It was in this period that the architectural character of classical St. Petersburg took final form with the construction of a number of ensembles in the center of the city. These ensembles included government buildings, barracks, churches, and theaters and conveyed the theme of victory in the war against Napoleon. For this reason triumphal arches were often incorporated into architectural ensembles.
The center of the city was surrounded by multistory apartment houses with neighboring houses of wood construction with kitchen-gardens and sheds. St. Petersburg still remained a city of government and military institutions, but industry and trade were beginning to play a greater role in its life. Russia's first steamships were made at Berd's plant in St. Petersburg. The same plant manufactured structures and accessories for the many bridges which were being built.
The first permanent bridge across the Neva river (the Blagoveschensky, later Nikolayevsky bridge) was completed in 1851. Before that, the opposite banks of the Neva were linked only by temporary pontoon bridges which had to be removed in spring and fall. Even though the temporary pontoons were subsequently replaced by permanent raft bridges, the cast iron Nikolayevsky bridge remained the only one of its kind for many years.
St. Petersburg was one of the most important educational centers of that time. A number of new institutes of higher education were opened, including the Institute of Civil Engineers, and the Technological Institute. In 1844, the Lyceum was relocated from Tsarskoye Selo to St. Petersburg. The city had as many as five gymnasiums (classical schools). New specialized educational institutions were opened (Cadet Corps, Women's, Orphans' Institutes).
In 1846, a reformed municipal government body, the City Duma, was set up in St. Petersburg. However, military governors and the police apparatus still played a leading role in the city administration.