What "remnants of the past" of the times of tsarist Russia can be seen on the streets of St. Petersburg today

2024 Author: Richard Flannagan | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-15 23:55

In modern Petersburg, where almost every house and every square measure is a whole story, there are still charming everyday "relics of the past". And this is not only the St. Petersburg "curb" or "front". Walking around the city center, on the streets you can find interesting elements left over from the times of tsarist Russia. They, although not always noticeable, organically fit into the architectural ensemble of the city, keeping the memory of pre-revolutionary St. Petersburg.

Wheel chippers

Wheel bollards, or wheel bumpers, are short, wide posts that were installed at the entrance to courtyards so that a building or gate would not be caught by an outgoing carriage or cart. Most often, they were placed both in courtyards and on streets (to protect the corners of buildings).

As a rule, wheel stands looked modest, but sometimes they were made with imagination. They were made, as a rule, from granite or cast iron.

In the center of St. Petersburg, near the gateways, you can still find such pedestals, although most of them have been lost. But in fact, such posts are useful even now - as barriers from the wheels of cars.

Umbrellas

Umbrellas, and in modern terms, canopies are another characteristic feature of St. Petersburg buildings. They were usually installed in front of the entrances to the building, of which, as a rule, there were at least two - front and service. Most often, these umbrellas were attached to the facade of the building on brackets.

Sometimes these were very massive and beautiful canopies that hung over the entire sidewalk. And, of course, wealthy homeowners tried to make umbrellas pompous and unlike their neighbors. Sometimes they were even made of glass.

Wooden and wrought iron gates

The gate was an important part of the building in the old days. They served as additional protection (they were locked at night, just like the doors), and hid the unsightly view of the courtyard.

The gates made of wood were installed until the end of the century before last. Beginning in the 1880s, wrought-iron gates began to be practiced in St. Petersburg most often.

Those wooden gates that have survived to this day are samples of the beginning of the century before last, and they reflect a variety of styles and motives. There are quite a lot of metal ones left.

Flag holders

The flag holder was a very important part of any facade in the center of St. Petersburg. And, like other elements of buildings, they tried to make such brackets exquisite - with invention.

In the city there are still flag holders made in the middle of the nineteenth century. By the beginning of the 20th century, there were especially many of these elements in the city. Wealthy townspeople tried to order flag holders according to an individual rather than a standard project in order to demonstrate the uniqueness of their home. Such flag holders were forged from iron or cast from cast iron.

Since the tradition of decorating buildings with flags remained after the revolution, such brackets were also in demand in the Soviet years, so many more old flag holders can be found in the city.

Now, on the facades of the city, you can find a mixture of old, pre-revolutionary, and new (very modest) flag holders.

Wooden doors

Wooden doors still remain on some pre-revolutionary buildings in St. Petersburg. These houses were built mainly at the turn of the XIX-XX centuries and are made in the Art Nouveau or eclectic style.

Like mosaics, sculptures, monumental painting, and other architectural elements, the door (entrance group) of the building at that time played not only a practical, but also an aesthetic role. She was also part of the decor, creating a common architectural ensemble.

Decor

The word "decrottoire" is translated from French as "scraper", and in the 18th - 19th centuries it was familiar to every inhabitant of St. Petersburg. At a time when there were no asphalt roads and the footwear of the townspeople was often dirty, decrottoes were very relevant - they cleaned the soles of them before entering the front door.

On the streets of the northern capital, you can still see such scrapers - they look like flat metal plates. And, I must say, the decor was also an element of the building's decor. In rich houses, they tried to make them unusual. Read more about the decor of St. Petersburg HERE.