The center of St. Petersburg is an area bounded from the north by the left bank of the Neva, and from the south by the Obvodny Canal. This part of the city is located on many islands formed by numerous rivers and canals.
The center of St. Petersburg is replete with many rivers and canals.
To make it easier to navigate in this part of the city, the traveler
should remember the four main water arteries on the map: the Moika and
Fontanka rivers, as well as the Griboyedov Canal and the Obvodny Canal.
The largest river in the city, the Neva in the center, describes a steep
arc, curving to the north, and all the above rivers and canals flow
relative to this arc from east to west along a chord and divide the
center of St. Petersburg into parts elongated from east to west. The
Moyka is closest to the Neva, followed by the Griboyedov Canal, then the
Fontanka and then the Obvodny Canal. Other rivers and canals cross them
at different angles or flow into them.
The Fontanka is a river
that starts from the Neva near the Summer Garden and flows into the
Bolshaya Neva near the Admiralty Shipyards plant. The Fontanka is widely
known for its mischievous song about Chizhik-Pyzhik. In fact, the song
is not about a bird: “chizhiks” because of their yellow-green uniforms
were called students of the Imperial School of Law, located on the
Fontanka embankment opposite the Summer Garden. One of these "chizhikov"
was the great Russian composer Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky.
The Moika is
a narrow river that originates from the Fontanka at the Mikhailovsky
Castle and flows into the Bolshaya Neva between Matisov and
Novo-Admiralteysky Islands.
The Griboedov Canal is a canal that
originates from the Moika in the area of the Savior on Spilled Blood and
flows into the Fontanka near Repin Square. It is laid along the bed of
the Krivusha River, which originated from a swampy bog on the site of
the modern Arts Square. The most winding of all St. Petersburg canals.
The Obvodny Canal is a canal that starts from the Neva in the area of
the Alexander Nevsky Lavra and flows into the Ekateringofka River near
Guteevsky Island. This is the longest canal in St. Petersburg, its
length is more than 8 kilometers.
The Kryukov Canal is a canal
connecting the Fontanka and the Admiralteisky Canal. Once the canal
reached the Bolshaya Neva, but in the 1840s, during the construction of
the Blagoveshchensky Bridge, its part under the modern Trud Square was
enclosed in a pipe. The most beautiful place on the Kryukov Canal is
near St. Nicholas Cathedral, where a slender four-tiered bell tower with
a high spire stands on the shore.
Pryazhka is a small river in the
area where the Moika flows into the Bolshaya Neva, enveloping Matisov
Island from the east. In the minds of Petersburgers, its name is
associated with the oldest psychiatric hospital in the city -
expressions like “Do you want to go to Buckle ?!” have long become
common nouns.
Admiralty Canal
Novo-Admiralteisky Canal
The
Winter Canal is a canal in the area of the Winter Palace, connecting the
Neva and the Moika. It was dug in 1711-1719. This is one of the shortest
canals in the city, its length is only 228 meters. Along the line of the
Palace Embankment between the buildings of the Old Hermitage and the
Hermitage Theater, a picturesque arch was thrown over the Winter Canal,
built in the 1780s according to the project of the architect Yuri
Felten.
The Swan Canal is a canal between the Field of Mars and the
Summer Garden, connecting the Neva and the Moika. It was dug in
1711-1719. Its length is 648 meters.
In a city with so many canals, there cannot be islands. In total,
there are more than 30 islands in St. Petersburg, most of them have
their own names. The central part of the city stands on 10 islands:
Summer Garden Island - the Summer Garden is located on it
1st
Admiralty Island. Artificially separated from the second
2nd
Admiralteysky Island. Artificially separated from the first, and both
received the name from the Admiralty
New Holland Island. It is a
triangle with an artificial reservoir inside, completely occupied by a
former shipyard, which has now become a popular public space
Novo-Admiralteysky Island. Small island opposite New Holland Island
Matisov island. It is named after the miller Matis who lived on it
before.
Kazan Island. Named so because it houses the Kazan Cathedral
Kolomna Island. Named after one of the oldest districts of the city
Pokrovsky island. It is named after the Church of the Intercession of
the Most Holy Theotokos that once existed on the island. At the
intersection of the Kryukov Canal and the Griboyedov Canal, there is the
only place in St. Petersburg from where you can see seven bridges at
once
Spassky island. It is called so because of the Church of the
Savior on Sennaya, which used to be located there (now the site of the
church is the lobby of the Sennaya Ploshchad metro station, but there is
a memorial chapel nearby).
Of course, you can only see the names of
the islands on maps, because of the abundance of bridges and general
transport connectivity, in principle, you don’t get the feeling that you
are on the islands, so the locals rarely mention the island. Therefore,
do not try to ask for directions, for example, to the Nameless Island,
unless, of course, you are looking for a real local historian in the
stream of passers-by.
By train
Moskovsky and Vitebsky stations are located directly in
the center, you can start the tour right from the stations. The
Baltiysky railway station is also located on the border of the center,
but it makes sense to get to more interesting places by metro or minibus
(if the goal is Kolomna or the central squares). The Finlyandsky railway
station is within walking distance from the Liteiny Bridge, it is better
to get to other areas of the center by transport. It is better to take
the metro from Ladozhsky railway station, as it is further from the
center, and traffic jams are frequent on Zanevsky Prospekt.
Metro
All 5 branches of the St. Petersburg metro pass through the center,
forming several interchange nodes. Some attractions may be more
convenient to reach from nearby metro stations.
Stations in the
historic center:
5 (Frunzensko-Primorskaya) line Admiralteyskaya is a
new and most central station with access to Malaya Morskaya Street, the
nearest station to Palace and St. Isaac's Squares, the Winter Palace and
the Admiralty.
2 (Moskovsko-Petrogradskaya) line Nevsky Prospekt and
3 (Nevsky-Vasileostrovskaya) line Gostiny Dvor - at the intersection of
Nevsky Prospekt and Sadovaya Street near Gostiny Dvor, Passage, Kazansky
Cathedral, Ostrovsky and Arts Squares, Apraksin Dvor. Also convenient
for reaching the Summer Garden and Champ de Mars. Exits: 3
(Nevsko-Vasileostrovskaya) line Gostiny Dvor - to Gostiny Dvor, 2
(Moskovsko-Petrogradskaya) line Nevsky Prospekt - to the intersection of
Nevsky Prospekt with Mikhailovskaya Street, from both stations: to the
intersection of Nevsky Prospekt and Griboyedov Canal;
2
(Moskovsko-Petrogradskaya) line Sennaya Ploshchad, 4 (Pravoberezhnaya)
line Spasskaya and 5 (Frunzensko-Primorskaya) Sadovaya line is the only
junction of three metro stations in St. Petersburg located on Sennaya
Ploshchad. The most convenient place from where you can view the
somewhat less fashionable, but no less interesting Kolomna, praised by
Pushkin, with St. Nicholas Cathedral, canals and the Mariinsky;
Stations in the eastern part of the center:
Line 1
(Kirovsko-Vyborgskaya) Ploschad Vosstaniya and 3
(Nevsko-Vasileostrovskaya) line Mayakovskaya - Ploshchad Vosstaniya,
intersection of Nevsky and Ligovsky prospects, next to Moskovsky railway
station. The largest transport hub in St. Petersburg. Exits: 1
(Kirovsko-Vyborgskaya) line Ploshchad Vosstaniya - to Vosstaniya Square,
3 (Nevsko-Vasileostrovskaya) Mayakovskaya line - to the intersection of
Nevsky Prospekt and Mayakovskogo Street, from both stations - to the
Moscow railway station;
1 (Kirovsko-Vyborgskaya) line Chernyshevskaya
is located in a quiet and cozy area not far from the Tauride Garden and
Smolny. Exit to Chernyshevsky Avenue, next to Kirochnaya Street;
3
(Nevsky-Vasileostrovskaya) line Alexander Nevsky Square I and 4
(Pravoberezhnaya) line Alexander Nevsky Square II - at the very end of
Nevsky Prospekt next to the Alexander Nevsky Lavra and the longest
bridge of Alexander Nevsky across the Neva;
Zagorodny avenue,
Marata street, Ligovsky avenue:
1 (Kirovsko-Vyborgskaya) line
Vladimirskaya and 4 (Pravoberezhnaya) line Dostoevskaya - on
Vladimirskaya Square, where Vladimirsky and Zagorodny avenues converge.
Five Corners, Dostoevsky Museum;
1 (Kirovsko-Vyborgskaya) line
Pushkinskaya and 5 (Frunzensko-Primorskaya) line Zvenigorodskaya - in
the middle of Zagorodny Prospekt near Vitebsky railway station;
4
(Pravoberezhnaya) line Ligovsky Prospekt - at the corner of Ligovsky
Prospekt and Razyezzhaya Street;
5 (Frunzensko-Primorskaya) line
Obvodny Canal - at the intersection of Obvodny Canal and Ligovsky
Prospekt;
South part of the center:
Line 1
(Kirovsko-Vyborgskaya) Line 2 (Moskovsko-Petrogradskaya) Line
Technological Institute - on Technological Square, at the intersection
of Moskovsky and Zagorodny prospects;
2 (Moscow-Petrogradskaya) line
Frunzenskaya - at the intersection of Moskovsky Prospekt and Obvodny
Canal - closely adjoins the central part of the city;
1
(Kirovsko-Vyborgskaya) line Baltiyskaya - near the Baltiysky railway
station and the Obvodny Canal - just like 2 (Moskovsko-Petrogradskaya)
line Frunzenskaya, is located on the border of the city center.
The main square of St. Petersburg, an outstanding architectural
ensemble. Buildings were built in different styles over a hundred years,
but are perceived as a single whole.
1 The building of the
General Staff. The great masterpiece of the architect Rossi was built in
1819-1829 and formed the Palace Square as a single ensemble. It consists
of two buildings, forming a giant 580-meter arc. The buildings are
connected by a triumphal arch dedicated to the victory in the Patriotic
War of 1812. The arch is decorated with a sculptural composition by
sculptors Pimenov and Demut-Malinovsky in the form of a chariot drawn by
six horses, above which the winged goddess Glory towers. In the 19th
century the building housed the ministries - military, finance and
foreign affairs. In 2013, a museum was opened in the eastern part of the
building, while military institutions are still located in the western
part. When converted into a museum, a large-scale reconstruction was
made - the rooms along the facades and the corridors of the ministries
were adapted for expositions, the courtyards were converted into huge
atriums with skylights.
2 Alexander Column. The
column bears the name of Emperor Alexander I and was built by the
architect Montferrand in 1829-1834. Nicholas I, in memory of the
"unforgettable brother", decided to erect a column, and not an obelisk,
as Montferrand suggested. The cutting of a granite monolith for a column
in a Finnish quarry, its delivery by sea to St. Petersburg and its
installation on a pedestal - in themselves these operations were the
most difficult project with the then development of technology, but
Montferrand and other engineers brilliantly overcame all difficulties.
The monument is crowned with a sculpture of an angel with a cross by the
sculptor Orlovsky. This is not very noticeable from below, but the angel
is not just holding a cross, he crushed a rather large snake with this
cross a moment ago. The bas-reliefs in the lower part of the monument
are a good example of allegorical Empire sculpture - winged female
figures over piles of antique armor in different variations. With a
total height of 47.5 m, the column continues to be the tallest
monolithic monument in the world.
Saint Petersburg Hermitage (Winter Palace) and Palace
Square. Former residence of Russian emperors. The building in the
Russian Baroque style was built in 1754-1762 for Empress Elizabeth by
the architect Rastrelli. The roof of the palace is richly decorated with
sculptures and vases. Now the palace is the main building of the
world-famous Hermitage. The giant palace occupies a whole block,
connected by passages with four more buildings of the museum complex.
Turning from the square onto Millionnaya Street, you can see other
buildings of the Hermitage -
3 Small Hermitage. A small building
built by the architects Wallen-Delamote and Felten in 1764-1775 for
Empress Catherine II. Although the building uses decorative elements of
the Classicism style, Felten tried to make the facade facing Millionnaya
Street close in composition to the Baroque Winter Palace. The name
Hermitage in French means a place of solitude, the queen preferred to
spend time here in a narrow circle of her close associates. Here,
Catherine placed paintings and sculptures, which served as the core of
the museum's collection. In the 19th century, the word Hermitage began
to mean a place where art objects were stored in the imperial palace,
and later this name was transferred to the entire complex.
