St. John's Gate is one of the gates of the Peter and Paul Fortress in St. Petersburg.
For most people who visit the Peter and Paul Fortress, it is the Ioannovsky Gate that becomes the first object of the fortress, since this gate provides a passage fromIoannovsky Bridge inside the Peter and Paul Fortress.
St. John's Gate is part of the eponymous St. John's Ravelin-the gate is located in the wall of the ravelin.
Initially, the ravelin was made of wood and did not have a gate. The ravelin gate appeared later (1738-1740), when the ravelin was built of stone during the reign of the Empress Anna Ioannovna.
The construction of the Ioannovsky Gate also completed the reconstruction in stone of the entire Peter and Paul Fortress, or, as it was then called, the St. Petersburg fortress.
The ravelin and, accordingly, the gate, were named "Ioannovsky" in honor of Tsar Ivan V-the father of Anna Ioannovna and the brother of Peter I. Learn more about the ravelin...
The author of the project of the Ioannovsky Gate was a military engineer Christopher Antonovich Minich, the construction work was directly supervised by Christian de Marin.
During the history of the gate was restored. The last major restoration work was carried out in the 60s.
View of the Ioannovsky Gate, Ioannovsky Ravelin and Ioannovsky Bridge
The Ioannovsky Gate has an arched opening (passage) and two facades: the eastern one facing the Ioannovsky Bridge and the western one facing the Peter and Paul Fortress.
The eastern facade has a grand appearance with preserved features inherent in antiquity and ancient Russian architecture, characteristic of the construction of arches and triumphal gates.
This facade is decorated with two pairs of bas-relief columns with small capitals, above which there is an upper superstructure-a pediment, in the tympanum of which there is a decorative element (cartouche) with the imperial golden crown-the symbol of the Russian state.
Above the arched opening of the gate is the inscription "1740". This date indicates the time of completion of all work on the construction of the stone Peter and Paul Fortress.
West facade (internal) The St. John's Gate, in comparison with the eastern one, looks very simple and unremarkable.
This facade underwent significant changes in 1829, when it was additionally faced with rust. At the same time, rosette decorations were created on the facade, which can still be seen today.
Practical information
Through the Ioannovsky Gate, the tourist route to the fortress goes to the courtyard to the triumphal Peter's Gate.
The entrance to the territory of the Peter and Paul Fortress is free (free of charge). Only certain objects on the territory of the fortress are paid for (if you want to visit them).): museums and exhibitions, Peter and Paul Cathedral and the Grand Ducal Tomb, Trubetskoy Bastion prison, Nevsky Panorama.
St. John's Gate is located on the eastern side of the Peter and Paul Fortress.
The nearest metro station is Gorkovskaya.
You can walk from the central part of St. Petersburg to the Ioannovsky Gate at Trinity Bridge. The distance from the Palace Square is 2 kilometers.
You can also visit the Peter and Paul Fortress with one of the excursions
All accommodation facilities in Saint Petersburg, including in the city center and near the Peter and Paul Fortress, can be viewed and booked here
