Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
301
the first harbor and adjacent warehouses appeared. Some chronicles suggest Peter origi-
nally wanted to put the new capital on the island, but he never went further than build-
ing one of his many palaces here. It later burned down, but the palace of his chief adviser
Alexander Menshikov still stands—it's an impressive Italian-designed mansion on the
southern shore. The town itself is clearly planned, in the style of St. Petersburg, with
broad, straight avenues and large squares. The
harbor
still feels more like a utilitarian
military base than a romantic island boardwalk, but it's worth a wander nonetheless, if
only to see the aging warships and port infrastructure.
The broad, etched dome of the
Naval Cathedral
dominates the skyline and looms
over otherwise empty Yakornaya Ploshchad (Anchor Sq.). The anchor is incorporated
into the cathedral's door carving, and pops up around town in grillwork, signage, and
restaurant decor. Built in 1902 in a pseudo-Byzantine style, the cathedral is covered with
intricate carvings and seems out of place in this otherwise rational, reserved city. The
church's interiors have largely been turned over to the
Kronshtadt Museum of Naval
History,
which is worth a visit if you have an English-speaking guide; otherwise, it may
prove frustrating since most exhibits are in Russian only. The museum is packed with
models of ships, weaponry through the centuries, seascapes by Russian artists, and
unusual items such as antisubmarine netting. While it recounts the history of the island,
the museum is rather awkward in its handling of the bloody mutiny that most Russians
have come to associate with the name Kronshtadt. When the island's entire battalion
staged an uprising against repressive Bolshevik leaders in 1921, the Soviet government
responded swiftly and fiercely, massacring almost the whole battalion. The city remained
a closed naval base for the rest of the Soviet era, and was opened only in 1996. The
museum (
&
812/236-4713
) is open Wednesday to Sunday from 11am to 5pm.
WHERE TO DINE
Kronshtadt has no bustling beach boardwalk, but it has several mediocre restaurants
within walking distance of the cathedral, museum, or harbor. None is particularly out-
standing or particularly risky, though few have English-language menus. This is starting
to change, and any place with a menu in English will be more expensive and probably
offer somewhat better food and service. One pleasant spot for lunch is
Stary Gorod (Old
Town),
7 Ulitsa Grazhdanskaya (
&
812/236-2238
), offering Russian and European
standards such as borscht and baked salmon in a simple, homey setting. Seafood dishes
are in the majority, though the selection is not as broad as you'd expect for an island
town. The “business lunch” is just 160 rubles. Decent Russian beer is on tap.
17
5
VYBORG
130km (81 miles) NW of St. Petersburg
For a journey into an entirely different era and mind-set from St. Petersburg and the
imperial estates on its outskirts, head to Vyborg. This 13th-century, cobblestoned city
near the Finnish border has less glamour but more depth than Peter the Great's capital.
Vyborg's architecture reflects its history, which tossed it back and forth among Swedes,
Russians, Finns, and Karelians native to the region. The couple of hours it takes to get
there can be thought of as journeying into Scandinavia for a day; then the trip doesn't
seem so long at all. The distance is a good reminder of how close to the edge of his empire
Peter the Great based his new capital.