4 New
Hermitage. The building was built in 1842-1852 according to the design
of the architect Klenze. Nicholas I ordered a special building for the
museum's collections following the example of similar projects in
Western Europe. The most memorable architectural element is the portico
with figures of the Atlanteans. It is better to see them before visiting
the Hermitage, since the entrance to the museum is from Palace Square,
and the exit is to the Neva, very far from the Atlanteans.
On the
opposite side of the New Hermitage, facing the Neva, are the last two
buildings of the main museum complex of the Hermitage - the Great
Hermitage (aka the Old) and the Hermitage Theater (as well as the Winter
Palace of Peter I in the basement under the theater). The quarter on the
other side of Millionnaya Street from the New Hermitage is formed by the
Headquarters of the Guards Corps (Dvortsovaya Square 2-4), the
Residential Building of the Headquarters of the Guards Corps
(Millionnaya Street 38) and the Archives of the State Council
(Millionnaya Street 36) - these buildings are also worthy of attention,
but are a little lost against the background of the main buildings of
the Palace Ensemble.
How to get to Palace Square - Most often,
tourists go to the square from the metro 5 (Frunzensko-Primorskaya)
line Admiralteyskaya or 2 (Moskovsko-Petrogradskaya) line Nevsky
Prospekt through a small segment of Bolshaya Morskaya Street and the
arch of the General Staff Building, the most interesting of the
buildings here is Azovsko -Donskoy Bank (Bolshaya Morskaya st. 3-5), an
excellent example of Northern Art Nouveau (architect Lidval, 1913).
Inside is one of the sites of entertainment museums Smile Park.
The quarters on both sides of Millionnaya Street were built up with
houses of aristocrats and state institutions by the middle of the 18th
century. Millionnaya Street got its name from the cluster of rich houses
of the then millionaires (in gold rubles), one of the houses, which had
almost 100 rooms, was called Millionnaya. Houses have repeatedly passed
from hand to hand and rebuilt, most of today's buildings were built
after the middle of the XIX century. Almost every building here is a
landmark, we will list only a few of the very best -
5 Palace of Grand Duke Vladimir
Alexandrovich (House of Scientists) , Palace
Embankment 26. The current palace was built for Grand Duke Vladimir, the
youngest son of Alexander II (architect Rezanov, 1868). The facade on
the Neva is neo-Renaissance in the spirit of Florentine palaces. After
the revolution, the building housed the House of Scientists, the
grand-ducal interiors have been preserved, you can visit it with a
guided tour (tickets on the website).
6 Mansion of Abamelek-Lazarev
(Committee for Physical Culture and Sports), Moiki nab. 21-23,
Millionnaya st. 22-24. The last pre-revolutionary owner is the oligarch
Abamelek-Lazarev, the main asset of the Lazarev family is the coal basin
and metallurgical enterprises in the Perm Territory. The building
acquired its current appearance as a result of restructuring just before
the war in 1913-1914. (architect Fomin). The façade on Millionnaya
Street stands out with its beautiful banded marble columns, while the
neoclassical façade on the Moika is the overall composition. After the
revolution and to the present, the mansion is occupied by the sports
institutions of the city.
7 Novo-Mikhailovsky Palace , Palace
Embankment 18. Built according to the project of Stackenschneider in
1857-1862. for Grand Duke Mikhail, the youngest son of Nicholas I. The
rich facade on the Neva is executed in eclecticism typical of
Stackenschneider. In the 18th century, the house of Prince Cherkassky
was located on this site, for its enormous size it was called the
Million House. The pre-revolutionary interiors of the palace have not
been preserved; now it houses the institutes of the Academy of Sciences.
8 Gromov's Mansion (Palace of Cantemir) , Millionnaya st. 7. The
architect Bartolomeo Rastrelli built his first building on this site in
the 1720s. It was the palace of the Moldavian prince Dmitry Cantemir,
who moved to Russia after the unsuccessful Prut campaign of 1711 for
Peter I. In the current building, only the walls of the Cantemir Palace
remained - the architect Rahau redesigned the facades in the spirit of
eclecticism in the 1870s. The then owner of the building was the timber
merchant Ilya Gromov, now it is occupied by various government agencies.
The most interesting decorative elements are muscular Egyptians,
slightly propping up the balconies from the Neva side, as well as
allegorical female figures (Fertility, Art and Navigation) at the corner
of Millionnaya and Marble lanes.
The area around the Champ de Mars is perhaps the most
tourist-friendly place in the center - lots of greenery, water and
first-class attractions. The undeveloped area between the Summer Garden,
the Moika and the Neva has been used since the time of Peter the Great
for military parades and festivities, hence the name Field of Mars, by
analogy with the Field of Mars in the center of Rome. The Champ de Mars
acquired its modern look in the early 1920s. after the construction of
the burial places of the heroes of the revolution and the transformation
of the territory into a memorial park.
9 Memorial to the
Fighters of the Revolution (in the center of the Champ de Mars). One of
the most unusual revolutionary memorials began to be designed in the
spring of 1917, even before the October Revolution. Even then, the young
architect Lev Rudnev, who later became famous for the construction of
the main building of Moscow State University, was chosen as its author.
In 1918-19 dead Bolsheviks were added to the number of those buried. The
memorial itself was opened on November 7, 1919, accompanied by
pretentious inscriptions by Lunacharsky, which together turned out to be
the most curious monument of the era, created long before the
revolutionary events were canonized, and the corresponding memorials
were standardized. Old Bolsheviks continued to be buried on the Field of
Mars until 1933, in 1957 the Eternal Flame was lit in the center of the
memorial.
Marble Palace (one of
the branches of the Russian Museum) adjoins the northeastern corner of
the Field of Mars, in the middle of the courtyard of which there is
10 Monument to Alexander III. The first news of the impending
Russian revolution, the equestrian monument to the emperor was built in
1899-1909. designed by the Russian-Italian sculptor Pavel Trubetskoy.
The author's motives are not known for certain, but he is credited with
the phrase that he tried to "depict an animal on an animal." The
ponderous monument really makes a caricature impression, which was
obvious, it seems, to everyone around, but the monument, nevertheless,
was erected after the widow of Alexander III, Empress Maria Feodorovna,
approved of it for its close resemblance to the original. The opening of
the monument was accompanied by a stream of witticisms, barbs and
epigrams. The artist Ilya Repin noted: "Russia, crushed by the weight of
one of the most reactionary tsars, is moving backwards." The Soviet
authorities also liked the monument: it was not sent to be melted down,
but was used for ten years for visual propaganda, after which it was
“exiled” to the storerooms of the Russian Museum, where it sat safely
until the end of the 1990s, until it was returned to the city, but not
to its former place on Vosstaniya Square, but to the courtyard of the
Marble Palace.
Further clockwise around the field are −
11 Monument to Suvorov, Suvorovskaya Sq. The monument by the sculptor
Kozlovsky was erected in 1801, immediately after the death of Suvorov.
The monument is not entirely successful (the ancient god Mars is
depicted on foot, and not the old field marshal) and it is difficult to
approach it - there is a busy intersection in front of the Trinity
Bridge around.
Bust of Julius Caesar in the Summer Garden
12 Summer Garden
(entrance from the Palace Embankment and from the Moika Embankment
opposite the Mikhailovsky Castle). May-September: 10:00-22:00,
October-March: 10:00-20:00, closed in April. For free. The idea of
creating a park ensemble in St. Petersburg dates back to Peter I. The
construction of the Summer Garden began already in 1704, just a year
after the laying of the Peter and Paul Fortress. Peter wanted to arrange
something like a small Versailles in his new capital and therefore did
not spare money either for decoration or for technical ones: fountains
were installed in the garden, water for which was supplied 20 km away
from Dudergofka (on the southern border of the modern city) , and later
also pumped with a steam engine. By the way, it was from these fountains
- destroyed by the flood of 1777 and no longer restored - that the
Fontanka River got its name. Special imperial attorneys were engaged in
the purchase of park sculptures. There are about a hundred marble
statues in the garden, which stood there for almost 300 years, until
they were replaced with copies in the early 2000s (the originals are now
on display in the
Mikhaylovskiy Castle). With the
exception of the Summer Palace of Peter
I, not a single building of the 18th century has been preserved in the
garden. The Coffee and Tea Houses appeared in the 1820s and are now home
to attractive and relatively inexpensive cafes. Under Peter, the garden
was a place of imperial rest, where outsiders were not allowed. Over
time, the garden was opened to the general public, although in 2015
there were attempts to charge money for entry. Now the garden seems to
be free and very popular regardless of the time of year.
13 Monument
to Chizhik-Pyzhik (on the spit of the Moika and Fontanka from the side
of the Mikhailovsky Castle). The pathos of imperial palaces and large
monuments is diluted by the playful monument to Chizhik, erected in
1994. Its height is only 11 cm. The monument was repeatedly stolen, but
each time it was restored in its original place. It is believed that if
you hit the pedestal of the monument with a coin, any wish will come
true, so day and night next to the monument you can see tourists leaning
over the fence of the embankment, throwing coins at the unfortunate
Chizhik. The origin of the tongue twister is not known for certain:
presumably, it is dedicated to students of the Imperial School of Law
located on the opposite bank of the Fontanka, who wore fawn hats and
uniforms that resembled the plumage of a siskin.
It is not far
from Chizhik to go to the monumental entrance to the Mikhailovsky Castle
(a branch of the Russian Museum), in front of which rises
14 Monument to Peter I (in front of the Mikhailovsky Castle). Not
everyone knows that in St. Petersburg there are two equestrian monuments
to Peter I, and the first of them was not the world-famous Bronze
Horseman, but a monument designed by the elder Rastrelli during the life
of the emperor. The monument was cast in bronze in 1747, but for another
half a century they could not find a place for it, until Paul I finally
ordered that a monument be erected on the square in front of the newly
built Mikhailovsky Castle. The inscription “Great-grandfather is a
great-grandson” is carved on the pedestal, apparently made in spite of
the dedication “To Peter the Great - Catherine II” on the pedestal of
the Bronze Horseman. Leaving from the monument, Klenovaya Street is
framed by two symmetrical buildings of the guards (military guards) of
the Mikhailovsky Castle.
15 Mikhailovsky Garden (entrance from the
Church of the Savior on Spilled Blood and from Sadovaya Street opposite
the Mikhailovsky Castle). May-September: 10:00-22:00, October-March:
10:00-20:00, closed in April. For free. The garden was designed by Rossi
in the 1820s. in the English landscape style as part of the ensemble of
the Mikhailovsky Palace. Nice views of nearby attractions. It is worth
paying attention to the fence at the Savior on Spilled Blood and the
Rossi pavilion (it also has a cafe).
16 Church of the Savior on Spilled Blood
(Cathedral of the Resurrection of Christ on Spilled Blood), Griboedov
Canal emb. 2. Thu–Tue 10:00–18:00, worship services 07:30, 18:00. 350₽.
The famous church, decorated with mosaics inside and out. It was built
on the site of the assassination of Alexander II by terrorist
revolutionaries in 1881. For Alexander III, the construction of the
memorial to the deceased father was of great importance, it was he who
insisted on the project in the retrospective style of the churches of
Moscow and Yaroslavl before Peter the Great. It took a long time to
build (1883 - 1907) due to the high labor intensity of mosaic and
stone-cutting works. The decoration used about 20 types of ornamental
stone - marble, jasper, porphyry and others. Plots of mosaics - many
episodes from the gospel; images of prophets, apostles, saints.
Inspection of the interior of the church takes about an hour. The chapel
across the road has a small space for temporary exhibitions.
Manezhnaya Square is named after the Mikhailovsky Manege building
located on it. Its center is decorated with a small fountain and busts
of four Italian architects (Rastrelli, Rinaldi, Quarenghi, Rossi), whose
contribution to the architecture of St. Petersburg does not really match
the modest busts. In the small park on the other side of the square
there is an unexpected monument to Turgenev, erected already in the 21st
century, but successfully stylized as the 19th century. The quarters
around Manezhnaya Square do not have sights of the first magnitude, but
they are quite pleasant for a walk - for example, along the pedestrian
Malaya Sadovaya through Manezhnaya Square and further along Klenovaya to
the Mikhailovsky Castle. Of the centers of culture, there are the
Cinizelli Circus, cinemas worthy of the attention of tourists (Aurora
and Cinema House / Motherland) and the Faberge Museum. Among other
buildings it is worth mentioning −
17 Mikhailovsky Manege
(Winter Stadium), Manezhnaya Sq. 2. The cavalry arena and the stables at
this place first appeared during the construction of the Mikhailovsky
Castle nearby (architect Brenna, 1800). Later, Rossi redesigned the
entire complex, making Empire facades for the arena and stable buildings
on the sides. Since the second half of the 19th century, the Manege has
been used for exhibitions, and during the revolution - for public
meetings (the fact of Lenin's speeches here is noted by a memorial
plaque). Now the main purpose of the building is a winter athletics
stadium, and in the summer there are exhibitions.
