Nowadays, Anchor Square is the center of Kronstadt. The huge Naval St. Nicholas Cathedral towering above it. From here it is most convenient to start excursions around Kronstadt. Several monuments have been installed on the Anchor Square, and the only Cast-iron pavement in Russia has been preserved.
After the foundation of the Kronshlot Fortress in 1704, the city of Kronstadt developed as a military and commercial port. All the main buildings of the historical center of the city until the end of the 19th century were located between the Italian Pond and the Summer Garden. They are connected by Peter Street and Makarov Street. Anchor Square in those years was a remote backyard, where anchors from decommissioned ships were stored.
After the construction of the dry Peter Dock and the Bypass Canal, it was in a hard-to-reach place. The Bypass Canal separated the Anchor Square from the city from the north. From the south, Anchor Square was separated from the city by a canal where water drained from Peter Dock into the Dock Basin. Now this canal is overgrown with trees and it is called the Ravine Park. A bridge has been built over it near the Naval St. Nicholas Cathedral.
By the end of the 19th century, it was decided to build the Naval St. Nicholas Cathedral in Kronstadt. The first St. Nicholas Cathedral was built in St. Petersburg in 1753. In this temple the priests prayed for the sailors. It was decided to make the new Naval St. Nicholas Cathedral in Kronstadt the main temple of the Russian Navy, as well as a monument to all sailors who died in battles.
The construction of the cathedral began in 1903 on the Anchor Square of Kronstadt. This square has become the center of the city, a venue for various meetings and rallies. Nowadays, the pavement of Anchor Square is lined with dark stones. There are always a lot of tourists here. The silhouette of the anchor is laid out with light-colored slabs on the square.
There is a monument to Admiral Makarov on the Anchor Square. There is also a memorial in the form of a pyramid. In the center of a pyramid the Eternal Flame burns. It is dedicated to those who died in the uprisings of 1905 and 1921, as well as during the Civil War of 1919.
The wall of the Admiralty Dock was built along the western side of the Anchor Square in the 19th century. Now on its territory there is an exposition of the Patriot Park of Kronstadt. The famous Cast-iron Pavement is laid near this wall. It was laid out with round cast-iron round slabs in 1870.
