St Petersburg Санкт-Петербург
St Petersburg Highlights
Neighbourhoods at a Glance
The Hermitage
Peter & Paul Fortress
Russian Museum
St Isaac's Cathedral
Sights
Activities
Tours
Festivals & Events
Sleeping
Eating
Drinking & Nightlife
Entertainment
Shopping
Peterhof
Pushkin (Tsarskoe Selo)
Pavlovsk
Gatchina
Kronshtadt
Leningrad Region
St Petersburg Санкт-Петербург
%812 / Pop 5,281,579 / Time Moscow Time (GMT/USC plus three hours)
Why Go?
Beautiful, complex and imperious, with a hedonistic, creative temperament, St Petersburg is the ultimate Russian diva. From her early days as an uninhabited swamp, the 300-year-old city has been nurtured by a succession of rulers, enduring practically everything that history and nature’s harsh elements could throw at her. Constantly in need of repair but with a carefree party attitude, Piter (as she’s affectionately known by locals) still seduces all who gaze upon her grand facades, glittering spires and gilded domes. Such an environment has inspired many of Russia’s greatest artists, including Pushkin, Gogol, Dostoevsky, Rachmaninov, Tchaikovsky and Shostakovich.
The long summer days of the White Nights season are particularly special – the fountains flow, parks and gardens burst into colour and locals hit the streets to party. With a little preparation, though, the icy depths of winter have their own magic, and are the perfect time for warming body and soul in all those museums and palaces.
When to Go
AMid-May–mid-Jul Visit during the White Nights, when the sun never truly sets.
AMay & Sep A great time to visit the city, avoiding the crowds of the peak months.
ANov–Jan Freezing, dark and blanketed in snow, winter in St Petersburg can still be magical.
Best Places to Stay
St Petersburg Highlights
1 Hermitage Spend a day (or more!) in one of the world’s most unrivalled art collections.
2 Church of the Savior on the Spilled Blood Witness the amazing kaleidoscope of colours of this iconic church.
3 St Isaac’s Cathedral Climb the enormous dome for the best view over the imperial city.
4 Peter & Paul Fortress Pay your respects at the tombs of the Romanovs at the city's first major building.
5 Mariinsky Theatre Enjoy a ballet or opera at this historic theatre and its newer auditorium.
6 Tsarskoe Selo Heading out of town to see Catherine the Great’s incredible summer palace.
7 Russian Museum Take in the excellent collection of local art, from icons to the avant-garde.
History
It was Peter the Great’s desire to make Russia a major European power that led to the founding of St Petersburg. At the start of the Great Northern War (1700–21), he captured the Swedish outposts on the Neva, and in 1703 he began the construction of his city with the Peter & Paul Fortress.
After Peter trounced the Swedes at Poltava in 1709, the city he named Sankt Pieter Burch (in Dutch style, after his namesake) really began to grow. In 1712 Peter moved the capital from Moscow to this still embryonic site, drafting in armies of peasants and Swedish prisoners of war to work as forced labour. Many died of disease and exhaustion, and St Petersburg is still known as ‘a city built upon bones’ to many Russians. Architects and artisans came to St Petersburg from all over Europe though, and by Peter’s death in 1725 the city had a population of 40,000 and some 90% of Russia’s foreign trade passed through it.
Between 1741 and 1825, during the reigns of Empress Elizabeth, Catherine the Great and Alexander I, St Petersburg became a cosmopolitan city with an imperial court of famed splendour. These monarchs commissioned glittering palaces, government buildings and grand churches.
Revolution & War
The emancipation of the serfs in 1861 and industrialisation, which peaked in the 1890s, brought a flood of workers into the city, leading to squalor, disease and festering discontent. St Petersburg became a hotbed of strikes and political violence, and was the hub of the 1905 revolution, sparked by ‘Bloody Sunday’ on 9 January 1905, when a strikers’ march to petition the tsar in the Winter Palace was fired on by troops. In 1914, in a wave of patriotism at the start of WWI, the city’s name was changed to the Russian-style Petrograd.
In 1917 the workers’ protests turned into a general strike and troops mutinied, forcing the end of the monarchy in March and the establishment of a provisional government. Seven months later, Lenin’s Bolshevik Party staged an audacious coup and the Soviet government came into being. Fearing a German attack on Petrograd, the new government moved the capital back to Moscow in March 1918.
Renamed Leningrad after Lenin’s death in 1924, the city became a hub of Stalin’s 1930s industrialisation program. By 1939 its population had grown to 3.1 million and it accounted for 11% of Soviet industrial output. Stalin feared the city as a rival powerbase, however, and the 1934 assassination of the local communist chief Sergei Kirov at the Smolny Institute was the start of his 1930s Communist Party purge.
When Germany attacked the USSR in June 1941, its armies took only 2 1/2 months to reach Leningrad. It was the birthplace of Bolshevism, and Hitler swore to wipe the city from the face of the earth. His troops besieged the city in what would become the defining event of the 20th century for St Petersburg. Around a million people died from shelling, starvation and disease in what’s often called the ‘900 Days’ (actually 872). By comparison, the USA and UK suffered about 700,000 dead between them in total for the whole of WWII. Leningrad survived and, after the war, was proclaimed a ‘hero city’.
St Petersburg Again
During the 1960s and ’70s, Leningrad developed a reputation as a dissident’s city with an artistic underground spearheaded by the poet Joseph Brodsky and, later, rock groups such as Akvarium. In 1989 Anatoly Sobchak, a reform-minded candidate, was elected mayor. Two years later, as the USSR crumbled, the city’s citizens voted to bring back the name of St Petersburg (though the region around the city remains known as Leningradskaya Oblast).
In the anarchic post-Soviet years of the early 1990s, it often seemed like the local ‘Mafia’ were more in charge than the city’s elected officials, who proved to be equally corrupt. Romanov ghosts returned to the city on 17 July 1998, when the remains of Tsar Nicholas II and some of his family were buried in the crypt at the SS Peter & Paul Cathedral within the fortress of the same name.
Five years later enormous sums were budgeted to spruce up the city for its tercentenary celebrations. Local boy made good Vladimir Putin didn’t waste the opportunity to return to his birthplace and show it off to visiting heads of state and other dignitaries. The city still enjoys a prominent status in modern Russia today and is a favourite spot for summits and other governmental meetings.
Neighbourhoods at a Glance
1Historic Heart
Radiating out from the golden spire of the Admiralty towards the Fontanka River, the Historic Heart has plenty of obvious attractions, such as the Hermitage, Russian Museum and the Church on the Spilled Blood, not to mention the city's most famous avenue: Nevsky Prospekt. There are also quirky gems like the Museum of Soviet Arcade Machines and a quartet of lovely parks. This is where you will be spending most of your time in St Petersburg, especially as the area is also blessed with excellent hotels, dining and drinking options.
2Smolny & Vosstaniya
This agglomeration of four districts (Smolny, Liteyny, Vosstaniya and Vladimirskaya) is also part of the city centre. The Smolny peninsula is a well-heeled residential district dominated by the Smolny Cathedral, while next-door Liteyny is centred on Liteyny pr, a commercial street between the Smolny and the Fontanka River. South of Nevsky pr are Vosstaniya and Vladimirskaya. Vosstaniya is the focus of St Petersburg’s underground art and drinking scene, while Vladimirskaya, named after the stunning Vladimirsky Cathedral, is a mercantile district full of shopping, markets and a clutch of quirky museums.
3Sennaya & Kolomna
These two areas adjoin the Historic Heart and are almost as historic themselves. Sennaya is centred on Sennaya Pl (the Haymarket), a traditionally poor area that was immortalised in Dostoevsky’s Crime and Punishment and has somehow retained its seedy, down-at-heel air despite a big attempt to redevelop it. Kolomna is the largest of seven islands and a quiet, rather out-of-the-way place, although one steeped in history and great beauty. It contains the world-famous Mariinsky Theatre and more canals and rivers than any other part of the city.
4Vasilyevsky Island
The eastern edge of Vasilyevsky Island (or VO as it's usually shortened to) was originally designed to be the administrative heart of the city under Peter the Great. The plan was never carried out but there's still a concentration of historical sights there, including the Strelka and Kunstkamera. The western side of the island is more industrial, but is also home to the fantastic Erarta Museum of Contemporary Art. Transport fans will be thrilled by the opportunity to tour a couple of submarines and an icebreaker, and by museums devoted to trams and the metro.
5Petrograd & Vyborg Sides
The Petrograd Side is a fascinating place that includes everything from the Peter and Paul Fortress to an impressive clutch of Style Moderne buildings lining its main drag. It also hosts a beautiful mosque, many interesting museums and huge swaths of parkland on the Kirov Islands, the city’s largest green lung. The Vyborg Side is famous for its role in Soviet history and can be a little bleak. That said, a walk around the fascinating postindustrial landscape here will appeal to travellers who have palace fatigue, and a few interesting sights make the trip worthwhile.
