Until the end of the 19th century, it hosted powder cellars and an artillery range. In the USSR, meanwhile, the island was closed: secured facilities were located there – a port and a shipyard.
Right until 1983, one could only reach the mainland from there by boat (or swimming!). Today, you can reach the island by an underground road through the Kanonersky tunnel.
It’s worth going there for urbanistic views.
A giant futuristic-looking highway crossing the island at a height of 50 meters above ground – right over the apartment blocks and buildings – complemented the already-industrial atmosphere in 2016. In some of the buildings, the windows seem completely void of anything.
However, about five thousand people do live on the island. There’s also a kindergarten, a school, a park and even a beach (during summer).
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