::HOME::

::ACCOMMODATION::

::TRANSPORT::

::RENT A CAR::

::TOURS::

::SEA CRUISES::

::SUBURBS::

::ENTERTAINMENT::

::MOSCOW::

::PHOTOGALERY::

::CONTACTS::

::LINKS::

TOURING ST.PETERSBURG

St.Petersburg was founded in May 1703 by Russian tsar Peter I as a stronghold of Russia in the North, a port and a capital of the Empire in creation and still boasts its perspectives, architectural ensembles and panoramas to be seen in different time of the day and year – with more renovation and floodlighting coming every season.
This is not a comprehensive guide-book – just a short review for making choice and evaluation.
Among places to visit I would like to point out the following:

1. Of course, the Hermitage – a huge complex of 5+ buildings featuring state rooms, collections of Western European art of Renaissance, baroque and neo-classicism, Impressionist and Postimpressionist artists, tapestries and mosaics, antiques (details available at www.hermitagemuseum.org). A special area – to be arranged in advance and not available for all visitors – its Golden Treasury rooms containing archaeological artifacts produced by Scythian and Greek jewellers, Imperial treasures, items by Faberge company.

2. Churches, monasteries and temples of different religions
2.1 Russian Orthodox
2.1.1 St.Isaac’s cathedral – built in 1858 to become the main Orthodox cathedral of the Russian empire, richly decorated with murals, mosaics, natural stone, gilded bronze with its shining 101 m high dome visible from the distance of 30 km from the sea
2.1.2 Smolny cathedral – the brightest and lightest example of Russian baroque of mid-18th century
2.1.3 St.Nicholas cathedral – a two-level baroque – style church functioning every day
2.1.4 Transfiguration cathedral – example of neo-classicist approach with several venerated icons moved there after 1917
2.1.5 Chesma church of St.John the Baptist – a unique 18th century design with influence of Gothic – looking more like a wedding cake
2.1.6 Church on the Spilt Blood (Resurrection of the Saviour) – a memorial  to the Russian tsar-liberator Alexander II, who was mortally wounded by a suicide bomber in this very place; its ginger-bread appearance does not fit the city’s European style – but is very popular with tourists
2.1.7 Alexander-Nevsky lavra – a monastery existing since 1720ies with several memorial cemeteries with tombs of Tchaikovsky, Dostoevsky, Mussorgsky, Rimsky-Korsakov, Krylov and other representatives of Russian culture and nobility
2.2.     Roman  Catholic
2.2.1   St.Catherine of Alexandria church – built in Nevsky prospect in 1780ies, neglected
            and almost ruined in Soviet time – now holding divine services in at least 6 languages
2.2.2 Church of the Virgin of Lourdes – built in early 20th century in Romanesque style
2.3.     Lutheran
2.3.1     St.Catherine’s church in Vasilievsky island – example of neo-classicism
2.3.2    St.Peter’s church in Nevsky prospect – built in 1830ies in Romanesque style, in 1960ies used as a swimming pool, now – again a functioning church and a concert venue
2.4. Jewish Synagogue – one of the biggest in Europe, built in 1893 with weekly services (Saturday morning) in the big hall. Its grey dome of Moresque style can be seen near a construction site of the new Mariinsky theatre. Available for visits except Friday night and Saturday
2.5. Moslem mosque – built mostly before 1917 revolution as the most northern mosque at that time; available only for prayers

