The winter canal is located in the Central District of St. Petersburg near the Winter Palace and connects the Bolshaya Neva and the Moika River. The first channel connecting these two rivers was dug in 1718-1719. By the end of the century, in 1782-1784, the embankment grooves received granite cladding and ornaments in the form of strict lattices. At that time, the embankment was still called Pochtovaya, which it received from the Postal Court, located nearby. However, with his move at the beginning of the XIX century, the canal began to be called the Winter Canal.

The first crossing of the canal was organized almost immediately after it was dug. It was a drawbridge made of wood according to the Dutch model. There are now three bridges across the Winter Ditch. The first Winter Bridge and the Hermitage Bridge appeared in the 18th century, the latter being the first stone bridge in the city. It is also called “Lisa's Bridge”, because according to the plot of Tchaikovsky's opera The Queen of Spades, the heroine Lisa threw herself into the waters of the canal after Herman, who was obsessed with maps, left her. The second Winter Bridge was built in the 60s of the XX century. At the same time, it does not stand out from the general landscape, as it is stylized as the first bridge.

An arch that connects the buildings of the old Hermitage and the Hermitage Theater is thrown over the Winter Canal. Presumably, this building was built by the architect Quarenghi. According to a historical anecdote, the architect's enemies after the completion of the work dismissed rumors about the fragility of the arch. To refute the words of slanderers, Empress Catherine II ordered a rich feast in the gallery, which the arch successfully withstood. There is also an opinion that this building was built by Felten.