166. New Holland Island
New Holland Island is located on the west side of the city center, just to the northwest of Potseluev Bridge, approximately four blocks southwest of St. Isaac's Cathedral, and next door to the Naval Museum. This area was turned into an island back in the early eighteenth century, with shallow canals carved out as extensions of the Moyka River to form a triangular piece of land. Beginning in 1719, this island served as St. Petersburg's first port and a center for shipbuilding activities. By 1780, the island was covered in huge brick warehouses, most of which still stand but are currently vacant and awaiting renovation and redevelopment. The large arch that spans the small canal that connects the Moyka River with the pond in the middle of the island is the most picturesque element of the row of warehouses on the south and east sides of the island.
New Holland Island's other noteworthy structure is the old naval prison building, which dates from 1829 and was known in the nineteenth century as "The Bottle" due to its circular shape. The second and third floors originally housed a combined total of up to 500 prisoners at a time, but now have been filled with restaurants and shops. I did not venture inside, as it exudes a relatively generic "mall" vibe. I did examine the exterior of the building, from outside its walls as well as from the interior courtyard.
A redevelopment project during the last decade has turned not only The Bottle but much of the rest of New Holland Island into a vibrant commercial destination. A large ice rink next to the pond in the center of the island (the first I've seen in the city, as of the middle of November) was packed full of skaters. Those not on the ice found warming stations along the path to the north. Many of these featured actual fires, rather than the electric heat lamps that are omnipresent during the winter in colder climates. Although I didn't explore the island during the summer, I know this has fast become a popular destination in warmer months, too.
New Holland Island's other noteworthy structure is the old naval prison building, which dates from 1829 and was known in the nineteenth century as "The Bottle" due to its circular shape. The second and third floors originally housed a combined total of up to 500 prisoners at a time, but now have been filled with restaurants and shops. I did not venture inside, as it exudes a relatively generic "mall" vibe. I did examine the exterior of the building, from outside its walls as well as from the interior courtyard.
A redevelopment project during the last decade has turned not only The Bottle but much of the rest of New Holland Island into a vibrant commercial destination. A large ice rink next to the pond in the center of the island (the first I've seen in the city, as of the middle of November) was packed full of skaters. Those not on the ice found warming stations along the path to the north. Many of these featured actual fires, rather than the electric heat lamps that are omnipresent during the winter in colder climates. Although I didn't explore the island during the summer, I know this has fast become a popular destination in warmer months, too.
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