TOP SIGHT
The Hermitage
The Hermitage fully lives up to its sterling reputation. You can be absorbed by its treasures for days and still come out wanting more. The enormous collection (over three million items, only a fraction of which are on display in 360 rooms) almost amounts to a comprehensive history of Western European art.
Don't Miss
ARembrandt (Room 254)
AGreat Church (Room 271)
ATreasure Gallery
APeacock Clock (Room 204)
Practicalities
AГосударственный Эрмитаж
ADvortsovaya pl 2
Acombined ticket R700
A
h10.30am-6pm Tue, Thu, Sat & Sun, to 9pm Wed & Fri
A
mAdmiralteyskaya
History
Catherine the Great, one of the greatest art collectors of all time, began the collection. Nicholas I also greatly enriched it and opened the galleries to the public for the first time in 1852.
It was the post-revolutionary period that saw the collection increase threefold, as many valuable private collections were seized by the state, including those of the Stroganovs, Sheremetyevs and Yusupovs. In 1948 it incorporated the renowned collections of post-Impressionist and Impressionist paintings of Moscow industrialists Sergei Shchukin and Ivan Morozov.
Visiting the Hermitage
The State Hermitage consists of five linked buildings along riverside Dvortsovaya nab (rom west to east):
- Winter Palace (Зимний дворец
MAP
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; www.hermitagemuseum.org; Dvortsovaya pl 2; combined ticket R700; h10.30am-6pm Tue, Thu, Sat & Sun, to 9pm Wed & Fri; mAdmiralteyskaya) This stunning mint-green, white and gold profusion of columns, windows and recesses, with its roof topped by rows of classical statues, was commissioned from Bartolomeo Rastrelli in 1754 by Empress Elizabeth. Catherine the Great and her successors had most of the interior remodelled in a classical style by 1837. It remained an imperial home until 1917, though the last two tsars spent more time in other palaces.
- Small Hermitage (Малый Эрмитаж
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; www.hermitagemuseum.org; Dvortsovaya pl 2; joint ticket R700; h10.30am-6pm Tue, Thu, Sat & Sun, to 9pm Wed & Fri; mAdmiralteyskaya) Used by Catherine the Great as a retreat and to house the art collection started by Peter the Great, which she significantly expanded.
- Great (Old) Hermitage (Большой (Старый) Эрмитаж
MAP
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; www.hermitagemuseum.org; Dvortsovaya pl 2; joint ticket R700; h10.30am-6pm Tue, Thu, Sat & Sun, to 9pm Wed & Fri; mAdmiralteyskaya) This section of the museum (also known as the Large Hermitage) dates from the time of Catherine the Great. It mainly houses Italian Rennaissance art including works by Leonardo da Vinci, Raphael, Giorgione, Titian, Botticelli, Caravaggio and Tiepolo.
- New Hermitage (Новый Эрмитаж
MAP
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; www.hermitagemuseum.org; Dvortsovaya pl 2; joint ticket R700; h10.30am-6pm Tue, Thu, Sat & Sun, to 9pm Wed & Fri; mAdmiralteyskaya) Built for Nicholas II in 1852, to hold the growing art collection and as a museum for the public. Designed by German neoclassicist architect and painter von Klenze, the historically preserved rooms house the museum's collections of ancient art, European paintings, sculptures and decorative art.
- Hermitage Theatre (
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; %812-408 1084; https://hermitagetheater.com; Dvortsovaya nab 32; online tickets from R8300; mAdmiralteyskaya) Designed by Giacomo Quarenghi, this intimate neo-classical auditorium was once the private theatre of the imperial family, and stands on the site of the original Winter Palace of Peter I.
The main public entrance is via the courtyard of the Winter Palace off Palace Sq.
Quick Tour
It would take days to fully do justice to the Hermitage’s huge collection. If your time is limited, zone in on the following rooms:
- Room 100 Ancient Egypt
- Jordan Staircase Directly ahead when you pass through the main entrance inside the Winter Palace.
- Rooms 175–98 Imperial state rooms and apartments, including the Malachite Hall, Nicholas Hall, Armorial Hall and Hall of St George.
- Room 204 The Pavilion Hall.
- Rooms 207–238 Italian art, 13th to 18th centuries.
- Rooms 239–40 Spanish art, 16th to 18th centuries.
- Rooms 245–47 Flemish art, 17th century.
- Rooms 249–254 Dutch art, 17th century.
- Room 271 Grand Church, the imperial family’s cathedral.
- Room 298–301 English art.
The Hermitage is a dynamic institution. Displays change, renovations continue, specific pieces go on tour, and temporary exhibitions occupy particular rooms, displacing whatever normally resides there, so be prepared for slight changes.
Organised Tours
Contact the excursions office to arrange a guided tour. These are one way to avoid queuing and, although they whiz round the main sections in about 1½ hours, at least they provide an introduction to the place in English, German or French. It’s easy to ‘lose’ the group and stay on until closing time.
Also contact the excursions office if you plan to visit the Hermitage's Treasure Gallery (
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; %812-571 8446; www.hermitagemuseum.org; Winter Palace, Dvortsovaya pl; tour of Diamond or Golden Rooms R350; mAdmiralteyskaya). These two special collections, guarded behind vault doors, are open only by guided tour, for which you should either call ahead to reserve a place, or buy a ticket at the entrance. The Golden Rooms collection focuses on a hoard of fabulous Scythian and Greek gold and silver from the Caucasus, Crimea and Ukraine, dating from the 7th to 2nd centuries BC; the Diamond Rooms section has fabulous jewellery from Western Europe, and pieces from as far apart as China, India and Iran.
Other Branches
As much as you see in the museum, there’s about 20 times more in its vaults, part of which you can visit at the Hermitage Storage Facility. Other museum branches are the General Staff Building (home to the Hermitage's amazing collection of Impressionist and post-Impressionist works), the Winter Palace of Peter I, the Menshikov Palace on Vasilyevsky Island, and the Imperial Porcelain factory.
TOP SIGHT
Peter & Paul Fortress
Housing a cathedral, a former prison and various exhibitions, this large defensive fortress on Zayachy Island is the kernel from which St Petersburg grew into the city it is today and a must-see for history buffs. There are also panoramic views from atop the fortress walls, at the foot of which lies a sandy riverside beach, a prime spot for sunbathing.
Don't Miss
ASS Peter & Paul Cathedral
ATrubetskoy Bastion
ACommandant’s House
ANeva Panorama
AThe beach
Practicalities
AПетропавловская крепость
Agrounds free, SS Peter & Paul Cathedral adult/child R450/250, combined ticket for 5 exhibitions R600/350
Ahgrounds 8.30am-8pm, exhibitions 11am-6pm Mon & Thu-Sun, 10am-5pm Tue
AmGorkovskaya
Entry & Tickets
The fortress was founded in 1703 and has never been utilised in the city’s defence – unless you count incarceration of political ‘criminals’ as national defence.
The main entrance is across the Ioannovsky Bridge at the island's northeast end; there's also access via the Kronwerk Bridge, which is within walking distance of Sportivnaya metro station.
Individual tickets are needed for each of the fortress’s attractions – though a combined entrance ticket gives access to Peter and Paul Cathedral, the Trubetskoy Bastion and three other sites.
Sights
All of Russia's prerevolutionary rulers from Peter the Great onwards (except Peter II and Ivan VI) are buried inside the SS Peter & Paul Cathedral (
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; www.spbmuseum.ru; Peter & Paul Fortress, Zayachy Island; adult/student R450/250; h10am-7pm Mon, Tue & Thu-Sat, 11am-7pm Sun; mGorkovskaya), which has a magnificent baroque interior. To ascend its 122.5m-high bell tower you'll have to join a guided tour (in Russian only), which happen several times a day.
Among the other sights don't miss the Commandant's House (
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; www.spbmuseum.ru; Peter & Paul Fortress, Zayachy Island; adult/student R200/120; h11am-6pm Mon & Thu-Sun, to 5pm Tue; mGorkovksaya), which charts the history of the St Petersburg region from medieval times to 1918; Trubetskoy Bastion (
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; www.spbmuseum.ru; Peter & Paul Fortress, Zayachy Island; adult/student R200/120; h10am-7pm Thu-Mon, to 6pm Tue; mGorkovskaya), where evocative use is made of the original cells for displays about the former political prisoners, who included the likes of Maxim Gorky, Leon Trotsky and Fyodor Dostoevsky.
