Sep 5, 2014
St. Petersburg residents can now watch their city as it was in the 18th century. A giant miniature of 18th century St. Petersburg is now on display on the sixth floor of a new shopping center opened in May 2014, above the subway station Admiralty.
The exhibition, consisting of the main sights of St. Petersburg, is devoted to the birth of Russian fleet. Made at a cost of an estimated $5 million (€3.27 million), it contains 25,000 individual characters, 1,000 buildings, 305 metres (1,000 feet) of roads and 20 tonnes of water in three epochs, from Peter I to Catherine II.
Features of the miniature include: ladies and gentlemen dresses in the fashion of the XVIII century, royal family rides around in carriages, wandering pets - all the glorious life of St. Petersburg were recreated in details, even includes the laundry hanging in the courtyards of the Basil island.
This project was initiated by St. Petersburg businessman Alexander Rubin, and supported by local government. The heart of the exhibition is ships - more than 100 ships sailing along the river surrounded by the Admiralty, Peterhof, Oranienbaum, Peter and Paul Fortress, and other famous places in St. Petersburg.
Made at 1:87 scale with the help of milling, laser cutting, engraving and 3D printing, the massive miniature boasts a surface area of roughly 1,500 square metres (16,146 square feet). The features were then painted by hand and installed on the layout. Various experts, including architectural historians, shipbuilding and costume historians, museum professionals, designers and engineers have been working on this project for over a year.
Images: Anna Žavoronkovoj
"It is remarkable to have such a mini museum in the center of living environment, where residents and visitors have the opportunity to feel the atmosphere of the beginning of the construction of St. Petersburg," said Governor Georgy poltavchenko. He noted that the Museum opened in the mall is a very rare phenomenon.
"It is very important that young Petersburgers can come here to explore life in St. Petersburg three centuries ago." said Vyacheslav Makarov, the head of the Legislative Assembly of St. Petersburg. "I am convinced that in Petersburg there should be many sites like this, an exciting, interactive way to learn about the past."
Check out the video below:
Thanks to Alesia for the tip!
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