Address: Dvortsovaya Naberezhnaya, 34 190000 St Petersburg, Russia Opening: Hours The Main Museum Complex, Menshikov Palace, General Staff building and Museum of Porcelain Tuesdays - Saturdays: 10.30 - 18.00 Sundays: 10.30 - 17.00 Closed: Mondays Winter Palace of Peter the Great Tuesdays - Saturdays: 10.30 - 17.00 Sundays: 10.30 - 16.00 Closed: Mondays Temporary exhibitions are closed to visitors 30 minutes before the closing of the museum Holidays On holidays and days preceding holidays (except Mondays and January 1), the museum is open from 10.30 to 17.00 Excursion reservation:incoming@favorit.spb.ru
The State Hermitage occupies six magnificent buildings situated along the embankment of the River Neva, right in the heart of St Petersburg. The leading role in this unique architectural ensemble is played by the Winter Palace, the residence of the Russian tsars that was built to the design of Francesco Bartolomeo Rastrelli in 1754-62. This ensemble, formed in the 18th and 19th centuries, is extended by the eastern wing of the General Staff building, the Menshikov Palace and the recently constructed Repository. Put together throughout two centuries and a half, the Hermitage collections of works of art (over 3,000,000 items) present the development of the world culture and art from the Stone Age to the 20th century. The basic display areas of the State Hermitage occupy 365 rooms in the Main Museum Complex located in the historic centre of St Petersburg. This consists of six buildings constructed in the 18th and 19th centuries, among which the most important is the Winter Palace, the former imperial residence. The Winter Palace, the Small Hermitage, the Old Hermitage and the New Hermitage display the collections of monuments of culture and art of the ancient world, Western Europe, Russia and the countries of the Orient, as well as archeological and numismatic collections. The Hermitage Theatre and the Reserve House also form part of the Main Museum Complex. Hermitage consists of several departments: • the department of western European art • the department of the art and culture of antiquity • the department of the archaeology of eastern Europe and Siberia • the department of Russian culture • the Menshikov palace department • the oriental department • the numismatic department • the arsenal • the department of scientific restoration and conservation • laboratory for biological control • the department of the history and restoration of the architectural objects • the educational department • the research library • the department of scientific examination and authentication of works of art
Address: .4 Inzhenernaya Str. (Metro stations: Gostiny Dvor, Nevsky Prospect) The museum is open daily, except Tuesdays, from 10 a.m. to 5.00 p.m., on Mondays from 10.00 a.m. - 4.00 p.m. Excursion reservation: incoming@favorit.spb.ru
The Russian Museum is the first state museum of the Russian fine art in the country. It was established in 1895 in St Petersburg under the decree of the Emperor Nicholas II. Grand opened for visitors on March 19 (March 7, the Old Style) 1898. The Russian Museum today is a unique depository of artistic treasures, a famous restoration centre, an authoritative institute of academic research, one of the major cultural and educational centers, research and methodological centre of art museums of the Russian Federation, overseeing activities of 260 art museums of Russia. The Russian Museum collection contains circa 400.000 exhibits. The main complex of museum buildings - the Mikhailovsky Palace and Benois Wing - houses the permanent exhibition of the Russian Museum, tracing the entire history of Russian art from the tenth to the twentieth centuries. The museum collection embraces all forms, genres, schools and movements of art. The Russian Museum holds many exhibitions both in Russia and abroad. The Museum holds more than 50 temporary exhibitions and organizes more than 10 in other cities and abroad annually. Catalogues, albums and booklets made by museum researchers accompany many exhibitions. Over the past twenty years, the museum complex has grown to include the Stroganov Palace, St Michael's (Engineers) Castle and the Marble Palace. The complex also includes the Mikhailovsky Gardens, Engineering Gardens, Summer Garden (including the Summer Palace) and the House of Peter the Great. Mickhailovsky Palace
The foundation of the Peter and Paul Fortress in May 1703 is considered to be the birthday of city of St. Petersburg. The fortress was built in wood and was later replaced in stone by the Swiss architect Trezini. Originally the fortress served to protect the newly established Russian capital from imminent attacks of the Swedish Fleet, and was later turned into a prison. Many political prisoners were kept or executed on its territory, including Peter the Great's son Alexis, members of the 1812 Decembrists' uprising, Russian thinker Chernyshevsky, Lenin's brother Dmitry, and many others. Nowadays, the fortress serves as a museum of Russian history, as well as houses the Mint of St. Petersburg. Peter and Paul Cathedral The Peter and Paul Cathedral was the first stone building of St. Petersburg. It was the city's main cathedral until St. Isaac's Cathedral was built over 150 years later. The Cathedral is the official burial place of the Romanov Royal family with monarchs starting from Peter the Great to Nicholas II and his family resting in peace under its naves. The adjacent Grand Dukes' Burial Place houses tombs of the Romanovs of the lower rank. The Boat House located next to the Peter and Paul Cathedral is a modern replica of the original boat house of Peter the Great where his first sailboat nicknamed "The Grandfather of the Russian Fleet" was kept.