18 House of Radio
(House of the Noble Assembly) , Italianskaya st. 27. An imposing
neoclassical building (architects brothers Kosyakov, 1912-1914) became
the center of radio broadcasting in Soviet times. It was from here that
the Leningrad radio went on the air during the blockade. On the wall of
the building is a memorial plaque with poems by Olga Berggolts.
19 Eliseevsky shop, Nevsky pr. 56. 10:00–22:00. The building on the
corner of Nevsky Prospekt and Malaya Sadovaya Street, built in 1902-1903
by the architect Baranovsky in the early modern style for the Eliseev
brothers' colonial goods store. The facades of the building are
decorated with sculptures "Industry", "Trade", "Art" and "Science" by
the sculptor Adamson (he also worked on the sculptural decoration of the
house of the Singer company and the school of Baron Stieglitz). The task
of distinguishing the building from others on Nevsky Prospekt and
attracting buyers was successfully solved by means of architecture and
sculpture. The building site is small, but the building appears to be
much larger than it really is. The showcase is decorated with moving
dolls based on the Nutcracker designed by Shemyakin. No less interesting
is the design of the trading floor. The store is not bad for a tourist -
yes, it's expensive, but it's not necessary to buy delicacies, you can
limit yourself to tea and coffee and the atmosphere. For a more
substantial meal, the store has two expensive restaurants. The second
floor houses the Comedy Theatre.
Arts Square is the first of the architectural ensembles of St.
Petersburg, designed by Carlo Rossi. The history of the project is as
follows - Alexander I decided to build a palace residence for his
younger brother Mikhail. The Mikhailovsky Palace was commissioned in
1825, in addition to the palace itself, Rossi designed the area and the
facades of the buildings planned for construction around it. Although
later Nicholas I transferred Rossi to other construction sites (Palace
and Senate Squares), the square (named Mikhailovskaya) was built in the
same style by the 1840s. At first, there was only one cultural
institution on the square - the Mikhailovsky Theater, but over time, the
Russian Museum was located in the Mikhailovsky Palace, next to it - the
Ethnographic Museum, and on the opposite side closer to Nevsky - the
Philharmonic and the Musical Comedy Theater. In 1940, the square quite
rightly received its current name, after the war it only remained to add
a beautiful monument to Pushkin by Anikushin in the very center of the
ensemble.
On the side of Nevsky Prospekt, next to Arts Square,
there are a number of noteworthy objects - the Grand Hotel Europe, the
Passage and two churches built under Catherine II and predictably
consecrated in the name of St. Catherine -
20 Armenian Catherine
Church (Armenian Church of St. Catherine) , Nevsky pr. 40-42. The church
was built with the money of Ivan Lazarev, an oligarch of Armenian origin
at the court of Catherine II. The classical style building designed by
Felten was built in 1771-1776. In the exterior architecture of the
building, Felten partially used his earlier project of the Lutheran
church of the same name. Inside the church is small, the solemnly
austere interior was damaged during the Soviet era, reconstructed, the
temple is now the cultural center of the Armenian community.
21
St.
Catherine's Basilica, Nevsky Prospekt 32-34. One of the oldest Catholic
churches in Russia, built in 1763-1783 with long breaks. The original
project was designed by Wallin-Delamote and completed the Rinaldi
building. Before the revolution, it was the main temple of the city's
large Catholic community. The architecture of the church is outstanding
- the facade with four statues of evangelists immediately emphasizes
that the temple is Catholic; the interior with a large dome and strict
white columns is very good. The interior was even richer (paintings,
statues, organ), but suffered from the devastation and fires of the
Soviet era, now the temple looks rather modest. The church is active,
the schedule of services is on the website. The area in front of the
church is a traditional place for selling paintings by street artists.
22 House of the Singer Company (House of Books), Nevsky Prospekt 48.
09:00–24:00. A six-story building built in 1902-1904 according to the
design of the architect Suzor for the American company Singer. The Art
Nouveau building, which is not typical for Nevsky Prospekt, nevertheless
fits well into the look of St. Petersburg. There is an opinion that the
company's management wanted to build a multi-storey building (in New
York, a few years later, the Singer Building appeared 187 meters high,
which had more than forty floors). However, the height regulations in
St. Petersburg forbade building above 23.5 meters in height of the
facade. The architect solved this contradiction by building an elegant
tower topped with a glass globe, which creates the illusion of height
without overshadowing the domes of the Kazan Cathedral and the Church of
the Savior on Spilled Blood. The sculptural decoration by Adamson and
Aubert - a pair of valkyries holding a globe above the dome, an American
eagle below, and on the facade three more pairs of valkyries with
Mercury rods and sewing tools - is a good allegory of the economic power
of the United States. After the revolution, the lower floors of the
building were occupied by the "House of Books", and until now it is the
largest and most visited bookstore in the city.
23
Mutual Credit
Society, Griboyedov Canal emb. 13.
24 Lutheran Church of Saints
Peter and Paul (Petrikirche), Nevsky Prospekt 22-24. One of the oldest
Lutheran churches in St. Petersburg. The first temple was built
specifically for the German Lutheran community in 1728-1730. In
1833-1838 the building was rebuilt according to the project of the
architect Alexander Bryullov. In 1938 the church was closed and its
premises were used as a warehouse. In 1958-1962 the building was rebuilt
as a swimming pool, and in 1994 it was returned to the Evangelical
Lutheran Church.
25 Swedish Church (Church of St. Catherine) ,
Malaya Konyushennaya st. 1-3B. The Lutheran church appeared on Malaya
Konyushennaya in the 18th century, but the current neo-Romanesque
building was built in 1865. Traditionally, the parish was Swedish, in
pre-revolutionary St. Petersburg, both immigrants from Sweden (for
example, the Nobels) and Swedish-speaking nobles from Finland
(Mannerheim) lived. In Soviet times, the church had a gym. Now the
temple belongs to Russian Lutherans, no connection with Sweden. The
interior of the church looks very modest, even shabby, part of the room
is used as a Christian library. It is better to visit on Sunday from 10
to 14, at this time there is a service, and in front of it - something
like a rock band plays and sings Christian hymns, atmospheric and
unusual.
26 Finnish Church of St. Mary, Bolshaya Konyushennaya
st. 8A.
27 Spaso-Konyushenny Church, Konyushennaya Sq. 1.
28 House of the Dutch Church, Nevsky Prospekt 20.
29 Admiralty. One of the oldest
buildings in St. Petersburg. It was founded on November 5, 1704 and was
built as a shipyard for warships and a fortress to protect the nascent
city. The shape of the Admiralty resembles a flattened letter "P",
facing the Neva. The central building is cut through by a large arch,
which is crowned by a monumental tower with a spire and the famous
golden ship, one of the symbols of St. Petersburg. The side wings of the
building, facing the Neva, are decorated with flagpoles with statues of
dolphins. In its present form, the building was built in 1806-1823 by
the architect Zakharov, who, during the restructuring, harmoniously
integrated into his project a wooden tower with a spire by the architect
Korobov, which was left over from the earlier building of the Admiralty.
The Admiralty serves as an important dominant of the center of St.
Petersburg and is part of the ensembles of the three central squares of
the city - Palace, Senate and St. Isaac's. Three city-forming "beams"
depart from the Admiralty Tower: the northern one - Nevsky Prospekt, the
central one - Gorokhovaya Street, and the southern one - Voznesensky
Prospekt.
30 Admiralty Garden or Alexander Garden.
32 Palace
of Grand Duke Mikhail Mikhailovich (Small Mikhailovsky Palace),
Admiralteyskaya Embankment 8.
33 Wawelberg Hotel, Nevsky prospect
7-9. In a magnificent building (architect Peretyatkovich, 1912,
neo-Renaissance) there was a bank before the revolution, and now it is a
hotel.
34 Herzen Pedagogical University (Razumovsky Palace), Moika
emb. 48-50-52.
Senatskaya (former Decembrists Square) and St. Isaac's Square are two
more central squares of St. Petersburg. Senate Square is directly
adjacent to the Neva embankment and is perfectly visible from the
opposite bank. A little to the south is St. Isaac's Square in the shape
of an irregular quadrangle. Both squares are separated by the majestic
St. Isaac's Cathedral.
35 Bronze Horseman & Decembrists’ Square.
Equestrian monument to Peter I by Etienne Falcone, installed in the
center of the Senate Square. The pedestal of the sculpture is the famous
granite monolith "Thunder-Stone" weighing 1600 tons. The monument
depicts a rock, on the edge of which Peter stopped a rearing horse. The
monument is one of the most recognizable symbols of St. Petersburg.
36 St. Isaac’s Cathedral, St.
Isaac's Square 4 ( 5 (Frunzensko-Primorskaya) line Admiralteyskaya).
Thu–Tue 10:00–18:00, worship services 08:00, 16:45. 350₽ (cathedral),
300₽ (colonnade). The main temple of the city, one of the high-rise
dominants of the historical center. The original church of St. Isaac was
built not far from the Admiralty in 1710. The birthday of Peter I falls
on the day of the memory of this saint, which is why the largest
cathedral of the city founded by Peter bears the name of a little-known
saint. The temple was rebuilt several times, the current cathedral is
the fourth building. This is the main creation of the architect
Montferrand, he supervised the construction from 1818 to 1858. Inside
the cathedral there is a magnificent decoration with marble and other
types of decorative stone, more than 100 pictorial compositions, dozens
of mosaics and a huge stained-glass window "The Resurrected Christ".
From the observation deck of the dome colonnade - the best view of the
city center.
37 Buildings of the Senate and Synod. Two yellow
buildings in the western part of the square, connected by an arch thrown
over Galernaya Street. They were built in 1829-1836 by architect Carl
Rossi for secular (Governing Senate) and spiritual authorities (Holy
Synod). The rounded corner of the Senate building is effectively
finished with a colonnade. Until recently, the buildings housed the
Russian State Historical Archive, based on the archives of the Senate
and the Synod. After the archive was transferred to a new building, the
Constitutional Court of Russia was moved here from Moscow.
38
Horseguards' Manege (Central
Exhibition Hall "Manege"), St. Isaac's Square 1. 11:00-20:00. The arena
of the Guards Cavalry Regiment was built in 1807 according to the
project of Quarenghi. On both sides of the entrance, the purpose of the
building is reminiscent of sculptural groups of Dioscuri taming horses -
these are small copies of the ancient Dioscuri at the Quirinal Palace in
Rome. Now the building houses the exhibition hall "Manege". Art
exhibitions change several times a year, their quality may be different,
it is recommended to look at the site and decide according to the
situation whether to go or not.
39 Monument to Nicholas I. Equestrian
monument to Emperor Nicholas I, erected in the center of St. Isaac's
Square in 1859. The general concept of the monument was developed by
Auguste Montferrand. The model according to the drawings of Montferrand
was made by Robert Zaleman. The equestrian statue was cast by Pyotr
Klodt, the creator of the famous Tamers on the Anichkov Bridge. The
uniqueness of this sculpture lies in the fact that it has only two
points of support. The total height of the monument is 16.3 m, the
height of the equestrian statue is 6 m.
40 House of
Lobanov-Rostovsky, Voznesensky pr. 1. Dec 2021
41 Astoria Hotel,
39 Bolshaya Morskaya Street. The hotel is located on the corner from
Bolshaya Morskaya Street. The six-story building was built in 1911-1912
by the architect Fyodor Lidval in the Art Nouveau and Neoclassical
styles. Now the hotel includes the building of the neighboring
Angleterre. It is interesting to note that Astoria became the only
Russian hotel included in the list of the most romantic hotels in the
world according to Forbes. In the ranking of this magazine, published in
2007 on the eve of St. Valentine's Day, Astoria took ninth place.
42 Blue bridge. The widest bridge in St. Petersburg, its width is 97.3
meters. It is so wide that it seems to be a single whole with St.
Isaac's Square and it is quite possible not to notice it. Passengers of
tourist boats sailing under this bridge also get an indelible
impression. Due to its width, the bridge includes the Mariinsky Palace,
located on the other side of the Moika, into the ensemble of St. Isaac's
Square.
