Initially Vasilievsky Island was designed as the center of St. Petersburg, within which all the most important state facilities would be located. However, it quickly became clear that for such purposes, not the most successful place was chosen - although this did not prevent many famous architects and sculptors from turning the island into one of the most beautiful places in Petersburg.
The building of the Twelve Colleges is facing the University Embankment, while all the neighboring buildings are facing it .The reason for this was, according to legend, the greed of Alexander Menshikov, who was charged with building a building .Peter I thoughtlessly promised to give his favorite the remaining free part of the site for the construction of his own mansion .And he, of course, ordered to place the building of the Twelve Colleges so that it takes up as little space as possible .True, Menshikov's mercenary plans were quickly uncovered, and he received much less than he expected .
The Kunstkamera is a museum on the island, many of them causing almost more interest than the Hermitage. In fact, it was built there quite by accident. Walking on the island, not yet completely built up Vasilievsky Island, Peter the Great, already nurturing plans to build a "museum of wonders", suddenly noticed a pine of a very bizarre shape. The emperor immediately dubbed her a monster tree and decided that the best place for the Kunstkamera in the city is not found.
Located on Vasilievsky Island, Bolshoy Prospekt was to become a thoroughfare through which ships would travel from Strelka to the Gulf of Finland, and as a result it was just one of the widest streets in the city - as much as 85 meters. The narrowest street of St. Petersburg is located here - it's Repin Street and its width is only 6 meters.
| Vasilievsky Island at night |
| Building 12 colleges, Vasilievsky Island |
| Exchange building, Vasilievsky Island |
| Kunstkamera, Vasilievsky Island |
| Menshikov Palace, Vasilievsky Island |