the Great Flood Of 1824
Winter came early to St Petersburg in 1824 when a cold snap caused blocks of ice to form on the Neva River and eventually, flow of the river was stopped for several weeks. Water backed up behind the ice but didn't freeze causing part of the Neva River to become a dam. A brief warm period on the 19 November 1824 caused the the ice jam to break apart and the cold waters of the Neva River were so great in volume and intensity that the cities singular dam could not hold the water. Hundreds of horses and carriages were swept away by some of the coldest and fastest flowing water in St Petersburg to date. Over 400 soldiers stationed stationed in barracks climbed to the roofs of their stations but were swept away by the icy water and died of exposure to the freezing water temperatures. Hundreds of sailors in St Petersburg's major ports died and ships from Kronshtadt Port were swept into the marketplace, killing many people. The Czar Alexander I's palace suffered extensive damage as water rose beyond the first floor of many buildings. An estimated 10,000 lives were lost in the catastrophic floods with around 500 homes destroyed and 400,000 people affected.
Before and After - What Happened?
St Petersburg is a bustling city. Shown in the picture on the right, the St Petersburg Palace in construction with the Neva River in the background. In this image there are many people walking around and you can see plants and the road. In the picture of St Petersburg City during the floods, there are no people walking around and trees and even the road cannot be seen. You can see debris littering the street and floating through the flood waters, the debris coming from destroyed homes and workplaces and you cannot see any people as surviving the icy water of the Great Flood of 1824 was impossible.In the picture of St Petersburg during the flood, the sky is dark and stormy indicating the recent change in the weather and to show how cold and wet the early winter conditions were. In the picture at the top of this page, you can see carriages, horses and even people trying to escape the deadly flow of water. Carriages and even boats are visible in the original St Petersburg City image during the flood. Construction materials are also seen in the before image but these construction scaffolding is not shown in the other images which gives you an idea of the force of water as it was enough to dismantle the safety equipment in use when the Palace was built. St Basil's Cathedral is shown in the flood image and it is this that reminds us that nearly all of St Petersburg was effected and that many historical items and precious art and culture were lost in the catastrophic events of 1824.