Малоизвестные названия улиц Санкт-Петербурга
занимательные факты

Some stories about the unusual street’s names in St. Petersburg

I would like to tell you about some of the most interesting streets of Petersburg with strange names.

But firstly I want to ask you some questions:

What interesting name of Finnish streets can you tell us?

What is your favorite street name in Finland?

Do you know what names of Finnish streets are connected with the history of Russia? – For example:

Aleksanterinkatu (Алексантеринкату) - the historic central street of Helsinki. Named after the Russian Emperor Alexander the First.

2nd Luch st. (Means the 2nd Ray St.)

It is a very strange name for the street. But the unusual fact is that there are no other “Luchs” under other numbers in the city. We can explain it very easily. The explanation is simple: the lane is located on the territory of the former planned block “Tsarskoy Gorodok”, in which radial streets should be called Luchs, and circular streets should be called circles. A full-scale development didn’t take place, but one lane still has been saving its name.

1-2-3 Konnaya Lakhta st. (Means Housekeeping)

Even before the existence of St. Petersburg on the shore of the Gulf of Finland, there was an ancient settlement called "Lakhta", which is translated from Finnish as "bay" or "creek". The name "Konnaya" is a distortion from the Finnish "kontu", meaning "yard / housekeeping". In the literal sense: Konnaya Lakhta is the Lakhtinskiy courtyard.

Lomanaya street (Means Broken St.)

This lane has got its name in the 19th century, because there were a few twists. Sometimes local jokers use it as a phrase "Yes it's not even worth a broken street" by analogy with the "broken penny".

Detskaya street (Means Children’s St.)

This street on the Vasilievsky Island was built in the beginning of the nineteenth century, while it was called "Newly laid" street and started from the Bolshoy Prospekt of the Vasilievsky Island. In 1871, the name was changed, and the lane was called Knyagininskaya. In 1903 on this street one of the first kindergartens was built and already in 1922, the name "Detskaya" was finally returned.

Lines of Vasilyevsky Island

Peter the First dreamed that St. Petersburg looked like his beloved Amsterdam, so he ordered to dig out a rectangular canal network on the island. Passages along the banks of the lateral canals should be called prospects, and along the transverse ones there were the lines. The canals were laid only up to the 13th line, and that is not everywhere and not for the whole length. The canals gradually overgrew, the local residents dropped their garbage into them, and finally, by decree of Catherine the Second of April 26 1767, they were closed. The names of the lines are still remained.

Malaya Sadovaya st.

Also I would like to tell you about my favorite street in St. Petersburg  which is called Malaya Sadovaya. This street is considered as the shortest street in Petersburg. The length of the lane is only 179 meters. One of the modern features of the street is that the Malaya Sadovaya is equipped with heating. In winter there is practically no snow and ice here.

That’s all that I want to tell you about unusual street’s names in St. Petersburg. Thanks for your attention.