The Kryukov canal Embankment

The Kryukov Canal Embankment is extended from the Admiralty Canal to the Fontanka River in Admiralteysky District of St. Petersburg.

The history of the Kryukov Canal construction is divided in two stages.

In 1719-1720 under the direction of Semyon Kryukov, senior contractor of construction works (well-known to Peter the Great) the memory of which is preserved in the name of the canal up to now; and the canal was cut to connect the Neva River and the Moyka River.

In 1769 the Commission on masonry development of Saint Petersburg considered a draft plan of the city planning between the Moyka River and the Fontanka River and decided to continue the Kryukov Canal up to the Fontanka River in a straight line.

Works on the construction of "cross canal to the connection of the Fontanka River with the Moyka River", according to the drawings developed and approved in 1780, began in the spring of 1782 and ended in 1787. The continuation of the canal originally was named the Nikolsky Canal, but later the whole canal from the Admiralty Canal up to the Fontanka River became known as the Kryukov Canal.

In 1847, during the construction of Blagoveschensky Bridge, part of the canal from the Neva River to New Holland Island was entered into the pipe which is associated with many myths and legends.

During their existence, the embankments of the Kryukov Canal were subject to reconstruction and major repair due to Ploschad Truda Square redevelopment, with the extension of Mariinsky Theatre building towards the canal and for other reasons.

The author of the project of the Kryukov Canal Embankment is unknown, but an excellent architectural design with descents to the water and metal mooring rings embedded in granite masonry corresponds to the style of other St. Petersburg embankments.

Along the entire length the embankments of the Kryukov Canal on both sides are reinforced by retaining wall of stone masonry lined with granite slabs. The wall foundation – piles, on wooden and partially concrete grillage. The sidewalk are paved with granite slabs. Railings – granite bollards with metal filling. From the Admiralty Canal to the Moyka River – by the type of the Moyka River, from the Moyka River to the Fontanka River – by the type of the Criboyedov Canal.

Today the Kryukov Canal divides the two stages of Mariinsky Theatre, the buildings are connected by a glass passage which towers above the water.

Many buildings located on the embankments of the Kryukov Canal are connected to the cultural life of St. Petersburg. Thus, building No.11 was one of the centres of literary activity of the City. At this place Alexander Pushkin first red the poem "Ruslan and Ludmila" for which he received a portrait from V.A. Zhukovsky with the inscription "Pupil-winner from the loser teacher".