Admiralty Building

This long yellow-and-white building anchors the western end of Nevsky Prospekt with a golden spire rising from a central tower, one of the defining vertical accents of the Saint Petersburg skyline. Originally a fortified shipyard founded by Peter the Great, it was rebuilt in the early nineteenth century in a monumental Empire style rich with nautical sculpture and reliefs celebrating Russian naval power. Three of the city's main avenues radiate from its tower.