Our city was founded at the very beginning of the XVIII century, in 1703. Nine years later the capital of the state was moved to the newborn city. Where there is a capital, there is a building boom - for the next two hundred years the city was actively building. Instead of huts appeared good wooden houses, good wooden houses were replaced by stone mansions and multi-storey profitable houses, and in the beginning of the XX century a new style - Art Nouveau - took hold of minds and imagination, and key places began to be cleared for the construction of new architectural dominants.
Already by the beginning of XX century the buildings of XVIII century became ancient history. Very few old buildings have survived to this day. And those that have survived, often changed beyond recognition in the process of later rebuilding. The search for the eighteenth century has become like an archaeological search. Indeed, if you want to find something ancient in St. Petersburg, go to the place where underground utilities are being repaired. The walls of the excavation will expose both old brickwork and cobblestone sidewalks. However, you can find something without the help of an escalator. It's enough to turn into the courtyards and scrutinize the underside of the city.
This time I decided to take a walk around Vasilyevsky Island. Vasilyevsky Island is a particularly interesting location in terms of antiquities. According to the original plan of the city, Vasilyevsky Island was to become the center of the city. Here was located the first port, it was planned to erect palaces of nobility, as well as important state administrative and commercial buildings. This plan was only partially implemented, construction began, but in a few years the city center moved to the opposite bank of the Neva.
On Vasilyevsky Island there are several ordinary residential houses that have hardly changed since the 18th century, as well as several buildings whose appearance was carefully restored from old drawings during renovations in the 20th and 21st centuries. Perhaps a stroll through such addresses would be a good idea for a walk one day. But this time I decided to look for the hidden from the eyes of casual passers-by.
I started my walk near the Orthodox Church of the Annunciation of the Blessed Virgin Mary. The first wooden church on this place was built in 1738, and the stone church was laid in 1750. I paid attention to the old sidewalk in the church yard. This sidewalk is not very old, although, if you do not think specifically, such paving is perceived as ancient. Paving with diabase checkers was done from 1860 to 1970s. Before that, wooden end pieces for the roadway and limestone slabs for sidewalks were used.
From the church, I turned down an old alley, where the old paving was also preserved. I wanted to find a small sculpture here that hides in the back of the courtyards. It's a miniature bird on a perch on the wall. The sculpture is so small that it's easy to miss unless you look specifically for it. I tried to get as close as possible to get a shot - but the result of my efforts is far from ideal. You have to carry a telephoto lens to take a picture of this sculpture!
One of the houses in this lane still has an old wooden outbuilding. I first examined a row of these houses from the side of the street. I scrutinized the facade, but I couldn't find a single hint of wooden architecture.
After that, I turned into the courtyards to continue my search. What is that under the layer of light-colored plaster? Perhaps it's an accidental coating defect, or perhaps some of the plaster was removed on purpose to check the condition of the old walls.
I turned inside the courtyard and saw a wooden outbuilding. On the courtyard side, the walls were not masked by a solid coating, and the texture of the wood was clearly legible. On the street side, this house is also wooden, but on that side, the wooden walls are completely masked with plaster, and the house does not stand out in any way from the row of similar buildings in terms of architecture and time of construction.
| ○ | ○ |
|---|---|
| Smartphone | Google Pixel 3a |
| Location | Saint Petersburg, Russia |
This is my entry for the #BeautifulSunday challenge by @ace108 and the #SublimeSunday challenge by @c0ff33a.
The place looks tranquil and the architecture is truly timeless.. Old stories can be seen in those historical facades.
Nice walk !LADY
It is a very nice place to walk around. Thank you very much!
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The wooden outbuilding looks old but is really interesting. It's still relatively well-preserved. I also wonder why the owners decided to plaster over it on the street side. Maybe, it was to fix some damage.
It probably was. Or perhaps this facade design was a cheaper solution.
Thank you very much!
You're welcome.
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