Universe of Water Museum Complex

The Universe of Water Museum Complex occupies a historic water tower on Shpalernaya Street and tells the story of how St Petersburg's water supply and drainage system developed, from the first centralised solutions of the 19th century to today's engineering networks. Its exhibitions introduce visitors to the role of water in the life of the city and of nature, combining genuine historical artefacts with multimedia installations.

The impetus for the tower's construction was a decision to establish a centralised water supply for the capital: on 10 October 1858 Emperor Alexander II approved the charter of the joint-stock company of St Petersburg waterworks. Five years later, in 1863, construction was completed on a building designed by the architects Ernest Schuberskii and Ivan Merz — the city's first water tower and the principal structure of the municipal waterworks complex. The museum building itself opened to visitors on 19 May 2003 under the name 'The World of Water of St Petersburg', its opening timed to coincide with the city's tercentenary.

The octagonal brick tower, fifty-four metres tall, has a silhouette recalling a medieval bastion and is protected as a regional monument of industrial architecture. In 2002, ahead of the museum's opening, the building was reconstructed and given a glass annexe on its northern side, without disturbing the historic appearance of the main volume. Inside, the original layout of the engineering structure has been preserved, and an unusual fountain stands in the lobby, symbolising both the modern Vodokanal of St Petersburg utility and the natural element of water itself.

The complex brings together three separate exhibitions. The main tower building houses 'Universe of Water', dedicated to the origins of water on the planet and its significance for life. The glass annexe holds the multimedia exhibition 'The Underground World of St Petersburg', featuring a large-scale model of the Neva's banks and the city's storm drainage system, together with an interactive installation demonstrating the water cycle in nature. Some exhibits are designed for hands-on interaction — visitors are allowed to touch them and set them in motion, which makes the museum especially popular with families with children.

Today 'Universe of Water' remains one of the few museums in Russia devoted entirely to the theme of water and the engineering systems of a major city. The complex operates with the support of the state unitary enterprise Vodokanal of St Petersburg and combines the functions of an educational centre with the preservation of a 19th-century architectural monument. Beside the tower on Shpalernaya Street stands a separate sculptural composition, which completes the museum ensemble with a historical image of a city water-carrier.

The Universe of Water Museum Complex is a rare example of a technical museum that grew out of a working engineering structure without losing its historical function. The combination of a genuine 19th-century water tower with modern interactive displays makes it a notable stop on educational and tourist routes through the historic centre of St Petersburg, close to the Smolny Institute and the Tauride Garden.