"Smolny"
In the early days of St. Petersburg, the area then at the edge of the city where pitch ("smola" in Russian) was processed for use in shipbuilding and maintenance got the name "smolny" - the place of pitch. From this was derived the name of two buildings later erected at this location, prominent in Russian history - the Smolny Convent and the Smolny Institute.
Read more about this topic: Pitch (resin)