During this audio walk we’ll explore Vasilievsky Island, one of the oldest districts of Saint Petersburg. In so doing, we’ll gain an insight into the visionary mind of the city’s founder, Peter the Great. Our tour will begin on the Strelka, the island’s headland. From that spot we’ll have a marvellous panoramic view of the places and buildings that played a role in the birth of this city. This will include the Neva river and its distributaries, the Peter and Paul Fortress, the Hermitage Palace and the Admiralty. We’ll then set off to explore the island itself and discuss the role it’s played in the history of the city as illustrated in its architecture and urban development. We’ll begin with the old harbour facilities such as the Maritime Stock Exchange and the famous Rostral Columns then we’ll come to University Embankment, which lies along the southern side of the island. This is in fact the island’s ‘sophisticated’ district, which includes major buildings such as the Kunstkamera, the 12 Colleges, the palace built for the future Peter the 2nd and the Menshikov Palace…. These will all provide us with excellent opportunities to recount both major events in the city’s history as well as some of its more anecdotal tales.