The name "Salt Town" is firmly associated with a complex of commercial and residential buildings on the banks of the Fontanka River, forming a small but complete urban quarter of St. Petersburg. Today, it hosts several churches and museums, as well as the famous Mukhina School, which has become the "alma mater" for renowned artists such as Mikhail Shemyakin, Alexander Florensky, and Dmitry Shagin.

From Shipyard to Wine Warehouses

Originally, this site housed the Particular Shipyard. Peter I aimed to make the Neva the main thoroughfare of St. Petersburg and ordered everyone to learn to sail. The demand for civilian ships surged, and a shipyard was built for their construction and repair based on Trezzini's design. Initially, it was wooden.

In the 1740s, under the guidance of architect Ivan Korobov, the first stone buildings were erected on its territory, while the old structures were demolished, except for the Panteleimon Church. In 1730, a stone temple was laid on the site of the dilapidated structure, which has survived to this day.

In 1762, the shipyard was moved to the Vyborg side, and warehouses for storing wine and salt were built in its place. Since then, the area has been known as "Salt Town."

The First Exhibition

In the 1780s, construction continued in the Salt Quarter. Along the embankment, a building in the classical style was erected according to the design of Fyodor Volkova. Its exterior was characterized by strictness: the lower part of the wall was solid and rusticated, while above it were uniform small windows. The central facade with a porch and balcony broke the monotony. The warehouses operated until the state monopoly on salt was abolished, after which the quarter became deserted.

In 1870, the All-Russian Manufactory Exhibition took place here, for which the building was significantly reconstructed. Architect Ludwig Fontana worked on the exterior, while Viktor Hartman focused on the interior layout. The facades were brought closer to European style, and the interiors were adorned with Russian carvings.

Extensive work was carried out on the adjacent territory: the pavements were repaired, and a wooden bridge to the Summer Garden was built.

The exhibition ran from May 15 to August 1 and showcased the latest domestic achievements in science and technology, as well as promising industrial directions.

From Trade to Art

After the exhibition, the building housed pavilions of the Russian Technical Society, which promoted the development of domestic industrial technologies until 1929.

It also housed the Museum of Applied Knowledge and the Agricultural Museum, which moved from the Forestry Institute and engaged in exhibition and educational activities. It closed after the Great Patriotic War.

In 1888, the Forestry Museum was established in the quarter, and next to it, the Crafts Museum was built. Exhibitions were held here, and various sections and circles operated.

The Oldest University in Russia

In 1876, with the funds of Baron Alexander Stieglitz, the School of Technical Drawing opened in Salt Lane. The main building was constructed on the site of the eastern wing of Salt Town from 1878 to 1881, based on the designs of architects Alexander Krakau and Robert Gödike. Next to it, the Museum of Decorative and Applied Arts was built. After the revolution, the school underwent several reorganizations and closed as an independent institution in 1924.

Defense Museum

In 1946, a museum dedicated to the Siege of Leningrad opened in Salt Town. Its foundation was an exhibition of trophy German weapons brought from the Leningrad front in 1943. The exhibition was housed in the buildings of the Forestry and Crafts Museums.

The first exhibition opened in 1944 and attracted about half a million visitors in six months. In 1945, it was visited by Marshal Georgy Zhukov and American General Eisenhower, who highly praised the exhibition.

The exhibition featured personal belongings of citizens, paintings, and pages from Tanya Savicheva's diary. In 1952, the museum was closed due to Stalinist repressions, and many exhibits were destroyed or transferred to other museums.

Participants in the events were rehabilitated during the perestroika period, and the museum reopened on September 8, 1989. The exhibition became permanent only after 1995, and since then, thematic exhibitions have been regularly held here.

Since 2020, thanks to expansion, the museum has been able to accommodate all exhibitions and collections, as well as establish the Institute of the History of Defense and the Siege of Leningrad. The museum is now actively working on creating a digital archive and holds international conferences.

Public Life

Life has been bustling in Salt Town for 100 years. In 1906, the First All-Russian Women's Congress took place here, and in 1913, the educational exhibition of the League for Women's Equality. From 1909 to 1913, exhibitions dedicated to lighting devices, milling, and the construction industry were held here.

At that time, societies such as the Study and Teaching of Language and the Dissemination of Natural History Knowledge operated here. ORM was headed by Boris Piotrovsky, the grandfather and father of two directors of the Hermitage.

What Else to See in Salt Town?

The quarter on the Fontanka continues to attract residents and visitors. Here, one should pay attention to the Panteleimon Church, built in the Baroque style according to Ivan Korobov's design. In 1912, memorial plaques were installed in honor of the regiments that participated in the Battle of Gangut and the Battle of Grengam. In 1936, the church was closed, and in 1980 it became a branch of the Museum of the History of the City. In 1991, the church was returned to the diocese, and today services are held there.

During the restoration in 2002-2003, the facade of the church was repaired, and in 2007, the interior paintings were restored.

"Mukhina" in the Lane

If you turn into Salt Lane, you can see the building of the Mukhina School, which has been the Art and Industry Academy since 1994.

Nearby is the Museum of Decorative and Applied Arts, which features antique Russian furniture, European porcelain, Eastern ceramics, and other items. The museum halls are distinguished by intricate decoration corresponding to the theme of the exhibitions. Part of the museum's collection was lost or transferred to the Hermitage.

Celebrities in Salt Town

Residential buildings have been constructed in the quarter on the Fontanka. Many famous personalities lived here. In house No. 14 lived Alexander Pushkin, in house No. 2, architect David Visconti. Composer Alexander Borodin spent his childhood here. Mikhail Zoshchenko and Samuel Marshak studied at the former Third Gymnasium, while Pyotr Tchaikovsky spent his childhood in house No. 6.

Today, the Salt Quarter continues to attract guests and residents of the city. Tourists take photos, St. Petersburg residents stroll, and filmmakers use the backdrop of ancient buildings in their films. In the Sherlock Holmes series, the "Lyceum" theater was played by the Stieglitz Art School. Scenes for the films "Mysteries of Investigation," "Lawyer of the Empire," and others were shot here.

Street University

The Mukhina School is not the only educational institution in Salt Town. On Sundays, open master classes, lectures, and seminars are held here, which anyone can conduct. You just need to prepare a program and send it to the organizers. The only thing that might hinder the classes is the changeable St. Petersburg weather.

Creative events continue here, such as the Art Festival of Umbrellas. For one month a year, bright accessories decorate the sky above the city and create a rainbow mood.

Salt Lane has become pedestrian. Despite the dilapidation of the buildings, the atmosphere of old St. Petersburg is preserved here, and the quarter and its museums attract creative people from all over the country.