The Spit of Vasilyevsky Island, known in Russian as the Strelka, is the eastern tip of the island where the Neva splits into two branches. It is one of the most recognisable places in Saint Petersburg: a semicircular square, the Greek-style Old Stock Exchange and two tall red Rostral Columns, with the Hermitage and the Peter and Paul Fortress across the water.
The space is free and open at any time, and several museums stand around it. This page explains what to see on the square, how the ensemble came to be, when the column torches are lit and how to get there from the centre, including what to do about the night raising of Palace Bridge.
Quick Facts
| Russian name | Стрелка Васильевского острова |
|---|---|
| Built / opened | 1810 |
| Architect(s) | Thomas de Thomon (Old Stock Exchange and Rostral Columns); Giacomo Quarenghi and Giovanni Luchini (surrounding buildings) |
| Address | Санкт-Петербург, Биржевая площадь OpenStreetMap · Google Maps |
| District | Vasileostrovsky District |
| Metro | Admiralteyskaya (Line 5, about 930 m on foot, across Palace Bridge) Sportivnaya (Line 5, about 1.3 km on foot) Vasileostrovskaya (Line 3, about 1.6 km on foot) |
| Opening hours | The square, embankment and Rostral Columns are open air and accessible at any time. Museums in the surrounding buildings have their own hours (as of October 2026 – check each museum). Cross Palace Bridge before it is raised at night: in 2026 it is closed to traffic from 01:10 to 02:50 and from 03:10 to 04:55. |
| Admission | Free to walk the square and see the Rostral Columns; museums nearby charge separately. |
| Best time to visit | Sunset and the blue hour give the best light and views. Early morning is quiet. The torches on the columns are lit on City Day (27 May) and during major celebrations. In summer the white nights keep the sky light late; in winter the open square is windy and cold. |
| Recommended duration | 1–2 hours, plus time for any museum |
| Last updated | October 16, 2026 |
What Is (and Isn't) Part of a Visit to Spit of Vasilyevsky Island, Saint Petersburg?
| Part | Status | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Birzhevaya Square and the granite embankment | Included in the standard ticket | Open air and free at any time. |
| Rostral Columns | Included in the standard ticket | Seen from the square; torches are lit only on special occasions. |
| Old Stock Exchange building | Separate ticket or institution | Exhibition use and opening hours should be checked separately; not a standard visit. |
| Zoological Museum and other museums in the warehouses | Separate ticket or institution | Each has its own hours and tickets. |
| Kunstkamera | Separate ticket or institution | A separate museum on the neighbouring embankment, with its own ticket. |
| Palace Bridge | Outside / not part of it | The main crossing to the Strelka from the centre. |
Why Visit Spit of Vasilyevsky Island, Saint Petersburg?
The Strelka is one of the best viewpoints in the city. From the granite embankment you see the Winter Palace, the Admiralty and Palace Bridge on one side and the Peter and Paul Fortress on the other, and the Rostral Columns frame the view. It is also the heart of a group of museums, including the Kunstkamera and the Zoological Museum.
It is a good place for an unhurried walk, for photographs at sunset and for seeing how the city was planned: the Strelka was meant to be Petersburg’s centre and kept its ceremonial look even though the centre moved to the other bank.
How Spit of Vasilyevsky Island, Saint Petersburg Is Laid Out
The Old Stock Exchange stands at the point of the island, with its portico facing the river. In front of it is the semicircular Birzhevaya Square, which ends in a granite embankment. The two Rostral Columns stand on either side of the square, one to the north and one to the south.
Behind the Exchange, the ensemble continues with two warehouse buildings on either side: the South Warehouse, now the Zoological Museum, and the North Warehouse, which houses a soil science museum and a literary museum. The Academy of Sciences, the Kunstkamera and the Pushkin House (the Institute of Russian Literature) line the neighbouring embankments.
You can see the main sights in a loop: start at the Rostral Columns, walk down to the water, then circle the Exchange and continue along the embankments to the museums. Wide steps lead down to the river from the square.
