Nevsky Prospect is the main street in St. Petersburg; about 4.5 km long this street extends from the Admiralty to the Monastery of St. Alexander Nevsky. The Nevsky Prospect was originally constructed, upon request by Peter the Great, as a pathway that was meant to lead to the old town of Novgorod. However, it soon became the central street packed with stunningly beautiful buildings (a total of 240 buildings in this street), squares, churches, bridges and museums. The Nevsky Prospect was named after the monastery dedicated to the national hero and Russian saint Alexander Nevsky.
If our visitors go along the Nevsky Prospect, they will see monuments that represent tourist destinations not to be missed. If visitors start from the Palace square, they will see the inevitable Winter Castle that used to be a residence of Russian emperors which is today a beautiful museum Hermitage with its incredible collection of three million art works. Going further visitors will see Stroganov palace; a beautiful palace that once belonged to the famous Stroganov family. Today, the Russian National Museum is housed here, and the never-ending interior decorations and numerous pieces of art will definitely leave their visitors dumbstruck with awe. Walking further along the Nevsky Prospect, the visitor will come across the Vorontos Palace. This beautiful building is a military school that is regrettably rarely open to the public. Still, the architecture of Vorontos Palace is truly astonishing complete with its external features. Visitors will certainly not be able to miss Kazan Cathedral, a symbol of the Russian victory over Napoleon and his troops. Famous general Kutuzov was buried in this cathedral. The entrance is free of charge so, why not go in? It is also very important to take a closer look at the cathedral of the Christ Spilled Blood, one of the most beautiful Orthodox temples in the world. The cathedral was built in the very place where tsar Alexander II was deadly wounded, and its intricate mosaics inside, mainly made in the Byzantine style, are a must see.
On Nevsky Prospect visitors will see an unusual bridge Anickov, where, upon request of Emperor Nikolay I, a group of bronze horse statues were made. The statues are the masterpiece of Peter Klodt von Jurgensburg. Soon after the inauguration, in 1841, two compositions were given to the Prussian Emperor Federico William IV. The remaining two sculptures were also passed on, in 1846, to Ferdinando II (the King of two Sicilies) during the visit of tsar Nikolay in Naples.
After these events, Klodt von Jurgensburg decided to create four new sculptures, in the very same place, creating a scene called "horses Man has tamed." The work was completed in 1851 and today these statues continue to embellish all four sides of the bridge Anickov.
The Nevsky Prospect is the main street in St. Petersburg and as such offers a large selection of shops, restaurants, cafeterias, hotels of high repute where visitors can thoroughly enjoy their stay. Here one may also find the largest and a rather upmarket shopping center (but also one of the oldest in the world), the Gostiny dvor. There are 178 stores in this shopping center that seems to offer everything visitors can possibly ever wish for.
Interesting facts
The Nevsky Prospect was an inspiration to the famous Russian writer Nikolay Gogol who described the life in this city in his work „Nevsky Prospect“.