A separate ticket gains you access to both the Postern, a 97.4m passage hidden in the fortress walls, and the Neva Panorama (
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; Peter & Paul Fortress, Zayachy Island; adult/student R300/270; h10am-8pm Thu-Tue; mGorkovskaya), a walkway atop the walls, which concludes at Naryshkin Bastion. Every day at noon a cannon is fired from here, a tradition dating back to Peter the Great's times.
TOP SIGHT
Russian Museum
Focusing solely on Russian art, from ancient church icons to 20th-century paintings, the Russian Museum's collection is magnificent and can easily be viewed in half a day or less. The collection is less overwhelming than that of the Hermitage, but the masterpieces nonetheless keep on coming as you tour the Mikhailovsky Palace and the attached Benois Wing.
Don't Miss
AThe Wave – Ivan Aivazovsky
ABarge Haulers on the Volga – Ilya Repin
ALast Day of Pompeii – Karl Bryullov
APortrait of the Poetess Anna Akhmatova – Nathan Altman
Practicalities
AРусский музей
A%812-595 4248
AInzhenernaya ul 4
Aadult/student R450/200
Ah10am-8pm Mon, 10am-6pm Wed & Fri-Sun, 1-9pm Thu
AmNevsky Prospekt
Museum Tour
Enter the Mikhailovsky Palace's lower floor to the right of the main facade. Pick up a museum map before ascending the magnificent main staircase to the 1st floor, as this is where the chronological ordering of the exhibits from the 10th to the 20th century begins.
Galleries close for restoration and rehangings from time to time, and works are sometimes loaned out, so be prepared for slight changes to the following.
Mikhailovsky Palace, 2nd floor
- Rooms 1–4 Russian icon painting, including work from the three major schools of Russian icon painting: Novgorod, Muscovy and Pskov.
- Room 7 Houses a sculpture of Empress Anna with an Arab Boy.
- Room 11 The White Hall, the most ornate in the palace, with period furniture by Rossi, is where Strauss and Berlioz performed concerts.
- Room 14 Karl Bryullov’s massive Last Day of Pompeii (1827–33), which was, in its time, the most famous Russian painting ever; there were queues for months to see it. Ivan Aivazovsky’s seascapes also stand out, most frighteningly The Wave.
- Room 15 Features a huge number of studies for Alexander Ivanov’s most famous work, The Appearance of Christ to the People, which hangs in Moscow’s Tretyakov Gallery.
Mikhailovsky Palace, 1st floor
Rooms 23–26 The Wanderers (Peredvizhniki) and associated artists, including KA Savitsky’s To War (Room 31); and Konstantin Makovsky (Room 25). Ghe’s masterpiece, Peter I Interrogating Tsarevich Alexey in Peterhof, is usually found in Room 26 along with other dark Ghe’s works such as The Last Supper.
Room 28 Pause to take in the talent of Ukrainian artist Marie Bashkirtseff, who died young, but not before painting striking portraits, such as Umbrella and the Three Smiles series.
Rooms 33–34 Works by Ilya Repin (1844–1930), probably Russia’s best-loved artist. His masterpiece, Barge Haulers on the Volga, an unrivalled portrait of human misery and enslavement in rural Russia, shows why the early Soviet authorities held him in high regard as a model for the Socialist Realist painters to come. Also check out his Zaporozhye Cossacks Writing a Mocking Letter to theTurkish Sultan.
Rooms 48 Mark Antokolsky’s statues Ivan the Terrible and Death of Socrates flank a souvenir stand. From here you enter the Benois Wing to your right or continue straight ahead for the lovely Russian folk art galleries featuring everything from kitchen equipment to giant carved house gables.
Room 54 Repin’s enormous rendition of the Ceremonial Sitting of the State Council on 7 May 1901, Marking the Centenary of Its Foundation. Around the walls are individual portraits of its members.
Benois Wing 2nd & 1st floors
- Room 66 Works by the father of modern Russian art, Mikhail Vrubel including Epic Hero (Bogatyr) and Flying Demon.
- Rooms 67–71 Works by an array of important early-20th-century painters including Nikolai Sapunin, Mikhail Nesterov and Boris Kustodiev, whose Merchant’s Wife at Tea is perhaps the most well-known picture here.
- Room 72 Nathan Altman’s famous cubist Portrait of Anna Akhmatova.
- Room 75–76 Works by suprematist Kasimir Malevich.
- Rooms 77–78 Constructivist works by Alexander Lebedev and Alexander Rodchenko.
- Rooms 79 Kuzma Petrov-Vodkin’s Portrait of Akhmatova and Mother of God.
- Rooms 80–81 Most paintings from the Stalin era may have been censored beyond meaning, but there are some interesting portraits of daily life here, such as Alexander Samokhvalov’s Militarised Komsomol (1932–3)
- Rooms 82–86 Late Soviet art is represented here. Look for Alexei Sundukov's Queue, which captures the failed economy of the times, and Dmitry Zhilinsky's The Artist's Family, showing several generations of a family.
- Rooms 87–94 Works in these galleries range from a beautifully glazed ceramic fireplace by Mikhail Vrubel and other art nouveau–inspired pieces, to Soviet-era textiles, porcelain and textiles printed with ingenious patterns made out of tiny tractors or planes.
To reach the 1st floor of the Benois Wing (following your tour of the museum's main collection), use the stairs down off Rooms 91 and 92.
Branches of the Museum
Permanent and temporary exhibitions by the Russian Museum are also held at the Marble Palace, the Mikhailovsky Castle (also known as the Engineer's Castle) and the Stroganov Palace. Combined tickets, available at each palace, cover entrance either to your choice of two the same day (adult/student R600/270) or to all four within a three-day period (R850/400).
TOP SIGHT
St Isaac's Cathedral
The golden dome of St Isaac’s Cathedral dominates the St Petersburg skyline. Its obscenely lavish interior is open as a museum, although services are held in the cathedral throughout the year. Most people bypass the museum to climb the 262 steps to the kolonnada (colonnade) around the drum of the dome, providing superb city views.
Don't Miss
AThe dome for amazing views
AThe lavish interiors
ADisplay of historic photos
AStatue of Montferrand
Practicalities
AИсаакиевский собор
A%812-315 9732
AIsaakievskaya pl
Acathedral adult/student R250/150, colonnade R150
Ahcathedral 10.30am-10.30pm Thu-Tue May-Sep, to 6pm Oct-Apr, colonnade 10.30am-10.30pm May-Oct, to 6pm Nov-Apr
AmAdmiralteyskaya
Montferrand's Design
Named after St Isaac of Dalmatia, on whose feast day Peter the Great was born, this is one of the largest domed buildings in the world.
French architect Auguste Montferrand began designing the cathedral in 1818. Due partly to technical issues, it took so long to build (until 1858) that Nicholas I was able to insist on an even more grandiose structure than Montferrand had originally planned. More than 100kg of gold leaf was used to cover the 21.8m-high dome alone, while the huge granite pillars on the building’s facade each weigh over 120 tonnes. There’s a statue of Montferrand holding a model of the cathedral on the west facade, although Nicholas I denied the architect his dying wish, to be buried here, considering it too high an honour for a mere artisan.
The cathedral’s interior is lavishly decorated with 600 sq metres of mosaics, 16,000kg of malachite, 14 types of marble and an 816-sq-metre ceiling painting by Karl Bryullov. Look out for some interesting photographs of the cathedral throughout its history, too.
Concerts & the Collonade
Check the website for details of choral concerts that are occasionally held here. From May to October both the cathedral and colonnade are open until 10.30pm, and from 1 June to 20 August the colonnade stays open until 4.30am.
Greater St Petersburg
1Top Sights
1Sights
5Eating
6Drinking & Nightlife
1Sights
Historic Heart
oGeneral Staff BuildingMUSEUM
(Здание Главного штаба
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; www.hermitagemuseum.org; Dvortsovaya pl 6-8; R300, incl main Hermitage museum & other buildings R700; h10.30am-6pm Tue, Thu, Sat & Sun, to 9pm Wed & Fri; mAdmiralteyskaya)
The east wing of this magnificent building, wrapping around the south of Dvortsovaya pl and designed by Carlo Rossi in the 1820s, marries restored interiors with contemporary architecture to create a series of galleries displaying the Hermitage's amazing collection of Impressionist and post-Impressionist works. Contemporary art is here, too, often in temporary exhibitions by major artists.
oChurch of the Saviour on the Spilled BloodCHURCH
(Храм Спаса на Крови
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; %812-315 1636; http://eng.cathedral.ru/spasa_na_krovi; Konyushennaya pl; adult/student R250/150; h10.30am-6pm Thu-Tue; mNevsky Prospekt)
This five-domed dazzler is St Petersburg’s most elaborate church with a classic Russian Orthodox exterior and an interior decorated with some 7000 sq metres of mosaics. Officially called the Church of the Resurrection of Christ, its far more striking colloquial name references the assassination attempt on Tsar Alexander II here in 1881.
oFabergé MuseumMUSEUM
(Музей Фаберже
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; %812-333 2655; http://fabergemuseum.ru; nab reki Fontanki 21; R450, incl tour R600; h10am-8.45pm Sat-Thu; mGostiny Dvor)
The magnificently restored Shuvalovsky Palace is home to the world's largest collection of pieces manufactured by the jeweller Peter Carl Fabergé (including nine imperial Easter eggs) and fellow master craftspeople of pre-revolutionary Russia.
