Petrograd & Vyborg Sides - St Petersburg - page 286

In the fort's southwest corner are the grim cells of the Trubetskoy Bastion (entry to
cells alone adult/student R170/70; 11am-6pm Thu-Tue) , where Peter the Great super-
vised the torture to death of his son and later tsars put political prisoners. Inmates in-
cluded Lenin's brother Alexander Ulyanov, who was hanged for attempting to murder
Tsar Alexander III, as well as Maxim Gorky, Leon Trotsky and Mikhail Bakunin.
Even Fyodor Dostoevsky spent time here for membership of the illegal Petrashevsky
Circle. The cells have been reconstructed and so are equipped much as they would
have been in the late 19th century. Short biographies of the various inmates are posted
on the doors.
The Commandant's House & Neva Gate
The Commandant's House (adult/student R100/60) contains a fascinating museum
that charts the history of the St Petersburg region from medieval times to 1918. What
starts as a fairly standard-issue plod through the city's history really comes alive once
you're upstairs, with modern, interactive exhibits, even though there's still a lack of
explanations in English.
In the south wall is the Neva Gate , a later addition (1787), where prisoners were
loaded on boats for execution or exile. Notice the plaques here showing water levels
of famous (and obviously devastating) floods. Outside there are fine views of the
whole central waterfront, including the Hermitage. Along the wall to the left,
throughout the year on sunny days, you can witness a motley crew of upright sun-
bathers (standing is supposed to give you a proper tan); in winter this is the territory
of the Walrus Club, the crazy crew that chops a hole in the ice so they can take a dip
( CLICK HERE ). At noon every day a cannon is fired from Naryshkin Bastion.
Other Sights
Between the cathedral and the Senior Officers' Barracks is Mikhail Shemyakin's
Peter the Great statue , which depicts him seated with strangely proportioned
head and hands. When the statue was unveiled in 1991 it caused outrage among the
citizens of St Petersburg, for whom Peter remains a saintly figure. Local lore has it
that rubbing his right forefinger will bring good luck.
The Neva Curtain Wall (included on the complete ticket) houses five rooms con-
taining exhibits about the history of the fortress, including a 10-minute film. You can
also walk along the fortress wall, once you part with a pretty cheeky R150 at the main
ticket office. The views towards the Hermitage are great, however.