3. Historical sites
3.1 Peter and Paul fortress – its foundation in May 1703 gave the beginning and name to the city. Cathedral of Ss Peter & Paul in its territory consecrated in 1733 became the burial vault for the Romanov dynasty emperors starting from Peter I; the cathedral’s belfry is still the highest architectural point of the city (400 ft)
3.2. Log cabin of Peter I –  a wooden structure built in May 1703 where the Russian tsar spent summer of that year, carefully preserved in a special pavilion.
3.3 Summer gardens – the first European-style gardens in Russia with Peter’s summer palace dating back to 1710s and Italian marble statues (to be seen in May – October)
3.4. Menshikov palace – the first stone palace of the city with its restored early 18th century
interiors was built for the powerful courtier of Peter I – Alexander Menshikov – and far exceeded residences of the tsar himself
3.5 Marble palace – built in 1780ies in Palace embankment for a favourite of Catherine the Great count Grigoriy Orlov it later became a grand ducal residence, a branch of Lenin museum – and finally, a branch of the Russian museum. Of its interiors only Marble hall has retained its original outlook
3.6. Mikhailovsky castle – built in 1800 for Catherine the Great’s son Paul I it had served as an Imperial residence only for 40 days; unhappy ruler was strangled in his own bedroom. Now the castle is also a branch of the Russian museum with its interiors being restored
3.7. Yusupov palace – a property of one of the wealthiest aristocratic families of Russia, famous for the murder of Grigoriy Rasputin which took place in its premises. Some of the preserved gala and private rooms are available for visitors – with a real gem among them, a home theatre in neo-rococo style. Also – a wax figures presentation devoted to Rasputin’s murder.
3.8. Revolution of 1917
3.8.1. Kshesinskaya mansion – headquarters of Lenin & C in summer of 1917, originally built for a famous ballerina of Imperial theatres Matilda Kshesinskaya. Now is occupied by the Museum of the Political history of Russia
3.8.2. Smolny institute – built in early 19th century for the institute for daughters of the nobility, in October of 1917 it became the headquarters of the armed revolt against Provisional government. Now it is occupied by the City administration. It is possible to see preserved study and private rooms of Lenin who worked there from October till March 1918 as a head of the Soviet government – only on preliminary arrangement.
3.8.3. Apartments of Elizarov and Alliluev families – preserved typical dwellings of early 20th century – where Lenin and Stalin spent some time
3.8.4. Aurora cruiser – a battleship built in 1900ies, participant of Japanese and First World wars. According to a legend – its blank shot gave a sign for storming the Winter palace in October 1917. Now it is a free museum.
3.9. WWII – memorials to the siege of 1941-44
3.9.1. Piskaryovskoye memorial cemetery – a graveyard where about half a million people were buried during the siege
3.9.2. Museum of the Siege – re-opened in late 1980ies after being closed for 40 years
3.9.3. Memorial to the defenders of the city – located in the south of the city, on the way to/from the airport and suburban residences in Pushkin and Pavlovsk

