Nevsky Society for Public Amusements Arrangement

Categories / Social Life/Social Organizations and Unions
NEVSKY SOCIETY FOR PUBLIC AMUSEMENTS ARRANGEMENT, a non-governmental organisation instituted on 9 September1891 by a group of Nevsky Zastava manufacturers. The society was preceded by an intellectuals' coterie headed by manufacturer V.P. Vargunin; its members arranged popular carnivals for local workers in Alexandrovskoe Village (currently, Troitsky Field area) since 1885. In 1888, carnivals were relocated into the park of Kalinkinsky Brewery Association (currently, the territory forming the part of Babushkin Park). In 1891, the park was redeemed for social needs and called Vena (Vienna) (the name survived until the 1930s). On 26 December of the same year, a 300-seat theatre (architect L.L. Schaufelberger, not preserved) was opened at Shlisselburgsky Trakt (present-day Obukhovskoy Oborony Avenue); provincial companies came on tour there, Conservatory students gave concerts, and dancing parties were organised. The park also held carnivals with roller chutes, merry-go-rounds, panoramas, and children amusement devices; in summer time, a military band and a fire fighters' band played there. On 16 April 1893 an Athenaeum was opened (at present, 17 Krupskoy Street; in 1895, it held about 5,000 volumes). The books were donated to the library by A.S. Suvorin, N.A. Leykin, L.M. Knipovich, and others. In 1896, the second library was opened at Smolenskoe Village in the house of V.A. Ratkov-Rozhnov (today 64 Obukhovsky Oborony Avenue, not preserved). In 1897 a residential house for workers was built on the society-owned land lot (147 Obukhovskoy Oborony Avenue; architect A.V. Malov). In 1898-1900 a wooden theatre was erected on the same spot with study rooms (architects Malov, S.S. Krichinsky, burned down during the siege). In 1900, the society sold a part of the park (600 square sazhens, approx. 1278 square metres) for the reimbursement of construction costs. In the early 1900s, the Society's libraries became a meeting place for illegal circles of workers. In 1918, the society was dissolved, in 1919 its libraries were united and transferred to Volodarsky District Culture Department, and in 1984 they moved to 64 Oktyabrskaya Embankment (at present, Krupskaya Library).

References: Векслер А. Ф. Невскому району - 85 лет // Рыбацкая слобода: Альм. СПб., 2002. № 3. С. 12-13.

Y. N. Kruzhnov, A.F. Vexler. Babushkin Ivan Vasilievich
Knipovich Lidia Mikhailovna
Krichinsky Stepan Samoilovich
Krupskaya Nadezhda Konstantinovna
Leykin Nikolay Alexandrovich
Malov Alexsey Vasilievich
Ratkov-Rozhnov Vladimir Alexandrovich
Schaufelberger Leonard Leonardovich
Suvorin Alexey Sergeevich
Vargunin Vladimir Pavlovich
Krupskaya St./Saint Petersburg, city, house 17
Obukhovskoy Oborony Ave/Saint Petersburg, city
Obukhovskoy Oborony Ave/Saint Petersburg, city, house 64
Obukhovskoy Oborony Ave/Saint Petersburg, city, house 147
Oktyabrskaya Embankment/Saint Petersburg, city, house 64
Векслер А. Ф. Невскому району - 85 лет // Рыбацкая слобода: Альм. СПб., 2002 1891