MYTHS OF ST PETERSBURG

Myths of St. Petersburg! (Very interesting!)
 

In St. Petersburg, things can be. Residents of your city do not know much, but a lot that they know, often turns out to be a mistake. Here are just some of the most popular myths in St. Petersburg.

Perhaps you, too, believe that ...

1. St. Petersburg is named after Peter I

Many people mistakenly believe that St. Petersburg was named after its founder - Peter I. However, it is not. City is named after the patron saint of the first Russian emperor - the Apostle Peter. Desire to call any castle in honor of the patron saint of the Russian emperor was long before the founding of St. Petersburg. This fortress had to be erected on the Don, if successful, the Azov campaign, but it ended in failure. Fortress in honor of St. Peter's was founded May 16, 1703 on the Neva River and named St. Petersburg. But on June 29 after the laying of the fortress Cathedral of Peter and Paul, it was called the Peter and Paul, and the old original name St. Petersburg later spread to the entire city.

2 The myth of the founding of St. Petersburg

"May 16, 1703 during the inspection of the island Yeni-saari Peter suddenly stopped and cut two layers of turf, put them crossways and said," Here be the city. "At this time, there was an eagle in the air and began to soar over the king. " In fact, on Hare Island (in Finnish Yeni-saari) was laid not a city but a fortress. The town was founded later under its protection on the nearby Birch Island. Some researchers argue that Peter was not present when the tab (as established historians, from 11 to 20 May at its future site of the city did not exist).

3 St. Petersburg was founded on an uninhabited desert area

This legend is rooted in the minds of Petrograd, which helped a lot of lines from Pushkin's "The Bronze Horseman": "On the shore of the desert waves." We imagine Outback desert area covered with forest and swamps.

In fact, the only place in the historic center of the city, there were about forty villages, and many of them even before the Swedish occupation belonged to Novgorod. Many of the buildings of the future capital there were already populated areas. On Vasilevsky Island was a hunting lodge De la Gardie, the site of the Admiralty - Swedish settlement, whose name could not be determined; at the mouth of the Fontanka River - Village Cullen (that's where Kalinkin village and Kalinkin bridge); on the site of the Mikhailovsky Castle - Manor channel with landscaped extensive gardens (and in its place arose Summer Garden); near Smolny - village Spassky. Before the emergence of the city there were settlements whose names still remain - Sabirin Odintsovo, Kukarevo Maximova, Volkov and Kupchino.

4 Bronze Horseman is made ​​of copper

, "The Bronze Horseman" - a symbol of the city. "The Bronze Horseman - we are all in the vibration of its copper" - wrote Alexander Blok. However, the material of the monument is not copper, and bronze, and its name comes only after the appearance of the poem by Alexander Pushkin.

5 Kisses bridge got its name thanks to the lovers

Until now, Kisses Bridge is a place of meeting of lovers. So it has been alleged, for a long time. Hence the name, the more symbolic that this bridge is not mapped. In fact, the bridge named for merchant Potselueva, containing a restaurant on the left bank of River Embankment, on the corner of present-day street Glinka. Tavern called "The Kiss", and therefore leading to the bridge it began to be called Kisses
 

6 The myth of the origin of the name "Vasilevsky Island"

On the origin of the name "Vasilevsky Island" also is a legend-delusion. It is believed that during the reign of Peter at the western tip of the island was strengthening, commanded by Captain Basil Korchmin artillery. Sending orders to him, Peter wrote: "To Vasily Island" - hence, supposedly, and the name. But the name of the island existed before the founding of St. Petersburg. It is mentioned in 1500 in the tax census Vodskaya (Vodinskoy) fifths of Veliky Novgorod. At the same time the island had another Finnish name - Moose (Hirve-saari). It was here that Peter and suggested to create a center of the city.
 

7 Barmaleeva Street is named after the robber Barmaley of Tales Chukovskiy

In fact it was with "exactly the opposite." KI Chukovskij wandering around the city in the early 20s with the artist MI Dobuzhinsky, and they came out into the street with such a strange name. Of course, both began to dream - so was born the African robber Barmalej. Dobuzhinskii immediately drew his portrait and Chukovskij later invented poetry. In Russian, the word "barmolit" - to speak indistinctly. Maybe the word "Barmalej" was the nickname of the person, then it was his name? Hence the name of the street where he is likely to be a landowner.