The dome of St. Isaac’s Cathedral dominates the skyline of St. Petersburg and its gilded cupola can be seen glistening from all over the city. You can climb up the 300 or so steps to the observation walkway at the base of the cathedral’s dome and enjoy the breathtaking views over the city. The church itself is an architectural marvel. Built by the French-born architect August Montferrand to be the main church of the Russian Empire, the cathedral was under construction for 40 years (1818-1858), and was decorated in the most elaborate way possible. When you enter the cathedral you pass through one of the porticos - note that the columns are made of single pieces of red granite and weight 80 tons (about 177,770 pounds) each. Inside the church many of the icons were created using mosaic techniques and the iconostasis (the icon wall that separates the altar from the rest of the church) is decorated with 8 malachite and 2 lapis lazuli columns. The cathedral, which can accommodate 14,000 worshipers, now serves as a museum and services are held only on significant ecclesiastical holidays.
One of the most beautiful cathedrals of Saint Petersburg, the Savior-on-the-Blood was erected on the place where Russian Emperor Alexander II was murdered on the 1st of March, 1881. The tsar was mortally wounded by the terrorists from the People's Will revolutionist organization. Already on the next day the Municipal Duma on its extraordinary meeting decided to construct the cathedral to commemorate the tsar-liberator. The cathedral was constructed in the style of the 16th-17th century Russian architecture and has a lot in common with the Church of St. Basil the Blessed that stands on the Red Square in Moscow. The Cathedral of Our Savior on the Spilled Blood stands out for its complicated and picturesque outline, as well as rich and multicolored decoration on the background of the austere Petersburg church architecture. The rich mosaics that cover the walls of the cathedral both inside and outside are of a great value. The mosaic panels were made in Frolov's workshop to the originals by outstanding Russian artists, including Vasnetsov, Nesterov, Riabushkin and others. The total area of the mosaic is impressive 7,050 square meters. The church was closed for services in the 1930s, when the Bolsheviks went on an offensive against religion and destroyed churches all over the country. It remained closed and under restoration for over 30 years and was finally re-opened in 1997 in all its dazzling former glory. The view of the church from Nevsky Prospect is absolutely breathtaking.