4. Museums
4.1. Art museums
4.1.1 Russian museum – Russian fine arts from 12th century icons till 20th century productions in a former grand ducal palace of neo-classical appearance built in 1820ies
4.1.2. Applied Art museum – started by the will of the founder of the Technical Drawing college baron Alexander Stieglitz; in spite of removal of the majority of its vast collection to the Hermitage – still boasts unique samples of interiors in different styles and applied art products – including even Russian tiled stoves.
4.1.3. Museum of porcelain – located at the premises of the former Imperial Porcelain factory, still active, where you can also buy its production – both modern and authorized copies of previous imperial orders.
4.1.4. Museum of music – located at the former property of the Sheremetiev family (famous for its home orchestras and theatre companies) it boasts a vast collection of music instruments (both from exotic countries – and those used by prominent musicians, like Peter Tchaikovsky)
4.2. Natural sciences
4.2.1. Zoological museum – one of the biggest in the world featuring about 17 mln species, including personal horse of Peter I and Siberian mammoths
4.2.2. Kunstkammer – museum of anthropology and ethnography, started by Peter I
4.2.3. Museum of Russian ethnography – located next to the Russian museum, it is based on pre-revolutionary collections featuring peoples of the Russian empire
4.2.4. Museum of Arctic and Antarctic – devoted to the nature of these remote territories and history of their exploration
4.3. Technical museums
4.3.1. Railway museum – history of Russian railway construction, acting models of equipment and drawbridges
4.3.2 Open air museum of railway equipment – real carriages and engines at the former railway terminal transformed into a shopping mall
4.3.3. Museum of communications – you will know that radio was invented by a Russian person
4.3.4. Icebreaker Krasin – a memorial ship built in 1917 in Great Britain, participant of the rescue of Nobile airship crew after a flight to the North pole
4.4. Military museums
4.4.1. Ordnance museum  – the biggest military museum in the world located in the premises of the former arsenal.
4.4.2. Navy museum – located in the historical early 19th century building of the Stock Exchange and featuring the “granddad” of the Russian navy – a boat of Peter I
4.4.3. Museum of General Suvorov – a specially built museum in the form of a Russian fortress was devoted to legendary Russian general of 18th century
4.5. Memorial apartment museums
4.5.1. Alexander Pushkin’s – the last apartment of the great Russian poet where he died after being mortally wounded at a duel
4.5.2. Fyodor Dostoevsky’s – the last apartment of the great Russian novelist
4.5.3. Nicholay Rimsky-Korsakov’s – an apartment of the great Russian composer
4.5.4. Alexander Blok’s – an apartment of the great Russian poet of early 20th century
4.5.5. Fyodor Shalyapin’s – an apartment of the great Russian singer
4.5.6. Anna Akhmatova’s – an apartment of the great Russian poet
4.5.7. Mikhail Zoschenko’s – an apartment of the great Russian satirist

5. Monuments and sculptures
5.1. Bronze horseman – monument to Peter I by a Frenchman Etienne Falconet unveiled in 1782
5.2. Monument to Peter I in front of Mikhailovsky castle – production of an Italian sculptor Carlo Rasrelli featuring the Russian tsar as a Roman emperor
5.3. Peter the Shipbuilder – a moderate in size art-nouveau presentation by a sculptor Leopold Bernshtam
5.4. Peter I in Peter & Paul fortress – a 1991 production by a sculptor Michael Shemyakin who used an authentic mask of the tsar
5.5. Nicholas I – a unique equestrian presentation by Peter Klodt with only 2 points of support of a horse
5.6. Horses of Anichkov bridge – a lively bronze presentation of the taming a horse by a man in 4 stages
5.7. Ivan Krylov – a monument to the famous Russian fable writer with heroes of his fables around the pedestal
5.8. Alexander III – a very unusual presentation of a tsar looking like a peasant (in the courtyard of the Marble palace
5.9. Alexander Pushkin – a 1957 rendition by Michael Anikushin in front of the Russian museum
5.10. Victims of political repressions – 2 sphinxes opposite an infamous complex of the Crosses, a prison since late 19th century, cast by Michael Shemyakin
5.11. Formula of grief – a monument to Jewish victims of the town of Pushkin made after Vadim Sidur’s model
5.12. Monuments to literary heroes – reasons of their appearance to be explained on the spot being too long for this abridged review
5.12.1 The nose
5.12.2. The siskin
5.12.3. Ostap Bender  and a chair

6. Tracing connections
St.Petersburg played enormous role in development of Russian science, art and politics, being the capital of the country from 1712 till 1918 and during tours around town it is possible to find connections with most influential figures – writers Pushkin, Dostoevsky, Gogol, Blok Akhmatova, composers Glinka, Mussorgsky, Rimsky-Korsakov, Chaikovsky, Stravinsky, Shostakovich, Prokofiev, ballet dancers Kshesinskaya, Fokin, Karsavina, Pavlova, artists and sculptors Repin, Antokolsky, Trubetskoy, Serov, Chagal, Malevich, architects Trezini, Rastrelli, Rossi, Lidval, political figures like Stolypin, Kerensky, Rasputin, Lenin, Stalin, Trotsky – to Putin inclusive… They all have lived here, walked these streets and absorbed this atmosphere – either for good or not. Definitely not all these names are familiar to you – but some of the projections are, and while here, you will see a little something which can give you the idea of their importance.
Mysteriously survived in the Neva swampy banks after 300+ floods, civil war and revolutions, the Siege, socialist period neglect – this city gives a unique example of crisscrossing of ideas and directions, hope and despair, freedom and slavery, nobility and tradesmen, imperial might of the state and miserable existence of a private person, European style on the surface and Byzantium mores below…
All this still can be witnessed here nowadays.

