Krestovsky Island is the largest of the three Kirov Islands, which stand north of the Petrograd Side in the Neva delta.
It has for centuries been a popular playground for the general populace of St. Petersburg, with much of the island common ground from the beginning of the 19th century.
Today it is rapidly turning into the city’s smartest suburb, with an ever-increasing number of elite housing developments encroaching on the public park.
However, it still attracts hordes of visitors at weekends, coming to walk through the island’s rambling parkland, take advantage of the numerous sporting facilities available, or to visit the Divo Ostrov amusement park.
The island is served by the Krestovsky Ostrov station of Saint Petersburg Metro.
Meanwhile, the eastern part of this Saint Petersburg island, has seen slow but steady urbanization since the early 1900s, which has slowly changed its parkland nature.
