Petrograd Side

The Petrograd Side is a group of islands in Saint Petersburg, Russia, located between the Malaya Neva and the Bolshaya Nevka rivers. It is one of the four main sections of central Saint Petersburg, which is divided by the Neva River and its distributaries. The Petrograd Side is notable for the Peter-Paul Fortress, the city's first structure, founded in 1703. This fortress, originally with earthen walls, was later reinforced with stone and cannons. Its spire, the Cathedral of St. Peter and St. Paul, is a prominent landmark. The fortress also served as a prison for political detainees and is now a museum. Moored nearby is the cruiser Aurora, a museum ship that fired a signal shot during the October Revolution in 1917.1