Traveling to a city filled with magic, magic and extraordinary beauty of architectural landmarks is interesting at any time of the year. In summer - when the kingdom of white nights comes, in winter - in the midst of snowy charm. Even fog and frequent rains do not diminish interest in the city. And the question always arises, what to see in St. Petersburg first. Various offers are possible, but many of them boil down to visiting the following places.
Nevsky Avenue
The main street of the city is its trademark. Once the road connecting the Admiralty with the Alexander Nevsky Lavra was called "the road to the Nevsky Monastery", Bolshaya promising ", Bolshaya Nevskaya (unofficial names).
The first official name of the old road was Nevskaya Prospektivnaya (1738). Since 1781, the street's real name was born. The avenue runs along the historical part. There are many architectural monuments, museums and theaters on it.
Among them are the Admiralty, Stroganov Palace, Gostiny Dvor, Kazan Cathedral, Moika Embankment, Anichkov Bridge, etc. To come to the places where Pushkin walked, Samuil Marshak wrote wonderful poems. There are several metro stations on Nevsky Prospekt.
It is best to get off at the station "Nevsky Prospekt / Gostiny Dvor". Walk the entire avenue from the Mayakovskaya or Admiralteyskaya stations.
We recommend reading what to see in St. Petersburg:
Winter Palace
The desire to look at the majestic structure of the city, to walk around it, to learn legends, secrets from the life of royalty appears at any visit. During the walk, it is proposed to discover new moments in architecture, the history of the fifth imperial palace, which adorns the Palace Square.
Look at the figures of 10 majestic Atlanteans (they were built by stonemasons in 1844). An architectural masterpiece of the Elizabethan Baroque, stretches along the Neva for 210 m.
Created by the ingenious Rastrelli, the construction was completed in 1762. After multiple alterations and additions, the palace has 1,084 rooms, 1,476 window openings, 117 staircases. Among them are the famous premises: Alexandrovsky, Heraldic, White Halls, Malachite Living Room, Jordan Stairs, etc.
The height of the building is 23.5 m. By an interesting decree of Nicholas I, it was forbidden to erect adjacent buildings higher than the palace.
The architectural technique made it possible to create an effect called the "Heavenly Line of St. Petersburg". Almost the entire city is visible from the roof of any building in the historic center. The buildings of the palace were erected around the courtyard.
Together with the square, they form the most beautiful ensemble of the modern northern capital. A pompous building with a colonnade, statues and original vases on the cornice, stucco, served as the residence of the Russian tsars for 150 years. Since 1917 it has become a part of the museum complex.
Hermitage
Silent giants guard the entrance to a museum ensemble filled with millions of artistic and cultural treasures brought from all over the world. This year the unique museum celebrates its 255th anniversary.
The oldest treasury of the country's art opened its doors to anyone in 1852 during the reign of Nicholas I. Catherine the Great was the founder and ideological inspirer of the museum. From her collection, the greatest fund of the Hermitage began to form.
The first building of the museum was an extension to the Winter Palace. It served as a seclusion corner (translated from French, it means the Hermitage). Now the area of the Hermitage is 233,345 km2... It houses 3 million exhibits.
The expositions are located in 365 thematic halls. The complex includes six buildings: the Big (Old) Hermitage, the Winter Palace, the New, the Small Hermitage, and the Theater. They connect. The Museum has the right to use the General Staff Building, the Staraya Derevnya Restoration Center, the Museum of the Imperial Porcelain Factory, the Menshikov Palace.
The museum's collections contain objects of painting, sculpture, graphics, archaeological finds, etc. The following halls are popular with visitors: Alexandrovsky, Pavilion, White, Concert, Knights. Halls of Ancient Egypt, Titian, Leonardo da Vinci, Antiquity Culture.
To enter the magical world of the achievements of different centuries, one must climb the famous Jordan Staircase. Introduce important foreign ambassadors going to the emperor or hear the steps of the procession going to the ice hole (Jordan) on Epiphany.
Alexander Column
The single ensemble of the Palace Square is complemented by a tall column made of granite of a rare shade and held only by its own weight. The monument was built in 1834 and is dedicated to the victory of the Russian people over Napoleon.
The style of the column continues the tradition of the triumphal structures of antiquity (Troyan's Column). The main difference between the Russian masterpiece is the use of a solid piece of monolithic stone.
In height, it exceeds the original source (the monument of Rome) by 10 m and is considered one of the tallest columns on the planet. The history of creation, transportation from the Puterlak quarry (the work was carried out under the guidance of a 20-year-old boy), the technology of installing the column have many interesting moments that have become legends of the city. Column height 47.5 m.
