Play Time No 20-21(21) 1996 .
Ambercoloured lights
Anyone may know that the best time to come to Petersburg and admire its architecture monuments is a delightful period of white nights. However, summer in Petersburg is very short. Winter is long and only several hours a day are light this time. Must we say how important a problem of lighting its streets, squares, embankments and bridges is? In many stores in the XVIII century, for instance, in Gostiny Dvor, selling stopped after sun set.
When Petersburg was founded, the first districts formed and even when it was declared to be a capital of Russia there was no constant lighting of its streets. Lamps, refueled with hempseed oil, were hung out on facades of buildings only on significant holidays, during mass outdoor fetes. Only a small part of the Neva’s embankment in front of the Winter palace of Peter I (now the Hermitage Theatre is on this place) had been illuminated constantly by four lamps since 1718. We can consider them to be the first street lamps. They were designed by architect J. B. Leblon.
Constant street illuminating of the capital started in 1723, by order of Peter I. At first it concerned the place in front of Zimniy palace. Then 595 oily lamps were established on Nevskiy prospekt. Certainly they shone wanly, gave little light, became dim rather often, and were dangerous for inhabitants. But they always aroused general delight. That time permanent illumination of streets was a novelty even for more developed European states. Duties of the first lamp-lighters were fulfilled by soldiers of capital regiments, who were later replaced by civilians. Their equipment contained ladders, tow and brushes. These lamps were lighted at the darkest time not more than five hours. However, they appeared to be so popular that in 1725 a special order permitted to put bench near every lamp.
Lamps of this kind existed in Petersburg more than 100 years. They, of course, lighted only central streets, leaving outskirts in darkness. In 1788 the City Duma allowed to farm out street lighting to merchants Mikhailov and Nesterov, having promised to pay a fee for every lighting lamp. Time of lamps’ work was specified in a special way: in a dark period, from August 1 to April 22 - from twilight till 3 am. If night had been moon it was permitted to turn lamps off earlier. A quality of oil used in lamps also was stipulated. By 1794 a quantity of lamps increased from 1257 in 1770 to 3400.
In the first half of the XIX gas light appeared in Petersburg. Joint stock "Company of Gas Light of St. Petersburg" was established. It included very enterprising people whose efforts later were compensated by considerable dividends. Dvortsovaya square, Nevskiy prospekt, Millionnaya street, Bolshaya and Malaya Morskaya streets, Mikhailovskaya, Sadovaya, Gorohovaya streets had gaslight. Gas lamps burnt more brightly and also provoked universal delight at the first time. They constructed gas works. In 1858 in Petersburg there were 8494 lamps (936 of them were gaslight).
In the 1860’s the State Duma gave a permission to Mr. Shandor, American of Hungarian origin, for lighting streets and squares of the capital using new "mineral" oil, in other words kerosene. 6000 lamps, which used kerosene, were called by people "Shandarinov’s". Kerosene was less expensive than gas and easier in using. Gas, mantle, coal, which brought by sea from England that time, were not necessary. Though, such lamps lighted worse.
Introduction of electric illumination in Russia is connected with one of the most unpleasant moment in our history. When streets of Paris, London and Rome were lighted by new electric lamps and all the world called invention of A. Ladyzhin and P. Yablochkov "Russian Light", gas and kerosene lamps were still used in Petersburg. Russian government did not find money for support of its engineers. P. Yablochkov had to redeem his own patent for million French francs from France in order to use his invention in Russia. The first electric lamps in Petersburg, which were hung out on the square near Alexandrinskiy Theatre, were demonstrated to people like a circus show. Numerous Petersburg residents gathered there just to see it.
The first 12 electric lamps were established on Dvortsovy bridge in 1879. In 1881 new joint stock company "ElektroTekhnik" formed. Result of its activity was that in 1883 electric lamps burnt on Nevskiy prospekt from the Fontanka river to Nikolaevskiy (now Moskovskiy) railway station. However in general introduction of electric light in Petersburg was very slow. It was explained that Petersburg electric stations of that time, located on the Obvodny canal, the Fontanka river embankment and Novgorod street used English coal. Glow lamps and "Yablochkov’s candles" were brought from abroad. Expensive introduction of electric light explicates the fact that in 1916, there were 500 illuminated streets in Petersburg and 400 of them had lamps with gas or kerosene. Only in 1922, gas and kerosene lighting was liquidated.
Now at the end of the XX century St. Petersburg is flooded with light of infinite number of modern lamps. We take lighting of streets and embankments, night illumination of beautiful buildings and monuments, burning signs of stores and restaurants, new luminous effects, illumination during holidays as matter of course. And also we complain that some districts of Petersburg are not lighted enough yet.
