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A neighbourhood guide to Vasilyevsky Island, the city's great river island
Bounded by the Neva and the Gulf of Finland, Vasilyevsky Island forms the heart of the Vasileostrovsky District.
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Among the many islands that make up St Petersburg, Vasilyevsky Island has a character all its own. It is bordered by the Bolshaya Neva and Malaya Neva rivers to the south and northeast, and by the Neva Bay of the Gulf of Finland to the west, giving the district water on almost every side.
The island does not stand entirely alone. It is separated from Dekabristov Island by the Smolenka River, and together the two form the territory of the Vasileostrovsky District, an administrative division of the city.
The eastern tip of the island, known as the Spit, is one of the most recognisable public spaces in St Petersburg, laying out a formal ensemble facing the Neva and the buildings of the historic centre opposite.
The island's grid of numbered lines, a distinctive local street system, makes it straightforward to navigate on foot, and it is well connected to the rest of the city by bridges and the metro.
The island has long been associated with learning and science, hosting a cluster of academic and museum institutions near its eastern end.
For visitors willing to cross the river, Vasilyevsky Island offers a calmer counterpoint to Nevsky Prospekt, with long embankments to walk and a strong sense of local neighbourhood life.