Industrial Buildings
St. Petersburg is famous as a city of palaces and cathedrals, of emperors and poets. For over two centuries, however, it was also Russia's main industrial centre, home to many of the country's largest plants and factories.
Although less celebrated, this aspect of the city's life has produced some extraordinary architecture, particularly in the boom years of industrialization in the late 19th century. Near the old city limits along and around the Obvodny Canal, there are numerous masterpieces of industrial architecture, and even in the city centre there are several former factories and warehouses that deserve the attention of visitors.
A monumental oddity of a structure in the heart of the historic centre, New Holland was originally built for Peter the Great as Russia's first naval port. It has since been used as warehouses, a research centre, and a prison, and is now being turned into a business and recreational centre.
