Nevsky Prospekt (Russian: Невский проспект, tr. Nevsky Prospekt) is the main street in the city of St. Petersburg in Russia.
It takes its name from the Alexander Nevsky Lavra, the monastery which stands at the eastern end of the street, and which in turn commemorates the Russian hero Prince Saint Alexander Nevsky (1221–1263).
Nevsky Prospekt is a part of UNESCO World Heritage list.
Following his founding of Saint Petersburg in 1703, Tsar Peter I planned the course of the street as the beginning of the road to Novgorod and Moscow.
The avenue runs from the Admiralty in the west to the Moscow Railway Station and, after veering slightly southwards at Vosstaniya Square, to the Alexander Nevsky Lavra.
Many remarkable exhibits of Russian architecture of the 18-20th century were erected along the Nevsky.
The most splendid among them are the Stroganov Palace built by B. Rastrelli, Kazan Cathedral built by A. Voronikhin, Gostiny Dvor (Merchant’s Yard), State Public Library and many others.
To adorn the avenue the Ostrovsky Square was built in the early 19th century.
By the end of the 19th – beginning of the 20th century several new large buildings were erected on the Prospekt, such as the House of the Singer Co., Yeliseev’s house and many others – all of them very typical for the architecture of their time but breaking the integrity of the historical ensemble.
The Nevsky today functions as the main thoroughfare in Saint Petersburg. The majority of the city’s shopping and nightlife takes place on or immediately off Nevsky Prospekt.
The street is served by the stations Admiralteyskaya, Nevsky Prospekt, Gostiny Dvor, Mayakovskaya, Ploshchad Vosstaniya and Ploshchad Alexandra Nevskogo I of Saint Petersburg Metro.
Best hotels on Nevsky Avenue
1 Wawelberg 5*
2 Corinthia 5*
3 Radisson Royal Hotel 5*
4 Catherine Art Hotel 4*
5 Kentron Boutique Hotel 4*
The length is 4.5 km. The largest width is 60 m at Gostiny Dvor, and the smallest is 25 m at the Moyka River.
