Rostral columns on Spit of the Vasilievsky Island, Maritime lighthouse and monument in Vasileostrovsky District, Russia.
The Rostral columns on the Spit of the Vasilievsky Island are two identical stone towers rising at the eastern tip of the island in Vasileostrovsky District. Each tower features carved replicas of ships' prows and mythological figures resting at their bases.
French architect Jean-François Thomas de Thomon designed the structures between 1805 and 1810 as navigational aids for ships entering the port of Saint Petersburg. The columns were built during the redesign of the island's tip alongside the Old Stock Exchange, serving simultaneously as lighthouses on the Neva River shore.
The name comes from rostri, the metal spikes mounted on Roman warships as symbols of naval victory. Four stone allegorical figures sit at each base, representing the river deities of the Volga, Dnieper, Neva, and Volkhov.
The columns stand freely accessible on the island's tip and are best viewed from the waterfront promenade. The Vasileostrovskaya metro station is about a 15-minute walk away, while water buses dock directly at the tip.
The towers still function as working lighthouses guiding vessels through the Neva River. During national celebrations, gas torches at their tops are lit and illuminate the night with real flames.
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