The original Admiralty was one of the first structures to be built in St Petersburg. It was designed to be a dockyard, where some of the first ships of Russia's Baltic fleet were built (some with participation of Tzar Peter himself who was an expert in shipbuilding). The Admiralty was also fortified to be an extra defense for the newly obtained Neva delta.

The Admiralty that we can see today was built in 1806-23 by Adrian Zakharov. He maintained the original plan of the building, but turned it into a marvelous example of the Russian Empire style, with rows of white columns, plentiful reliefs and statues. The gilded spire of the Admiralty (and particularly its weather-vane korablik - "a little ship") is a famous St. Petersburg landmark. The tower of the building, topped with the spire,can be clearly seen from three streets: Nevsky, Gorokhovaia Street and Voznesensky Prospect.

The Admiralty used to be the naval headquarters of Russia till 1917, and now serves as a naval college. The gardens in front of the Admiralty are particularly beautiful in summer, and you might choose to walk through them on your way from the Hermitage to the "Bronze Horseman" and St Isaac's.

Next: The Bronze Horseman

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