Originally the Admiralty reflected Peter I only as shipyard, according to his project it was put on November 5, 1704. The modern building of the Admiralty consists of two P-shaped cases – internal and external. Length of the main facade of the Admiralty – 406 meters, lateral – 163 meters. Six multicolumn porticoes decorated the central facade of the building. In the center of a facade the many-tier tower with an entrance arch is located. The spike making 72 meters in height, is topped with a weather vane ship which became one of symbols of Leningrad. The building of the Admiralty is decorated by bas-reliefs, statues and stucco mouldings. It is constructed in 1727-1737, it is reconstructed in 1806-1823. Architects: I.K. Korobov, A.D. Zakharov

Firstly having been constructed as a shipyard, at present the Admiralty building is the Headquarters of the Russian Navy.Three central streets of St. Petersburg split off from the Admiralty Spire as three rays.: Nevsky prospekt, Gorokhovaya ulitsa and Voznesensky prospekt. On the top of the 72,5 meter spire one can see the symbol of St. Petersburg - a gilded weather vane in the form of a ship.

According to the legend, the silhouette of the weather vane repeats a contour of the first ship which came into the port of St. Petersburg soon after the foundation of the city.

Find the Admiralty spire from Gorokhovaya ulitsa, Voznesensky and Nesky prospekts. Just because of this interesting possibility - one can see the spire from these 3 streets -  in the 19th century the Admiralty was jestingly called  a "Pole Star" or "Nevsky trident".