Nevskaya Kurtina is a part (section) of the fortress wall and a former defensive structure of the Peter and Paul Fortress in St. Petersburg (Zayachy Ostrov), intended for the defense and defense of the fortress.
In the curtin there are the eponymous Nevsky Gate and exhibition rooms.
The name "Nevskaya" comes from the fact that the curtain is facing the Neva River.
Initially, the construction of the Neva Curtain Wall, as well as the entire Peter and Paul Fortress, took place from 1703, and then the structures of the fortress, including to save time, were built of wood and earth (wood-earth fortifications). The section of the rampart (curtin) connected and now connects two bastions - Gosudaryov and Naryshkin.
The construction of the curtain wall in stone took place in 1727-1731, according to the project of the architect and engineer-fortifier D. Trezzini and military engineer B.-H. Minich.
The Nevsky facade of the curtain wall in 1779-1781, designed by engineer R. R. Tomilov, was faced with granite slabs.
Initially, the curtain had twenty-two two-tier casemates, which in 1889-1890, according to the project of the military engineer A. A. Arkhangelsk, were rebuilt into single-tier ones with a change in window openings.
To the right of the Neva Gate of the curtain was the guardhouse-the guardhouse. At various times, the casemates were adapted for the barracks of the fortress garrison, warehouses and prison cells, in which the Decembrists were held in 1825 - 1826, and in the 1860s-participants of the revolutionary democratic movement.
Today, the Neva Curtain Wall is an integral part of the Peter and Paul Fortress.
View of the Neva River from the Peter and Paul Fortress
View of the Neva River Curtin lined with granite slabs from the Neva River
The two-tier casemates that house the expositions and exhibitions of the State Museum of the History of St. Petersburg, including the exhibition "The history of the Peter and Paul Fortress", dedicated to the history of the fortress, have been recreated and restored in the curtin. Learn more about the exhibition…
The Neva Gate, located in Kurtin, was originally made of wood and was built in 1714-1716.
In the 20s of the 18th century, the Nevsky Gate was replaced by a stone one. The author of the project was the architect and fortification engineer Domenico Trezzini.
During the history of the Nevsky Gate was rebuilt and reconstructed several times.
The Neva Gate leads from the Peter and Paul Fortress directly to the waters of the Neva-a granite three-arch pier with steps, to which tourist boats dock.
Once upon a time, prisoners of the prison were brought to this pier, through the Nevsky Gate, at night, from where they were sent to hard labor or execution by water. For this reason, this gate was popularly called the "Gate of Death". Learn more about the Nevsky Gate…
InThe Tsar's Bastion, which is adjacent to the Neva Curtain on its eastern side, is the museum of architectural art ceramics, the exposition of which presents the history of the development of decorative ceramics in architecture and interior decoration of the 18th - early 20th centuries.
OnNaryshkin bastion, which is adjacent to the Neva Curtain on its western side, is a voluminous Flagpole tower, built in 1731-1733 according to the project of the military engineer B.-X. Minikh.
Within the walls of the bastion are: a gift shop, an exhibition hall and a museum of science and technology, which contains items related to various fields of technology and scientific knowledge.
You can climb to the roof of the Neva Curtain (from the Gosudarev or Naryshkin bastions), where the Nevsky Panorama sightseeing route is laid on wooden bridges.
The ascent to the roof can be carried out for a fee, from the inner wall of the bastions, where the ticket offices are also located. Learn more about the Nevsky Panorama...
Practical information
The Neva Curtain Wall is located in the southern part of the Peter and Paul Fortress.
You can find out about the museum, exhibitions and collections in the Neva Curtain and on the territory of the entire Peter and Paul Fortress on the website of the State Museum of the History of St. Petersburg: spbmuseum.
The entrance to the territory of the Peter and Paul Fortress is free (free of charge).
You can also visit the Peter and Paul Fortress with one of the excursions
Nearest metro stations: "Gorkovskaya" and "Sportivnaya".
All accommodation facilities in St. Petersburg, including in the city center and near the Peter and Paul Fortress, can be viewed and booked here
