Vasilyevsky Island, Russia

Vasilyevsky Island is an artificial island in the delta of the Neva River, which divides the Small and Big Neva from the island. Its area is about 11 square kilometers and rises above the water level to 3.5 meters. Peter the Great wanted to turn Vasilyevsky Island into the center of the new capital. His initial plans were to build a network of canals to transport goods from the city to the other side of the island, and St. Petersburg to represent a northern Venice. But his plans did not materialize, although smaller canals were built in some places, which were later closed.
Today, the canals are streets marked with numbers and extend parallel to the three main thoroughfares - the Grand, Middle and Small Avenues. Currently, residential and public buildings are concentrated on Vasilyevsky Island and most of the landmarks are concentrated in its eastern part. The abundance of architectural monuments, beautiful houses, museums and views of the magnificent panorama of the city, make the walk around Vasilyevsky Island unforgettable.
The tour can start from the eastern part of the island, called Arrow. The easiest way to get here is on the Palace Bridge in front of the Hermitage. The Arrow reveals an amazing view of the Winter Palace and the Peter and Paul Fortress. And in the evening, against the backdrop of the Neva, the brightly colored houses along the promenade look like they've come down from fairy tales. All these buildings were owned by representatives of the Russian nobility. The insight of Peter the Great, who used the Neva River as a skeleton around which to develop the future capital, is admirable.
One of the remarkable buildings on Vasilyevsky Island is the Stock Exchange or Exchange. This neoclassical building was erected between 1804 and 1810 by the Swiss architect Toma de Tomon. Built on the likeness of one of the ancient Greek temples in Paestum, it symbolizes the financial and naval power of St. Petersburg. Since 1940, this building has housed the Naval Museum, where there are exhibits from the time of Peter the Great.
Here you can see models of all vessels created in Russian shipyards after 1709. An interesting exhibit is a wooden boat from 3,000 years ago, found at the bottom of the Bug River. Among the many personal belongings of Peter the Great is his first boat and the ax he used to create it. The two huge red brick columns, called Rostral Columns, were erected in honor of the Russian Navy and were designed as a frame for the Stock Exchange building. Their name comes from the Latin word rostrum, meaning the bow of a ship. That is why the decorative elements on the columns are bows of ships. At the base of their foundations are statues depicting the most important Russian waterways - the Dnieper, Volga, Volkhov and Neva rivers. The columns functioned as lighthouses until 1855, when it was the commercial port of St. Petersburg. Today, they are used for this purpose only on solemn occasions such as the city holiday - May 27.
The Dokuchaev Central Museum of Soil and the Zoological Museum, whose unusual collection consists of over 40,000 exhibits, are located on the side of the Stock Exchange. The focus of this museum is a stuffed mammoth brought from Siberia in 1901.
The next interesting landmark on Vasilyevsky Island is the Kunstkammer Museum, which is a shining example of the Russian Baroque. The cheerful appearance of the sky-blue building with white ornaments seems to reflect the events for which it was built. Created in 1718 at the request of Peter the Great, it houses collections of rare objects that the ruler has collected during his many travels. The word Kunstkamera comes from a combination of two German words - kunst (art) and kammer (palace)). Completed in 1734, this captivating building was destroyed by fire in just 10 years. Restored later, today it houses the Museum of Anthropology and Ethnography, which enjoys high attendance. In one of the halls is exhibited the original collection of Peter the Great, containing exhibits of rare gems to human organs and embryos.
Continuing the walk along the promenade, you come to St. Petersburg University, the buildings of which date from the time of Peter the Great. The bright red baroque building on the right side of the university is the Building of the Twelve Colleges, designed by Domenico Trezzini and completed in 1741. Today, this magnificent building houses the university library.
Next is the Menshikov Palace - the oldest and most majestic building in St. Petersburg. Next is Rumyantsev Square, named after General Rumyantsev - leader of the army during the Russo-Turkish War in 1768-1774.
The "I. E. Repin” St. Petersburg State Academic Institute of Painting, Sculpture and Architecture was designed by Al. Kokorinov and Valen de la Motte and is a wonderful example of early Russian classicism. Here you can see works of socialist realism and many other interesting works. On the square in front of this remarkable building rise some of the most attractive statues of St. Petersburg - the Egyptian sphinxes. The two statues date from the 15th century BC and were discovered during excavations in Thebes in the 1920s. and were created during the era of Amenhotep III.
A short break in the nearby cafe "Kalinka" will be not only a pleasant but also an interesting experience. It offers delicious Russian cuisine - solyanka, borsch and pancakes. And the stuffed wild animals arouse astonishment and respect. 
At the end of the walk on Vasilyevsky Island is the Mining Institute, which was founded by Catherine the Great and is the oldest institution for higher technical education in St. Petersburg. 
From Vasilyevsky Island to the city center you can cross one of the many bridges - that of Lieutenant Schmidt, built between 1842-1850. Schmidt was a naval officer, leader of the revolt of the Black Sea Fleet during the revolution of 1905-1907.