Ryssviken, Stockholm

Ryssviken is a bay of Saltsjön west of Waldemarsudde and east of Rosenvik on Södra Djurgården in Stockholm.

On maps from the 1690s, the inner part of Waldemar Bay is called Rijssviken or Ryssvikan. Werner von Rosenfelt's map of Stockholm from 1702 indicates Rysswiken. How the name originated is unknown, however; it may have nothing to do with Russia. But according to one source, it may have something to do with Russian ships that were allowed to anchor here, as they were not wanted inside Stockholm. Among the inns listed in 1733 is Rysswiken, which was also a hunting lodge. The inn was later called Våffelbruket, the building disappeared in the 1820s.

The area around Oakhill was formerly called Ryssbacken. Prince Wilhelm built a palace on the site based on Ferdinand Boberg's plans, which was completed in 1910. The building has housed the Italian Embassy in Stockholm since 1926, and down by the bay is a large marina, where the Navigation Society is housed, among other things. It was also the home of the architect Ferdinand Boberg, Villa Vintra, which he bought in 1902 and where he lived with his wife Anna until 1925.

In the Gulf of Russia there is a harbour for pleasure boats which is managed by the Navigation Society. Opposite Ryssviken on Djurgården, on the other side of Stockholm's inlet, there is another "Ryssviken" in Nacka municipality, better known as Svindersviken. The name Ryssviken probably has nothing to do with Russians but has been etymologically interpreted as "the bay where Russians are laid out". However, this interpretation is uncertain.