THE BIRTH OF SAINT-PETERSBURG

For many of us St. Petersburg begins with the May 16, 1703 - the date, well-known from school textbooks. Long before Peter I the future of the territory of St. Petersburg was just littered with Russian villages and hamlets.

On mossy, firebox shores

Blackened huts here and there.

Where now begins Foundry Avenue, was the village Frolovschina; and at the origins of the Fontanka, near the Summer Garden, - d Kanduya. In place of the Smolny Spasskoe village situated on the bank Ohta - twelve villages.

Villages and hamlets, villages and towns - Chuchelovo, Minin, dearie, Brodkino, and not to enumerate all . . . There were, of course, in these areas and Finnish settlements, but the composition of the population in the main it was a Russian territory. Has long been the land inhabited by tribes Izhora, Vod and Korella, on behalf of these peoples and the occupancy of the area called Izhora, Vodskaya and Korelsky lands. Together they formed the so-called "Vodskaya Pyatin", which was part of the province of Novgorod.

Starting a war with Sweden, Peter I primarily wanted to return to Russia land of "fathers and grandfathers," alienated during the unrest in the Muscovite state and reassigned to the Swedes Stolbovo in 1617. Therefore, when the detachment of the FM Apraksin sent in 1702 against the Swedes, followed by the terrible devastation of villages on the banks of the Neva, Tsar Peter was a "not exceedingly pleasant. " Above all, the king was not satisfied yet because the instructions were forbidden Izhorskie ravage the land. FM Apraksin, expecting the highest praise, was forced to defend: the ruin of the villages had to say, go to the enemy hemmed in the delivery of food supplies. But the king still remained dissatisfied, because it was "razvoevana country", which Peter I is Russian.

In the autumn of 1702 Russian personnel stormed the Swedish fortress Noteburg - the ancient city of Novgorod, Nut, Peter I was delighted that the mined "the key to the sea," and wrote about this victory: "It is true that this was exceedingly tough nut, the same, Thank God, happily gnawed. King′s own hand nailed castle key over the gate and announced that henceforth the city will be called "Schlisselburg" ( "key-city") - the key to the Neva. Emperor granted AD Menshikov Shlisselburgsky, Korelsky and ingermanland governor, but the land still had to win that title was not hollow. Neva was then in the hands of the Swedes, but the name proved prophetic: gradual path to the sea has been extracted, and the river throughout was owned by Russia.

However, the nature of these places was sparse and inhospitable: the barren soil, swamps and bogs everywhere, all around a dense forest, settlements were rare.

Photo — «The Birth Of Saint-petersburg»

But accompanied by the approximate Peter I went to see the shores of the Neva, to select a location for future capital. He chose the island Ieni-Saari (Hare), which was located in that place Big Neva, where it divides into the Neva River and Nevka. In the spring, when the blooms and the sparse nature of the north, birch groves Hare Island is also dressed in bright green outfit and announced the triumphant singing of the birds, and among the young grass zapestreli first flowers. Peter I named this island Lyust-Eiland (Merry), and it laid the Peter and Paul Fortress, which established St. Petersburg.

Although it is believed that the Russian tsar named city being erected in his honor, "but in fact it was not quite so. The city was not named in honor of Tsar Peter the Great, and in honor of St. Peter - "Angel Petrov. SP Zavarihin, author of a book about the city of Peter I, in general, believes that the May 16 - the day the base of the fortress - is not the day the city′s founding as a fortress and the city - this is not the same thing. So far there are no documents that together with the implicit and the erection of a fortress city, the more capital. But we know that the idea to build in the mouth of the Neva River city first made Admiral F. Golovin. True, he was referring to the erection of a small town for the separation of Finland and Livonia (Latvia and Estonia), as well as for storage of military supplies. So what about the city we do not at first was as urgently needed to build a port and fortress, and the role of the city with the fortress played Nienschanz - Shlotburg.

However, they say it this way: when the place tab fortress, Peter I cut two turf and laid it crosswise, saying: "Here is the city. Then he began to dig a trench, which was to surround the castle. Popular legend adds that at this time appeared in the sky and an eagle was soaring over the king. In the ditch dropped a stone box, the clergy, he sprinkled it with holy water, and the emperor put him in a golden reliquary with a particle of the relics of St. Andrew. Then he covered the box with stone slab on which was written when there was a foundation of St. Petersburg. Meanwhile, someone from the royal entourage caught the eagle, and the king saw that this was a good omen.