Highlights of Spit of Vasilyevsky Island, Saint Petersburg
The Rostral Columns
The two columns were built in 1810–11 to the design of Thomas de Thomon. Each is about 32 metres high, made of brick covered in red stucco and decorated with bronze anchors and four pairs of bronze ship prows, the rostra that give them their name. At the base of each column, seated marble figures represent Russia's great rivers: the Volga and the Dnieper by the northern column, and the Neva and the Volkhov by the southern one.
They originally served as lamps for the port, lit with oil.
Tip: Walk around both columns to see the four river figures.
Torch lighting
Gas torches at the top of the columns are lit only on special occasions. On City Day, 27 May, the flames are lit by gas specialists shortly before 10:00 and again in the evening, and torches also burn during major city celebrations.
The lighting is free to watch from the square.
Tip: Check the city's event announcements if you want to see the torches burning.
The Old Stock Exchange
Thomas de Thomon designed the Exchange as a Greek temple, inspired by the temple at Paestum, with a colonnade of 44 Doric columns on a red granite base and a sculptural group of Neptune above the portico. It was built in 1805–10 to serve as the stock exchange, and the building and the columns together form the main axis of the ensemble.
Sources describe the Hermitage's heraldry collection as based here; check whether any exhibition is open.
Tip: Look at the Neptune group above the portico; it is easy to miss from the square.
Birzhevaya Square and the river steps
The semicircular square was created by building up the river bank, and Thomon designed it as an overlook with circular ramps and steps leading down to a granite landing stage on the Neva. It is the best place to stand with the whole river view in front of you.
The embankment is also where city celebrations are often staged.
Tip: Walk right to the water's edge for the view across to the Winter Palace.
The view across the Neva
From the Strelka you see the Winter Palace, the Admiralty and Palace Bridge on the south bank, and the Peter and Paul Fortress on the north. In the evening the façades are lit and the view is often described as the best in the city.
It is also a vantage point for watching the night raising of Palace Bridge.
Tip: Come at sunset to see the façades change colour.
The museum ensemble
The buildings around the spit house some of the city's best-known museums: the Kunstkamera, the Zoological Museum in the South Warehouse, a literary museum and the Pushkin House in the former customs building. You can combine the open-air walk with one or two of them.
Each museum has its own hours and tickets.
Tip: Pick one museum rather than trying to see all of them in a day.
Atmosphere
The Strelka feels like a stage set for the city. The square is wide, the columns are tall and red against the sky, and the river fills the whole view. People walk, take photographs and sit on the steps by the water, and students and families mix with tourists.
In the evening the mood turns almost festive when the lights come on across the Neva. On windy days the open space is cold, and in summer the long twilight keeps people on the embankment late. Because the area has no cars on the square itself, it is one of the most relaxed places to be in the centre.
History of Spit of Vasilyevsky Island, Saint Petersburg
Peter the Great chose Vasilyevsky Island as the planned centre of his new capital, and architects including Domenico Trezzini drew up a design for the eastern tip with a port, a customs house, warehouses, a Gostiny Dvor and the Kunstkamera. The plan did not work out as intended: the island was cut off from the mainland by the river without permanent bridges, and the real city centre grew up on the other bank. The port and customs house nevertheless stayed at the Strelka.
In the second half of the eighteenth century the tip of the island was developed again. Between 1783 and 1789, to a design by Giacomo Quarenghi, a range of buildings went up along the Bolshaya Neva, including the main building of the Academy of Sciences and the curved northern warehouse. Construction of the Stock Exchange began in 1783 but was suspended in 1787.
The project was restarted in 1805 under the French architect Thomas de Thomon, who designed the Exchange in the form of a Greek temple. The building was constructed between 1805 and 1810, and the two Rostral Columns on either side were completed around 1810–11. Thomon also designed the semicircular square and the granite approach to the water. At the time, the spit was the centre of the city’s port, and the columns served as lamps, with oil burning in bowls at the top.
The ensemble was completed between 1826 and 1832, when the southern and northern warehouses and the customs buildings were built to designs by Giovanni Luchini. In 1913–14 further work on the Exchange included a reinforced concrete arch in the main hall.