Tickets for the guided tours (one hour) can be booked online up to a week in advance.
Stroganov PalaceMUSEUM
(Строгановский дворец
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; www.rusmuseum.ru; Nevsky pr 17; adult/student R300/150; h10am-6pm Wed & Fri-Mon, 1-9pm Thu; mNevsky Prospekt)
One of the city’s loveliest baroque exteriors, the salmon-pink Stroganov Palace was designed by court favourite Bartolomeo Rastrelli in 1753 for one of the city’s leading aristocratic families. The building has been superbly restored by the Russian Museum, and you can visit the impressive state rooms upstairs, where the Grand Dining Room, the Mineralogical Study and the Rastrelli Hall, with its vast frieze ceiling, are the obvious highlights.
Historic Centre
1Top Sights
1Sights
2Activities, Courses & Tours
4Sleeping
5Eating
6Drinking & Nightlife
3Entertainment
7Shopping
Kazan CathedralCHURCH
(Казанский собор
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; %812-314 4663; http://kazansky-spb.ru; Kazanskaya pl 2; h8.30am-7.30pm; mNevsky Prospekt)
F
This neoclassical cathedral, partly modelled on St Peter’s in Rome, was commissioned by Tsar Paul shortly before he was murdered in a coup. Its 111m-long colonnaded arms reach out towards Nevsky pr, encircling a garden studded with statues. Inside, the cathedral is dark and traditionally Orthodox, with a daunting 80m-high dome. There is usually a queue of believers waiting to kiss the icon of Our Lady of Kazan, a copy of one of Russia’s most important icons.
Bronze HorsemanMONUMENT
(
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; Senatskaya pl; mSadovaya)
The most famous statue of Peter the Great was immortalised as the Bronze Horseman in the epic poem by Alexander Pushkin. With his horse (representing Russia) rearing above the snake of treason, Peter’s enormous statue was sculpted over 12 years for Catherine the Great by Frenchman Etienne Falconet. Its inscription reads ‘To Peter I from Catherine II – 1782’.
Summer GardenPARK
(Летний сад
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; %812-314 0374; https://igardens.ru; nab reki Moyki; tours from R1200; h10am-10pm May-Sep, 10am-8pm Oct-Mar, closed Apr; mGostiny Dvor)F
The city's oldest park, these leafy, shady gardens can be entered either at the northern Neva or southern Moyka end. Early-18th-century architects designed the garden in a Dutch baroque style, following a geometric plan, with fountains, pavilions and sculptures studding the grounds. The ornate cast-iron fence along the Neva side was a later addition, built between 1771 and 1784.
Marble PalacePALACE
(Мраморный дворец
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; %812-595 4248; www.rusmuseum.ru; Millionnaya ul 5; adult/student R300/150; h10am-6pm Mon, Wed & Fri-Sun, 1-9pm Thu; mNevsky Prospekt)
This branch of the Russian Museum features temporary exhibitions of contemporary art and a permanent display of paintings from the Ludwig Museum in Cologne that includes works by Picasso, Warhol, Basquiat and Liechtenstein. The palace, designed by Antonio Rinaldi, gets its name from the 36 kinds of marble used in its construction. Highlights include the Gala Staircase, made of subtly changing grey Urals marble; and the impressive Marble Hall, with walls of lapis lazuli and marble in a range of colours from yellow to pink.
Mikhailovsky CastleMUSEUM
(Михайловский замок
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; %812-595 4248; www.rusmuseum.ru; Sadovaya ul 2; adult/student R300/150; h10am-6pm Mon, Wed & Fri-Sun, 1-9pm Thu; mGostiny Dvor)
A branch of the Russian Museum, the castle is worth visiting for its temporary exhibits as well as a few finely restored state rooms, including the lavish burgundy and gilt throne room of Tsar Paul I’s wife Maria Fyodorovna.
Mikhailovsky GardenPARK
(Михайловский сад
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; https://igardens.ru; h10am-10pm May-Sep, 10am-8pm Oct-Mar, closed Apr; mNevsky Prospekt)F
Administered by the Russian Museum, these 8.7-hectare gardens are lovely and offer an impressive perspective of Mikhailovsky Castle. They are famous for their Style Moderne wrought-iron fence and gates, a profusion of metallic blooms and flourishes that wrap around one side of the Church on the Spilled Blood.
Museum of Soviet Arcade MachinesMUSEUM
(
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; %812-740 0240; http://15kop.ru; Konyushennaya pl 2; adult/student R450/350; h11am-8pm, until 9pm May-Sep; mNevsky Prospekt)
Giving new meaning to 'back in the USSR', this 'museum' is sure to be one of the most entertaining ones you will visit in St Petersburg. Admission includes a stack of 15 kopek coins used to operate the 50-odd game machines in its collection, which date to the Brezhnev era.
Mars FieldPARK
(Марсово поле
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; nab Lebyazhey kanavki; mNevsky Prospekt)
Named after the Roman god of war and once the scene of 19th-century military parades, the grassy Mars Field is a popular spot for strollers, even though in the early 20th century it was used as a burial ground for victims and heroes of the revolution. At its centre, an eternal flame ( MAP GOOGLE MAP ) has been burning since 1957 in memory of the victims of all wars and revolutions in St Petersburg.
Russian Museum of EthnographyMUSEUM
(Российский Этнографический музей
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; %812-570 5421; www.ethnomuseum.ru; Inzhenernaya ul 4/1; adult/student R300/100, treasure room R250; h10am-9pm Tue, 10am-6pm Wed-Sun; mGostiny Dvor)
This excellent museum displays the traditional crafts, customs and beliefs of more than 150 cultures that make up Russia’s fragile ethnic mosaic. It’s a marvellous collection with particularly strong sections on the Jews of Russia, Transcaucasia and Central Asia, including rugs and two full-size yurts (nomads’ portable tent-houses). Galleries are accessed either side of the magnificent 1000-sq-m Marble Hall, flanked by rows of pink Karelian-marble columns, in which events and concerts are held.
AdmiraltyARCHITECTURE
(Адмиралтейство
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; Admiralteysky proezd 1; mAdmiralteyskaya)
The gilded spire of the Admiralty is a prime St Petersburg landmark, visible from Gorokhovaya ul, Voznesensky pr and Nevsky pr, as all of these roads radiate outwards from this central point. From 1711 to 1917, this spot was the headquarters of the Russian navy; now it houses the country’s largest military naval college and is closed to the public.
ST PETERSBURG IN ...
Two Days
On day one wander down Nevsky pr, dropping into the Church of the Saviour on the Spilled Blood and Kazan Cathedral. Also take in the view from atop St Isaac’s Cathedral. After lunch visit the Yusupov Palace and New Holland. Spend the evening seeing a ballet or opera at the Mariinsky Theatre.
Devote day two to the wondrous Hermitage and its extraordinary collection, including the stellar impressionist collection in the General Staff Building on the other side of Palace Sq. When you leave, relax by taking a sightseeing cruise around the canals, followed by dinner at Cococo, enjoying contemporary takes on traditional Russian cuisine.
Four Days
On day three start at the Peter & Paul Fortress to see where the city began, and wander past the Mosque and take in the Style Modern architecture of Kamennoostrovsky pr. Wander across the bridge to Vasilevsky Island and see the Strelka, the fascinating Kunstkamera and then either the Menshikov Palace, for history fans, or the Erarta Museum of Contemporary Art, for art lovers.
Start day four travelling out to Pushkin (Tsarskoe Selo) for a visit to the extraordinary Catherine Palace, and then continue to nearby Pavlovsk for a walk in the gorgeous gardens. If you have time on returning to the city, make a tour of the superb Russian Museum. Top off the night with cocktails at one of St Petersburg's cosy bars such as Apotheke Bar.
THE BRIDGES OF ST PETERSBURG
Some 342 bridges span St Petersburg’s network of canals and waterways. It's quite a sight to witness the raising of the bridges over the Neva river during the navigation period. Dvortsovy most (Palace Bridge; Дворцовый мост
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; mAdmiralteyskaya), beside the Winter Palace, is one of the most popular spots to watch this event as there is classical music broadcasting and a carnival atmosphere with street vendors and plenty of sightseeing boats bobbing in the Neva.