Whilst taking a stroll along Nevsky Prospekt you cannot fail to notice the impressive Cathedral of Our Lady of Kazan. The solemn laying of the the Cathedral of Our Lady of Kazan took place on the 27th of August, 1801. The new cathedral replaced the wooden church that had been constructed in 1733-1737 by architect Zemtsov and treasured the miracle-working icon of Our Lady of Kazan. This icon was a family relic of the Romanovs and was thought to be the patroness of the not only of the ruling royal family but of all Russia. Kazan Cathedral, constructed between 1801 and 1811 by the architect Andrei Voronikhin, was built to an enormous scale and boasts an impressive stone colonnade, encircling a small garden and central fountain. The cathedral was inspired by the Basilica of St. Peter’s in Rome and was intended to be the country’s main Orthodox Church. After the war of 1812 (during which Napoleon was defeated) the church became a monument to Russian victory. Captured enemy banners were put in the cathedral and the famous Russian Field Marshal Mikhail Kutuzov, who won the most important campaign of 1812, was buried inside the church. The cathedral was named after the "miracle-making" icon of Our Lady of Kazan, which the church housed till the early 1930s. The Bolsheviks closed the cathedral for services in 1929, and from 1932 it housed the collections of the Museum of the History of Religion and Atheism, which displayed numerous pieces of religious art and served anti-religious propaganda purposes. A couple of years ago regular services were resumed in the cathedral, though it still shares the premises with the museum, from whose name the word "atheism" has now been omitted.
Open: 9-30 – 15-30 (October - April); 9-30 – 18-00 (May – September) Closed: Thursday Location: Metro Station «Ploshchad Aleksadra Nevskogo» in front of the hotel «Moscow» Excursion reservation:incoming@favorit.spb.ru
One of the oldest architectural ensembles of Saint Petersburg, Alexander Nevsky Lavra, was founded in 1710 on that very place where according to the legend Alexander Nevsky defeated Swedish troops. The monumental cathedral is crowned with a high dome and harmonizes well with the surrounding monastery buildings. Among the icons of the cathedral the one most honored is the icon of Saint Serafim Sarovsky. From the very beginning the Alexander Nevsky Lavra got the status of the most prestigious burial place in Imperial Russia. The members of royal family, priests, outstanding governors and commanders were buried there. Among them one should name Commander Suvorov, prince Bezborodko, architects Quarenghi, Voronikhin, composers Chaikovsky, musician Rubinshtain, the Aleksander Pushkin wife Natalia Goncharova. In 1936-1937 on the territory of the monastery the museum was created. It was called Leningrad Necropolis and in 1939 was transformed into the Museum of Urban Sculpture. At the beginning of the 20th century there were about 12 churches on the territory of the Lavra. Nowadays there are only two of them that are open. The revival of monkery happened in autumn 1996 and today the Alexander Nevsky Lavra is a functioning monastery of Saint Petersburg eparchy.
Across the river Neva from the Peter and Paul fortress and the wooden Cabin of Peter the Great you can visit the historical Summer Gardens. Behind the beautiful wrought iron fence there is an old park that has witnessed some of the most spectacular moments in St. Petersburg's early history. The territory was planted with different flowers and trees, also there is The Monument to Ivan Krylov - the Greate Russian writer of fables, the first marble sculptures which had been delivered to young Saint Petersburg from Europe were set. Many writers, poets and artists were fond of strolling along the alleys of the Summer Garden. There one could come across poet Alexander Pushkin, writers Krylov and Goncharov, composer Tchaikovsky, poet Block and other prominent figures of Russian culture. Tsar Peter commissioned the city’s first and foremost architect, the Italian Domenico Trezzini, to build a small palace in the park. The palace had no heating and was intended only for summer time use, hence its name "Summer Palace", as opposed to the "Winter Palace" that Peter had built just down the same embankment of the Neva. This Summer Palace - a two-storey Dutch-style affair with a high roof and comparatively modest interior - was one of St. Petersburg's first stone palaces. Its original interiors have been preserve to this day.
The first house to be built in Peter’s city is still carefully preserved for you to see today… The first residential building to be built in the newly founded city of St. Petersburg was a wooden house or cabin, intended for Tsar Peter himself. The cabin is very small - only 60 sq. meters in area and is a strange combination of a traditional Russian house - izba - and a Dutch home with large and elaborate windows and high roof, covered with wooden tiles. Tsar Peter lived in this house between 1703 and 1708 and the living room, bedroom and study, still filled with Peter's original belongings, still bear the mark of his presence. Peter the Great wanted all the houses of his new city to be built of stone, the way it was done in Europe. But he could not afford a stone house at the time, so he ordered the walls to be painted as if the house was made of bricks. Hidden from wind and rain inside a red brick pavilion, which you can see in the picture, the first house built in the city of St Petersburg is still open to the public. During the Second World War the Cabin of Peter the Great was the first museum to reopen in 1944 after the dramatic 900-day Siege of Leningrad.
