In St. Petersburg, the Kresty Prison, formerly a place of execution, will be converted into hotels, and the prisoners' courtyard will become a restaurant
At the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum (SPIEF), a concept was presented for a large-scale redevelopment of the site of the former “Khresti” detention center in St. Petersburg. The project involves transforming one of the most famous symbols of the Soviet and post-Soviet prison system into a commercial space featuring hotels, offices, and public areas.
According to the presented model, the complex’s grounds are planned to be made more accessible to visitors. Some of the fences will be dismantled, and the area near the main entrance on the side of Arsenalnaya Embankment will be adapted for free pedestrian access.
Some buildings of the former pretrial detention center will be repurposed. In particular, the prison hospital building is planned to be converted into office space, and the former sports field into a parking lot. A panoramic restaurant is planned for the site of the former exercise yard for inmates. The project also includes the construction of a pier on the embankment, which will connect the area to the main buildings of the complex.
The main cross-shaped buildings, where prisoners were previously held, are planned to be converted into 4- and 5-star hotels. In total, the complex could have over 260 rooms. The facades of the historic buildings will be preserved as a regional heritage site, and key architectural elements, including domes and staircase structures, will remain protected.
The total investment in the renovation is estimated at approximately 15 billion rubles. The future hotels may be managed by the Cosmos Hotel Group.
The brand of the future complex drew particular attention at the forum: the stand featured a logo depicting two overlapping crosses. The project also enlisted the Artemy Lebedev Studio, which is working on the rebranding of the site. According to the designer, the goal is to transform the space “from a place of imprisonment to a place of liberation.”
The former “Khresty” detention center has a complex and controversial history. After the revolution, the building was used as a forced-labor camp, and later it came under the control of Soviet law enforcement agencies. During the Great Terror, thousands of political prisoners were held here, including prominent figures in science and culture. This historical context makes the site one of the symbols of 20th-century political repression, which continues to spark debate today regarding its commercial repurposing.
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