Leningrad Marine Station, History and Architecture

The St. Peters Line terminal is located in a building that was built for the management of the Baltic Shipping Company and a hotel for sailors, as well as as a sea station for cruise ships arriving in Leningrad, so it is better known as the "Leningrad Sea Station" or "Old Sea Station".

The project was developed under the supervision of V. A. Sokhin and L. V. Kalyagin and received the State Prize for Innovative Approach. The original appearance of the building, lined with three-dimensional panels resembling wind-blown sails, is particularly noted. Construction began in 1973 and was delayed for a long time, the opening took place only in 1982.

The tower features a 78-meter-high titanium spire and is topped by a gold-plated globe with a sailboat on top. Many sources indicate that the ship was copied from the Admiralty weather vane, but in fact they have nothing in common.

The main hall is designed as an atrium with a glass roof. The building has 7 floors, including one technical (fourth) floor. Five berths hosted cruise ships and ferries from Germany, Finland and Sweden. Also, from 2003 to 2010, the Georg Ots ferry of the regular St. Petersburg-Kaliningrad line was moored here, until it was transferred to Vladivostok as a floating hotel for the APEC summit, after which it disappeared without a trace in China.

Over time, the size of cruise ships has greatly increased, and the Sea Channel that connects the Sea Station with the Gulf of Finland cannot allow ships more than 200 meters in length. Therefore, as part of the Sea Facade program, a new cruise port was built right on the shore of the Gulf of Finland. In 2008, the city authorities made a barbaric decision to demolish the building, but they were smart enough to cancel this madness and preserve the unique object. Now, in addition to the St. Peter Line terminal, there is the Polo Regatta Hotel, a conference center, office and shopping areas.

From the side of the ferry, you can enjoy a view of the surrounding area of the Sea Station. To the left is the entrance to the Skipper's Channel leading to Galernaya Harbour. The canal and harbor were built in 1721-1723 by decree of Peter I The entrance to the canal is decorated with guard pavilions - "kronspits" made by Trezzini in 1722. Initially the buildings were made of wood, but in 1754 they were replaced with stone ones, retaining their former appearance. The works were supervised by architect M. A. Bashmakov. Beyond the canal, you can see cruise ships parked in the new port.

On the right, you can see part of the Opochinsky Garden and the Sea Glory Square.

Workshops of the Sevkabel plant and pipes of CHPP-7.

The old Sea Station is located on Morskoy Slava Square, at the intersection of Bolshoy Prospekt and Nalichnaya Street. Red buildings on Bolshoy Prospekt - Deryabinsky (or Novomorsk) barracks, where in 1925 a scuba diving Training unit was opened. Behind them you can see the main dome of the Church of the Merciful Icon of the Mother of God.