43 Mariinsky Palace , Isaakievskaya Square, 6. The palace,
built in 1839-1844 by architect Andrei Shtakenshneider for the daughter
of Nicholas I, Grand Duchess Maria Nikolaevna, after whom it received
its name. The facade has three risalits. The second and third floors of
the palace are decorated with columns and pilasters of the Corinthian
order. In 1884, the palace was adapted for meetings of the State
Council, the State Chancellery, and the Cabinet of Ministers of the
Russian Empire. In 1917, it became the seat of the Provisional
Government, and after the October Revolution, various institutions were
located here. During the blockade there was, in particular, a hospital.
In 1945, after repairs, the Lensoviet moved in here. Today the palace is
the official residence of the Legislative Assembly of St. Petersburg.
44 Vorontsov Palace, Sadovaya st.
26D.
45 Bank bridge. The pedestrian bridge over the Griboyedov Canal
built in 1825 stands out with magnificent sculptures of winged lions or
griffins with golden wings by sculptor Pavel Sokolov.
46 House of
City Institutions, Sadovaya st. 55-57.
47 Yusupov Palace on Sadovaya
Street (University of Railways) Wikidata item, Fontanki emb. 115.
48 Palace of Grand Duke Andrei Vladimirovich (Wedding Palace No. 1),
Angliyskaya emb. 28.
49 Palace of Grand Duke Mikhail
Alexandrovich, Angliyskaya Embankment 54.
50 Palace of Grand Duke
Pavel Alexandrovich, Angliyskaya Embankment 66-68.
51 Nicholas
Palace, Truda sq. 4.
52 Bobrinsky Palace , Galernaya st. 58-60.
53 Yusupov Palace (Yusupov Palace
on the Moika), Moiki emb. 94 ( 2 (Moscow-Petrogradskaya) line Sennaya
Square, entrance from Dekabristov st. 21). 10:00–19:30. Ceremonial halls
750 ₽, exposition "The Assassination of Rasputin" 500 ₽, no benefits.
The estate of the Yusupov princes - magnificent interiors, a private
garden and a home theater. Since the founding of the city, there has
been a manor here, often changing owners. The building of the palace in
the style of classicism was built in the 1770s according to the design
of the French architect Vallin-Delamote, later it was rebuilt many
times. From the 1830s until the revolution, the princes Yusupovs lived
here, according to their orders, ceremonial and residential interiors, a
house church, and an art gallery were created. After the revolution,
many paintings and sculptures from the Yusupov collection were added to
the collections of the Hermitage and the Russian Museum, but the
interiors were preserved. The state rooms are the best part of the
exposition; “The Murder of Rasputin” - this part of the palace also has
interesting rooms, but the safety of the interiors and the quality of
the exhibits are worse. In the home theater (a luxurious hall for 176
spectators) there are regular performances, tickets on the website. The
manor garden is open to visitors during the opening hours of the palace,
admission is free.
54 St. Nicholas’ Cathedral
, Nikolskaya Sq. 1 to. 3. An excellent example of the Elizabethan
baroque (built in 1753 - 1762, architect Chevakinsky).
55 New Holland Island
Nevsky Prospekt is the main street of St. Petersburg. It should be
noted that Petersburgers call Nevsky Prospekt only the section from the
Admiralty to Vosstaniya Square, and the section from Vosstaniya Square
to Alexander Nevsky Square is called Staro-Nevsky Prospekt. Officially
(including all maps of the city) both of these sections are called
Nevsky Prospekt.
From the Admiralty to Ostrovsky Square
56
Kazan Cathedral (Cathedral of the
Kazan Icon of the Mother of God), Kazanskaya Sq. 2. One of the largest
churches in St. Petersburg. It was built according to the project of
Voronikhin in 1801-1811 on the site of a more modest Nativity Church
(built in 1733-1737). Paul I set the architect the task of building a
cathedral similar to St. Peter's in Rome. It is to this prototype that
he owes his huge colonnade facing Nevsky Prospekt. According to
Voronikhin's plan, the same colonnade was supposed to be on the opposite
side, but it was never implemented. By the will of fate, the cathedral,
just built in 1811, became a monument to the victory of Russian weapons
over Napoleonic France in the Patriotic War of 1812. Field Marshal
Kutuzov is buried inside the cathedral, and in 1837 sculptures of
Kutuzov and Barclay de Tolly by the sculptor Orlovsky appeared on the
square in front of the temple. It is also interesting to note that the
northern doors of the cathedral are a copy of the bronze "gates of
paradise" of the Florentine baptistery by Ghiberti, made by the caster
Vasily Ekimov.
57 City Council Building, Nevsky Prospekt 33.
58
Gostiny Dvor, Nevsky prospect, 35.
Ostrovsky Square
The area lies on the south side of Nevsky
Prospekt. The riddle-rhyme accurately describes its composition. The
lady is, of course, a monument to Catherine II, drama is the
Alexandrinsky Theatre, education is the Russian National Library,
entertainment is the garden of the Anichkov Palace, and “not everyone
can afford it” is, of course, the Eliseevsky store.
Alexandrinsky
Theater
59 Monument to Catherine II. It is located in the park
between the buildings of the Russian National Library and the Anichkov
Palace. The general idea belongs to the famous sculptor Mikhail
Mikeshin. The sculpture of Catherine II was cast according to the model
of Matvey Chizhov. At the feet of the Empress, nine sculptural portraits
of Catherine's grandees by Alexander Opekushin are depicted: military
leaders Pyotr Rumyantsev, Grigory Potemkin, Alexander Suvorov,
dignitaries Alexander Bezborodko, Ivan Betskoy, naval commanders Vasily
Chichagov, Alexei Orlov and cultural figures Gavriil Derzhavin,
Ekaterina Dashkova. The high monument is made of 600 blocks of Serdobol
granite brought from the islands of the Valaam archipelago. The monument
was inaugurated in 1873. It should be noted that the square in which the
monument stands is often affectionately called Kat'kin Garden by
Petersburgers.
60 Alexandrinsky Theatre, pl. Ostrovsky, 2.
61
Russian National Library, Nevsky prospect, 37/18. Building on the corner
of Nevsky Prospekt and Sadovaya Street. Built by architect Yegor Sokolov
specifically for the Imperial Public Library founded in 1795. The
library was opened in 1814 and since 1810 has been receiving a mandatory
copy of all domestic publications. It did not close even during the
years of the Leningrad blockade. At present, the library is one of the
largest in the world, its fund is more than 33 million books and
documents. It has the largest collection of books in Russian in the
world. Here are such masterpieces as the Ostromir Gospel of the 11th
century (the oldest surviving book in Old Russian), fragments of the
Codex Sinaiticus of the 4th century (in Ancient Greek), the Petersburg
Codex of the 11th century (in Hebrew).
From Ostrovsky Square to
Vosstaniya Square
62 Anichkov Palace,
Nevsky Prospekt 39.
63 Anichkov Bridge.
The bridge on Nevsky Prospekt is named after the officer Anichkov, who
led the construction of the first wooden bridge across the Fontanka in
1716. The current appearance of the bridge acquired during the next
restructuring in 1842. The most famous decorations of the bridge are
four sculptures by Klodt "Horse Tamers". Also noteworthy is the
cast-iron grate.
64 Beloselsky-Belozersky Palace,
Nevsky Prospekt, 41/42. It was built in 1849 according to the project of
the architect A. I. Stackenschneider in the style of the so-called
"second baroque".
Vosstaniya / Uprising Square
Vosstaniya
Square is another central square of the city, formed by the intersection
of Nevsky and Ligovsky prospects. Here are the Moscow railway station,
the pavilion of the metro station "Ploshchad Vosstaniya" and the
building of the hotel "Oktyabrskaya". The composition is completed by
the obelisk "To the Hero City of Leningrad" installed in the center of
the square.
65 Moscow railway station. The building was erected
in 1847-1851 according to the project of architects Ton and
Zhelyazevich. It is the "twin" of the Leningradsky railway station in
Moscow.
66 Obelisk "To the Hero City of Leningrad". It was built in
accordance with the Regulations on the highest degree of distinction -
the title of "Hero City", approved by the Presidium of the Supreme
Soviet of the USSR on May 8, 1965. The authors of the monument are
architects: V. S. Lukyanov and A. I. Alymov. The grand opening took
place on May 8, 1985.
67 Ploshad Vosstaniya metro station. The
station pavilion was built in 1955 according to the design of architects
B. N. Zhuravlev, I. I. Fomin, and V. V. Gankevich.
68 Feodorovsky
Cathedral.
69 Gate Church (Entrance to the Lavra), Alexander Nevsky Sq. 1ZH ( 3
(Nevsko-Vasileostrovskaya) line Alexander Nevsky Square). The shortest
entrance to the Lavra complex is from the metro and from Alexander
Nevsky Square.
70 Lazarevskoe Cemetery (Necropolis of the 18th
century).
71 Tikhvin Cemetery (Necropolis of Masters of Arts).
72
Church of the Annunciation. In the lower level of the church there is a
tomb with the grave of Suvorov and a number of other figures of the 18th
century.
73 Trinity Cathedral. The main church of the monastery.
74 Nikolskoye Cemetery.
Alexander Nevsky Lavra Cemetery
75 Church of Simeon and Anna, Mokhovaya st.
48.
76 Mosaic of the Small Academy of Arts, st. Tchaikovsky, 2 (in
the courtyard at the corner of the Fontanka and the Neva).
77 Bolshoy
Dom, Liteiny pr. 4.
78 School of Law, Fontanki nab. 6.
79 House
Muruzi, Liteiny pr. 24.
80 Yusupova's house, Liteiny pr. 42.
81
Small Marble Palace (House of Kushelev-Bezborodko) Gagarinskaya st. 3.
82 Egyptian House, Zakharyevskaya st., 23. Profitable building, a
magnificent example of Russian Art Nouveau. At the entrance there are
sculptures of the sun god Ra, above the columns there are bas-reliefs
with Egyptian scenes, a decorated arch into the courtyard.
83
Sorrowful Church.
84 House of Officers, 20 Liteiny Ave.
85
Lutheran Church of St. Anne.
86 Baryatinsky House (House of Grand
Duchess Olga Alexandrovna), Tchaikovsky st. 46-48.
87 Transfiguration
Cathedral (Cathedral of the Transfiguration of the Lord) ,
Preobrazhenskaya Sq. 1. The first cathedral on this site was built under
Empress Elizabeth in memory of the palace coup of 1741, in which the
Preobrazhensky Regiment played the main role, in 1825 the building was
damaged by fire. The current Empire building was built on the old
foundation in 1825-1829 by the architect Stasov. Before the revolution,
the cathedral was the regimental temple of the Preobrazhensky Regiment.
Outside, an unusual fence in the form of cannon barrels connected by
decorative chains attracts attention. The guns are captured Turkish,
captured during the Russian-Turkish war of 1828-1829. After the
revolution, the cathedral became a parish church, but was not closed.
The interior in the Empire style, created by Stasov, has been preserved;
the main iconostasis in the form of a triumphal arch is the most
interesting in it.
88 Tavrichesky Palace (Tauride Palace)
, Shpalernaya st. 47.
89 Tauride Garden.
90 Znamenskaya Old
Believer Church, Tverskaya st. 8.
91 Kikiny chambers, Stavropolskaya
st. 9 ( 1 (Kirovsko-Vyborgskaya) line Chernyshevskaya, not far from the
Smolny Cathedral). One of the oldest buildings in the city, built in
1714-1720. in the style of Peter's baroque. Alexander Kikin was one of
the associates of Peter I, led the Admiralty. This house was built as a
country house, the place was chosen because of its proximity to the
Smolyany (Smolny) yard, where supplies for the fleet were prepared.
Kikin was involved in a conspiracy around Tsarevich Alexei and was
executed in 1718. Now the building houses the Lyceum of Music.
92
Smolny Cathedral (Cathedral of the Resurrection of the Word in the
Smolny Monastery), pl. Rastrelli 1 ( 1 (Kirovsko-Vyborgskaya) line
Chernyshevskaya). 07:00-20:00. entrance to the cathedral - free of
charge, rise to the observation deck - 200 rubles, preferential 100
rubles. Smolny Cathedral is one of the architectural symbols of St.