The historical ship Aurora has been turned into a museum and is docked just a few hundred yards upstream from the Cabin of Peter the Great, opposite the "St.Petersburg" Hotel. The cruiser, built in St. Petersburg between 1897 and 1900, took an active part in the Russo-Japanese War of 1904-05 and participated in the Tsusima battle, in which most of Russia's Pacific fleet was destroyed. In the Soviet period the Cruiser Aurora became the training ship for the cadets of naval schools. During World War II the cruiser, berthed in the Gulf of Finland near Oranienbaum, defended Leningrad. The Aurora exposition features over 500 original documents, photographs, and ship objects concerning the cruiser's history and its participation in Russian history. For those who wish there are thematic excursions of the underwater cruiser part and machine-boiler sector.
The museum of anthropology and ethnography named after Peter the Great-Kunstkamera
Locatoin: The University Emb, 3 Open: 11-00 – 17-00 Closed: Monday Excursion reservation:incoming@favorit.spb.ru
The Kunstkamera (1718-34 G.I.Matternovi, N.F. Gerbel, G.Ciaveri; 1754-58 S.O.Chevakinsky) is one of the most original examples of the baroque of the first third of the 18th century. That is blue-and-white building with the steeple was the city's first museum, founded in 1714 by Peter the Great himself. This museum (Museum of Anthropology and Ethnography) is about people outside the former USSR, with campy dioramas and displays on the cultures of Asia, Oceania, Africa and the Americas. The old anatomy theatre is the (only) big draw, with selections from Peter's original kunstkammer. While this translates from German to 'art chamber', the bloodthirsty crowds are really here to see Peter's collection of monstrosities, notably a ghoulish collection of preserved freaks, two-headed mutant foetuses and body parts.
Location: The University Emb, 1 Open: 11-00 – 18-00 Closed: Friday Excursion reservation: incoming@favorit.spb.ru
The museum developed from the original zoological collection of the Kunstkammer, which was established in 1832 and opened to the public in 1838. Since 1898 the museum has occupied its current location, which previously housed part of the city's Sea Port Authorities. Today the turreted building of the Zoological Museum blends beautifully with the architectural ensemble of the Strelka of Vasilyevsky Island. Many locals call this district of St. Petersburg the "Museum Town" due to the large number of museums concentrated in the area (the Naval Museum, the Ethnography of the World Museum a.k.a. the Kunstkammer etc.). The museum also treasures mummified baby mammoths Dima and Masha, who died 40 thousand years ago. Dima, known to all the scientists of the world as Magadan mammoth, was found at the gold-field on the valley of the stream Kirgilax in 1977. The six-month-old mammoth most probably had strayed and fall into uliginous well-like lake, from which it couldn't get out. The Zoological Museum regularly houses thematic exhibitions and temporary displays of the world museums rarities. Over 800 000 visitors attend the Zoological Museum annually.
Address: 12, Moyka Emb. Open hours: daily 11am - 6pm exept Closed: Tuesday and the last Friday of each month Excursion reservation:incoming@favorit.spb.ru
The National Pushkin Museum in St. Petersburg has an extensive and diverse collection, which includes Pushkin's personal belongings, a portrait gallery of Pushkin and other historical personalities of his circle, illustrations of the poet's works, and pictures showing episodes from his life. The Museum owns works by many well known Russian artists of the 19th and 20th centuries. Filials of the National Pushkin Museum include: The Pushkin Memorial Flat in St. Petersburg The Lyceum Pushkin Memorial Country House in Tsarskoye Selo The Nekrasov Memorial Museum in St. Petersburg.
