St.Petersburg

Tourism information and links.

"Russia's window to the West", "A little bit of Holland, Italy and France all in one city" are how St Petersburg has been described. Although younger than Moscow, visitors experience an amazing sense of history as all the scenes from Anna Karenina, Nicholas and Alexandra and James Bond "come to life"!

While striving for reforms, Peter The Great  had a new city founded in 1703, as a ‘window on the western civilisation’. Few people expected the marshy, unfit-for-life land of the Neva to become the seat of the most European looking Russian city of  St.Petersburg. Indeed, in defiance to it’s unfortunate geographical position, it turned into what many consider the most beautiful city in Russia.

Between 1712 and 1918, St.Petersburg was Russia’s formal capital and the hub of commercial, industrial and cultural life of the country. Enormous funds were allocated to provide for it’s construction and artistic embellishment. Rastrelli, Rossi, Voronikhin, Stasov and other celebrated architects were instrumental in having created some of the world famous ensembles.

St.Petersburg has a total of over 50 museums and art galleries, the most prominent being the ‘Hermitage’ otherwise known as the ‘Winter-Palace’ - formerly the seat of  the Russian Imperial families. The building, which was designed by Rastrelli and completed in 1839 during the reign of Katherine II, represents a marvelous work of art in itself. The Hermitage ranks among the world’s most outstanding art museums with it’s exhibits continuing to swelling. Successive Russian emperors, including Peter the Great, all contributed to what is known today as an invaluable collection of  items from an Oriental, Russian and Western European origin. Another object of wonder is the Russian Museum, started by Emperor Alexander III. Here a splendid collection of world famous Russian painters, such as Bryullov, Shishkin, and Repin is open to the public. The whole city is a huge museum in the open air where you can gaze in amazement at the sculptural history of St.Petersburg, with its magnificent bronze horses on Nevsky Avenue, Anitchkov Bridge, marble statues in the Summer Gardens, and innumerable lions, eagles and sea monsters, either supporting balconies or gracefully set in the railings of a wall.

If you were a person given to romantic insight, they could appear as a 300-year chronicle rather than a collection of  marvels made of stone and bronze. A history of Russian Science and culture is inscribed in this chronicle, where  Lomonosov, Mendeleyev, Pushkin, Dostoyevsky, Akhmatova and Shostakovich made major contributions. It is impossible to erase the memories of a more recent past where during World War II, neither mass attack, or starvation could undermine the spirits of the city defenders who withstood a 900-day siege by NAZI troops.

City attractions include the Peter-and-Paul fortress, Our Lady of Kazan and St.Isaac Cathedrals, and the Aleksandr Nevsky Lavra, to name just a few. You could hardly leave this city without standing for a while on the Spit of Vasilievsky Island, or strolling along the Admiralty Embankment from the Hermitage to the monument of Peter the Great, founder of St.Petersburg. This monument is a huge equestrian statue made of  bronze and is mounted on a pedestal of solid granite rock, weighing in total over 1500 tons. Theatre lovers should consider the numerous theatres and concert halls which are renowned the world over. No matter what your interests, St.Petersburg’s diverse culture and many historical attractions are not to be missed.

The magnificent Winter Palace, situated in the subsequently named Palace Square, is now home to the Hermitage, an astounding collection of art and sculpture. The main street, Nevsky Prospekt, is where you will find major attractions such as St Isaac's Cathedral, with its enormous gold dome, and Church of the Spilled Blood. Peter's influence on his city manifests itself not only in its name, but also in the Peter and Paul Fortress, and the Museum of Ethnography, which features Peter's private grisly collection of preserved foetuses.

Tip: Built on the Neva River, the city can be quite humid and marshy. Mosquito repellent is a good idea if travelling in summer.