The two man-made islands in the delta of the Neva they appeared because of the needs of shipbuilders, who in 1719 between the Neva and the Moika River dug two channels: Kryukov and Admiralty. The author of the island name is considered by Peter I. Initially, “Holland” in St. Petersburg called the place near the Admiralty, which ship timber warehouses were built. After the digging of two channels were moved to warehouses formed island, and the island itself was called “New Holland”. At the same time the New Holland was the first military port of Russia, which is the date of foundation is considered September 21, 1721.
In 1732, the Admiralty gave the task to the architect Ivan Korobov build a network of pools and a number of warehouses on the edge of the island for the needs of shipbuilders Galernaya shipyard. The main part of the island was built sheds, which were the ship’s timber, tools and various accessories for the construction and repair of ships. Over time, the place was not enough, and it was decided to carry out the reconstruction of the island with the replacement of all on the stone buildings.
Architectural complex of the island “New Holland” was built in 1765-1780 on the project and in the forms of early classicism.
In the days of the First World New Holland equipped with the most powerful at that time in the Russian radio station Naval Staff, including the well-known fact that with its help, in November 1917, the Bolsheviks waged an information war with General P. Krasnov. In Soviet times, the New Holland remained closed area on its territory has a warehouse of the Leningrad Naval Base
At the beginning of the XXI century the complex included several dozen objects, 11 of them -. The monuments of federal significance
In the early 2000s St. administration. Petersburg announced a tender for the reconstruction of the island. In 2010, the competition was won by Roman Abramovich. According to the agreement won the tender for the 7 years the company has to invest in the restoration of New Holland 12 billion rubles.
July 16, 2011, for the first time in 300 years, New Holland has opened for visitors.