Some of the most charming bridges, though, are the smaller structures that span the canals around the city. Here are a few of our favourites:
Anichkov most (Аничков мост MAP GOOGLE MAP ) Features rearing horses at all four corners, symbolising humanity’s struggle with, and taming of, nature.
Bankovsky most (Банковский мост MAP GOOGLE MAP ) Suspended by cables emerging from the mouths of golden-winged griffins. The name comes from the Assignment Bank (now a university), which stands on one side of the bridge.
Most Lomonosova (Мост Ломоносова MAP GOOGLE MAP ) Four Doric towers contain the mechanism that pulls up the moveable central section, allowing tall boats to pass along the Fontanka underneath.
Lviny most (Bridge of Four Lions; MAP GOOGLE MAP ) This suspension bridge is supported by two pairs of regal lions.
Panteleymonovsky most (Пантелеймоновский мост MAP GOOGLE MAP ) At the confluence of the Moyka and the Fontanka, this beauty features lamp posts bedecked with the double-headed eagle and railings adorned with the coat of arms.
Smolny & Vosstaniya
oAlexander Nevsky MonasteryMONASTERY
(Александро-Невская лавра
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; www.lavra.spb.ru; Nevsky pr 179/2; cemetery R400, pantheon R150; hgrounds 6am-11pm summer, 8am-9pm winter, churches 6am-9pm, cemeteries 9.30am-6pm summer, 11am-4pm winter, pantheon 11am-5pm Tue, Wed & Fri-Sun; mPloshchad Aleksandra Nevskogo)
The Alexander Nevsky Monastery – named for the patron saint of St Petersburg – is the city's most ancient and eminent monastery. Peter the Great made a mistake when he founded the monastery on this spot at the far end of Nevsky pr, thinking wrongly that it was the site where Alexander of Novgorod had beaten the Swedes in 1240. Nonetheless, in 1797 the monastery became a lavra, the most senior grade of Russian Orthodox monasteries.
Today it is a working monastery that attracts the most devout believers – a revered and holy place – as well as the gravesite of some of Russia's most famous artistic figures. You can wander freely around most of the grounds, but you must buy tickets from the kiosk on your right after entering the main gates to enter the most important two graveyards.
Museum of the Defence & Blockade of LeningradMUSEUM
(Музей обороны и блокады Ленинграда
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; www.blokadamus.ru; Solyarnoy per 9; R250, audio guide R300; h10am-6pm Thu-Mon, 12.30-8.30pm Wed; mChernyshevskaya)
The grim but engrossing displays here contain donations from survivors, propaganda posters from the blockade period and many photos depicting life and death during the siege. You'll see the meagre bread rations as they dwindled by the month, drawings made by children trying to cope with the loss of family members, and snapshots taken during Shostakovich's Symphony No.7 – composed and played during the siege (by famished musicians), to show the world that Leningrad was not down for the count.
Anna Akhmatova Museum at the Fountain HouseMUSEUM
(Музей Анны Ахматовой в Фонтанном Доме
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; www.akhmatova.spb.ru; Liteyny pr 51; adult/child R120/free, audio guide R200; h10.30am-6.30pm Tue & Thu-Sun, noon-8pm Wed; mMayakovskaya)
Housed in the south wing of the Sheremetyev Palace, this touching and fascinating literary museum celebrates the life and work of Anna Akhmatova, St Petersburg’s most famous 20th-century poet. Akhmatova lived here from 1926 until 1952, invited by the art scholar Nikolai Punin, who lived in several rooms with his family. The two had a long-running affair, somewhat complicated by the tight living situation – Punin didn't want to separate from his wife.
Admission also includes the Josef Brodsky American Study. Brodsky did not live here, but his connection with Akhmatova was strong. For lack of a better location, his office has been re-created here, complete with furniture and other artifacts from his adopted home in Massachusetts. Funds are currently being collected to open a Josef Brodsky Museum at the poet's former home a few blocks away on Liteyny pr.
When coming to the museum, be sure to enter from Liteyny pr, rather than from the Fontanka River, where the main palace entrance is, as it's not possible to reach the museum from there.
Smolny & Vosstaniya
1Top Sights
1Sights
4Sleeping
5Eating
6Drinking & Nightlife
3Entertainment
8Information
Dostoevsky MuseumMUSEUM
(Литературно-мемориальный музей Ф.М. Достоевского
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; www.md.spb.ru; Kuznechny per 5/2; adult/student R250/100, audio guide R250; h11am-6pm Tue & Thu-Sun, 1-8pm Wed; mVladimirskaya)
S
Fyodor Dostoevsky lived in flats all over the city (mostly in Sennaya), but his final residence is this ‘memorial flat’ where he lived from 1878 until he died in 1881. The apartment remains as it was when the Dostoevsky family lived here, including the study where he wrote The Brothers Karamazov, and the office of Anna Grigorievna, his wife, who recopied, edited and sold all of his books.
Lumiere HallARTS CENTRE
(
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; %8-812-407 1731; www.lumierehall.ru/spb; nab Obvodny kanala 74; R500; h11am-11pm; mFruzenskaya)
In a once-industrial part of the city, Lumiere Hall hosts large-format multimedia exhibitions – basically massive 3D projections in a 360-degree space, with audio commentary on the works displayed and the artists behind the creations. Take a seat on beanbags and enjoy the show. Recent installations have included projections of paintings by Ivan Aivazovsky, Van Gogh and Gustav Klimt. It's a 1km walk from the metro station. Head up to the canal and turn right.
Tauride Palace & GardensPARK
(Таврический дворец и сад
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; h8am-8pm Aug-Mar, to 10pm May-Jul, closed Apr; mChernyshevskaya)
Catherine the Great had this baroque palace built in 1783 for Grigory Potemkin, a famed general and her companion for many years. Today it is home to the Commonwealth of Independent States and is closed to the public. The gardens, on the other hand, are open to all; once the romping grounds of the tsarina, they became a park for the people under the Soviets, and their facilities include a lake, several cafes and an entertainment centre.
Pushkinskaya 10GALLERY
(Арт-Центр Пушкинская 10
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; www.p-10.ru; Ligovsky pr 53; R500; h4-8pm Wed-Fri, noon-8pm Sat & Sun; mPloshchad Vosstaniya)
This now legendary locale is a former apartment block – affectionately called by its street address despite the fact that the public entrance is actually on Ligovsky pr – that contains studio and gallery space, as well as music clubs Fish Fabrique and Fabrique Nouvelle (
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; www.fishfabrique.spb.ru; Ligovsky pr 53; h3pm-late; mPloshchad Vosstaniya), plus an assortment of other shops and galleries. It offers a unique opportunity to hang out with local musicians and artists, who are always eager to talk about their work.
One ticket gives admission to all the galleries.
Vladimirsky CathedralCATHEDRAL
(Владимирский собор
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; Vladimirsky pr 20; h8am-6pm, services 6pm daily; mVladimirskaya)
This fantastic, five-domed cathedral, ascribed to Domenico Trezzini, is the namesake of this neighbourhood. Incorporating both baroque and neoclassical elements, the cathedral was built in the 1760s, with Giacomo Quarenghi’s neoclassical belltower added later in the century. One famous member of the congregation was Dostoevsky, who lived around the corner. The cathedral was closed in 1932 and the Soviets turned it into an underwear factory, but in 1990 it was reconsecrated and resumed its originally intended function.
Museum of Decorative & Applied ArtsMUSEUM
(Музей прикладного искусства
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; %812-273 3258; www.spbghpa.ru; Solyanoy per 15; adult/student R300/150, excursion in Russian R2000; h11am-5pm Tue-Sat; mChernyshevskaya)
Also known as the Stieglitz Museum, this fascinating establishment is as beautiful as you would expect a decorative arts museum to be. An array of gorgeous objects is on display, from medieval furniture to 18th-century Russian tiled stoves and contemporary works by the students of the Applied Arts School (also housed here). This museum is less visited than some of its counterparts in the city, but the quiet atmosphere only adds to its appeal.
Kuryokhin CentreARTS CENTRE
(
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; %812-322 4223; www.kuryokhin.net; 4th flr, Ligovsky pr 73; R100; h11am-9pm Mon-Sat; mPloshchad Vosstaniya)
Named after Sergey Kuryokhin (1954–96), a legend of the Russian contemporary arts and music scene, this is the temporary home of the arts centre until its new home on Vasilevsky Island is ready (late 2019). You can view some of the talented avant-garde artist's work and that of his contemporaries including the band Kino and performance artist Vladislav Mamyshev-Monroe. You can also see exhibitions of new works that push the artistic boundaries.