7. Not to be missed
7.1. Canal tours – giving a unique feeling and a view from the different angle, from below; the best routes in clued the Moika and the Fontanka rivers, the Winter, Kryukov and Griboedov canal  being circular.
7.2. Dostoevsky blocks – a very special area close the central squares but very different from official state ensembles and perspectives, still looking like 140 years ago when the Crime and the Punishment was being written here
7.3. Art Nouveau – an original branch of this style here was influenced by Swedish and Finnish architects and produced quite self-sufficient though very short-termed tendency

PROGRAMMES OF TOURING ST.PETERSBURG

1. Sightseeing.
Touring historical centre can be very different – depending on programme of stay in general…
Maximal version of mine looks as follows (stops are marked with bold typing):
The Spit of Vasilievsky island with the Stock Exchange building and Rostral columns, views of Peter and Paul fortress and the Winter palace, 12 Collegia building, Palace bridge across the Neva, the Admiralty and embankment in front of it, Senate square with monument to Peter I (so-called Bronze Horseman), St.Isaac’s square with respective cathedral, monument to Nicholas I, Mariinsky palace and the Astoria hotel, Voznesensky prospect, a monument to the Nose, Sadovaya street, a former police station with a firemen’s watchtower and a bronze fireman above; St.Nicholas cathedral, if desirable – short diversion for the Synagogue, Theatre square and Mariinsky theatre, the Moika river embankment, Yusupov palace, Nabokov’s house, Faberge company house, Nevsky prospect, Stroganov palace, Kazan cathedral, Singer company building, Merchants’ Yard department store, Ostrovsky square, Alexandrinsky theatre, Rossi street, the Fontanka river embankment, Anichkov bridge with Horse Tamers, Sheremetyev palace, the Circus, Michailovsky castle, Arts’ square – Michailovsky palace (now the Russian museum), monument to Alexander Pushkin, Grand hotel Europe, Sadovaya street, Michailovsky garden, Field of Mars, St.Panteleimon church, Transfiguration cathedral, Tavrichesky garden, Smolny institute and Smolny  cathedral, Tavrichesky palace, the Crosses prison, monument to victims of political repressions, the Summer gardens, the Trinity bridge, the Log cabin of Peter I, the Aurora cruiser, the Field of Mars, the Church on the Spilt Blood, Palace square.
The route may change – depending on the beginning and finishing points; the tour can be added with visits – often of Peter and Paul fortress or St.Isaac’s cathedral.

2. 2-day Hermitage Connoisseur Programme
For those who would like to have a deeper immersion in the space of the Hermitage museum, one of the biggest fine arts museum in the world, we can offer the following draft – divided between two days (about 5 hours total).
Today the Hermitage is a huge complex embracing the space of at least 7 buildings in St.Petersburg…
Day 1.
- Golden Treasury rooms
- State rooms of the Winter palace – the former winter Imperial residence since 1750ies
- Collection of Impressionists and their successors in art of early XXth century (Renoir, Monet, Pisarro, Cezanne, Van Gogh, Gauguin, Matisse, Picasso)
Day 2.
- Pavilion hall with the peacock clock and Italian mosaic tabletops
- Italian masters (Leonardo, Raphael, Michelangelo, Giorgione, Titian, Caravaggio, Canaletto, Tiepolo)
- Spanish masters (El Greco, Murillo, Velasquez, Ribera, Goya)
- Rembrandt (above 20 paintings)0
- 17th century Dutch masters (Hals, Steen, ter Borch, Hooch, Metsu)
- Flemish masters (Rubens, van Dyck)
- Etc…
Views of Palace square and scenic surroundings are added before and after the programme

