fortresses, 3 lit.O, Petropavlovskaya territory, Saint Petersburg, Russia, 191186
To the left of the main alley, deep within a small square, stands a two-story building with white columns. This is the former guardhouse, the Hauptwache. Strangely enough, the literal translation of this word means "Post No. 1." But in Russia, during the time of Peter the Great, it had the same meaning as it does now—the place where soldiers and officers serving punishment were held.
Hauptwache. Source: Bogdanov A.I. Historical, Geographical and Topographical Description of Saint Petersburg, from its Foundation, 1703 to 1751. St. Petersburg, 1779
Originally, the Hauptwache building was wooden, of "deliberate grandeur," and stood closer to the cathedral. A one-story stone Hauptwache building was constructed in 1748-1749. A gallery with semicircular arches, enclosed by a wooden balustrade, faced the main facade. The building had a four-sloped tiled roof and was painted pink. At the end of the 18th century, the roof was replaced with an iron one.
In 1906-1907, according to the design of military engineer V. F. Asmus, the building was expanded. The facades were executed in the neoclassical style. The front northern facade is decorated with a monumental four-column portico. The corners are rusticated. The walls are painted yellow with white details. At that time, the second floor was added and the four-column portico was constructed. Today, the Hauptwache building houses the Directorate of the State Museum of the History of St. Petersburg.
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