Old Saint Petersburg Stock Exchange
Old Saint Petersburg Stock Exchange located in Saint Petersburg in the Russian Federation, is the main building in architecture comples of the Spit of Vasilyevsky Island. Building is significant example of Greek Revival architecture. Designed by French architect Thomas de Thomon, and inspired by the Greek Temple of Hera at Paestum, the stock exchange was constructed between 1805 and 1810. The Old Saint Petersburg Stock Exchange is located at Birzhevaya Ploschad 4.
History
The Old Stock Exchange is sited to fill the majestic sweep of the Spit (in Russian Strelka) of Vasilievsky Island, just opposite the Winter Palace. Thomon's design called for a peristyle of forty four Doric columns resting upon a massive stylobate of red granite and supporting an entablature of triglyphs and slotted metopes. A monumental sculptural group similar in form to a quadriga featuring Neptune, and symbolizing maritime commerce, is mounted above the portico. Both inside and outside the Bourse, a motif of the semicircle is recurrent. The interior features a large colonnaded trading hall, now divided into eight exhibition halls. The central rooms are illuminated by an oblong skylight. The surrounding ceiling features double-sunk coffers.
Use as the Central Naval Museum
The Central Naval Museum traces its founding to Peter the Great's creation of his "Model Chamber" in 1709 – a collection of models of ships in the Russian Navy. In 1805 the collection was augmented and renamed the Russian Naval Museum. Following the Russian Revolution, and the establishment of a Communist economic system, the building ceased to function as a stock exchange. During this period the collection received many pieces confiscated from private collections. In 1939 the Old Stock Exchange was assigned to house the growing collection renamed the Central Naval Museum.
Today the collection has over 8,000 items including a ship belonging to Peter the Great in which he learned to sail while a teenager. The collection includes several ancient ships, model ships, submarines, engravings, uniforms and photographs documenting the Russian Navy from the time of the Russian Empire, the U.S.S.R., and Russian Federation.
External links
- Бунин М. С. Стрелка Васильевского острова: История формирования архитектурного ансамбля. М.; Л., 1958.
- Канн П. Я. Стрелка Васильевского острова. Л., 1973.