Lakhta, Saint Petersburg
Encyclopedia
Lakhta is a historical area in Lakhta-Olgino Municipal Okrug
of St. Petersburg
, Russia
, situated west of Lake Lakhta (hence the name). It was formerly owned by Peter the Great, Count Grigory Orlov, and Count Stenbock-Fermor (whose 19th-century residence survives). The Lakhta railway station
of the Primorsky Railway connects Lakhta to Central Saint Petersburg
. The historical area of Olgino
lies south-west of Lakhta.
had a residence in the area called Blizhniye Dubki. According to tradition, in November 1724 Peter was in a ship in the Gulf of Finland near Lakhta to inspect some ironworks. He saw a group of soldiers drowning not far from shore, and, wading out into near-waist deep water, came to their rescue. This icy water rescue is said to have exacerbated Peter's bladder problems and caused his death on January 28, 1725. The event was commemorated in the 19th-century by a chapel
; and the so-called "Peter's pine
" was shown to tourists down to the 20th century.
The story, however, has been viewed with scepticism by some historians, pointing out that the German chronicler Jacob von Stählin is the only source for the story, and it seems unlikely that no one else would have documented such an act of heroism. This, plus the interval of time between these actions and Peter's death seems to preclude any direct link. However, the story may still, in part, contain some grain of truth.
In 1768, an enormous granite boulder in the nearby forest called the Thunder Stone was chosen by Catherine the Great
to be the pedestal
for an equestrian statue of Peter the Great
. The Thunder Stone is the largest rock ever moved by man, even to this day. The statue is now known as The Bronze Horseman
, and is one of the landmarks of Saint Petersburg.
Lakhta has also been a centre of Russian sporting firsts. It was host to Russia's first tennis event, and in 1913 a large building was constructed for the lawn tennis club. It also played host to the first soccer cups in Russia.
Lakhta was granted urban-type settlement
status and renamed Lakhtinsky in 1938. In 1963, it was annexed by Leningrad and became a part of the city.
Lakhta-Olgino Municipal Okrug
Lakhta-Olgino Municipal Okrug is a municipal okrug of Primorsky District of the federal city of St. Petersburg, Russia, comprising that city's historical areas of Lakhta and Olgino. It is located just north of the Gulf of Finland...
of St. Petersburg
Saint Petersburg
Saint Petersburg is a city and a federal subject of Russia located on the Neva River at the head of the Gulf of Finland on the Baltic Sea...
, Russia
Russia
Russia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...
, situated west of Lake Lakhta (hence the name). It was formerly owned by Peter the Great, Count Grigory Orlov, and Count Stenbock-Fermor (whose 19th-century residence survives). The Lakhta railway station
Lakhta railway station
Lakhta railway station is a railway station that was opened Lakhta settlement and now is in St. Petersburg, Russia.It was built on the Joint-stock company of the Prinorskaya St.-Peterburg-Sestroretsk railway and was opened on July 12, 1894. When it opened, it was the terminal station...
of the Primorsky Railway connects Lakhta to Central Saint Petersburg
Central Saint Petersburg
Central Saint Petersburg is the central and the leading part of Saint Petersburg, Russia. It looks nothing like the downtown district of a typical major city, and has no skyscrapers...
. The historical area of Olgino
Olgino
Olgino is a historical area in Lakhta-Olgino Municipal Okrug of St. Peterburg, Russia, located south-west of the area of Lakhta and east of Lisy Nos. This part of the Neva Bay coast was owned in the mid-19th century by Count Stenbock-Fermor, of Swedish provenance, who bestowed upon it the...
lies south-west of Lakhta.
Death of Peter the Great
In the early 18th century, Peter the GreatPeter I of Russia
Peter the Great, Peter I or Pyotr Alexeyevich Romanov Dates indicated by the letters "O.S." are Old Style. All other dates in this article are New Style. ruled the Tsardom of Russia and later the Russian Empire from until his death, jointly ruling before 1696 with his half-brother, Ivan V...
had a residence in the area called Blizhniye Dubki. According to tradition, in November 1724 Peter was in a ship in the Gulf of Finland near Lakhta to inspect some ironworks. He saw a group of soldiers drowning not far from shore, and, wading out into near-waist deep water, came to their rescue. This icy water rescue is said to have exacerbated Peter's bladder problems and caused his death on January 28, 1725. The event was commemorated in the 19th-century by a chapel
Chapel
A chapel is a building used by Christians as a place of fellowship and worship. It may be part of a larger structure or complex, such as a church, college, hospital, palace, prison or funeral home, located on board a military or commercial ship, or it may be an entirely free-standing building,...
; and the so-called "Peter's pine
Pine
Pines are trees in the genus Pinus ,in the family Pinaceae. They make up the monotypic subfamily Pinoideae. There are about 115 species of pine, although different authorities accept between 105 and 125 species.-Etymology:...
" was shown to tourists down to the 20th century.
The story, however, has been viewed with scepticism by some historians, pointing out that the German chronicler Jacob von Stählin is the only source for the story, and it seems unlikely that no one else would have documented such an act of heroism. This, plus the interval of time between these actions and Peter's death seems to preclude any direct link. However, the story may still, in part, contain some grain of truth.
Later history
Catherine II of Russia
Catherine II, also known as Catherine the Great , Empress of Russia, was born in Stettin, Pomerania, Prussia on as Sophie Friederike Auguste von Anhalt-Zerbst-Dornburg...
to be the pedestal
Pedestal
Pedestal is a term generally applied to the support of a statue or a vase....
for an equestrian statue of Peter the Great
Peter I of Russia
Peter the Great, Peter I or Pyotr Alexeyevich Romanov Dates indicated by the letters "O.S." are Old Style. All other dates in this article are New Style. ruled the Tsardom of Russia and later the Russian Empire from until his death, jointly ruling before 1696 with his half-brother, Ivan V...
. The Thunder Stone is the largest rock ever moved by man, even to this day. The statue is now known as The Bronze Horseman
The Bronze Horseman
The Bronze Horseman is an equestrian statue of Peter the Great in Saint Petersburg, Russia. Commissioned by Catherine the Great, it was created by the French sculptor Étienne Maurice Falconet. It is also the name of a narrative poem written by Aleksandr Pushkin about the statue in 1833, widely...
, and is one of the landmarks of Saint Petersburg.
Lakhta has also been a centre of Russian sporting firsts. It was host to Russia's first tennis event, and in 1913 a large building was constructed for the lawn tennis club. It also played host to the first soccer cups in Russia.
Lakhta was granted urban-type settlement
Urban-type settlement
Urban-type settlement ; , selyshche mis'koho typu ) is an official designation for a type of locality used in some of the countries of the former Soviet Union...
status and renamed Lakhtinsky in 1938. In 1963, it was annexed by Leningrad and became a part of the city.