Petrogradsky Island orPetrograd Island (Russian: Петроградский остров) is the third-largestisland in theNeva River deltainSaint Petersburg,Russia.[1] Along withZayachy Island,Aptekarsky Island, andPetrovsky Island, it constitutes the Petrogradskaya Side (Russian: Петроградская сторона).[2] It is theadministrative center of thePetrogradsky District and hosts a number of universities and research centers, as well as cultural, historical, and recreational facilities.
Petrogradsky Island lies between theNeva River and itsBolshaya Nevka branch.It is separated fromAptekarsky Island on the north by theKarpovka River, fromKrestovsky Island on the west by theMalaya Nevka,fromPetrovsky Island on the south by theZhdanovka River, and fromZayachy Island on the southeast by theKronverksky Strait.It is linked to the central district by theTroitsky Bridge, toVasilievsky Island by theBirzhevoy(Exchange) Bridge andTuchkov Bridge), toPetrovsky Island by the Maly Petrovsky Bridge, toKrestovsky Island by the Lazarevsky Bolshoy Krestovsky Bridges, and to theVyborgskaya Side via theSampsonievsky and Grenadersky Bridges.[1]
Finnish andSwedish farms added to a large Russian settlement, continuing to develop the island in the 17th century.In 1703 TsarPeter the Great of Russia laid the foundation of thePeter and Paul Fortress on nearbyZayachy Island.During this time, he resided near the present-day site of Troitsky Square near the southeastern tip of island. Its name was changing over the period and included Troitsky Island, Gorodovoy or Gorodskoy (City) Island and then was settled as St. Petersburg Island after the Peter's death.The administrative center of Saint Petersburg moved toVasilievsky Island in the 1720s, and in the 1730s, stone buildings north of theKronverk were banned. As a result, the island became more residential and suburban.[2]
One of the earliest main avenues, dating from the 1730s, is theBolshoy Prospekt, crossing the island from the northeast to theTuchkov Bridge in the southwest. The Yamburgsky, Koporsky, St. Petersburg, and Belozersky regiments had their quarters on the island at that time, and the new road served to connect them all.Horsecars first ran in the 1860s, followed by trams in 1908 and trolleybuses in 1948.[3]
The other main avenue, theKamennoostrovsky Prospekt, intersects the Bolshoy Prospekt in the north at Leo Tolstoy Square and runs southeast to the present-dayTroitsky Bridge. The avenue was constructed in the 18th century, leading from the Kronverk esplanade toKamenny Island. In the 1820s there was a high road with special paving. In the 1870s, horsecars started operating along the avenue, and in 1909, an electric tramway was introduced. In 1903 the avenue extended as far as Troitskaya Square.[4]
When Saint Petersburg was renamedPetrograd in 1914, the island received its present name, Petrograd(sky) Island.[2] However, when the city was renamed again–this time Leningrad after Lenin's death, the island name wasn't touched. Thus, when the original city name Saint Petersburg was restored, the name of the island remained intact and currently it is one of the few reminders of the days when the city was named Petrograd.
Petrogradsky Island is the home of several noted universities, science and research institutes.TheFirst Pavlov State Medical University of St. Petersburg, located at 6/8 Leo Tolstoy Street, was founded in 1897 as the first Russian medical institute for women.[5]
TheSaint Petersburg State University of Information Technologies, Mechanics and Optics is one of Russia's leading technical universities.[6][7]TheA.F. Mozhaysky Military-Space Academy (13 Zhdanovskaya street) is a polytechnical military educational institution and space research center.[2]
Of historical interest is the cruiserAurora, the oldest commissioned ship in theRussian Navy and a symbol of theOctober Revolution of 1917. A museum since 1956, it is anchored in theBolshaya Nevka, near the Sampsonievsky Bridge.[8]Just north of the Kronwerk, in the formerAquarium Gardens, the first motion picture was shown in Russia in 1896, at what is nowLenfilm Studios[4][9]The island also houses theBaltic House Festival Theatre,[10] theYubileyny Sports Palace,[11] the Saint Petersburg Planetarium[12] and theLeningrad Zoo.[13]
59°57′45″N30°18′08″E / 59.96250°N 30.30222°E /59.96250; 30.30222