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The Neva fencing
An architect Jury Felten created the project of the fencing.
16 years passed from the decree of Catherine II in 1770 till the overall completion of the work. The project was changed several times. More than ten drafts still remain showing the stages of the work. In 1775, the piles were driven and the foundation was laid.
The socle of the fencing, the columns and the vases that crown them were carved of the -wild stone- v such was the name for red granite from the quarries in Vyborg. The elements of the fencing and the gate were forged of iron in Tula. Bronze gilded decorations enliven the strict look of the Summer Garden grating.
The links of the fencing are fastened to 36 pillars. The whole length of the fencing is 232 metres. Originally, there were three gates in the fencing located opposite the main alleys of the garden. The central gate differed from the side ones. In 1866 the fencing witnessed a historical event v an attempt on the life of Alexander II. A chapel was built on the site of the central gate in commemoration of the good riddance of the Emperor of the mortal danger. The side gates were placed on both sides of the chapel. Thus the historical outlook of the grating changed. It became extremely noticeable after the chapel had been dismantled in 1930.
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