First, over the construction of fortresses employed Swedes prisoners, soldiers and local residents, then began to send workers here from all over Russia. The work was very hard: I had to chop wood, fill in the swamp, purify the land of brushwood and shrubs, build houses, dig canals. Worked in all weathers, often under fire of the enemy. It was carried out with such zeal that by June 22, 1703 Guard and the Division of Prince NI Repnin moved to novozalozhennuyu fortress. June 28, the day before the Saints Peter and Paul Fortress was considered in some sense complete, and from that time on the letters of Peter the Great there is a note: "Iz Sanktpeterburha" or "Iz San Peterburha, but earlier he would write" Iz Shlotburha " ; (or "Shlyuterburga").

Photo — «The Birth Of Saint-petersburg»

However, the new fortress, which was to serve as a reference point for Russian troops and guard the mouth of the Neva, the cases were still a lot. To supply the garrison with water all along the island (east to west) was dug channel, now defunct. On his side were 4 rows of wooden houses, where the soldiers lived, built houses for the commandant and the Major, armory, arsenal and Provision warehouses. The first fortifications were composed of earthworks and bastions, named names of those persons who supervise their erection. To the north of the fortress, from Finland, was built kronverk10 - strengthening support, built to guard the fortress in the most dangerous place, where the enemy could closest to her approach. On the opposite side was built a half moon, the sovereign′s bastion hoisted the flag, which replaced the solemn days of a banner - a yellow flag with the Russian eagle.

To the king could observe the work for him near the fortress built a small house, which from a distance could be taken for brick, as it was in the Dutch style of painted wood with red paint with white stripes. Internal structure of "the house of Peter" was very simple. It consisted of two rooms separated by a tight passageway and a kitchen. His decoration was a bleached linen wallpaper painted bouquets in da door frames and stavnyah. 11 in a room that once served the king of bedroom, now arranged chapel: it is the icon of the Savior, who accompanied the Tsar Peter the many battles in including in the Battle of Poltava. In "Peter′s house" so far are still some things that time: skiff with the remnants of sails made by Peter I; bench, which during the life of the king stood at the gate house, a wooden chair with leather cushion . . .

Originally the city was built without any plan, wooden houses were built haphazardly, were low and no houses, with an entrance directly from the street. If you drove down the street crew, then because of the fragility of the soil and glass tableware in the homes rang. Under Peter I did not have the names of streets, houses were unmarked, so that the newcomers were hard to find their friends.

A fire in 1710 destroyed a large market, as in the narrow passages between the houses was impossible to penetrate. Raging flames quickly turned the market into one big fire, and only an hour away nothing left. The fire has also shown that the streets should be located correctly, and build houses at a distance from each other.

St. Petersburg was built up slowly, because until the end of the Great Northern War, no one could be sure of the final possession of the area. And few were willing to go to a new city - in the desert, abundant "only swamps and tears. In 1705 in St. Petersburg there were only 3000 inhabitants, not counting, of course, soldiers.

Photo — «The Birth Of Saint-petersburg»

To populate his "paradise" Peter, I even had to resort to coercive measures. Since the early years foundation of a number of decrees from the inside Russia were exiled to live in St. Petersburg, "people of all classes, crafts and arts, not the poor, small families or malomochnyh, as such, which would have had at his bidding, industries or factories which free" . All persons should have been built for him in the house and live in them without a break. However, the harsh living conditions forced many to flee, and often couriers couriers caught the first inhabitants of St. Petersburg.

After the victory at Poltava population of St. Petersburg went a bit faster. A few years on both banks of the Neva appeared rows of stone 1-2-storey buildings with tile roofs in the Dutch style. Between them were straight and wide streets, paved with stones. On Nevsky Prospect were planted 3-4 rows of trees, and the Swedes captured the shallows and cleaned Prospect each week.

Gradually, after the St. Petersburg side gradually began to be built and Vasilievsky ostrov. 12 Peter I ordered all the spiritual and the secular owners of villages and nobles to build houses for themselves here, and they had to build over three years, in order not to lose the estate. Land and buildings under the forest distributed free, but should build a house of stone. Some "are named" people of the imperial decree had to build two or even three homes, but soon all will not live! So it turns out that the buildings were standing outside completely plastered and painted, and inside were empty - without any decoration. Only poor people can build for themselves wooden houses, but only in the alleys and on the outlying streets.

Peter I wanted to make Vasilevsky island center of a new capital: his project, all 11 lines had to be cut by channels to the court came to him directly to the market and shops. Thus, Russia was supposed to represent a cross between Amsterdam and Venice. Channels thought to guard the emperor and the city from flooding, and construction works commissioned AD Menshikov. However, the lack of understanding or negligence "His Serene Highness Prince ′channels have already received the Amsterdam than Peter I was very angry. The king was about to start work again, but it is worth consuming: it was necessary to demolish the house and has already lined up again to break through the channels. Therefore, this plan proved to be unfulfilled, and the channels and then fell asleep.