After the revolution of 1917 the building stopped working as a stock exchange. In 1939 it was given to the Central Naval Museum, which stayed until the move to a new site in 2010. The building then passed to the city, various uses were considered, and in 2013 it was announced that it would be transferred to the Hermitage.
Today the Strelka is mainly a place for walking and for museums. The port moved away long ago, but the columns remain a symbol of the city, and their gas torches are lit on major holidays, including City Day on 27 May.
Legends and Myths about Spit of Vasilyevsky Island, Saint Petersburg
Who was Vasily?
Disputed by historians. The origin of the island's name is disputed. A popular story says that when Peter the Great sent orders to his officer Vasily Korchmin, he addressed them 'to Vasily on the island', and the phrase became the name. Other versions trace the name to earlier owners of the land, and historians have not settled the question.
Tickets and Booking for Spit of Vasilyevsky Island, Saint Petersburg
Visiting the square, the embankment and the Rostral Columns is free and needs no booking. Museums on and around the Strelka sell their own tickets, so check each museum’s website for prices and hours.
- Choose one or two museums in advance rather than trying to see them all.
- The Kunstkamera and the Zoological Museum have separate ticket offices.
- Night boat tours that start nearby are sold by private operators.
Rates for Russian citizens and for international visitors may differ at some museums; check each museum for its categories.
Plan and Book
Suggested itineraries Spit of Vasilyevsky Island, Saint Petersburg
1 hour
Walk from Palace Bridge to the Rostral Columns, go down to the water for the view, then circle the Old Stock Exchange before heading back.
2 hours
Spend an hour on the square and the embankment, then continue along the embankment towards the Kunstkamera. Stay for sunset on the steps by the water.
Half day
Combine the open-air walk with one museum, for example the Kunstkamera or the Zoological Museum, then have a late lunch on the island and walk back across Palace Bridge.
How to Get to Spit of Vasilyevsky Island, Saint Petersburg
By metro: the closest stations are Admiralteyskaya (Line 5), Sportivnaya (Line 5) and Vasileostrovskaya (Line 3). From Admiralteyskaya, walk across Palace Bridge, about 930 metres. From Sportivnaya the walk is about 1.3 km, and from Vasileostrovskaya about 1.6 km.
On foot from the centre: cross Palace Bridge from Palace Square. The Strelka is a short walk beyond the bridge.
By taxi: ask for Birzhevaya Square (Биржевая площадь). At night remember that the bridges are raised, so plan your return route.
Accessibility
The square and the embankment are open and mostly flat, so they are easy to walk, but there are steps down to the water and the ramps' suitability for wheelchairs and strollers was not verified. Museums in the surrounding buildings have their own accessibility arrangements; check with each museum before you go.
Food Nearby
There are few cafes directly on the square. Cafes and restaurants can be found along the embankments and on the streets of Vasilyevsky Island and across Palace Bridge in the centre; plan to eat before or after your walk.
What to Bring
A windproof layer, comfortable shoes for walking and for stone steps, and a camera or phone for the views. In summer, bring water; the open square has little shade.
Best Views and Photo Spots of Spit of Vasilyevsky Island, Saint Petersburg
Steps to the Neva below the Exchange
The Winter Palace, the Admiralty and Palace Bridge across the river, with the water in the foreground.
Best time: Sunset and the evening, when the façades are lit.
Between the two Rostral Columns
A symmetrical view with a column on either side and the Exchange behind you, or the river ahead.
Best time: Early morning, when the square is quiet.
Northern column and the bridge side
The northern column with the nearby bridge and the Peter and Paul Fortress spire beyond.
Best time: Blue hour.
Palace Embankment across the river
A look back at the Strelka and the columns as one composition, framed by the water and Palace Bridge.
Best time: Late afternoon or evening.
Photography Rules
Photography on the square and embankment is free and common. Tripods are fine in quiet moments but can be awkward in crowds. Drone rules were not verified; avoid flying one in the historic centre without checking local restrictions. Museums have their own photography rules.