Address: 12, Moyka Emb. Open hours: daily 11a.m. - 6p.m. except Closed: Tuesday and the last Friday of each month Excursion reservation: incoming@favorit.spb.ru
This literary museum, dedicated to Russia's most celebrated poet, stands just a few yards away from Palace Square and two blocks from Nevsky Prospekt on the quiet embankment of the Moika River. The museum is housed in Alexander Pushkin's memorial apartment where he lived between 1836 and 1837, and died after being mortally wounded in a dramatic duel. On a wave of nationwide grief for the untimely death of this major Russian literary figure, Pushkin's apartment was carefully preserved and remains a fine example of a nobleman's residence of the 1830s. Visitors can step into the museum and see the study of the great poet and writer of the famous epic novel in verse, "Eugene Onegin", and the well-known story "The Queen of Spades", both of which were later turned into operas by the great Russian composer Tchaikovsky. The museum boasts numerous literary and historical exhibitions, charting the life, work and times of arguably Russia's greatest writer.
The military-historical museum of artillery, engineers and signal corps
Address: Aleksandrovsky Park 7 Open: Wednesday to Sunday, 11am to 6pm Closed: Tuesday Excursion reservation:incoming@favorit.spb.ru
Displaying an enormous collection of arms and heavy artillery from the middle Ages to the present day, this museum is located just across a narrow canal from the Peter and Paul Fortress. The museum is a great place to visit with your kids, who will love the open-air exhibition of artillery and missile launchers in the museum's courtyard. Inside the museum displays a rather old-fashioned collection of military memorabilia, temporary exhibitions, a nice little shop stocked with models of weapons and miniature soldiers and a cafe.
Address: Birzhevaya Square, 4 Open: 10:30 am to 4:45 pm Closed: Monday, Tuesday, and the last Thursday of the month Excursion reservation:incoming@favorit.spb.ru
The Central Naval Museum is one of the oldest museums in Russia and one of the largest of its kind in the world. It originates from the Model Chamber, founded by Peter the Great in 1709. Initially it was a drawing workshop where all the ship models and drawings were kept. In 1720s - 1730s, there was even a singular exhibition of the most interesting models and drawings. In 1805 on the basis of the Model Chamber collection the Naval Museum was established. After the Revolution of 1917 the collection of the museum was enlarged considerably due to the expropriated collections. A lot of exhibits connected with the royal family and famous aristocratic families were destroyed as not corresponding the new ideology. In 1939 the Central Naval Museum was given one of the most beautiful buildings in the city - the Stock Exchange building. The Stock Exchange, the focal point of wonderful architectural ensembles of the Spit of Vasilyevsky Island, was erected in 1805 - 1810 to the project of the celebrated architect Thomas de Thomon. The main exposition, enlightening the history of Russian navigation and Russian Fleet from the ancient time till nowadays, occupies 10 halls situated on the ground floor of the museum. There visitors can learn about the creation and history of Russian navy, the most important naval battles, that brought the glory to the Russian Fleet, geographical discoveries, circumnavigation and celebrated expeditions.
Address: Inzhenernaya St., 4/16 Open: 11:00-16:30 Closed: Monday, last Friday of each month Excursion reservation:incoming@favorit.spb.ru
The Russian Ethnographic Museum was founded in 1901 as a branch of the Russian Museum. The right wing of the Mikhailovsky Palace was rebuilt in 1900-1911 by architect V. Svinyin in neoclassicism style for the collections of the Ethnographic Department. The basic expositions consisting of the materials gathered before the Revolution of 1917 were opened to the public in 1923. In 1934 the Ethnographic Museum started to function as an independent one. Later its collections were enlarged, and after the World War II the museum got its modern name. The Ethnographic Museum's collections are displayed in 24 halls. These contain ceramics, textiles, jewelry, metal and wooden works, national costumes, as well as different attributes of rituals and festive ceremonies. The museum also boasts numerous photos that help visitors to visualize calendar, wedding, funeral and other rites, many of which are of magic character.
