Nevsky Prospekt

Nevsky Prospekt is the main and most famous street of St. Petersburg. The unique architectural ensemble of Nevsky Prospekt has been formed during the 18 — early 20th centuries. The street connects the Admiralty and the Alexander Nevsky Square, it starts from the bank of the Neva River, runs through the center of the city, and ends at the Neva River. The whole history of St. Petersburg can be seen in the history of the Prospekt. Length of Nevsky Prospect — 4.5 km, width — 25 — 60 m. The narrowest section is located from the Admiralty to the Moika River, reminding us of the original width of the avenue. Nevsky Prospekt is crossed by three rivers: Moika, Griboyedov Canal, and Fontanka. After the laying of the Admiralty in 1704 and the Alexander Nevsky Monastery in 1710, it was decided to build a road connecting these two important structures with each other and with the Novgorod Path, which was located near Ligovsky Prospekt and was used by Russian merchants in the 15th century. The construction began on both sides at the same time, the roads were laid through the wood, and in the 1760s they were connected into one road, which was not as straightforward as it was originally planned, but with a bend in the area of ​​the Vosstaniya Square. Nevsky Prospekt got its name only in 1783. The gradual development of Nevsky Prospekt with stone buildings began in the middle of the 18th century. The road was paved with cobblestones, a few rows of trees were planted along the street. In 1839, it was the first street in St. Petersburg, where was the gaslighting. By the early 20th century, Nevsky Prospekt became the financial center of Russia: the 40 largest banks, 34 bank offices of Russia, Europe, and America had their offices there. For banks, there were built special buildings. Nowadays, Nevsky Prospekt is the center of the cultural and social life of St. Petersburg. There are museums, theaters, exhibition halls, cinemas, restaurants, cafés, shops, and hotels there or nearby the street.