Saint Petersburg in may

The exact origin of the name of the island is not established. The ancient Baltic-Finnish (Izhora) name of this island is known — HirvisaariShow more

It is mentioned as "Vasiliev island" at the mouth of the Neva river in the Novgorod scribal book of 1500 in the list of the Nikolsky Izhersky (Izhorsky) churchyard.

We also know a letter from the Narva magistrate to the authorities of revel dated July 2, 1426, which mentions a Russian named Sava (Sabe) from Vasiliev island (Wassilighenholm), on the Neva (in der Nu). At the same time, from middle German, the word "wassilighenholm "can be translated both as" Vasilievskaya Gorka "and as"Vasilievsky island".

On a map Dating from 1630 and published in 1898 in the Appendix to the monograph of the Swedish scientist Karl Elander (Swedish. Carl Öhlander), the current Vasilievsky island is signed as "Wasilij ostroff eller Hirvisarj by och Holmen"("Vasily island or Hirvisari village and island").the Existence of parallel Baltic-Finnish and Russian names for Vasilievsky island is no exception. For example, the current Petrograd side island was formerly known as Koivosaari (Swedish. Bjerkenholm), and in the scribe's book of 1640 is referred to as"Fomin island".