Adress: Kuznechny Pereulok 5/2 Open: Tuesday to Sunday, 11a.m. to 6p.m. Closed: Monday and the last Wednesday of the month Excursion reservation:incoming@favorit.spb.ru
The memorial apartment of one of Russia's most renowned and prolific writers is conveniently located just one block away from Vladimirskaya metro station. Dostoyevsky lived here, his last apartment in St. Petersburg, between 1878 and 1881 and the flat is still filled with memorabilia relating to his life and work. Dostoyevsky based many of his stories and novels in St. Petersburg, especially in the Vladimirsky region of the city where his apartment is located. In celebration of his literary genius, the city erected a monument to the great writer in the spring of 1997, not far from the Dostoevsky Memorial Museum. The museum also hosts occasional exhibitions of contemporary art.
Adress: St. 2 Sadovaya town Pushkin Open: 10.30 a.m. - 4.30 p.m. Closed: Tuesdays and the last Friday of every month Excursion reservation:incoming@favorit.spb.ru
The Tsarskoye Selo Lyceum was opened on October 19, 1811 in the neoclassical building designed by Vasily Stasov and situated next to the Catherine Palace. The first graduates were all brilliant and included Aleksandr Pushkin and Alexander Gorchakov. The opening date was celebrated each year with carousals and revels, and Pushkin composed new verses for each of those occasions. In January 1844 the Lyceum was moved to Saint Petersburg. During 33 years of the Tsarskoye Selo Lyceum's existence, there were 286 graduates. The most famous of these were Anton Delwig, Wilhelm K?chelbecher, Nicholas de Giers, Dmitry Tolstoy, Yakov Karlovich Grot, Nikolay Yakovlevich Danilevsky, Alexei Lobanov-Rostovsky and Mikhail Saltykov-Shchedrin. A memorial museum was opened i n the lycee in 1949, on the 150th anniversary of Pushkin's birth. Following the reconstruction of the lycee from 1966-74, the building regained the appearance it had had in Pushkin's time. The main staircase, Great Hall, library, classrooms, studies and dormitories have all been restored. The materials on display focus on Pushkin's lycee years, his teachers and fellow pupils. The museum contains two permanent exhibitions: "The Tsarskoye Selo Lycee - Masters and Pupils" and "I exist", devoted to the life and work of the poet Gavrila Derzhavin. The museum holds lectures and concerts. Every year, on 19 October, Lycee Day is celebrate
Kronshtadt (Cronshtadt) is a small city, NW European Russia, on the small island of Kotlin in the Gulf of Finland, c.15 mi (20 km) from Saint Petersburg. It is one of the chief naval bases for the Russian Baltic fleet. The harbor is icebound for several months each year. It was founded (1703) by Peter I as a port and a fortress to protect the site of St.Petersburg, and it was the commercial harbor of St.Petersburg until the 1880s. The port lost its commercial value after the development of St.Petersburg. The visit (1891) of a French naval squadron to Kronshtadt was followed by a Franco-Russian military agreement heralding the formation of the Triple Entente of France, England, and Russia. Mutinies of the naval garrison took place in 1825 and 1882 and played a part in the revolutions of 1905 and 1917. A revolt of the sailors in March 1921, was instrumental in establishing Lenin's New Economic Policy. The general unrest among peasants and workers touched off this mutiny of the naval garrison that had been loyal to the Bolsheviks during the revolution. This was the climax of the anti-Bolshevik unrest in the country. In World War II, Kronshtadt played a major role in the defense of St. Petersburg (then Leningrad) against the Germans. There are a lot of things to see and to visit in town Kronshtadt. Such as the Sea Cathedral, the monument to Admiral Makarov, navy ships and submarines, Italian Palace, Gostiny Dvor.
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