The Universe of Water is a complex located in the central part of St. Petersburg, having a small park area with historical objects, a fountain, an installation, monuments and a water tower with a Water museum.
The entrance to the park area is free (free of charge).
You can visit the museum expositions in the old water tower, the former underground tank for storing clean water and in the premises of the former 8th Engine Room of the Main Water Supply Station for a fee.
The entire territory of the park zone officially has the name of the branch "Information and Educational Center World of Water of St. Petersburg" of the St. Petersburg Vodokanal.
The territory of the center is a fenced small garden (park area) of the late 1860s, with places for recreation and a complex of restored historical buildings of the former main station of the St. Petersburg city water pipes, which is an architectural monument of regional significance.
The main building on the territory of the complex is a water tower with an engine room and a boiler room, built in brick style in 1859-1863 by architects E. G. Shubersky and I. A. Merz. The history of centralized water supply in St. Petersburg began with this tower.
The water tower was used for its intended purpose for a short time - technical progress at the beginning of the 20th century sent it "to retirement".
In 2001-2002, the St. Petersburg Vodokanal carried out major repairs of this and the surrounding structures.
During the restoration work, the historical interiors in the tower were preserved, and the fire escape and the second elevator were moved to a separate annex, making them the main focus of the reconstruction. So the historical tower began to have a glass-metal vertical, which symbolizes an ice pillar-a stream of water.
There is a fountain in the lobby of the Water Tower
Today, in the water tower and adjacent buildings (the former underground tank for storing clean water and in the premises of the former 8th Engine Room of the Main Water Supply Station) there is a museum complex "Universe of Water" with expositions, some of which are multimedia.
You can visit the exhibition "The World of water of St. Petersburg" on three floors of the water tower for a fee in the form of an independent inspection; several more expositions ("Underground Petersburg", "The Universe of Water", "St. Petersburg from the height of the Water Tower" and "Ecology and Technology") you can visit as part of an excursion group:
- "The World of water of St. Petersburg" is a historical exhibition in the building of the Water Tower (on the 3rd, 4th and 6th floors), which presents the history of water pipes among different peoples and the history of water supply in St. Petersburg. Among the exhibits: wells and wooden pipes, copper washbasins and ceramic handwashers, old drawings and photographs;
- "The Underground world of St. Petersburg "(multimedia exhibition in the left annex of the Water Tower). This is a journey underground, repeating the path of water: from the water intake through pipes to apartments - and back to the treatment facilities. There are also water and sewer systems, underground utilities and one of the largest models of the historical center of the city;
- "The Universe of Water" (multimedia exhibition in the former underground clean water tank of the Main water Supply Station). Everything here is about water and its manifestations: in nature, science, history, culture and the fate of St. Petersburg. Multimedia technologies and effects combined with exhibits that can be touched with your hands;
- "St. Petersburg from the height of the Water tower". During this tour, guests take a panoramic elevator to the 10th floor of the water tower, which offers views of St. Petersburg and the Main Water Station;
- "Ecology and Technologies" is an exhibition located in the premises of the former 8th Engine Room of the Main Water Supply Station. Here you can learn about the impact of water treatment technologies on the environment, environmental responsibility and water consumption culture, as well as about the Baltic Sea: its inhabitants and features, about countries and cities that affect the marine ecosystem.
You can find out about all the existing expositions, the hours of excursions, the cost of tickets, as well as book tickets on the official website of the exposition and exhibition complex "Universe of Water": universe of water.
Other objects on the territory of the Mir Vody complex
The Chapel of the Holy Saviour of the Transfiguration of the Lord, built on the initiative of E. A. Ganneken with donations from workers and employees of St. Petersburg water pipelines.
It was consecrated on November 21, 1901.
It was restored and restored on the initiative and with donations from employees of the State Unitary Enterprise "Vodokanal of St. Petersburg". It was consecrated again on September 4, 2000.
Monument to the water carrier near the water tower.
The installation "Globe" is a model of the planet Earth.
Water covers 70% of the earth's surface, and most of it is the salt water of the seas and oceans.
The supply of fresh water is small; what it is can be seen in the symbolic large drop located in the installation - below the globe. Fresh water is rivers, lakes, swamps, groundwater, ice and snow - only 5% of the total amount of water on the planet. But even from this list, not all water is available to people; a small drop in the installation, located under the big one , is the fresh water that is available to humanity today, and it is only 1%.
Residential building of employees, 1860s.
Today, the administration is located in the walls of the house.
Engine room No. 3 with workshops, boiler room and storerooms, as well as service buildings, 1886.
Now these buildings are located: educational and children's centers, a dental clinic of the Vodokanal, a souvenir kiosk and conference rooms.
Memorial complex for employees of the water utility who died during the siege of Leningrad.
An armored booth. It was used to hide from shelling and bombing by the duty shift of the filter-settling shop of the Petrograd water supply station during the siege of Leningrad.
The buildings in which the concert hall and cafe are now located.
In front of the side facade there are artillery pieces from the period of the siege of Leningrad.
85-mm. anti-aircraft gun "52 K" of the 1939 model. Chief designer M. N. Loginov.
Shooting range: in height - 10500 m, in range-15500 m. The rate of fire is 15-20 rounds per minute. The weight of the gun is 4.9 tons, the projectile is 9.2 kilograms. Combat crew - 7 people.
The guns of this model provided air defense of the main strategic objects of Leningrad during the blockade of 1941-1944.
85-mm. anti-tank gun "D-48" of the 1953 model. It was developed to replace the 100-mm field gun of the 1944 model "BS-3". Chief designer F. F. Petrov.
The firing range is 18970 m., the rate of fire is 15 rounds per minute, the weight of the weapon is 2.35 tons, the armor penetration at a distance of 500 meters is 190 mm.
In all respects, it had the best characteristics, and with comparable power it was one and a half times lighter.
The gun crew could roll the gun to the firing position manually.
37-mm. automatic anti-aircraft gun "61 K" of the 1939 model. Chief designer M.N. Loginov.
Shooting range: in height - 6700 m., in range - 8500 m. The rate of fire is 160-180 rounds per minute. The weight of the gun is 2.3 tons, the projectile is 0.73 kilograms. Combat crew - 7 people.
Such guns protected the territory of the Main Water Supply Station from enemy air raids in 1941-1944.
Fountain "Vodokanal of St. Petersburg".
Video of the fountain "Vodokanal of St. Petersburg"
Bust of P.I. Palibin (1811-1881) - the author of the project of St. Petersburg water pipes
The plan of the territory of the branch of the "World of Water Information and Educational Center"
Practical information
The branch of the Mir Voda Information and Educational Center is located in the central part of St. Petersburg, opposite Tavrichesky Palace, at the address: Shpalernaya Street, 56.
Coordinates: 59°56'55.0"N 30°22'29.0"E (59.948611, 30.374722).
Nearest metro stations: "Chernyshevskaya".
All accommodation facilities in St. Petersburg, including in the city center and more remotely from it, can be viewed and booked here