Petersburg. The complex of the Smolny Monastery (the cathedral in the
center and the buildings of the monastery in the form of a cruciform
square around the cathedral) was designed by Rastrelli in the
Elizabethan Baroque style, construction began in 1748. Empress Elizabeth
lived in this area before her accession and decided to build a convent
here instead of the Smolny Yard. The cathedral and monastery buildings
look great from the outside. The buildings of the monastery house
educational and municipal institutions. The interior of the cathedral is
light and austere, impressing more with its size than with luxury or
works of art. It is worth climbing to the observation deck, but the
views are not outstanding, since the cathedral is removed from the
central architectural ensembles. In addition to the territory of the
monastery, the ensemble of the neighboring Smolny Institute and the
Bolsheokhtinsky Bridge, as well as the Bezborodko dacha and the Kresty
prison on the opposite bank of the Neva are clearly visible.
93 Tolstovsky house, Fontanki nab. 54.
94 Vladimirsky Cathedral,
Vladimirsky pr. 20.
95 Holy Cross Cathedral.
96 Trinity Cathedral
(Trinity-Izmailovsky Cathedral), Izmailovsky Ave. 7A. The giant white
cathedral with blue domes was built for the Izmailovsky Regiment on the
initiative of Nicholas I according to the project of Stasov in 1828-35.
as a continuation of the previous joint project of the emperor and the
architect - the restoration of the Transfiguration Cathedral after the
fire. There is almost no decor inside the huge interior, except for
giant images of saints in gilded frames and an empire-style iconostasis.
The interior has been restored, in Soviet times there was a warehouse in
the cathedral. From the eastern side of the cathedral rises a column of
Glory made of cannon barrels with the goddess of Victory on top - a
paradoxically beautiful monument to the Russian-Turkish war of 1877. In
Soviet times, the column was destroyed, restored in the 21st century.
97 Catholic Cathedral of the Assumption (Cathedral of the Assumption of
the Blessed Virgin Mary), 1st Krasnoarmeyskaya st. 11. 08:30–20:00. A
Catholic church with a secret - the church itself is not visible from
the street, only the door that does not stand out too much, you can pass
through and not notice. It seems that in the 19th century, during the
construction of the cathedral, the Orthodox clergy insisted that
competitors were not allowed to build a building that was noticeable
from afar. In the interior, it is interesting to see copies of several
famous religious paintings (“The Prodigal Son” by Rembrandt, “Christ in
the Desert” by Kramskoy, etc.), scenes of the Passion of Christ carved
from wood on the walls and sculptures of angels at the entrance and
behind the altar.
Hermitage
1 Hermitage (Winter Palace), Palace Square 2 ( 5
(Frunzensko-Primorskaya) line Admiralteiskaya, 2
(Moskovsko-Petrogradskaya) line Nevsky prospect). Tue, Thu, Sun 11:00 -
18:00, Wed, Fri, Sat until 20:00. 500₽, preferential 300₽. One of the
largest art museums in the world. The main building of the Hermitage is
the Winter Palace, the former residence of Russian emperors. The
Hermitage collections have a universal scope - ancient civilizations,
Europe, Asia, Russia. The main museum complex cannot be seen in one
visit.
When visiting for the first time or after a long break, it
is recommended to focus on the most outstanding halls/collections - the
ceremonial halls of the palace; Western European painting and sculpture
(the most significant collections are Italian (Leonardo, Raphael,
Michelangelo, Titian, Caravaggio, Canova) and Netherlandish (Rubens, Van
Dyck, Rembrandt)); antique art. They are predominantly located in the
eastern part of the complex. Recommendations for return visits:
Temporary exhibitions - usually arranged in the Nicholas Hall and the
Manege of the Small Hermitage, they are easy to see as an addition to
the permanent exhibition, you can find out about them on the website;
Jewel Gallery - two separate collections in different parts of the
museum (Diamond Pantry and Golden Pantry), visit on separate tickets
with a tour, after which you can continue to explore other rooms; Less
visited departments in the western (closest to the Admiralty) part of
the Winter Palace, for example, the Reserve Gallery of European
Painting; collection of coins and medals; collections of art from the
countries of the East (Byzantium, India, China, Japan).
Museum
shops (souvenirs, as well as books and children) and cafes are located
on the ground floor near the turnstiles, to the right of the Jordan
Stairs. Shops are pricey, but the range is very decent. Souvenir shops
come across in other parts of the building. In addition to the main
museum complex, the Hermitage has several branches in other buildings
with separate entrances and tickets - the General Headquarters, the
Winter Palace of Peter I (both are located next to the Winter Palace),
as well as the Menshikov Palace, the Museum of the Imperial Porcelain
Factory, the Old Village Restoration and Storage Center in other parts
of the city.
2 Main Headquarters, Palace Square. 6/8 (branch of
the Hermitage, separate entrance from Palace Square). Tue, Thu, Sun
11:00 - 18:00, Wed, Fri, Sat until 20:00. 500₽, preferential categories
for free. This branch of the Hermitage is the most important museum in
itself, its specialization is Western European art of the 19th-20th
centuries. The expositions are not equally interesting - the most
important rooms are located on the 4th floor, this is French painting of
the second half of the 19th century. - the beginning of the XX century.
(Monet, Renoir, Van Gogh, Matisse, Picasso and many other names). Most
of these collections came from the collections of Shchukin and the
Morozov brothers. The museum is large and a must-see for art lovers.
Unlike the Main Museum Complex of the Hermitage, you can see it in one
visit, especially if you limit yourself to the 4th floor. On the ground
floor in the entrance area there is a rather expensive Hermitage cafe
and good book and souvenir shops.
State Russian Museum is the world's
largest collection of Russian art. Founded by decree of Nicholas II in
1895, over time it has grown into a complex museum complex, the main
parts of which are the Mikhailovsky Palace, the Benois Wing, the
Mikhailovsky Castle, the Stroganov Palace and the Marble Palace. There
is a complex ticket (1250 ₽, free for children) that allows you to visit
each of these five branches once within three days. Their opening hours
are the same: 10:00–18:00, Wednesdays 13:00–21:00, Tuesday is a day off.
In addition, the Summer Palace of Peter I is subordinate to the Russian
Museum; House of Peter I; Summer garden; Mikhailovsky Garden.
3
Mikhailovsky Palace (main building of the Russian Museum), Inzhenernaya
st. 2-4A. 450₽, free for children. The museum is located in the former
Grand Duke's Palace, however, only the Main Staircase and the White
Hall, as well as paintings in some other halls, remain from the
Empire-style interiors designed by Rossi. The exposition begins with
ancient Russian icons, followed in approximately chronological order by
painting and sculpture of the 18th-19th centuries, in total about 60
halls. Masterpieces of Russian art are evenly distributed, less
interesting are the 10 halls of folk art at the far end. Even a very
cursory inspection takes at least two hours. The main building of the
Russian Museum is much more popular than the branches, therefore, to
avoid crowds, it is better to come on a weekday or in the evening. There
is a small cafe on the ground floor.
4 Building Benois ,
Inzhenernaya st. 2-4 (entrance from the Griboyedov Canal). 350₽, free
for children. The side building of the Russian Museum was built in
1914-1919 and connected to the main building by a passage, which is now
closed, and in fact the Benois building works as a separate museum. It
exhibits Russian and Soviet art from the end of the 19th century in
chronological order - from Vrubel and Nesterov to the late USSR (about
20 halls), as well as Soviet arts and crafts. The works of this era are
more difficult to perceive than the classical ones in the Mikhailovsky
Palace; a lot of strange and unusual. The ground floor is used for
temporary exhibitions, often excellent (should be viewed on the
website). There is also a restaurant "Mikhailovsky" with reasonable
prices. The time to visit the Benois Wing depends on how interesting the
temporary exhibition is; on average, it takes less time here than for
the Mikhailovsky Palace.
5 Mikhailovsky Castle (Engineering
Castle), Sadovaya st. 2. 450₽, free for children. One of the most
unusual buildings in the center of St. Petersburg, the Mikhailovsky
Castle stands out from the crowd even with its name, although in essence
it is just another imperial palace. It was built in 1797-1801. at the
direction of Paul I, who long before his ascension to the throne hatched
the idea of such a building. It was named “Castle” in tribute to the
Order of Malta so beloved by Paul, since every self-respecting knight
needed his own castle. The building was designed by Bazhenov, and some
ideas were proposed by the emperor himself. Mikhailovsky Castle is a
harbinger of Russian classicism and one of the most original examples of
this style (in particular, all four facades of the castle are different
from each other). True, the walls of the castle are painted in an
orange-cinnamon color, which is not typical either for classicism or for
St. Petersburg, which, according to rumors, was chosen by Pavel himself
to match the gloves of his favorite, Princess Lopukhina. The
construction of the castle was carried out in an emergency mode, as
Pavel was in a hurry to move from the Winter Palace, fearing treason and
a coup. In fact, everything turned out exactly the opposite: the emperor
managed to live in his new palace for exactly 40 days, and on March 11,
1801, he was strangled right in the Mikhailovsky Castle. On the same
day, the royal persons left the castle and never returned here again.
Since 1819, the Main Engineering School has been located here, hence the
second name - Engineering. In Soviet times, a variety of organizations
"housed" in the castle, which later gave way to the Russian Museum.
Museum expositions are distinguished by impressive reconstructed
interiors of state rooms (they break the idea that Pavel was a stranger
to luxury), as well as a gallery of portraits of the Romanovs at the
level of a similar gallery in the Hermitage. Other displays - in
particular, a collection of Russian portraits and original sculptures
from the Summer Garden - are much less interesting. The castle also
hosts temporary exhibitions, but again, the best exhibitions go to the
Benois Corps. The general conclusion - if you want to see the great
Russian art - you should go to the Mikhailovsky Palace, if the imperial
residence - you are here. The Russian Museum continues reconstruction, a
number of halls are still closed. It is also interesting to see the
octagonal courtyard of the castle, in addition to excellent
architecture, there is a modern, but well-executed monument to Paul. Feb
2022 edit
6 Stroganov Palace,
Nevsky Prospekt, 17. 400₽, free for children. The family palace of
Russian industrialists and landowners adorns the intersection of the
Moika and Nevsky Prospekt. An exemplary building of the Elizabethan
Baroque was built in 1752-1754. designed by Rastrelli. The museum inside
is, first of all, the outstanding interiors of the second floor - 15
ceremonial halls of the aristocratic residence. A couple of baroque
halls were made by Rastrelli, and a few more - classicism according to
Voronikhin's designs. Paintings and sculptures are placed in the
interiors with great taste - although the collections of the Stroganovs
themselves are scattered in different museums, the curators of the
Russian Museum were able to pick up excellent exhibits from their vaults
that complement the interiors. On the ground floor of the museum there
are several rooms for temporary exhibitions, usually not particularly
interesting.
7 Marble Palace, Millionnaya st. 5/1 (near the
Field of Mars, next to the Trinity Bridge). 400₽, free for children. The
Marble Palace was the first in St. Petersburg to be finished with
natural stone, and this facade decoration with granite and marble slabs
distinguishes it from other palace buildings in St. Petersburg even now.
The palace was built in 1767-1785. according to the project of Rinaldi,
originally as a gift to Grigory Orlov, but the favorite of Catherine II
did not live to see the gift. Later, the grand dukes lived in the
building - first Konstantin Pavlovich, the middle brother of Alexander I
and Nicholas I, then another Konstantin, son of Nicholas I, and his heir
Konstantin Konstantinovich (left a mark in Russian poetry under the
cryptonym K.R.). Under Soviet rule, the palace was adapted for the Lenin
Museum; most of the palace interiors were lost during the alterations.
In this branch, the Russian Museum exhibits items from private
collections, and quite different ones: on the one hand, furniture and
classical paintings from the collection of St. Petersburg collectors of
the Rzhevsky brothers (a solid level, no masterpieces), and on the
other, a selection of XX art donated to the Russian Museum by German
collectors Ludwigs centuries - there are many controversial exhibits,
but there are also a number of outstanding works. There are also rooms
for temporary exhibitions, sometimes very interesting. All this is shown
against the backdrop of partially restored interiors, including the
luxurious Marble Staircase and the no less impressive Marble Hall,
finished with the best grades of natural stone. It is also worth
mentioning the twice-daily tour "Konstantin Romanov - a Poet (K.R)",
during which several private rooms of the Grand Duke are visited, which
are not accessible for viewing with ordinary tickets. Feb 2022 edit
8 Summer Palace of Peter the Great (inside the Summer Garden).
Wed–Mon 11:00–19:00. 700₽, visit with a guided tour. A modest two-story
building in the style of Peter the Great Baroque was built in 1714.
according to the project of Trezzini, the king lived here every summer
in the last years of his life. The museum is open only during the warm
season (May-beginning of October). Inside there are about 15 rooms on
two floors, interiors and objects of the Petrine era are presented.
