛts) is a palace in Saint Petersburg that served as the official residence of the Emperor of all the Russias, Russian Emperor from 1732 to 1917. The p ...

during

Russian Revolution The Russian Revolution was a period of political and social revolution that took place in the former Russian Empire which began during the First World War. This period saw Russia abolish its monarchy and adopt a socialist form of government ...

. The English Embankment runs perpendicular to the south end of the Annunciation Bridge and spans between the Novo-Admiralteysky Canal and the Decembrists Square, where it becomes the

Admiralty Embankment The Admiralty Embankment ( (''Admiralteyskaya Naberezhnaya'')) or Admiralty Quay is a street along the Neva River in Central Saint Petersburg, named after the Admiralty Board. Between 1919 and 1944 the street was known as Roshal Embankment, name ...

History

The British Embassy and church

The English Embankment was built between 1763 and 1767. It is named after the former British Embassy and the English church that was located at No56, the building is now occupied by the Travel and Sightseeing Bureau. The English church was built in 1814 and 1815 to a design by

Giacomo Quarenghi Giacomo Quarenghi (; rus, Джа́комо Кваре́нги, Džákomo Kvaréngi, ˈdʐakəmə kvɐˈrʲenʲɡʲɪ; 20 or 21 September 1744) was an Italian architect who was the foremost and most prolific practitioner of neoclassical architectu ...

, it is preserved as architectural landmark. The interior of the English church is highlighted with marble, historic paintings, and boasts a large pipe organ - the only English organ existing in Russia. The last British Ambassador left in 1918, after the

Battleship Aurora during the revolution

Next to the Annunciation Bridge is a monument commemorating the 1917

Bolshevik Revolution The October Revolution,. officially known as the Great October Socialist Revolution. in the Soviet Union, also known as the Bolshevik Revolution, was a revolution in Russia led by the Bolshevik Party of Vladimir Lenin that was a key mome ...

. From this historic spot, at 2 AM on October 25, 1917, the gunshot from the ''

'' sent the signal to storm the

. The symbolism of the name "Aurora" was its meaning as "the dawn of a new era" in history. This historic spot has been since a traditional location for a swear-in ceremony for new members of the

Pioneers Pioneer commonly refers to a settler who migrates to previously uninhabited or sparsely inhabited land. In the United States pioneer commonly refers to an American pioneer, a person in American history who migrated west to join in settling and dev ...

and the

Komsomol The All-Union Leninist Young Communist League (russian: link=no, Всесоюзный ленинский коммунистический союз молодёжи (ВЛКСМ), ), usually known as Komsomol (; russian: Комсомол, links=n ...

organisations.

Annual appearance of the "Scarlet Sails"

Another historic tradition that started at the English Embankment in St. Petersburg has been the popular appearance of a boat with "Scarlet Sails" (). This tradition began here after the end of the

Second World War World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the World War II by country, vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great power ...

, when schools united to celebrate the ending of a school year in connection with symbolism of the popular children's book '' Scarlet Sails'' by

Alexander Grin Aleksandr Stepanovich Grinevsky (better known by his pen name, Aleksandr Green / Grin (spelling varies in non-Russian literature), rus, Александр Грин, p=ɐlʲɪˈksandr ɡrʲin, a=Ru-Aleksandr Grin.ogg, 23 August 1880 – 8 July 1932 ...

. At that time a boat with scarlet sails was sailing along the English Embankment and the Admiralty Embankment towards the

. Although it was designed to update the rusty revolutionary propaganda, the "Scarlet Sails" tradition has become a popular public event ever since, celebrating the annual ending of school year in June. The "Scarlet sails" appearance is now part of the White Nights celebration.YouTube
"Scarlet Sails" celebration in St. Petersburg
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Today

One of the most prestigious locations in St. Petersburg, the English Embankment today is mostly home to corporate offices located in former palatial houses of imperial Russian nobility and pre-revolutionary foreign embassies. It is a very popular sightseeing destination among tourists because of the view of the Neva and palaces across the river. The

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 Menshikov ...

and the Academy of Arts building on the

Vasilevsky Island Vasilyevsky Island (russian: Васи́льевский о́стров, Vasilyevsky Ostrov, V.O.) is an island in St. Petersburg, Russia, bordered by the Bolshaya Neva and Malaya Neva Rivers (in the delta of the Neva River) in the south a ...

across the river. Many boat tours start at the embankment, taking tourists on a journey about canals and bridges of St. Petersburg. The

Constitutional Court of Russia A constitution is the aggregate of fundamental principles or established precedents that constitute the legal basis of a polity, organisation or other type of entity and commonly determine how that entity is to be governed. When these princ ...

is scheduled to move to the former Senate and Synod buildings at the Decembrists Square and English Embankment in St. Petersburg by 2008. The move will partially restore Saint Petersburg's historic status, making the city the second judicial capital.

References

External links

{{Authority control Streets in Saint Petersburg Cultural heritage monuments of federal significance in Saint Petersburg