Embankments of St. Petersburg
St. Petersburg's famous granite embankments began to appear at the end of the 18th century, and have long been an integral feature of the city's architecture, encasing all the waterways running through the city centre. Their distinctive red-gray coloring provides a harmonious backdrop to the many magnificent palaces and other grand historical buildings with waterfront facades.
Running between the Palace and Annunciation Bridges, this embankment in the oldest area of the city is a showcase of architectural masterpieces from the 18th and early 19th centuries.
The name says it all. This short stretch of waterfront from Palace Bridge to the Summer Garden is a parade of Imperial Palaces, of which the Winter Palace is the uncontested star.
This historic waterfront is known primarily for its granite quays and a series of grand sculptures - the Bronze Horseman, the Tsar Carpenter, and the Lions on the Palace Pier.
This embankment was originally settled by foreigners, particularly St. Petersburg's British community, and is built up with prestigious palaces and mansions.
This embankment on the Petrograd Side was the first quay of St. Petersburg. Today there are several green spaces and historic sites - from the Cabin of Peter the Great to the Cruiser Aurora.
Running along the northern shore of Vasilevsky Island, this embankment combines academic and scientific institutions with historic apartment buildings.
This curving embankment along the Neva River bed is a panorama of grand 18th and 19th century developments on Vasilevsky Island.
This rather short quay (720 meters) - known in the 19th century as the French Embankment - was home to many prominent scientists, writers and other St. Petersburg worties.
This embankment along the eastern end of the Petrogradskaya side is best known as the mooring of the Cruiser Aurora, though it also boasts an eclectic mix of architecture.
This tall, monumental, granite embankment runs along the Neva opposite the notorious Kresty Prison, and a pair of modern monuments reference its forbidding presence.
There are no residential homes on this embankment, but it is home to the Peter and Paul Fortress, Alexandrovsky Park, the Zoological Gardens, and the Artillery Museum.