3. Big Suburban Adventure
We are to pass 15 miles in the southern direction to visit first Catherine's palace and park in the town of Pushkin - sumptuous residence created in its present shape mostly 1750 ies for the Russian empress Elisabeth. The palace features the biggest hall of all numerous suburban palaces around St.Petersburg - above 800 sq m - all covered with gilded woodcarvings; another attraction - the Amber room. After visiting the palaces and a short stroll through the regular part of the park - we take a ride for about an hour in the direction of Peterhof - former Imperial residence by the sea. There we shall firs visit the Cottage palace - a sharp contrast with the fist visit if the day: a small private living (not gala) residence of Tsar Nicholas I and his family (1820ies) built in his favourite Gothic style. The last but not least - Peterhof Lower park with its over 180 fountains still operating without pumps since 1723... If required - lunch can be organized at the gallery of the Grand Palais of Peterhof.

4. Imperial Privacy and Splendour
We are to pass 20 miles in the south-western direction to visit the area of Peterhof - former Imperial residence by the sea. There we shall first visit the Cottage palace - a small private living (not gala) residence of Tsar Nicholas I and his family (1820ies) built in his favourite Gothic style. Then we go for about 6 miles westwards to Oranienbaum - to visit the private mansion of empress Catherine II, the Chinese palace (1760ies), the only suburban residence around the city not destroyed during WWII, famous for its subtle design of interiors and original parquet floors of 18-19 centuries. The last but not least - Peterhof Lower park with its over 180 fountains still operating without pumps since 1723... If required - lunch can be organized at the gallery of the Grand Palais of Peterhof.

5. Jewish Connections
First of all – the Synagogue built in 1893 and recently renovated, the second biggest in Europe; but – not only it…
Then – new since 2008 – an exhibition on Jewish life at the Russian empire based on early XXth century collections at the Ethnology museum collected at the pale provinces.
Places connected with outstanding Jewish persons and special events (to be specified according to the time available) – baron Ginzburg mansion and Stieglitz museum, place of incarceration of the Chassidic rabbi in 1800 and Zionist congress in 1917… Where did Moses Montefiore stay in St.Petersburg? Who were the best sculptors of Russia in 1870 – 1910? Even a monument to Peter I would fit the theme.
Also – the Russian museum (featuring works by Levitan, Antokolsky, Bakst)…
It may be not a special programme – but just an extra topic, to provide certain angle of viewing some city sights, may be making a short diversion from a route (like to see the monument to Jewish victims in Pushkin – the Formula of Grief).

6. Dostoevsky Connections
The tour features connections of the great Russian writer and some of his heroes to St.Petersburg. The sequence may change.
We start from Michailovsky castle where Dostoevsky studied and got his military engineer certificate, then passing near one of his first dwellings where he wrote his first original novel – the Poor Folk. Then – a former apartment house (now – business centre) where he wrote his short novel the White Nights and was arrested in 1849 for a participation in a socialist circle (we shall see the secret police headquarters where he was delivered) to be incarcerated in Peter and Paul fortress. From there we go to a place of the supposed capital punishment of the participants, in the former drill ground of Semyonovsky regiment. The last minute pardon changed the execution for a prison in Siberia, soldier’s service; he returned to St.Petersburg only 10 years after. We shall pass Kaznacheyskaya street in which he changed 3 apartments and where he wrote the Crime and the Punishment, the most St.Petersburg novel of all his creations. A supposed dwelling of Raskolnikov was nearby. We shall also see a supposed house where the pawn-broker murdered by Raskolnikov lived.
In 1867 Dostoevsky got married to Anna Snitkina who had been his stenographer helping to write a short novel the Gambler in 26 days – they had their church marriage at the Trinity cathedral (to be passed).
We shall see the last apartment of Dostoevsky in St.Petersburg where he died in 1881 visiting the museum inside and his tomb at the cemetery of Alexander Nevsky monastery.