Other museums 5 (Frunzensko-Primorskaya) line
Admiralteyskaya
9 Rumyantsev's mansion, Angliyskaya emb.
44. Thu–Tue 11:00–18:00. 300₽, preferential 150₽. The conspicuous
building with a portico of twelve columns and a pediment with Apollo and
the Muses has an interesting history. Diplomat and philanthropist of
Alexander's time Nikolai Rumyantsev (son of the commander Rumyantsev)
created one of the first historical museums in Russia. The Rumyantsev
Museum was later moved to Moscow, and the mansion changed hands until,
in the 1880s, it became the palace of an aristocratic family of the
Dukes of Leuchtenberg, who were related to the Kochubey princes. After
the revolution, the building was divided into a museum and communal
apartments. Now there is a branch of the Museum of the History of St.
Petersburg (the main part of the museum is in the Peter and Paul
Fortress) with a specialization in the history of the city after the
revolution. The branch is rather rundown - the main halls have been
restored only partially, the section on the Great Patriotic War
duplicates the exposition of the Museum of the Blockade, the expositions
have not been updated for a long time. Unlike other museums, the section
- the reconstruction of a communal apartment in all its splendor on the
site of a real communal apartment, is located in the part of the mansion
farthest from the entrance. A cursory tour of the museum will take an
hour and a half.
10 Naval Museum (Central Naval Museum) , Truda Sq.
5. Wed–Mon 10:00–18:00. 400₽, preferential 200₽. The museum is located
in the former building of the Naval Barracks built in the 1850s. The
history of the Russian fleet is preserved here - unique exhibits (Peter
I's small boat and Dzhevetsky's submarine, etc.); many models of ships;
piles of weapons; banners and uniforms; awards; a huge collection of
paintings and sculptures on marine themes. Approximately two hours
should be allotted to inspect all the halls.
11 Museum of the History
of Religion, Pochtamtskaya st. 14. Thu-Mon 10:00-18:00, Tue 13:00-21:00.
300₽, preferential 150₽. A unique and underrated museum dedicated to the
history of world religions. It was formed in the 1930s by the efforts of
Soviet religious historians, who were able to collect religious exhibits
from imperial and nationalized private collections in the museum. The
main sections of the exposition are the religions of the ancient world;
branches of Christianity (Orthodoxy, Catholicism, Protestantism);
religions of the East (Hinduism, Buddhism, etc.); Judaism; Islam.
Religious paintings, icons and other religious objects are of the level
of the Hermitage and the Russian Museum, that is, there are no
masterpieces, but they look good in the context. There are always
interesting temporary exhibitions. It is worth allocating two hours for
a visit to this museum.
12 Museum of Communications (Central Museum
of Communications named after A.S. Popov), Pochtamtsky per. 4. Wed–Sun
10:30–18:00. 300₽, preferential 200₽. All aspects of communication are
presented - from the sleigh, on which mail was transported a couple of
hundred years ago, to computers and satellite models. The old part is
more technical - hundreds of radio tubes are collected, the principle of
operation of television is explained. The new part is more overview and
"instrumental": they show models of modems and cell phones from
different years without serious technical details. It's nice, however,
that both parts are interactive: you can send a message in Morse code,
watch how an old radio changes frequencies, and adjust the speed of the
satellite so that it is in geostationary orbit. Tech lovers won't be
disappointed either, seeing the many "classic" 19th century appliances
with smooth wood panels and shiny handles. Finally, in some places the
interior of the building has been preserved - in the past the palace of
Chancellor Bezborodko (1783). The museum is very diverse, it will be of
interest to both adults and older or middle-aged children.
13
Nabokov Museum, Bolshaya Morskaya st. 47.
14 Petrovskaya
Aquatoria (Model of St. Petersburg in the middle of the 18th century) ,
Malaya Morskaya st. 4/1, 6th floor (in the building of the shopping
center "Admiral" above 5 (Frunzensko-Primorskaya) line
Admiralteyskaya). 10:00-22:00. 500₽, concessional 400₽, child 300₽. The
small museum is a miniature reconstruction of key places in St.
Petersburg and its environs in the middle of the 18th century. The
layout is divided into areas - Vasilyevsky Island, Peterhof, Kronstadt,
etc. Partly reminiscent of the "Grand Layout Russia" (figures, carriages
and ships move; day and night change; interactive buttons that turn on
the movement in different fragments of the layout), but here the
emphasis is on history, not on technology. It is recommended to take an
audio guide, it complements the historical details well (for a fee).
15 Museum of Political Police, Gorokhovaya st. 2.
16 Pushkin House Museum,
Moika Emb. 12. Wed–Mon 10:30–18:00. 400₽, preferential 240₽. The museum
consists of two objects - "Apartment" and (for a small fee) "Life and
Creativity". Pushkin and his family lived in the apartment for only a
few months, in Soviet times a thorough reconstruction was made with some
genuine items (for example, the sofa on which the poet died). The
apartment is visited by sessions - either with a tour or with an audio
guide. The audio guide is excellent, the story of the last months of
life, duel and death is told with anguish and sadness. In fact, the
apartment is a memorial to our main writer. The exposition "Life and
Creativity" is ignored by most visitors, but it is much larger (17
halls) and more interesting than the memorial apartment. Here, in
chronological order, Pushkin's biography is presented. There are many
interesting exhibits (for example, the Nashchokinsky house) and
excellent portraits. If you watch only the "Apartment" - you need 45
minutes, the entire museum - about 2 hours.
17 Winter Palace of
Peter I , Palace Embankment 32 (branch of the Hermitage, separate
entrance from Palace Embankment). 🕑Tue–Sun 12:00–19:00. 600₽, no
benefits. This small museum is dedicated to Peter I and his era. In the
last years of Peter's life, this was his residence, and here he died in
1725. Later, the emperors lived in other palaces and the building was
used as a barracks. In 1783, Catherine II ordered the construction of
the Hermitage Theater, the architect Quarenghi hastily used the
foundation and part of the walls of the Peter's building. In the 1980s,
excavations were carried out and the basement was reconstructed as a
museum. The exposition includes interiors restored according to
descriptions, personal belongings of Peter. Visit as part of an
excursion, tickets on the website for sessions.
Other museums
18 Museum of Printing , Moiki nab. 32.
19 Museum of Soviet
Slot Machines, Konyushennaya Sq. 2B. 11:00–21:00. 450₽, preferential
350₽. Several dozen vintage slot machines. The visitor is given a
handful of 15-kopeck moments, with which you can play on any of the
machines to your liking. Coins run out in about an hour. A good way to
diversify the cultural program of a visit to St. Petersburg.
20
Literary Museum "XX century" (Zoshchenko Museum), Malaya Konyushennaya
st. 4/2.
21 Museum-apartment of the artist Brodsky, Art pl. 3.
Wed–Sun 11:00–19:00. Isaac Brodsky is a student of Repin. Unlike the
teacher, who did not accept Soviet power and spent the rest of his life
in Finland, Brodsky was a bit of a conformist. He painted portraits of
Lenin and other leaders, paintings on revolutionary subjects. In return,
he received from the Soviet government an apartment with a workshop and
the opportunity to direct the Academy of Arts and cheaply acquire
pre-revolutionary paintings for his personal collection. The museum is
small, but there are many paintings and the level of the collection is
good - Repin, Kustodiev, Malyavin and others; there are also many works
by Brodsky himself. Literally 100m away is the Russian Museum, and the
apartment loses a lot from this neighborhood. The visit will take about
half an hour.
22 Ethnographic Museum, Inzhenernaya st. 4/1. Tue 10:00
- 21:00, Wed-Sun 10:00 - 18:00. 350₽, preferential 200₽. The expositions
of the museum are devoted to the ethnography of the peoples of Russia
and the former USSR. Collections from more remote countries of Asia,
Africa and America are kept in the Kunstkamera. The building was built
in 1903 - 1916. especially for this museum, in a neoclassical style, it
fits perfectly into the ensemble of Arts Square next to the Mikhailovsky
Palace. Right at the entrance - the monumental Marble Hall, was
conceived as a hall in memory of Emperor Alexander III. Ethnographic
expositions - the Russian people - are the largest, mainly covering the
peasant life of the pre-revolutionary era; all former republics of the
USSR and national autonomies of Russia are also represented by separate
halls and expositions. Thanks to well-made expositions, the museum is
quite interesting. It's also a good idea to buy a ticket with a guided
tour (there are several of them daily at different times, tickets on the
website). The museum is large, you can quickly see it in two hours.
23 Pig snout (gallery of modern art) , Fontanki nab. 5/2 (entrance to
the courtyard from the Fontanka, left front, top floor). Wed–Fri
17:00–20:00, Sat–Sun 13:00–20:00. For free. The gallery occupies a large
apartment in a pre-revolutionary apartment building. The works of the
Witch Artists group (Nikolai Kopeikin, Vasya Lozhkin and others) are
presented. The style of most of the works is primitivism or naive art
with a satirical bent. Expositions often change, many works can be
bought here. The visit will take from half an hour to an hour.
24 Faberge Museum (Naryshkin-Shuvalov Palace) , Fontanki emb. 21.
10:00–20:45. 500₽, preferential 250₽. Relatively new (opened in 2013)
art museum in the restored palace of Russian aristocrats. Specialization
- jewelry art of the 19th - early 20th centuries. In addition to the
famous Faberge eggs and other products of this company, the museum has a
variety of works by other Russian masters of the same period and a small
collection of paintings (especially noteworthy is the unusually bright
illumination of paintings). The interiors of the palace (about 10
ceremonial halls) are also worthy of attention and have been perfectly
restored. There are very interesting temporary exhibitions (for example,
Dali or Frida Kahlo), it is better to look at the site in advance.
25
Theater Museum (Museum of theatrical and musical art), Architect Rossi
st. 2A. Thu–Mon 11:00–19:00, Wed 13:00–21:00. 200₽, preferential 100₽.
The museum is located on the third floor of the former building of the
Directorate of the Imperial Theaters behind the Alexandrinka.
Approximately ten halls, many costumes, scenery sketches, models. The
expositions are very well done, with an emphasis on the history of
Russian ballet (Petipa, Diaghilev) and drama (Ostrovsky, Chekhov,
Stanislavsky, Meyerhold). It is recommended to use the audio guide.
Other museums 2 (Moscow-Petrogradskaya) line Sennaya Square
26 Museum and Exhibition Center Petersburg Artist, Kryukov Canal 4.
11:00–20:00. 300₽, preferential 200₽. Several halls are densely hung
with paintings by contemporary and Soviet academic artists. The level is
average (this is not the Benois building of the Russian Museum), but
interesting works come across. Many works can be bought, in fact a
museum is an exhibition and sale. Some of the halls are used for
temporary exhibitions, which are updated several times a year.
27 Museum of Art of St. Petersburg of the 20th-21st centuries,
Griboyedov Canal 103. Tue–Sun 12:00–20:00. 250₽, preferential 100₽. A
small museum of modern art (four spacious halls), no permanent
exhibition, temporary exhibitions change several times a year. The
quality of work is average, weaker than Erarta. You can drop in for half
an hour if you are near the Mariinsky.
28 Museum of Railway
Transport, Sadovaya st. 50.
Other museums
29 Sheremetev Palace (Fountain House, Museum of Music) , Fontanki nab. 34 ( 3
(Nevsko-Vasileostrovskaya) Mayakovskaya line). Thu-Mon 11:00-19:00, Wed
13:00-21:00. 300₽, preferential 200₽. The Palace of Counts Sheremetevs
was built in the 1750s according to the design of the architects
Chevakinsky and Argunov in the Elizabethan Baroque style, later it was
rebuilt many times. Now it houses the "Museum of Music" - a branch of
the Museum of Theater and Musical Art. It is this museum that is better
to visit with a guided tour (tickets are sold on the website, several
types of excursions), otherwise it is difficult for a non-specialist to
understand the value of the exhibits. Also of interest are the
ceremonial halls, where a worthy reconstruction of the Sheremetevs'
dwelling for the period of the 1830s was made. and placed unique
instruments (Stradivarius violin, Shostakovich piano, etc.). At the far
end, don't miss the Symphony Orchestra hall - here you can see all kinds
of instruments of the orchestra, read about them and listen to the sound
on multimedia stands. Visiting time is about two hours.
