English Embankment — engraving

St. Petersburg View from the English Embankment, 1828.

Technique, Material: Steel engraving / Paper
Artist: ,  Engraver: Thomas Kelly
Date, Publisher: Boston Published by Samuel Walker 1828., London, 1828.
Size: sheet 24x16  14x9.5 cm.

This engraving presents a picturesque view of the Neva River from the left bank, looking toward Vasilievsky Island in 1828. The embankment depicted is the English Embankment, one of St. Petersburg's most elegant and historic waterfronts.

The English Embankment stretches along the left bank of the Bolshaya Neva from Senate Square to the Novo-Admiralty Canal. Its name derives from the many English merchants who settled here in the 18th century, establishing the Anglican Church of Jesus Christ at No. 56. Initially called the Lower Embankment or Galley Embankment, it was faced with granite between 1770 and 1788 under the direction of architects I.L. Rossi and Y.M. Felten. The granite wall was constructed on wooden piles driven into the riverbed, faced with massive granite blocks, and crowned with a continuous granite parapet. Semi-circular staircases provided access to the water. This engineering feat has stood for over 200 years.

What the Engraving Shows
On the opposite bank, on Vasilievsky Island, several landmarks are visible:The Academy of Arts — the monumental building designed by Jean-Baptiste Vallin de la Mothe and Alexander Kokorinov, completed in 1788. Behind it, the Rumyantsev Obelisk, which was erected in 1818 on the former parade ground between the Academy of Arts and the Menshikov Palace. Further along, the Menshikov Palace and the floating bridge — the famous St. Isaac's Floating Bridge, connecting Vasilievsky Island with the Admiralty side. The engraving captures daily life along the embankment: well-dressed citizens strolling along the granite walkway, enjoying the views of the Neva. The street lamps along the embankment are oil lamps, as gas lighting was introduced in St. Petersburg only in 1839 — eleven years after this print was made.

The Publisher and Date
The inscription on the engraving reads: "Boston Published by Samuel Walker 1828". This indicates the engraving was published in Boston by Samuel Walker, an American publisher, making it a rare American view of St. Petersburg from the early 19th century. The year 1828 places this view during the reign of Emperor Nicholas I, a period of architectural grandeur and imperial confidence.
This engraving serves as a valuable historical document, capturing the granite-clad elegance of the English Embankment just decades after its completion, with Vasilievsky Island's cultural institutions across the river and the floating bridge connecting the two shores.