7. October 1917 – Revolution in Russia
During the tour we are to pass Tavrichesky palace – the eat of the Russian parliament of early 20th century, the State Duma, the mansion of Matilda Kshesinskaya occupied by the Bolsheviks in summer of 1917 visiting the museum of political history of Russia inside, monument to Lenin on the armoured vehicle in front of the Finland railway terminal, the Smolny institute – the headquarters of the October rebellion in October 1917 visiting its memorial zone – Lenin’s study and private rooms preserved since March 1918 departure of the government to Moscow, the Aurora cruiser – participant of the October events, Palace square – to see the gate through which revolutionary soldiers and sailors entered the Winter palace.

PACKAGES (EXAMPLES)

8.1. 2 days in winter
1st day: city sightseeing, Peter and Paul fortress, St.Isaac’s cathedral – app. 6 hours
2nd day: Catherine’s palace in Pushkin, the Hermitage museum – app. 7 hours
8.2. 2 days in summer
1st day: city sightseeing, the Hermitage museum – app. 6 hours
2nd day: Catherine’s palace in Pushkin, fountains of Peterhof – app. 7 hours
8.3. 3 days in winter.
1st day: city sightseeing, Russian museum, St.Isaac’s cathedral – app. 6 hours
2nd day: Hermitage museum, Peter and Paul fortress, Yusupov palace – app. 6 hours
3rd day: Catherine’s palace in Pushkin, Pavlovsk palace – app.6 hours
8.4. 3 days in summer
1st day: city sightseeing, Russian museum, St.Isaac’s cathedral – app. 6 hours
2nd day: Hermitage museum, Peter and Paul fortress, Yusupov palace – app. 6 hours
3rd day: Catherine’s palace in Pushkin, fountains of Peterhof – app. 7 hours
8.5. 4 days in winter
1st day: city sightseeing, Peter and Paul fortress, St.Isaac’s cathedral – app. 6 hours
2nd day: Piskaryovskoye cemetery, the Hermitage museum, Yusupov palace – app. 6 hours
3rd day: Russian museum, Grand Palais in Peterhof – app. 6 hours
4th day: Catherine’s palace in Pushkin, Pavlovsk palace – app.6 hours
8.6. 4 days in summer
1st day: city sightseeing, Peter and Paul fortress, St.Isaac’s cathedral – app. 6 hours
2nd day: canal tour, Hermitage museum, Yusupov palace – app. 7 hours
3rd day: Piskaryovskoye cemetery, Russian museum, Church on the Spilt Blood – app. 6 hours
4th day: Catherine’s palace in Pushkin, fountains of Peterhof – app. 7 hours

Duration of tours is approximate – depending on traffic, hotel’s location and general feelings; the same about the sequence of visits – depending on days off.
These are approximate variations – on my opinion. As much as possible can be added on the spot.
To add the Golden treasury rooms to the Hermitage visit – it is better to make an arrangement by the middle of the month preceding your tour.
Grand Palais in Peterhof in summer is overloaded – so I prefer not to include it not to spoil the impression (with a definite similarity in style with Catherine’s palace in Pushkin).
The packages shown here should be adjusted to your interests, place of accommodation, number of persons and days of stay.
To give you an idea of cost – a 6-hour programme may cost from 130 euros per person in a group of 2 to 60 euros per person in group of 8 (to be adjusted to the exact entrances and exact duration needed).

• Dear Andrej, Upon our safe return home, we would like to thank you most heartily for our extremely interesting visit to St. Petersburg. Your expert guidance and personal care made our visit an experience we shall always remember...

Read more>>>