“A garden amidst the urban sprawl.” That is what Sadovaya Street once was. Today, let’s discover Sadovaya Street in Saint Petersburg.
Sadovaya Street stretches four kilometers. It runs from the Summer Garden to Ploschad Repina. This street boasts monuments from the 18th to 20th centuries. These rival those on the city’s main avenues.
For a long time, Sadovaya Street was the heart of the city’s trade. It was full of cheap markets, shops, and restaurants. But Sadovaya also has a posh side. You can find Mikhailovsky Palace, Vorontsov Palace and Yusupov Palace here. The National Library and the “House with four colonnades” are worth a visit. A walk on Sadovaya Street is as interesting as one on Nevsky Prospekt.
Sadovaya Ulitsa runs parallel to the Fontanka River and it is no accident. In the 18th century, nobles built palaces facing the river. Gardens and orchards faced the street. This explains the name Sadovaya, meaning Garden Street. Mansions of the Anichkovs, Vorontsovs, and Yusupovs were here.
In the 1830s, Sadovaya Street extended southwest to the Kolomna neighborhood. This created Sennaya Square and Ploschad Turgeneva. In the early 19th century, Carlo Rossi paved the street to the Neva. It stretched past the Field of Mars and the Summer Garden. This formed the modern Sadovaya Ulitsa.
Sadovaya Ulitsa has long been a center of trade. Gostiny Dvor is here. You can also find the Sea Market, flour stalls, Apraxin Yard, and Nikolsky Market. Some still function as markets today. Sennaya Ploschad, or Hay Market, was “the belly of Petersburg”. This was an analogy to “the belly of Paris”. In the 19th century, apartment buildings arose. Sadovaya became densely populated. Dostoevsky’s characters lived in these buildings near Sennaya Ploschad.
Many historical figures resided on Sadovaya. Poets Mikhail Lermontov and Ivan Krylov lived here. Apollo Maikov and navigator Yuri Lisyanskii called it home. Historian Evgeny Tarle, composer Sergei Prokofiev and statesman Dmitry Milutin also lived here.
Notable 19th-century monuments dot Sadovaya. These include Brig and Ordonansgauz. The mansion of the Minister of War and Rat’kova Rozhnova apartment house are here. You can find the Third Admiralteyskaya Department and Fitinhof apartment house. The Cadet Corps of Emperor Alexander II and Yakovlevaya House are present. Art Nouveau buildings from the turn of the century are of interest. Alferov shop and the Second Mutual Credit Society stand out. Kushelev House, Spehin trading house, and the House of City Agencies are worth seeing. Timofeev apartment house and House No. 128 are special. House No. 128 is known as the “iron-house on Sadovaya” and architect Vasily Schaub designed it.
Sadly, Sadovaya Ulitsa had bad luck with cathedrals. The Assumption Church in Sennaya Ploschad and Intercession were destroyed in the 20th century. The Soviet government greatly altered Sennaya Ploschad. Yet, the historic buildings are well-preserved on Sadovaya Ulitsa. A walk here reveals Petersburg as it once was.
You can reach Sadovaya Street via the Gostiny Dvor, Sadovaya, or Sennaya Ploschad metro stations. The best walking route stretches from the Summer Garden to the Yusupov Garden. This walk takes about two hours.
Today, Sadovaya Street offers a glimpse into St. Petersburg’s vibrant past. Its blend of commerce, culture, and history creates an unforgettable experience.