Smolny CathedralCHURCH
(Смольный собор
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; %812-577 1421; pl Rastrelli 3/1; belltower adult/child R150/50; hchurch 7am-8pm, bell-tower 10am-6pm; mChernyshevskaya)
If baroque is your thing, then look no further than the sky-blue Smolny Cathedral, an unrivalled masterpiece of the genre that ranks among Bartolomeo Rastrelli’s most amazing creations. The cathedral is the centrepiece of a convent mostly built to Rastrelli’s designs between 1748 and 1757. His inspiration was to combine baroque details with the forest of towers and onion domes typical of an old Russian monastery. You'll get a fascinating perspective over the church and city beyond from the 63m-high belltower.
Sennaya & Kolomna
oYusupov PalacePALACE
(Юсуповский дворец
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; %8-921-970 3038; www.yusupov-palace.ru; nab reki Moyki 94; adult/student incl audio guide R700/500, Rasputin tour R350/250; h11am-6pm; mSadovaya)
This spectacular palace on the Moyka River has some of the best 19th-century interiors in the city, in addition to a fascinating and gruesome history. The palace’s last owner was the eccentric Prince Felix Yusupov, a high-society darling and at one time the richest man in Russia. Most notoriously, the palace is the place where Grigory Rasputin was murdered in 1916, and the basement where this now infamous plot unravelled can be visited as part of a guided tour.
oNew HollandISLAND
(Новая Голландия
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; www.newhollandsp.ru; nab Admiralteyskogo kanala; h9am-10pm Mon-Thu, to 11pm Fri-Sun; mSadovaya)
This triangular island was closed for the most part of the last three centuries, and has opened to the public in dazzling fashion. There's plenty going on here, with hundreds of events happening throughout the year. There are summertime concerts, art exhibitions, yoga classes and film screenings, plus restaurants, cafes and shops. You can also come to enjoy a bit of quiet on the grass – or on one of the pontoons floating in the pond.
Central Naval MuseumMUSEUM
(Центральный военно-морской музей
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; %812-303 8513; www.navalmuseum.ru; pl Truda; adult/student R600/400; h11am-6pm Wed-Sun; mAdmiralteyskaya)
Following a move to this beautifully repurposed building opposite the former shipyard of New Holland, the Central Naval Museum has moved into the 21st century and is now one of St Petersburg's best history museums. The superb, light-bathed building houses an enormous collection of models, paintings and other artefacts from three centuries of Russian naval history, including botik, the small boat known as the 'grandfather of the Russian navy' – stumbling across it in the late 17th century was Peter the Great's inspiration to create a Russian maritime force.
Sennaya & Kolomna
1Sights
2Activities, Courses & Tours
4Sleeping
5Eating
3Entertainment
House of MusicPALACE
(Дом музыки
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; %812-400 1400; www.spdm.ru; nab reki Moyki 211; tours R350; hticket office 11am-6pm Mon-Thu, to 5pm Fri; mSadovaya)
This fabulous and fully restored mansion on the Moyka River belonged to Grand Duke Alexey, the son of Alexander II. The wrought-iron-and-stone fence is one of its most stunning features, with the Grand Duke’s monogram adorning the gates. Tours of the house usually take place once or twice a week, but the dates vary and tickets often sell out in advance, so check the website. Another way to visit the interior is to attend a concert here.
Grand Choral SynagogueSYNAGOGUE
(Большая хоральная синагога
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; %921-978 4464; www.eng.jewishpetersburg.ru; Lermontovsky pr 2; h10am-6pm Sun-Fri, services 10am Sat; mSadovaya)
Designed by Vasily Stasov, the striking Grand Choral Synagogue opened in 1893 to provide a central place of worship for St Petersburg’s growing Jewish community. Its lavishness (particularly notable in the 47m-high cupola and the decorative wedding chapel) indicates the pivotal role that Jews played in imperial St Petersburg. The synagogue was fully revamped in 2003. Visitors are welcome except on the Sabbath and other holy days. Men and married women should cover their heads upon entering.
Nikolsky CathedralCATHEDRAL
(Никольский собор
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; Nikolskaya pl 1/3; h9am-7pm; mSadovaya)
Surrounded on two sides by canals, this ice-blue cathedral is one of the most picture-perfect in the city, beloved by locals for its baroque spires and golden domes. It was one of the few churches that still operated during the Soviet era, when organised religion was effectively banned.
Rumyantsev MansionMUSEUM
(Особняк Румянцева
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; www.spbmuseum.ru; Angliyskaya nab 44; adult/student R200/100; h11am-6pm Thu-Mon, to 5pm Tue; mAdmiralteyskaya)
History buffs should not miss this oft-overlooked but superb local museum. Part of the State Museum of the History of St Petersburg, the mansion contains an exhibition of 20th-century history, including displays devoted to the 1921 New Economic Policy (NEP), the industrialisation and development of the 1930s, and the Siege of Leningrad during WWII. Exhibitions are unusual in that they depict everyday life in the city during these historic periods. Each room has an explanatory panel in English.
Sennaya PloshchadSQUARE
(Сенная площадь
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; mSennaya Ploshchad)
Immortalised by Dostoevsky, who lived all over the neighbourhood and set Crime and Punishment here, St Petersburg’s Haymarket was once the city’s filthy underbelly. Indeed, until a much-needed facelift just over a decade ago, the square was overloaded with makeshift kiosks and market stalls, which made it a magnet for the homeless, beggars, pickpockets and drunks. These days, you'll have to look hard to find vestiges of its once insalubrious days.
Nabokov MuseumMUSEUM
(Музей Набокова
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; www.nabokov.museums.spbu.ru/En; Bolshaya Morskaya ul 47; h11am-6pm Tue-Fri, to 5pm Sat; mAdmiralteyskaya)F
This 19th-century townhouse was the suitably grand childhood home of Vladimir Nabokov, infamous author of Lolita and arguably the most versatile of 20th century Russian writers. Here Nabokov lived with his wealthy family from his birth in 1899 until the revolution in 1917, when they left the country. Nabokov artefacts on display include family photographs, first editions of his books and parts of his extensive butterfly collection.
Railway MuseumMUSEUM
(Музей железнодорожного транспорта
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; www.cmzt.narod.ru; Sadovaya ul 50; adult/student Mon-Fri R300/150, Sat & Sun R400/200; h10.30am-5.30pm; mSadovaya)
This museum near Sennaya pl is a must for train-set fans and modellers. It houses a collection of scale locomotives and model railway bridges, often made by the engineers who built the real ones. The oldest such collection in the world, the museum dates to 1809, 28 years before Russia had its first working train!
WORTH A TRIP
SOVIET SOUTH
Sprawling southern St Petersburg was once planned to be the centre of Stalin’s Leningrad, and it contains grand buildings, over-the-top monuments and sculpture-lined green spaces that celebrate now mostly forgotten figures of the past. You’ll also see largely middle-class Russians and families, who’ve given new life to these marble-lined boulevards.
Moscow Triumphal Arch
Bristling with spears, shields and banners, this imposing 12-columned gate was built to celebrate victory in the 1828 Russo-Turkish War and once marked the southern entrance to the imperial capital. In 1936 the gates were dismantled under Stalin’s order and were later used as anti-tank defences in WWII. They were restored in 1960.
Grand Market Rossiya
Russia in all its grit and glory – from the industrial sprawl of Magnitogorsk to the glittering domes of Moscow – is on full display at this vast re-creation (
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; %812-495 5465; www.grandmaket.ru; Tsvetochnaya ul 16; adult/child R480/280, audio guide or binoculars R250; h10am-8pm; mMoskovskoe Vorota) of the motherland in miniature. One huge room contains mountains, cities, rivers and lakes, with lots of mechanised action that you can observe while strolling around.
Park Pobedy
This large green space gathers a cross-section of Petersburgers, including young families, teens and canoodling couples who stroll the leafy paths and enjoy the views over the ponds and flower gardens. Built to celebrate Russia’s victory in WWII, the park (
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; Moskovsky pr; h6am-midnight; mPark Pobedy) is full of statues of Soviet war heroes, and has a beneficent depiction of Lenin interacting with small children.
Chesme Church
This striking red-and-white 18th-century Gothic church (Чесменская церковь
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; https://chesma.spb.ru; ul Lensoveta 12; h10am-7pm; mMoskovskaya) commemorates the 1770 Battle of Chesme. This is where Catherine the Great was standing when news arrived of the victory over the Turks. The capricious monarch ordered a shrine be built to preserve this historic moment. It now seems particularly incongruous with its Stalinist surroundings.
House of the Soviets
Begun by Noi Trotsky in 1936, the bombastic House of Soviets (Дом советов
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; Moskovsky pr 212; mMoskovskaya) was only finished after the war, by which time the architect had been purged. Nonetheless, this magnificently sinister building is a great example of Stalinist design, with its columns and bas-reliefs and an enormous frieze across the top.
