Harmen van Bol'es

Harmen's father was the travelling windmill builder, originating from a family of carpenters from South Holland, the Netherlands.

On 26 April 1713 Harmen van Bol'es signed a contract in The Hague entering into the service of Tsar Peter the Great of Russia.

Van Bol'es soon became a success in Saint Petersburg thanks in part to the friendship and patronage of his old Swiss colleague Domenico Trezzini.

Along with furniture (based on the original repertoire of his forefathers) for the royal palaces he also designed and built many structures in the city.

The wind vane in the form of a ship designed by van Bol'es shines on top of the thin spire of the Admiralty Building on the Nevsky Prospect, the city's main street.