The Boat House was built to store Peter I's vessel, nicknamed the 'grandfather of the Russian fleet.' The tsar found the English boat 'Saint Nicholas' in Izmailovo back in 1688, and the small craft charmed him with its maneuverability.
The young Peter immediately mastered steering the light boat, and although it was a simple service vessel for large ships, it can be said that it was this very boat that marked the beginning of Peter I's passion for the fleet.
The boat was kept first in Izmailovo, then in Moscow, and in 1723 it was ceremonially brought to Saint Petersburg, where the tsar's favorite toy was greeted by cannon salutes from the entire elite of the Russian fleet. It was then that the boat received its second name: chroniclers recorded Peter I's joke about how 'the grandchildren are congratulating their grandfather.'
After the ceremonial reception, the boat was placed under a canopy in the Peter and Paul Fortress. In 1761, its own house was built for the boat - a small but charming building in the Classical style with Baroque elements. A sculpture of a half-naked girl with an oar, symbolizing navigation, is installed on the roof.
The 'Saint Nicholas' lived in the Boat House from 1767 to 1928, then it was sent to Peterhof, and in 1940 it moved to the Central Naval Museum. The Boat House today is the museum ticket office and a souvenir shop, but it also houses an exact copy of the 'Saint Nicholas' boat, made using traditional techniques.