Monument to the Heroic Defenders of Leningrad
Centred around a 48m-high obelisk, the monument (Монумент героическим защитникам Ленинграда
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; www.spbmuseum.ru; pl Pobedy; R200; h10am-6pm Thu-Mon, until 5pm Tue; mMoskovskaya), unveiled in 1975, symbolises the city’s encirclement and eventual victory in WWII. On a lower level, flickering torches ring a very moving sculpture depicting the city’s suffering. From there, you can enter an underground exhibition, which delves into the war and siege.
Vasilyevsky Island
oKunstkameraMUSEUM
(Кунсткамера
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; %812-328 1412; www.kunstkamera.ru; Universitetskaya nab 3, entrance on Tamozhenny per; adult/child R300/100; h11am-7pm Tue-Sun; mAdmiralteyskaya)
Also known as the Museum of Ethnology and Anthropology, this is the city’s first museum, founded in 1714 by Peter himself. It is famous largely for its ghoulish collection of monstrosities, preserved ‘freaks’, two-headed mutant foetuses, deformed animals and odd body parts, all collected by Peter. While most rush to see these sad specimens, there are also interesting exhibitions on native peoples from around the world.
oErarta Museum of Contemporary ArtMUSEUM
(Музей современного искусства Эрарта
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; %812-324 0809; www.erarta.com; 29-ya Liniya 2; adult/under 21yr R500/350; h10am-10pm Wed-Mon; mVasileostrovskaya)
Erarta's superb hoard of 2300 pieces of Russian contemporary art trumps its somewhat far-flung location. Housed in an ingeniously converted neoclassical Stalinist building, the museum is spread over five floors, with the main galleries focused on the permanent collection. There are also installation spaces, plenty of temporary exhibitions, occasional shows, plus a good restaurant and gift shop.
StrelkaLANDMARK
(
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; Birzhevaya pl; mVasileostrovskaya)
This eastern tip of Vasilyevsky Island is where Peter the Great wanted his new city’s administrative and intellectual centre to be. In fact, it became the focus of the city's maritime trade, symbolised by the colonnaded Customs House (now the Institute of Russian Literature) and the Old Stock Exchange. The Strelka is flanked by the pair of Rostral Columns (Ростральная колонна
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; Birzhevaya pl; mVasileostrovskaya), archetypal St Petersburg landmarks.
Museum of ZoologyMUSEUM
(Зоологический музей
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; %812-328 0112; www.zin.ru; Universitetskaya nab 1; adult/student R250/150; h11am-6pm Wed-Mon; mAdmiralteyskaya)
One of the biggest and best of its kind in the world, the Museum of Zoology was founded in 1832 and has some amazing exhibits, including a vast blue whale skeleton that greets you in the first hall. The highlight is unquestionably the stuffed skin of a 44,000-year-old woolly mammoth thawed out of the Siberian ice in 1902. There are also skeletons of a further three mammoths, including two baby ones – all incredible finds.
Vasilevsky Island
1Sights
2Activities, Courses & Tours
7Shopping
Transport
Menshikov PalaceMUSEUM
(Государственный Эрмитаж-Дворец Меншикова
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; %812-323 1112; www.hermitagemuseum.org; Universitetskaya nab 15; admission R300; h10.30am-6pm Tue, Thu, Sat & Sun, to 9pm Wed & Fri; mVasileostrovskaya)
The first stone building in the city, the Menshikov Palace was built to the grandiose tastes of Prince Alexander Menshikov, Peter the Great’s closest friend and the first governor of St Petersburg. It is now a branch of the Hermitage, and while only a relatively small part of the palace is open to visitors, its interiors are some of the oldest and best preserved in the city.
Twelve CollegesUNIVERSITY
(Двенадцать коллегий
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; Mendeleevskaya liniya; mVasileostrovskaya)
Completed in 1744 and marked by a statue of scientist-poet Mikhail Lomonosov (1711–65), the 400m-long Twelve Colleges is one of St Petersburg’s oldest buildings. It was originally meant for Peter’s government ministries, but is now part of the university, which stretches out behind it. Within these walls populist philosopher Nikolai Chernyshevsky studied, Alexander Popov created some of the world’s first radio waves and a young Vladimir Putin earned a degree in law.
This is also where Dmitry Mendeleev invented the periodic table of elements, and the building now contains the small Mendeleev Museum (Музей-Архив Санкт-Петербургского Университета Д.И.Менделеева
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; %812-328 9744; Universitetskaya nab 7-9; h11am-4pm Mon-Fri; mVasileostrovskaya). Also of interest here is the University Sculpture Garden (
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; Universitetskaya nab 11; h8am-5pm; mAdmiralteyskaya), which can be accessed from the main entrance.
Temple of the AssumptionCHURCH
(Храм Успения Пресвятой Богородицы
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; %812-321 7473; http://spb.optina.ru; nab Leytenanta Shmidta 27/2; h8am-8pm; mVasileostrovskaya)F
This stunning 1895 neo-Byzantine church was built by architect Vasily Kosyakov on the site of a former monastery. It was closed during the Soviet period, and in 1957 the building became the city’s first – and very popular – year-round skating rink. The 7.7m, 861kg metal cross on the roof was only replaced in 1998. Following a wonderful renovation, the church is looking superb again; do go inside to see the murals and icons covering the interior.
Russian Academy of Fine Arts MuseumMUSEUM
(Музей Академии Художеств
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; %812-323 6496; www.nimrah.ru; Universitetskaya nab 17; R500, photos R500; hnoon-8pm Wed, 11am-7pm Thu, Sat & Sun, 1-9pm Fri; mVasileostrovskaya)
Art lovers should not bypass the museum of this time-tested institution, which contains work by academy students and faculty dating back to its foundation in 1857. Two 3500-year-old sphinxes guard the entrance of this original location of the academy, where boys would live from the age of five until they graduated at age 15. It was an experiment to create a new species of human: the artist.
CREATIVE CLUSTERS
Occupying either old buildings or former industrial complexes across the city are a series of 'creative clusters' that are home to a vibrant mix of artists, creative businesses, boutiques, bars and restaurants. The following are the best ones:
Loft Project ETAGI (Лофт проект ЭТАЖИ
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; %812-458 5005; www.loftprojectetagi.ru; Ligovsky pr 74; rooftop R100; h9am-11pm; mLigovsky Prospekt) This five-floor former bakery, which includes exhibition spaces, eye-catching shops, a hostel, a bar and a cafe, kicked off the creative cluster trend in 2007. In the yard, converted shipping containers house yet more pop-up clothing shops, record sellers, cafes and eateries whipping up affordable street food.
Taiga The warren of rooms in the ancient building near the Hermitage are worth exploring to find cool businesses ranging from a barber to fashion and books. 8 Store (
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; %8-981-741 1880; http://8-store.ru; Dvortsovaya nab 20; h1-9pm; mAdmiralteyskaya), a stylish boutique stacked with clothes and accessories by local designers, is one of the best. Also great for original design gifts and souvenirs is Imenno Lavka (Именно-лавка
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; %8-921-581 0466; www.imenno-lavka.ru; TAIGA, Dvortsovaya nab 20; h11am-7pm; mAdmiralteyskaya).
Golitsyn Loft (
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; nab reky Fontanki 20; mGostiny Dvor) This new epicentre of creativity on the Fontanka River offers the usual mix of businesses as well as a hostel with capsule-style bunks. Enter via the archway into a large courtyard, which is spread with outdoor eating and drinking spots in the summer, then head up any of the stairwells into the five buildings for a bit of urban exploration. On weekends the centre stages events, such as craft markets, concerts and film screenings.
Berthold Center (Бертгольд Центр
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; www.vk.com/bertholdcentre; Grazhdanskaya ul 13; mSadovaya) A handful of shops, cafes and galleries spread around a former foundry. There's a courtyard in the centre of the complex that gathers a young, bohemian crowd – especially during special events and concerts (bands sometimes play on a rooftop just overlooking the courtyard).
Artmuza (Артмуза
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; %812-313 4703; http://artmuza.spb.ru; 13-ya liniya 70-72; h11am-10pm; mSportivnaya) With around 13,000 sq metres of space over several floors, this is one of St Petersburg's largest creative clusters. On the ground floor look out for the joint atelier of Snega Gallery and Slavutnitsa where designers specialise in making clothes and accessories based on traditional Russian costumes and patterns. Also come here to see exhibitions and theatre, and to the enjoy the view from its large rooftop terrace (where there's also a cafe).
Tkachi (Ткачи
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; www.tkachi.com; nab Obvodnogo kanala 60; h10am-10pm; mObvodny Kanal) In an otherwise derelict part of town, 'Weavers' is an impressive conversion of a warehouse into a 'creative space'. On the ground floor you'll find gifts, clothes, bikes and electronics, while the 5th floor is a huge exhibition space and restaurant.