Family Suitability
Good for families: the square is wide, free and car-free, and children can run and watch the river. The museums nearby, such as the Zoological Museum and the Kunstkamera, add options for rainy days. Keep an eye on children near the water steps, and note that wheelchair and stroller access was not verified.
Russia Vibes Tips
- Cross Palace Bridge before the night raising. In 2026 it closes from 01:10 to 02:50 and from 03:10 to 04:55, and you can be stuck on the island.
- Go at sunset or the blue hour; the view across the Neva is the main reason to come.
- Walk round both Rostral Columns to see the four river figures, which are easy to miss.
- Pick one museum nearby instead of trying to see several; the open-air walk is the main attraction.
- Bring a windproof layer: the open square is exposed to the wind from the river.
Explore Nearby Spit of Vasilyevsky Island, Saint Petersburg
Sights near Spit of Vasilyevsky Island, Saint Petersburg
Palace Bridge, Saint Petersburg – about 300 m away (~5 min walk) · typical visit: 30–45 minutes; allow 1.5–2 hours if you wait for the night raisingMain image: AI-generated illustration. It may not show the place exactly as it looks.
Kunstkamera, Saint Petersburgabout 300 m away (~5 min walk) · typical visit: 2 hoursMain image: AI-generated illustration. It may not show the place exactly as it looks.
State Hermitage Museum, Saint Petersburg · typical visit: 3-5 hours for the main highlightsMain image: AI-generated illustration. It may not show the place exactly as it looks.
Peter and Paul Fortress, Saint Petersburg · typical visit: 2–4 hoursMain image: AI-generated illustration. It may not show the place exactly as it looks.
Palace Square, Saint Petersburg · typical visit: 30–60 minutes, more with the HermitageMain image: AI-generated illustration. It may not show the place exactly as it looks.
Saint Isaac's Cathedral, Saint Petersburg – about 1.1 km away (~18 min walk) · typical visit: 1.5–2 hours for the cathedral interior; allow another 45–60 minutes for the colonnade.Main image: AI-generated illustration. It may not show the place exactly as it looks.
Metro stations near Spit of Vasilyevsky Island, Saint Petersburg
Admiralteyskaya Metro Station, Saint Petersburgabout 1000 m away (~16 min walk)Main image: AI-generated illustration. It may not show the place exactly as it looks.
Train stations and river piers near Spit of Vasilyevsky Island, Saint Petersburg
Rumyantsev Descent Pier, Saint Petersburgabout 950 m away (~16 min walk)Main image: AI-generated illustration. It may not show the place exactly as it looks.
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FAQ: Spit of Vasilyevsky Island, Saint Petersburg
What is the Strelka of Vasilyevsky Island?
It is the eastern tip of the island where the Neva splits, and the name Strelka means spit. It is the site of the Old Stock Exchange, the Rostral Columns and a granite embankment.
Is it free to visit?
Yes. The square, the embankment and the Rostral Columns are free and open at any time. Museums nearby charge their own admission.
What are the Rostral Columns?
Two red columns about 32 metres high, built in 1810–11 and decorated with bronze ship prows. They once served as lamps for the port, and gas torches are now lit on special occasions.
When are the torches on the columns lit?
On City Day, 27 May, and during major city celebrations. They are not lit on ordinary days.
Who designed the ensemble?
The Old Stock Exchange and the Rostral Columns were designed by the French architect Thomas de Thomon. Buildings along the shore were designed by Giacomo Quarenghi and Giovanni Luchini.
What museums are nearby?
The Kunstkamera, the Zoological Museum, a literary museum, a soil science museum and the Pushkin House, among others. The Central Naval Museum was once in the Exchange but has moved.
How do I get there from the centre?
Walk across Palace Bridge from Palace Square, or take the metro to Admiralteyskaya, Sportivnaya or Vasileostrovskaya and walk.
Can I get stranded on the island at night?
Yes, in the navigation season the bridges are raised at night. Palace Bridge is closed from 01:10 to 02:50 and from 03:10 to 04:55 in 2026, so plan your return.
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Last updated: October 16, 2026. Found an error or something out of date? Report it and we will check and fix it.
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