Fontanka - the border of the ceremonial Petersburg

What can you expect?

The journey begins at the Palace Embankment, at the Laundry Bridge, one of the first stone bridges in St. Petersburg. There were palace laundries nearby - hence its unusual name.

Then a leisurely stroll through the Summer Garden awaits you. In the Petrine era, it was decorated with many fountains - they were destroyed by a powerful flood in 1777, and at the same time the aqueduct through which water was supplied was damaged. And there was an aqueduct on the site of the current Panteleimonovsky bridge, to which you now went, having passed through the Summer Garden.

On the left is the Panteleimon Church, one of the oldest Orthodox churches in St. Petersburg, which gave its name to the bridge. And this bridge was also called the Chain Bridge - after all, this is exactly what it was from 1824 to 1905, until it was rebuilt ... just in case. What if it also collapses, as the Egyptian bridge of a similar design collapsed in 1905?

An inconspicuous house on the left bank of the Fontanka was also called the building "at the Chain Bridge". Inconspicuous, but ominous, because the Third Section of His Imperial Majesty's Chancellery, the body of the political investigation of the Russian Empire, was located here.

And your path lies along the right bank of the Fontanka, past the majestic Mikhailovsky (Engineering) castle. After crossing the Moika River flowing from the Fontanka along the First Engineering Bridge, do not forget to throw a coin for luck to Chizhik-Pyzhik ... And here is another Engineering Bridge - Second. It is interesting in that it does not connect any shores, passing over a piece of land. Once there was one of the canals that surrounded the castle of Paul the First.

Ahead is the Ciniselli Circus, the first stone circus building in our country, one of the most beautiful in Europe, and on the left is the Belinsky Bridge, the former Simeonovsky Bridge, one of the seven twin bridges of J.R. Perrone and one of the five that have not preserved their turrets. Cross to the left bank, take a look at the old church of Simeon and Anna, which gave the name to the bridge.

Having reached the Sheremetyevsky Palace, also known as the Fountain House, look into the courtyard, to the left, and pay attention to the gate with the coat of arms of the Sheremetev family. Two lions are holding a shield, and under it is the motto: Deus conservat omnia (God preserves everything). Anna Akhmatova, who lived here, in the wing of the Fountain House, took these words as an epigraph to her Poem Without a Hero.

The building of the Catherine Institute for Noble Maidens was built at the beginning of the 19th century according to the design of Giacomo Quarenghi. Today it is one of the buildings of the Russian National Library. Opposite, across the Fontanka, is the light and graceful palace of the Naryshkins-Shuvalovs in the neo-Renaissance style. Today it houses the Faberge Museum.

The Anichkov Bridge with the famous sculptural groups - the horses of Peter Klodt - needs no special introduction. It's hard to believe, but once it was typical, with the same turrets.

To the right and to the left of the bridge are two magnificent palaces, red and white: the Beloselsky-Belozersky palace and the Anichkov palace. The name of this palace and bridge comes from the surname of Lieutenant Colonel-Engineer Mikhail AnIchkov, whose battalion was located in these places during the time of Peter I and built the first bridge across the Fontanka along the axis of the Nevskaya prospect.

Pay attention to the building of the Mayakovsky Library. In the first half of the 18th century, when the border of St. Petersburg passed along the Fontanka, the country estates of noble townspeople were located on the left bank. The existing building in the neo-Russian style appeared in the middle of the 19th century - it was occupied by the courtyard of the Trinity-Sergius Lavra.

The grandiose arches of the Tolstoy House - an example of the Northern Art Nouveau style by the famous Fyodor Lidval - will lead you into the courtyards, a whole huge city of courtyards, between Fontanka and Rubinstein Street. Local residents - wealthy owners of luxury apartments - are not very happy about excursions, but they have nothing against single tourists.

And now, finally, in front of you is the Lomonosov Bridge (formerly Chernyshev), which has retained its architectural appearance (and turrets!) Since 1787. There are only two such bridges left on the Fontanka: Lomonosov and Staro-Kalinkin. But you will not get to the last one today - it is far away, almost at the very mouth of the river. You will cross the Fontanka and find yourself on Lomonosov Square (Chernysheva), whose classical architectural ensemble was created in the 1830s by the great architect Karl Rossi.

Your route along the banks of the Fontanka River ends here.