30 Akhmatova
Museum, Liteiny pr. 53.
31 Museum-apartment of the Samoilovs,
Stremyannaya st. 8. Thu–Sun 11:00–19:00, Wed 13:00–21:00. 150₽.
32
Museum-apartment of the Alliluyevs, 10th Sovetskaya st. 17
Other
museums 1 (Kirovsko-Vyborgskaya) line Vladimirskaya
33
Dostoevsky Museum,
Kuznechny per. 5.
34 Museum of the Arctic and Antarctic, st. Marata
24, lit. A. Wed–Sun 10:00–18:00. 350₽, preferential 100₽. An unusual
museum about the nature of the polar regions and the history of their
development. The interiors and expositions have not been updated for a
long time, so the impression is ambiguous - the museum is unique and
there is something to show, but the building needs to be repaired and
work on a more modern presentation. The museum can be viewed in 1-1.5
hours. The building of the museum is also of interest - this is the
former St. Nicholas Church of the same faith (1838), a beautiful
building in the classical style. The Soviet conversion of church
interiors into a museum looks very harmonious.
35 Rimsky-Korsakov
Museum-Apartment, Zagorodny pr. 28 ( 1 (Kirovsko-Vyborgskaya)
Vladimirskaya line). Thu–Mon 11:00–19:00, Wed 13:00–21:00. 150₽.
Other museums
36 Museum "Raznochinny Petersburg", Bolshoy Kazachy
per. 7.
37 Military Medical Museum, Vvedensky Canal 6.
38
Derzhavin Estate Museum, Fontanki Emb. 118. Wed–Mon 10:30–18:00. 500₽.
The estate of the poet and statesman Derzhavin was built at the end of
the 18th century on a scale close to the Yusupov and Sheremetev palaces.
From the second half of the 19th century, there was a residence of a
Catholic archbishop here, and in Soviet times - apartments. Nothing
remains of the Empire interiors. In the 2000s, a reconstruction of the
interiors at the time of Derzhavin's life in the estate and a literary
and artistic exposition on the theme of Russian literature of the
pre-Pushkin period were made. There are a number of interesting details,
for example, the reconstruction of the master's kitchen or copies of
written orders from Derzhavin's wife to her serfs.
In addition to
about 20 "Derzhavin" halls, the museum has about 10 halls for temporary
exhibitions, some of which are interesting. The manor garden (also
called the Polish Garden) is not bad for a pleasant walk, available with
a ticket at the museum box office (100₽) Jul 2022 edit
Other museums 1 (Kirovsko-Vyborgskaya) line Chernyshevskaya
39 Stieglitz Museum, Salt per. 13-15.
40 Museum of Defense and Siege
of Leningrad, Solyanoy per. 9. Wed–Mon 10:00–18:00. Individual visit 0₽,
excursion 400₽, audio guide 300₽. The museum covers the topic of the
blockade, which is the most important for the city. Until recently, the
exposition was somewhat outdated, but in 2019 the museum was
significantly updated. Initially, the museum opened in this building
immediately after the war, however, the premises are small and there is
a feeling that someday the museum will be moved to another place and
significantly expanded. Inspection without a tour takes about an hour.
41 Nekrasov Apartment Museum, 36 Liteiny pr. Wed–Sun 10:00–18:00. 200₽.
Nekrasov's apartment, where the poet lived for about 20 years in the
third quarter of the 19th century. There was also the editorial office
of the journals Sovremennik and Domestic Notes, the publication of which
he supervised. There are about 10 rooms in the museum, the furnishings
have been reconstructed according to the descriptions. These rooms were
visited by almost all Russian writers who lived at that time. It is
better to visit with a guided tour (although there are laminated
cardboard descriptions in each hall). Of the details, as many as three
stuffed bears and the corner of the bedroom, reproduced to the smallest
detail according to the dying portrait from the Tretyakov Gallery, are
remembered.
42 Suvorov Museum, Kirochnaya st. 43 ( 1
(Kirovsko-Vyborgskaya) line Chernyshevskaya). Tue–Sun 10:00–18:00. 200₽,
preferential 100₽. Memorial and military history museum dedicated to the
great Russian commander Alexander Suvorov. Opened in 1904, a
purpose-built building in the pseudo-Russian style resembles both a
tower and a fortress. On the facade of the building there are mosaics
with episodes from the life of the commander. Inside the museum is small
- five halls. The exposition includes banners, weapons, awards,
paintings and models of battles, as well as personal belongings of
Suvorov and his family. Nearby in a separate building is the Museum of
the Tin Soldier: a collection of figurines of soldiers and various
models and compositions with them.
43 Museum-apartment of the
traveler Kozlov, Smolny pr. 6.
44 Museum "The Universe of Water",
Shpalernaya st. 56 ( 1 (Kirovsko-Vyborgskaya) line Chernyshevskaya).
Wed–Sun 10:00–18:00. The original museum, located in the old water tower
and dedicated to the history of the city's water supply and sewerage.
The small garden around the tower contains interesting installations,
sculptures and two shaped fountains.
Drama theaters:
45 Alexandrinsky Theatre, Ostrovsky Sq. 6.
46
Tovstonogov Bolshoi Drama Theater (BDT), Fontanki nab. 65.
47
Komissarzhevskaya Theatre, Italianskaya st. 19.
48 Theater for the
Young Spectator, Pionerskaya Sq. 1.
49 Akimov Comedy Theatre, Nevsky
Prospekt 56.
50 Musical Comedy Theatre Italianskaya st. 13.
Opera and ballet theaters:
51 Mariinsky Theatre, Theater Square 1.
52 Mikhailovsky Theatre, Art pl. 1.
53 Hermitage Theatre, Palace
Embankment 32 (entrance through the building of the Great Hermitage,
Palace Embankment 34).
54 St. Petersburg Opera, Galernaya st. 33. The
theater is located in the mansion of Sergei von Derviz, the heir of the
railway magnate Pavel von Derviz, who became fabulously rich during the
period of active construction of private railways in the Russian Empire
in the 1860s-1880s. The younger von Derviz had other interests. By his
order, in a small mansion, architect Schreiber created interiors worthy
of grand ducal palaces, including a magnificent theater hall with 170
seats. After various vicissitudes of fate in the Soviet era, the mansion
was transferred to the St. Petersburg Opera Chamber Opera House. The
small size of the hall and the stage premises makes it possible to
perform operatic works, but is inconvenient for ballet. Tickets are
cheaper than the Mariinsky, preserved interiors are worthy of attention.
Other theatres:
55 Bolshoi Puppet Theatre, st. Nekrasov, 10. ✉ ☎
272-82-15, 273-66-72.
12th Philharmonic (Shostakovich Academic Philharmonic). The St.
Petersburg Philharmonic is the oldest in Russia. It was founded in 1802
as the St. Petersburg Philharmonic Society. One of the best musical
groups in the world, led by Yuri Temirkanov, performs here.
56 Big
Hall, Mikhailovskaya st., 2. ☎ 710-42-90 (reference), 710-42-57 (ticket
office). The Great Hall of the Philharmonic was built in 1839
specifically for the noble assembly by the architect P. Jaco with the
participation of Carlo Rossi. It has excellent acoustics and is one of
the best concert halls in Europe. Such masters as Franz Liszt, Hector
Berlioz, Richard Wagner, Gustav Mahler, Anton Rubinstein, Clara
Schumann, Pauline Viardot, Pablo de Sarasate and many others performed
here. The hall can accommodate up to 1500 listeners at the same time.
There is a concert organ of the German company "Walcker" built in 1903
specifically for the Obstetrics Institute (now the Ott Institute) here.
In 1931 it was installed in the Great Hall of the Philharmonic. Due to
natural wear and failed restorations, the sound of the organ has
deteriorated significantly. In 2003-2005, the organ was restored by the
German company Johannes Klais in the spirit of the romantic Walcker
organs of the beginning of the century, becoming one of the best
instruments in Europe.
57 Small Hall, 30 Nevsky Prospekt. Since
1802, the first concerts of the St. Petersburg Philharmonic Society have
been held here. In 1828 the building was bought by Engelhardt. Later, in
1949, the Small Philharmonic Hall was opened here. This hall is designed
for the performance of chamber music and can simultaneously accommodate
up to 400 listeners.
58 Academic Chapel, Moiki Emb. 20. ☎ +7 812 314
10 58.
59 Small Hall at the N.A. Rimsky-Korsakov, Theater Square, 3.
☎ +7 (812) 644-99-88, extension 393.
60 The Oktyabrsky Big Concert
Hall. Everyone performed: from Anna Herman to the Aquarium.
61 House of Cinema, Karavannaya st. 12. Not very elegant, but
noticeable neo-Renaissance building was built just before the
revolution, already in 1917 a cinema hall was opened here. For complex
reasons, the premises are divided between two cinemas with separate box
offices, both specializing in screenings of old films and festival
films.
Cinema House has five halls, the interiors are quite modest,
there is a cafe.
Cinema "Rodina. In this part of the building
there are three cinema halls and interiors in the spirit of the
Stalinist Empire style.
62 Avrora Cinema, Nevsky Prospekt 60I. Cinema
with history, opened under the name "Piccadilly" in 1913. Despite the
reconstruction, the historical atmosphere in architecture and interiors
has been preserved. Two halls, in addition to the standard repertoire,
show old classics and limited release films. Even if you don't feel like
going to the cinema, you should turn off Nevsky Prospekt into the
courtyard and look around the building and the lobby inside.
63 Smile Park on Bolshaya Morskaya (Entertainment museums and
labyrinths), Bolshaya Morskaya st. 5. 10:00–20:00. 500₽ for one
attraction, 1300₽ single ticket (9 attractions to choose from).
Entertaining attractions "Giant's House", "Glass Labyrinth" and several
others.
Smile Park on Nevsky (Entertainment museums), Nevsky pr. 3.
64 Cinizelli Circus (Circus on the Fontanka), Fontanki emb. 3. The
Italian Ciniselli in the 1870s ran an extraordinarily popular circus in
a temporary wooden building on Manezhnaya Square. He managed to persuade
the city authorities to allocate a site for a capital building, it was
built in 1875-1877. During the construction, an advanced technical
solution was used at that time with a lightweight dome without the
support of columns. Despite the reconstruction, the circus retains the
atmosphere of the XIX century. Part of the outer galleries is used for
expositions of the Museum of Circus Art, they can be viewed during the
intermission.
65 Karl Bulla Photo Studio Museum, 54 Nevsky Prospekt.
11:00–20:00. 100₽.
66 House of Polovtsov (Union of Architects),
Bolshaya Morskaya st. 52.
67 Art Center "Pushkinskaya, 10",
Pushkinskaya st. 10.
68 Oceanarium, st. Marata 86 ( 1
(Kirovsko-Vyborgskaya) Pushkinskaya line, Planet Neptune shopping
center). 10:00-20:00. 750₽, children from 7 years old 550₽, pensioners
350₽. The oceanarium is not very large, but it is the only one in St.
Petersburg, and it performs the task of demonstrating the inhabitants of
the sea. In addition to viewing the aquariums, there is a show - seal
training (11:30, 16:00), shark feeding (19:00).
69 Exhibition Hall
"Flowers" (Greenhouse of the Tauride Garden), Shpalernaya st., 43 /
Potemkinskaya st., 2 (metro station "Chernyshevskaya"). ☎ +7 (812)
579-81-21, 579-81-09, 579-81-23. Tue-Sun 11:00-19:00. The pavilion
specializes in the cultivation of tropical plants. It was founded as a
palm greenhouse back in 1782, simultaneously with the construction of
the Tauride Palace. Of the interesting facts, it can be noted that the
scene in London's Lowther Arcade from the movie "Deathmatch" was filmed
here, where Dr. Watson, before leaving for Switzerland, accidentally met
with Inspector Lestrade.
Opening of the bridges. 2:00–5:00.
Bridges are drawn up, as a rule, at night in order to ensure the passage
of heavy ships along the Neva. Navigation on average lasts from April to
November, but its exact terms depend on the ice situation and the number
of ships wishing to pass along the river, so the schedule must be
checked on the Mostotrest website. Due to the large number of people who
want to see the bridges in St. Petersburg, a whole show has appeared,
reminiscent of a New Year's performance, which happens every day in the
summer. The show is especially popular during the White Nights, when the
city is flooded with tourists. There is nothing special about it,
although, apparently, this is the case when everything needs to be seen
once with your own eyes. The bridges are drawn to the loud sounds of
popular classical music, crowds of people stare at what is happening and
almost certainly shiver from the cold, photographers set their tripods
to strategic points long before the action begins, and the most
desperate and wealthy go for a walk under the drawn bridges on pleasure
boats (issued blankets will not freeze). The main performance takes
place at the Palace Bridge, the action at the Trinity Bridge is a little
less popular, and the most greedy for spectacles manage to look at both.
