Location and site

In the Gulf of Finland, opening onto the Baltic Sea and Europe, Saint Petersburg (known as Leningrad from 1924 until 1991) was constructed on the marshy islands of the Neva Delta.

Urban morphology

Three grand perspective axes which stretch across the canals and converge towards Leningrad’s maritime facade and the Admiralty provided the base of the urban plan, which is organised, in the historic area, according to radiocentric forms.

In keeping with the wishes of Peter The Great, Saint Petersburg is a city of stone. Its monumental facades, many of which are topped with steeples and cupolas, line the water’s edge, the esplanades and the wide avenues. This grandeur and splendour is enriched by an array of colours and styles that can be found nowhere else.

Registration criteria

In the field of urban creation, Saint Petersburg represents an artistic achievement whose uniqueness is a result of the ambition of its programme, the coherence of its design, and the rapidity of its execution. (I) The ensembles created by Rastrelli, Vallin de la Mothe, Cameron, Rinaldi and Zakharov exercised, in the 18th and 19th centuries, a considerable influence on Russian and Finnish space. (II) The proposed cultural property associates eminent examples of imperial Baroque residences with the architectural ensemble of Saint Petersburg, a Baroque and Neoclassical capital par excellence. (IV) Saint Petersburg is associated with two events of universal importance: the opening and emergence of the empire and the Bolshevik Revolution. (VI)

Historical reference

• Saint Petersburg (later Leningrad) was constructed over a 20-year period by Peter The Great. His project began with the capture of the Swedish fortress of Noteborg at the beginning of the War of the North in 1703. Shortly afterwards, the fortress of Peter-and Paul and the fortress of Kronstadt were erected, and the Admiralty was constructed in 1705. The 1709 victory of Poltava, which put an end to Swedish hegemony on the Baltic Sea, marked a turning point in Saint Petersburg’s history. The city, which was constructed on a marshy site according to the plan of Alexandre Leblond, became the capital of modern Russia, a status it maintained until 1918.
• The reign of Peter The Great (1689-1725) was marked by economic development, expansion towards the seas and opening of European relations. Saint Peterburg was at that time a major port.
• The monumental project of the tsar was continued in the 18th century, particularly under the rule of Catherine II, and the 19th century. Numerous foreign architects made contributions to Leningrad’s urban landscpe during this era.
• Saint Petersburg became an industrial centre, as well as a theatre for important political events, notably the October Revolution.