New Holland - two man-made islands in the Neva delta. They arose as a result that in 1719 between the Neva and Moika River for the needs of shipbuilders two channels were dug: Kryukov and Admiralteysky. Authorship modern name according to legend belongs to Peter the Great himself. It was the most appropriate, since the original "Holland" in St Petersburg called the place near the Admiralty, where warehouses of ship timber were built.
The architectural complex of the island "New Holland" was built in 1765-1780 on the project and in the style of early classicism.
In the 1820s, on the draft of Shtaubert on the west side of the island was constructed the building a ring-shaped sea prison, which the author called the prisoner tower, and locals call it "the bottle" (supposedly the source of the expression "to go into the bottle.")
Next to it in the middle of the XIX century by the military engineer Pasypkina was built a brick forge. At the beginning of the XXI century, the complex consisted of a few dozen objects, 11 of them - monuments of federal significance.
At the beginning of the XXI century the administration of St Petersburg, which in 2004 was granted the right for the island, has announced a tender for the reconstruction of of the island. In 2006 the competition for the reconstruction of the "New Holland" won LLC "ST" New Holland "Shalva Chigirinsky and Igor Kesaev.
On their request architectural firm of Norman Foster has developed a project of creation a multifunctional complex that includes theaters, conference halls, galleries, hotels and restaurants. However, the project failed to materialize.
In 2010, the competition for the reconstruction of the "New Holland" was won by Roman Abramovich. Under the terms of winning a tender the company has to invest in the reconstruction of New Holland 12 billion rubles in 7 years. In spring 2011, company "New Holland Development" together with the "Iris" Foundation and The Architecture Foundation, announced the beginning of the architectural design competition for the island.
July 16, 2011 for the first time in almost 300 years, New Holland has opened for visitors. Visit Russia, St Petersburg and take your private guided tour in St Petersburg. Book your private St Petersburg tour guide and rent a car with a driver to experience all places of interest.