In 1712 the entire royal family moved from Moscow to St. Petersburg. By this time, despite the limitations of the populated area and dispersion of the city on some islands, he had already had the look of the capital. With indefatigable energy of Peter I by this time in St.

Photo — «The Birth Of Saint-petersburg»

Petersburg was laid to 10 streets and suburb built in 1000 houses. The most lively place for the new capital was Trinity Square, on which stood Mazankov building, where Peter I moved from the fortress of the Senate. The area was a place and a variety of festivals: there was a triumphal pyramid, from which in the days of festivities until the pier set the stage and the fiery "fun" with banners. At Trinity Square celebrated the anniversary of the Battle of Poltava, where the king was in the same dress as at Poltava: a simple green coat and leather sword belt, on your feet - green stockings, and old worn-out shoes in their hands - a bullet in the battle hat . . .

One of the grandest of celebrations took place July 13, 1710 on the occasion of the capture of Vyborg. By Neve sailed burning bowls, the sky above the castle were heated by thousands of lights, the whole city was illuminated by lanterns, as well as in the window of almost every house burning candles. With ships and the bastions of the fortress cannons thundered. Justus-Yul, the Danish envoy in Russia, wrote on this subject: "The capture of the fortress was shot less powder than in commemoration of joy on the occasion of these victories. "

The first architect of St. Petersburg was Domenico Trezzini. This Swiss-Italian origin - a very hard-working, tough and rational thinking - was a real boon for Peter and I did a lot for the Russian Tsar. D. Trezzini successfully fulfilled all tasks of the emperor, beginning with the first - the construction of the fort Kronshlot - and to a lot of work to restructure the original fortress.

When in 1712 St. Petersburg was declared the capital, of course, the question arose about the main cathedral of the city. Work on the erection of the stone cathedral on the site of a wooden Peter and Paul again instructed the DA Trezzini, and ordered to begin immediately. Carrying out the royal will, the architect first began to construct the tower, but it soon became clear that the smaller forms did not correspond Neva spaces, and the project had to be changed. Visited the construction site H. Weber, Hanoverian resident in St. Petersburg, said: "Judging by the model that I saw, it will be something beautiful, like something in Russia has yet to be found. The tower is ready to rafters, it is unusual height and good masonry with four rows set at each other pilasters, good proportions and high arches.

After the death of Peter I allowed everyone to live where he wants, and many great men hurried to leave the city. Elizabeth almost all the time she lived in Moscow and St. Petersburg before the desolated that even many of its streets overgrown with grass, and many houses collapsed. From time to time to take enforcement measures to replenish the population of the capital, but all in vain.

Photo — «The Birth Of Saint-petersburg»

In 1729 it was ordered to return to live in Petersburg all departures from the merchants, craftsmen and coachmen with their families; for failure to decree threatened confiscation of property and even penal servitude. Elizabeth, to inhabit Petersburg, exiled to the city of residence are not mindful of kinship, or simply vagrants. Thus, in the city formed a gang of robbers, who through their actions terrified by simple townsfolk. The robbers were so impudent that in 1740, even killed a guard in the fortress and stole public money.

Why do Russian people did not want to settle in the new capital? Perhaps partly because, selected by Peter I the area was very convenient for the commercial port for the capital also seemed to extremely unfavorable. Almost since the inception of the city began to take shape the legend of St. Petersburg as a ghost city, its "unrealistic" and unrelated to the history of the country. In 1845, in the article "St. Petersburg and Moscow" VG He wrote: "On St. Petersburg used to think as a city built not even in the swamp, and almost in the air. Many people jokingly claim that a city without a historic shrine, without traditions, without regard to his native country - a city built on stilts and on the calculation.

Russia scholar L. Dolgopolov, in his study "The Myth of Petersburg and its transformation at the beginning of the century" 13, wrote that in the traditions of St. Petersburg is likened to a living creature, which gave rise to fatal force, and equally fatal force may be again thrown into chaos prarodimy. Arkady Dolgorukov, the hero of the novel FM Dostoevsky′s "Teenager", admits that it has a terrible vision.

"And that, as the fog and smashed it goes up, not leave it with him and all that . . . city will rise from the mist and disappear like smoke, and will remain the same Finnish swamp . . . "14

French philosopher Diderot wrote: "Capital of the limits of the state - the same as the heart of the fingers in a man: the rotation of blood becomes difficult and a little sore - mortal. " Throughout its history St. Petersburg has experienced a lot of injuries - both large and small: the terrible floods and fires, terrible years of the revolution and the equally formidable 1930, the terrible siege . . . It began as St. Petersburg was then Petrograd, Leningrad, was again St. Petersburg and is now preparing to mark the 300 anniversary of its foundation.