English Embankment
Coordinates: 59°56′03″N 30°17′36″E / 59.9341°N 30.2932°E
The English Embankment (Russian: Англи́йская на́бережная; Angliyskaya Naberezhnaya) or English Quay is a street along the left bank of the Bolshaya Neva River in Central Saint Petersburg. It has been historically one of the most fashionable streets in Saint Petersburg, and in the 19th century was called by the French term, Promenade des Anglais.
The English Embankment runs perpendicular to the south end of the Annunciation Bridge and spans between the Novo-Admiralteysky Canal and the Decembrists Square, where it becomes the Admiralty Embankment.
The English Embankment was built between 1763 and 1767. It is named after the former British Embassy and the English church that was located at No48, the building is now occupied by the Travel and Sightseeing Bureau. The English church was built in 1814 and 1815 to a design by Giacomo Quarenghi, it is preserved as architectural landmark. The interior of the English church is highlighted with marble, historic paintings, and boasts a large pipe organ - the only English organ existing in Russia. The last British Ambassador left in 1918, after the Russian Revolution.
Next to the Annunciation Bridge is a monument commemorating the 1917 Bolshevik Revolution. From this historic spot, at 2 AM on October 25, 1917, the gunshot from the Aurora sent the signal to storm the Winter Palace. The symbolism of the name "Aurora" was its meaning as "the dawn of a new era" in history. This historic spot has been since a traditional location for a swear-in ceremony for new members of the Pioneers and the Komsomol organisations.
...
Wikipedia