Palace Square and its Alexander Column

Palace Square (from 1918 to 1944 – Uritsky Square) is the main square of St. Petersburg, an architectural ensemble that appeared in the second half of the 18th – first half of the 19th centuries.

The area is formed by historical and cultural monuments of federal significance: the Winter Palace, the Headquarters Building of the Guards Corps, the General Staff Building with the Arc de Triomphe, the Alexander Column.

Its size is about 5.4 hectares. As part of the historical development of the center of St. Petersburg, the square is included in the World Heritage List and is a pedestrian zone.

In the centre of the square stands the Alexander Column (1830–1834), designed by Auguste de Montferrand. This red granite column (the tallest of its kind in the world) is 47.5 metres high and weighs some 500 tons. It is set so well that it requires no attachment to the base.

The monument was raised after the Russian victory in the war with Napoleon’s France. The column is named for Emperor Alexander I of Russia, who reigned from 1801 to 1825.

How to get to?

Address: Palace Embankment, 32

Metro: Admiralteyskaya

Buses: Dvortsovaya Ploshad – routes  7, 10, 24, 191

Trolleys: Dvortsovaya Ploshad – routes 1, 7, 10, 11

Minibuses: Dvortsovaya Ploshad – route K-252.

Read more: Tourism in Russia ...