In the second half of the XVIII century production of plane glass increased, appeared a possibility to make form of lamps more various, and the lamps became to be decoration of Petersburg. Refined suspended hexahedral lamps appeared in porches of the Winter palace. Constructing of new private residences, palaces and temples, revetment of embankments with granite, was accompanied with projecting and production of lamps, corresponding to spirit of the time and place . Petersburg lamps were skilfully remade for new lighting technique. During the process of assimilation of new building materials and architecture styles supports of lamps also changed (from wooden ones to iron, stone and cast iron). Though lamps changed a little, they were adjusted to new conditions of exploitation. The main term was harmonious combination with architecture ensemble.
End of the XVIII - beginning of the XIX centuries is characterized by prevalence of classicism in architecture of Petersburg. If we look at the bridges built at that time, we would see special supports for lamps, made from granite, which had an appearance of towers and obelisks. That is old Roman tradition. Such lamps are on some bridges across Fontanka (Lomonosovskiy and Staro-Kalinkin bridges), Moyka (Krasny and Potseluev bridges), Ekaterininskiy canal (Malo-Kalinkin, Pikalov and Alarchin bridges). Many of them kept their original appearance. Such supports are very expensive.. They were seldom manufactured. Only in 1903, two such obelisks were mounted at the entrance to Troitskiy bridge from the side of Marsovo pole and near building # 1 in Kamennoostrovskiy prospekt. Two more such supports for original lamps, imitating ship ones, were placed near the monument to sailors of torpedo-boat "Steregushchiy" in 1909-1911. Several granite supports-obelisks were created in the Soviet period during the construction of new bridges in old districts of the city.
Restoring some architecture structures restorers carefully recreate lamps corresponding to the time. The image would not be complete without it. Sometimes only a specialist can say whether the lamps are old or it is only a contemporary work according to old traditions. For instance the lamps on the oldest wooden bridge of the city - Ioannovskiy near the entrance to Peter-an-Paul Fortress, were reconstituted according to project of architect C. Rossi. He worked it out for lamps of Suvorovskiy bridge across the Neva. Now Troitskiy bridge is on its place. And original, very beautiful lamps were specially projected for it. Lanterns with conic lamps, formerly projected especially for the first electric lighting of Nevskiy prospekt in 1883, were recreated for the territory of the fortress.
New possibilities for variety of forms for street lamps were caused by use of cast iron for founding of lamp poles. Such poles and standard lamps became an inalienable part of image of our city. They became a wonderful addition to architecture masterpieces of Petersburg like cast and forged gratings of fences, rails, gates. It is interesting that mostly old lapms has been kept on bridges. The lamps of Bankovskiy and L’viny bridges across Ekaterininskiy canal, which were nicely included in their architecture decorations (architect P. Sokolov), are unforgettable and kept their original image. Lamps of Malo-Konushenny and Bolshoy Konushenny bridges (architects E. Adam and G. Treter) also has been kept till now. But original lamps of Egipetskiy bridge across the Fontanka were rendered according to the project by P. Sokolov and mounted in 1955 together with the bridge.
It is impossible to mention all of lamps deserving our attention. Many charming places of our city would be inconceivable. They must be seen. But let’s pay a special attention to those, which are kept their original appearance and are where they were originally placed. We have a chance to see lamps created by project of the best St. Petersburg architect C. Rossi. Two of them are near the entrance to the built by him Alexandrinskiy Theatre. Two others decorate Masliany Lug on Elagin Island.
Constructing Isaac Cathedral O. Monferran also projected the lanterns which illuminate its columns even now. Just the opposite there are old lamps around Nikolay I monument (architect Vengelt) and created by architect A. Shtakenshneyder lamps near the entrance to the Mariinskiy palace. Perhaps that is why the square has such a perfect appearance.
Lamps on facades of the Lutheran church of Peter and Paul in Nevskiy prospekt, palace of Great Prince Vladimir Alexandrovich (Scholars House) on Dvortsovaya embankment, near the gates of M. Kshesinskaya palace on Troitskaya square, at the entrance to Nikolaevskiy palace, Nikolaevskiy (Moskovskiy) railway station, Mikhailovskiy Theatre (now Musorgskiy Theatre of Opera and Ballet) kept their initial fascination and originality for us. Passing years these lamps serve to Petersburg, maintaining cosiness and individual style of the city on the Neva.
Nadezhda Sholohova