New Holland

Except for one day in 2000 – when an exhibition of avant-garde art was held here – this island has been closed to the public for the nearly three centuries of its existence. The impressive red brick and granite arch, designed by Jean-Baptiste Vallin de la Mothe in the late 18th century, is one of the city’s best examples of Russian classicism. In Peter’s time, the complex was used for ship-building (its name refers to the place where he learned the trade). In the 19th century, a large basin was built in the middle of the island. Here, experiments were conducted by scientist Alexey Krylov in an attempt to build a boat that couldn’t be capsized. In 1915 the navy built a radio transmitter here – the most powerful in Russia at the time. The place has since been left to the dogs, but the city has big plans to turn it into a retail and cultural centre.