All other bridges are drawn up on a daily basis and usually do not cause
any excitement among visitors. Don't forget that after the bridges are
cleared, you will need to get to your bed, and a taxi will come in handy
here. Drivers waiting for tourists right at the bridge can be arrogant
and even aggressive and, apparently, the safest way to get home is to
use a mobile application. True, prices at this time are likely to be
above the usual average level.
1 Passage Element, Nevsky pr. 48. 10:00–22:00. The shopping gallery
with a glass roof between Italian and Nevsky was first opened in 1848.
The interiors were reconstructed in the style of the early 20th century.
Shops in the Passage are mainly perfumery, jewelry, although there are
also bookshops and souvenirs. Also in the building there are several
cafes and restaurants, in the underground floor there is a supermarket.
A tourist should look into the Passage, if only for the atmosphere of
the Art Nouveau era.
2 Grand Palace, Nevsky prospect 44.
Atrium DLT
3 DLT (House of Leningrad Trade), Bolshaya Konyushennaya
st. 21-23. 11:00–23:00. The historic department store building was built
on the eve of the First World War for the Guards Economic Society. The
meaning of the society was that numerous officers of the capital's units
were its shareholders and had the right to buy goods at a discount.
However, the store was also popular with civilian customers. Now it is a
branch of the Moscow Central Department Store - five floors of elite
shopping. For the average tourist, it can only be of historical interest
as a prototype of large shopping centers with atriums, common in all
major cities of Russia.
Cheap
1 Dining room No. 1, Griboedov Canal emb. 14. 08:00–23:00.
Inexpensive self service restaurant. The same network includes several
more points in different places along the Nevsky.
Kolobok, st.
Tchaikovsky, 40 / pr. Chernyshevsky, 16 (240 m from the metro station
"Chernyshevskaya"). ✉ ☎ +7 (812) 275-38-65. 07.30–22.00. Inexpensive
cozy cafe in the city center. 15% discount before 11:00 and after 19:00.
ISIC cardholders also receive a 15% discount. 25% discount on takeaway
items. The cafe has a WiFi hotspot.
2 MarketPlace, Nevsky pr., 24.
8:00-1:00. Market restaurant. European cuisine, healthy food.
3
Russian Ryumochnaya No. 1 (Museum of Russian Vodka), Konnogvardeisky
Boulevard 4. 12:00–00:00. 450₽ for visiting the museum and tasting. An
expensive restaurant of Russian cuisine combined with a vodka museum.
Vegetarians and vegans
4 Cafe "Botany", st. Pestelya, 7. ☎ +7
812 272-70-91. 11:00–00:00. Vegetarian cafe. Indian food.
5 Cafe
"Rada & K", st. Gorokhovaya, 36. ✉ ☎ +7 (812) 385-12-26. 10:00 - 23:00.
Vegetarian cafe, emphasis on Vedic cuisine.
Coffee and sweet
6 Pyshechnaya on Bolshaya Konyushennaya (puffy near DLT), st. Bolshaya
Konyushennaya, 25. Mon–Fri 9:00–20:00, Sat–Sun 10:00–20:00. The classic
St. Petersburg puffy, which has not changed at all since Soviet times.
The assortment is simple and time-tested: donuts with powdered sugar,
and sweet coffee with condensed milk “from a can”. Those who are not
used to such coffee are offered tea from a bag and juice.
7 Bakery
and confectionery "Chorek", st. Bolshaya Konyushennaya, 7 (at the exit
from the courtyards of the Chapel). 10:00–22:00. A hybrid of a Soviet
cafeteria and a St. Petersburg glasshouse: a large selection of
inexpensive cakes, as well as dumplings, salads and draft alcohol in the
interior of the 1970s.
Dacha, Fidel, Belgrade and others like them, Dumskaya street at the
intersection with Lomonosovskaya. A small patch, around which there are
a handful of little-distinguishable bars united by a democratic
atmosphere, an almost complete lack of design, low prices and an
unpredictable musical range. Among the shortcomings - there are often
far fewer places than those who want to get inside, so in summer the
whole street turns into an open-air club-baro-dance floor.
Rubinstein
street. attracts those who like to eat and drink well. Here are such
bars as the Terminal, Barslona, Flowers, Mollie's, O!Kuba. The audience
is more sophisticated than on Dumskaya.
Konyushennaya Square. united
very different institutions. Bar Køpen takes visitors to Scandinavia:
cozy atmosphere, non-smoking, a variety of alcohol is poured at the bar
and sandwiches are served. In Barackobamabar you can dance until you
drop, MOD often hosts concerts of both St. Petersburg and foreign bands.
Previously, there was also a Dune bar, which moved to Ligovsky Prospekt.
Ligovsky prospect, 50. Do not look for house 50, but immediately go into
the arch located to the left of the Technoshock store. In the former
industrial buildings there is a whole series of clubs and bars. The most
interesting of them are Jesus Club, Vegan Club, Dusche and Dunes. The
audience is different, because, firstly, there are several rehearsal
points on the territory, and secondly, Ligovsky Prospekt is rich in
lumpen.
Cheap
Family spb hostel, Suvorovsky pr. 42, 2nd floor (entrance
from the courtyard; 1700 m from Chernyshevskaya metro station, 2000 m
from Vosstaniya Square metro station). ✉ ☎ +7 (812) 275-20-07, +7 (911)
920-87-70. from 350 rubles.
Hostel "Lantern", 2nd Sovetskaya 14/4,
(entrance from the courtyard; 7 minutes walk from the metro station
"Ploshad Vosstaniya"). ✉ ☎ +7 (981) 722-59-02. from 1380 rubles for a
budget double room.
Average cost
Hotel "Oktyabrskaya",
Ligovsky pr. 10 (Rebellion Square). ✉ ☎ +7 (812) 578-15-15 (booking), +7
(812) 578-11-44 (administrator). Double room: from 3500 rubles (2014).
It is quite natural that in the building opposite the Moscow railway
station there has long been a hotel. It changed names and forms more
than once, eventually turning into a four-star hotel - modern enough to
offer good discounts for early bookings or in the low season. In
addition, there is the Ligovsky building, where the rooms are simpler
and, therefore, cheaper. Without discounts, expect a price of 3,500 to
5,000 rubles for a double in the low season. Generally good reviews.
WiFi.
Expensive
Grand Hotel Europe, Mikhailovskaya st. 1/7.
One of the most luxurious and expensive hotels in St. Petersburg. The
building of the hotel in eclectic style was built in 1873-1875 according
to the project of architect Ludwig Fontan on the site of the former Klee
hotel and the Rogov tenement house. The main facade of "Europe"
overlooks Mikhailovskaya Street and occupies its entire odd side.
Wawelberg, Nevsky prospect 7-9. A very expensive hotel in a magnificent
historic building.
Hotel "Astoria", st. Bolshaya Morskaya, 39
(opposite St. Isaac's Cathedral). ✉ ☎ +7 (812) 494-57-57. Double room:
from 13,000 rubles (2014). A large five-star hotel, which includes the
Astoria itself and the equally famous Angleterre. In addition to
sky-high prices and dazzling luxury, memories of the sad fate of
cultural figures await you: Sergei Yesenin hanged himself in the
Angleterre, Alexander Vertinsky died in the Astoria, and these are far
from all the incidents that the local walls saw. However, not all the
walls here are historical: the original Angleterre building was
demolished in 1988 and replaced with a remake. A spontaneous several-day
rally against this demolition has become one of the most resonant events
in the recent history of St. Petersburg.
Official hotel of the State
Hermitage, st. Pravda, 10. ✉ ☎ +7 (812) 777-98-10. from 9000 rub. to
infinity. Contrary to the name, it is located not at all near the
Hermitage and not even in some historical palace, but only in the former
House of Culture of Food Industry Workers. However, a modern 5* hotel on
a quiet street has a proud name for a reason: the interiors are truly
palatial (with copies of the Hermitage exhibits), and the services will
satisfy even the requests of royalty. Touch panels to control light,
temperature and other settings. Wi-Fi, lots of TV channels. Two
restaurants, a souvenir shop (from Faberge eggs to magnets for 160
rubles). Spa-salon finished "gzhel". Free transfer to the Hermitage and
back 3 times a day. In summer, there is an open area on the roof with a
romantic view of the surrounding roofs and domes, but there are no good
views from the rooms.
Other
Herzen House, Bolshaya Morskaya
st., 25 (912 m from Sadovaya metro station; 1,1030 m from Nevsky
Prospekt metro station). ✉ ☎ +7 (812) 315-55-50. from 3100 rub.
Grand
Hotel Emerald 5 *, Suvorovsky pr. 18 (920 m from the metro station
"Ploshchad Vosstaniya"). ✉ ☎ +7 (812) 740-50-00. 90 rooms, including
Presidential and Royal Suite, Gzhel restaurant, Atrium-Versailles
restaurant, Suvorovsky lobby bar, Top Gym fitness center, Emerald SPA,
Velvet beauty salon, 5 banquet and conference halls for up to 250
people, underground garage, free Wi-Fi -Fi.
Comfort Hotel, Bolshaya
Morskaya st., 25 (912 m from Sadovaya metro station; 1,1030 m from
Nevsky Prospekt metro station). ✉ ☎ +7 (812) 570-67-00. from 3200 rub.
Krupsky, st. Marata, 33. ✉ ☎ +7 (812) 928-08-12. Mini Hotel
Moscow,
pl. Alexander Nevsky, 2 (250 m from the metro station "Alexander Nevsky
Square"). ✉ ☎ +7 (812) 333-24-44, 274-20-52. 3***
2 Nevsky Forum,
Nevsky pr., 69 (7 m from the Mayakovskaya metro station;). ✉ ☎ +7 (812)
333-02-22, 571-64-43. from 5000 rub.
Neptune, emb. Bypass channel,
93-a (700 m from the metro station "Pushkinskaya" or "Zvenigorodskaya").
✉ ☎ +7 (812) 324-46-10. from 3230 rub.
- hotel complex, includes
conference halls of various capacities, restaurant and sports and
entertainment complexes, including a swimming pool (25 m).
Pilau,
st. Rubinshteina, 38, office. 12 (430 m from the Dostoevskaya metro
station and 460 m from the Vladimirskaya metro station; entrance from
Rubinshteina St., dial 12 and the bell on the intercom). ☎ +7 (812)
572-10-75. double room from 1800 to 2900 rubles depending on the season
(2009). Mini-hotel for 56 people. The hotel has free Wi-Fi internet. The
cost of living can be found at this link.
Rus', Artilleriyskaya st.,
1 (700 m from Chernyshevskaya metro station). ✉ ☎ +7 (800) 555-78-77, +7
(812) 273-46-83, 579-50-03. 3***
Old Vienna, Malaya Morskaya st., 13
/ Gorokhovaya st., 8 (955 m from the exit to the Griboedova canal,
Nevsky Prospect metro station; entrance from Gorokhovaya st., dial 16 on
the intercom). ✉ ☎ +7 (812) 312-93-39, 314-35-14, 974-87-03. Double room
from 3500 to 6500 rubles depending on the season (2009). Mini-hotel for
14 rooms of the network "Former Petersburg". The hotel has Internet
access via Wi-Fi, as well as a small conference room.
Ermitage Hotel,
Millionnaya st., 11 (1100 m from the Nevsky Prospekt metro station). ✉ ☎
+7 (812) 571-54-97. from 4300 rub.
Nouvelle Europe, st. Mayakovskogo,
23/Baskov lane, 6, 3rd floor (entrance from Baskova lane; ? m from metro
station "Chernyshevskaya", ? m from metro station "Mayakovskaya"). ✉ ☎
+7 (812) 272-21-52. from 1900 rubles. 3***
Oksanas, Nab. 15
Griboyedov Canal. ☎ 8 (812) 970-68-02. from 1440 rub. The company has
more than thirty business and tourist class apartments located in the
heart of the historical center of St. Petersburg for short and medium
term rental.
3 MostA, Moiki 3 A. ✉ ☎ +7 (812) 324-34-70.
Nevsky
club, Nevsky pr., 134. ✉ ☎ +7 (812) 717-14-32.