Architecture
Twelve Collegia Building
- Mon
- 09:00–18:00
- Tue
- 09:00–18:00
- Wed
- 09:00–18:00
- Thu
- 09:00–18:00
- Fri
- 09:00–18:00
- Sat
- 09:00–18:00
- Sun
- 09:00–18:00
- Hours
- Ticket required
- Hours
- Book ahead
- Hours
- Good with children
- Hours
- Fine in the rain
- Hours
- About 60–120 min
Why it is worth the detour
The longest building from Peter the Great's era in Saint Petersburg, oriented with its end towards the Neva River.
The Twelve Collegia is the largest surviving edifice from the Petrine era in Saint Petersburg, designed by Domenico Trezzini and Theodor Schwertfeger. It now serves as the headquarters of Saint Petersburg State University.
The people behind this address
Documented connections, not celebrity trivia.
Peter the Great
Commissioned the Twelve Collegia for the new government bodies.
Mikhail Lomonosov
Central figure of the Academic University / Academy of Sciences at the Twelve Collegia.
Dmitri Mendeleev
Lived and worked 1866–1890 in the university apartment inside the Twelve Collegia (now the Mendeleev Museum-Archive), where he developed the periodic law and wrote Principles of Chemistry.
Ayn Rand
Studied at Petrograd State University (Twelve Collegia) before emigrating.
Edgar de Wahl
Studied at Saint Petersburg State University (Twelve Collegia; Wikidata P69).
Ivan Pavlov
Studied natural sciences at Saint Petersburg University (Twelve Collegia) 1870–1875, graduating as Candidate of Natural Sciences before the Military Medical Academy.
Jaan Teemant
Studied at Saint Petersburg State University (Twelve Collegia; Wikidata P69).
Otto Strandman
Studied at Saint Petersburg State University (Twelve Collegia; Wikidata P69).
Domenico Trezzini
Designed the Twelve Collegia building.
Nicholas Roerich
Studied law at Saint Petersburg University (Twelve Collegia) 1893–98 while also at the Academy of Arts.
Olga Berggolts
Graduated from the philological faculty of Leningrad University in 1930 (university headquarters in the Twelve Collegia).
Balys Sruoga
Studied at Saint Petersburg State University (Twelve Collegia; Wikidata P69).
Igor Grabar
Studied at Saint Petersburg State University (Twelve Collegia; Wikidata P69).
Rainis
Studied at Saint Petersburg State University (Twelve Collegia; Wikidata P69).
Veniamin Kaverin
Studied at Saint Petersburg State University (Twelve Collegia; Wikidata P69).
What else is close by
The nearest places we have written up, with straight-line distance from here.
600 m
Rumyantsev Obelisk
A granite obelisk commemorating Count Pyotr Rumyantsev's victories in the Russo-Turkish Wars.
1.0 km
Pel Pharmacy and the Griffin Tower
The oldest pharmacy on the island and the courtyard with the legendary 'Griffin Tower'.
1.2 km
New Holland Island
A historic artificial island in Saint Petersburg, originally a naval port and now a cultural hub.
1.5 km
Potseluev Bridge
The bridge is known for its panoramic view of Saint Isaac's Cathedral and its romantic folklore.
2.1 km
St. Nicholas Naval Cathedral
A major Baroque Orthodox cathedral closely associated with the Russian Navy.
2.1 km
Chizhik-Pyzhik Monument
A small bronze statue of Chizhik-Pyzhik on the embankment near the First Engineer Bridge.
Walk it with the stories
This address is one stop among many. Our routes and quests link them into a walk that makes sense on the ground.