Petrograd & Vyborg Sides
oHermitage Storage FacilityMUSEUM
(Реставрационно-хранительский центр Старая деревня
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; %812-340 1026; www.hermitagemuseum.org; Zausadebnaya ul 37a; tours R550; htours 11am, 1pm, 1.30pm & 3.30pm Wed-Sun; 
c; mStaraya Derevnya)
Guided tours of the Hermitage’s state-of-the-art restoration and storage facility are highly recommended. This is not a formal exhibition as such, but the guides are knowledgeable and the examples chosen for display (paintings, furniture and carriages) are wonderful.
The storage facility is directly behind the big shopping centre opposite the metro station – look for the enormous golden-yellow glass facility decorated with shapes inspired by petroglyphs.
Museum of Political HistoryMUSEUM
(Музей политической истории России
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; %812-313 6163; www.polithistory.ru; ul Kuybysheva 4; adult/child R200/free, audio guide R200; h10am-6pm Sat-Tue, 10am-8pm Wed & Fri, closed Thu; mGorkovskaya)
The elegant Style Moderne Kshesinskaya Palace (1904) is a highly appropriate location for this excellent museum – one of the city's best – covering Russian politics in scrupulous detail up to contemporary times.
The palace, previously the home of Mathilda Kshesinskaya, famous ballet dancer and one-time lover of Nicholas II in his pre-tsar days, was briefly the headquarters of the Bolsheviks, and Lenin often gave speeches from the balcony.
Petrograd Side
1Top Sights
1Sights
8Information
Kirov MuseumMUSEUM
(Музей Кирова
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; www.kirovmuseum.ru; Kamennoostrovsky pr 26/28; adult/child R150/100; h11am-6pm Thu-Tue; mPetrogradskaya)
Leningrad party boss Sergei Kirov was one of the most powerful men in Russia in the early 1930s. His decidedly un-proletarian apartment is now a fascinating museum showing how the Bolshevik elite really lived: take a quick journey back to the days of Soviet glory, including choice examples of 1920s technology, such as the first-ever Soviet-produced typewriter and a conspicuously noncommunist GE fridge, complete with plastic food inside.
Botanical GardensGARDENS
(Ботанический сад
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; %812-372 5464; http://botsad-spb.com; ul Professora Popova 2; adult/child R300/200; hgrounds 10am-8pm Tue-Sun May-Sep; greenhouse 11am-4.30pm Tue-Sun year-round; mPetrogradskaya)
On eastern Aptekarsky (Apothecary) Island, this was once a garden of medicinal plants – founded by Peter the Great himself in 1714 – that gave the island its name. Today the botanical gardens contain 26 greenhouses on a 22-hectare site. It is a lovely place to stroll around, and a fascinating place to visit – and not just for botanists.
Buddhist TempleTEMPLE
(Буддистский Храм
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; %981-755 9605; www.dazan.spb.ru; Primorsky pr 91; h10am-6pm Mon-Fri, to 7pm Sat & Sun; mStaraya Derevnya)
Another in the city's collection of grand religious buildings is this beautiful functioning datsan (temple) where respectful visitors are welcome. The main prayer hall has lovely mosaic decoration and there's a cheap and cheerful cafe in the basement. The temple was built between 1909 and 1915 at the instigation of Pyotr Badmaev, a Buddhist physician to Tsar Nicholas II.
Vyborg
1Sights
2Activities, Courses & Tours
5Eating
6Drinking & Nightlife
Cruiser AuroraMUSEUM
(Крейсер Аврора
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; %812-230 8440; www.aurora.org.ru; Petrovskaya nab; adult/child R600/400; h11am-6pm Wed-Sun; c; mGorkovskaya)
Moored on the Bolshaya Nevka, the Aurora had a walk-on part in the communist revolution. On the night of 25 October 1917, its crew fired a blank round from the forward gun as a signal for the start of the assault on the Winter Palace. Restored and painted in pretty colours, it’s a living museum that swarms with kids on weekends.
Artillery MuseumMUSEUM
(Музей Артиллерии
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; %812-232 0296; www.artillery-museum.ru; Kroneverskaya nab; adult/student R400/250; h11am-6pm Wed-Sun; c; mGorkovskaya)
Housed in the fort’s original arsenal, across the moat from the Peter & Paul Fortress, this fire-powered museum chronicles Russia’s military history, with examples of weapons dating all the way back to the Stone Age. The centrepiece is Lenin’s armoured car, which he rode in triumph from the Finland Station (Finlyandsky vokzal).
MosqueMOSQUE
(Соборная мечеть
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; %821-233 9819; http://dum-spb.ru/kontakty; Kronverksky pr 7; h7am-9pm; mGorkovskaya)
This beautiful working mosque (built 1910–14) was modelled on Samarkand’s Gur-e Amir Mausoleum. Its fluted azure dome and minarets are stunning and surprisingly prominent in the city’s skyline. Outside of prayer times, if you are respectfully dressed (women should wear a head covering, men long trousers), you can walk through the gate at the northeast side and ask the guard for entry – the interior is equally lovely.
If you are allowed in, remove your shoes, do not talk and do not take photos.
WORTH A TRIP
STREET ART MUSEUM
You won't regret making the effort to see the magnificent Street Art Museum (
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; %812-448 1593; http://streetartmuseum.ru; shosse Revolutsii 84, Okhta, entrance on Umansky per; adult/student R350/250; hnoon-10pm Tue-Sun May-Sep; mPloshchad Lenina, then bus 28, 37, 137 or 530) set inside a former 11-hectare industrial site. You'll find a wide variety of formats, from huge murals covering walls to mixed-media installations set inside a former boilerhouse. Every year, the exhibition changes, with top artists from around the globe invited to contribute on themes like Revolution (featured in 2017 on the 100-year anniversary of Russia's October Revolution), Migrants and Peace.
Intriguingly, parts of this industrial complex are still active, with workers at the laminated plastics factory SLOPAST surrounded by the encroaching artwork. Some of the workshops are decorated with epic works by the likes of top Russian streets artists Timothy Radya, Kirill Kto and Nikita Nomerz as well as the Spanish artist Escif. Before he died in 2013, Pasha 183 – frequently referred to as Russia's Banksy because of his anonymity – also contributed 'Walls Don't Sleep' a beautiful monochrome mural based on an image of Soviet factory workers.
Guided tours happen on weekends (at 1pm and 2pm); call ahead to ensure an English-speaking guide is on hand. The museum also hosts outdoor concerts and other big events. Check the website for the latest.
It's located in the industrial zone of Okhta, a 20-minute bus ride east of Ploshchad Lenina. Buses 28, 37 and 137 all go there.
WORTH A TRIP
KIROVSKY ISLANDS
If you need a quick break from the city, these three outer delta islands on the Petrograd Side and an ideal place to head. Once marshy forests, the islands were granted to 18th- and 19th-century court favourites and developed into elegant playgrounds. Still mostly parkland, they are leafy venues for picnics, river sports and White Nights’ cavorting, as well as home to St Petersburg’s super rich.
Krestovsky Island (Крестовский остров
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; c; mKrestovsky Ostrov) The biggest of the three, Krestovsky consists mostly of the vast Maritime Victory Park (Приморский парк Победы
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; www.primparkpobedy.ru; Krestovsky pr; mKrestovsky Ostrov), dotted with sports fields; at the far western end is the massive, 68,000-seat Krestovsky Stadium (
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; mKrestovsky Ostrov), which will play a pivotal role in the 2018 FIFA World Cup. At the park's main entrance opposite the metro station you can rent bikes and in-line skates. Also here is Divo Ostrov (
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; www.divo-ostrov.ru; rides R100-500; hnoon-7pm; c; mKrestovsky Ostrov) is a Disney-style amusement park with exciting fairground rides that kids will adore.
Kamenny Island (Каменный остров
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; mChyornaya Rechka) Century-old dacha (country cottages) and mansions, inhabited by very wealthy locals, line the wooded lanes that twist their way around Kamenny (Stone) Island. Punctuated by a series of canals, lakes and ponds, Kameny is pleasant for strolling at any time of year. At its east end, the Church of St John the Baptist (
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; Kamennoostrovsky pr; h9am-6pm), built in 1776–81, has been charmingly restored.
Car-free Yelagin Island (Елагин остров
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; www.elaginpark.org; ice skating per hr R200-300; hice skating 11am-9pm; mKrestovsky Ostrov) becomes a winter wonderland in colder temperatures, with sledding, cross-country skiing and ice skating. Skis and skates are available for hire. In summer months, it’s a great place to rent in-line skates.