Its main parts: pedestal, monolithic middle, top, fence, bas-reliefs. Column decoration elements express the glorification of victory with the use of chain mail, helmets, armor, shields, and weapons of the Russian army.
They are made in full accordance with the originals stored in the Armory. The bas-reliefs show the exact dates of the most important victories. Figures of two-headed eagles adorn the pedestal. The top of the slender column is completed by the figure of an angel with a cross. It has become a symbol of peace, looks down, protects the city and protects the peace of the inhabitants.
Admiralty tower
The symbolic boat has been towering over the city since 1711. Glittering on the Admiralty tower, it glorifies the strength of the Russian fleet. The tower is located in the central part of the main facade. It was rebuilt and restored several times (the last works took place in 2013).
The first tower was wooden; in 1738, the construction of the stone tower was completed under the leadership of Korobov. The last version was created by the architect Zakharov.
The Admiralty building became three-story, it was decorated with 56 statues, 11 bas-reliefs, 350 stucco elements. A new ship appeared (the first stood until 1815 and was lost, the second is in the Maritime Museum). The view of the first ship has a three-masted profile, similar to the frigate of Peter I.
There is a legend that three flags were made of pure gold. The gilded copper ship is fixed on a spire (a slender octahedral pyramid with a height of 23 m). Below it is a ball with a gold container, which contained samples of coins minted in the city, and now the Constitution of the country.
The faces of the pyramid are covered with gilded copper sheets. A special massive cube gives stability to the tall structure. There are 28 statues above it, softening the transition to the narrow part of the tower. At the level of the pillars, there is a gallery providing a panoramic view.
There is a clock dial in the drum above the colonnade. The tower is often called the "Admiralty Needle", and the beautiful boat is one of the primary souvenirs in memory of the city.
Bronze Horseman
In Russia, monuments to the tsars were not erected until the 18th century. Peter I dreamed of decorating the city, born of his dream, with monumental sculpture after his death. It appeared in the center of the emerging Senate Square in 1782 in honor of the centenary of the Tsar's accession to the throne. St. Isaac's Cathedral was located here (it was moved to its present place).
The first equestrian statue made of bronze was created by Rastrelli, but Catherine II ordered to create a new one. The winner was the project proposed by Maurice Falcone. A rider with a laurel wreath on his head takes off to the top of the steep cliff on a mighty horse.
It is easy to recognize the steps of Peter I in his figure, clothes, and imperious gaze. All elements of the monument have a hidden meaning. They hide legends, real life stories. For example, a bearskin in the place of a saddle, a snake at the hooves of a proud horse, a boulder (pedestal).
This Thunder-stone, brought from the swamps near the village of Konnaya Lakhta (after raising it, the Petrovsky pond was formed, which still exists today). It is said that the king watched the enemy during the Northern War from this monolith.
It took two years to deliver the stone to the place, many difficult moments happened at this time. The monument was unveiled after 12 years of hard work. The horses from the royal stables were of nature for the creation of the horse: Brilliant and Caprice. The image of the tsar was carried out, taking the figure of General P.I. Melissino.
Kazan Cathedral
One of the largest churches in the city, which received the status of a Cathedral during the reign of Elizabeth Petrovna, appeared on the site of the Rozhdestvensko - Mother of God Church. It was erected in honor of the miraculous icon of Our Lady of Kazan. The very icon that was found 25 years after the fire in Kazan. The icon ("diligent intercessor") is considered the patroness of the city, the Romanov dynasty.
She appeared here in 1708. Members of the royal families were married in the temple named after her. Paul I Princess of Darmstadt. At the behest of Paul I in the middle of the 18th century, the Cathedral acquired a ceremonial appearance, which has survived to this day.
After the war with Napoleon, it acquired the functions of a monument to Russian glory: Kutuzov is buried here, banners, keys to the captured cities, and war trophies are kept. The architectural features of the temple are a colonnade of 96 columns, a huge dome (it was the first dome made of wrought iron with a diameter of 17.7 m).
Initially, the facades of the cathedral were decorated with marble slabs, decorated with statues and reliefs. The north gate was made of bronze after the famous “heavenly doors of the baptistery of Florence”. Together with the main shrine of the cathedral (the Kazan icon of the Mother of God), the cathedral now houses the revered images of St. Nicholas the Wonderworker, the Savior's icon, the Resurrection of Christ with a particle of the Holy Sepulcher, Golgotha with a particle of the Life-Giving Tomb.
Monuments to Kutuzov and Barclay de Tolly have been standing in front of the temple since the 30s of the 19th century.
Saint Isaac's Cathedral
The idea of a monumental structure, built to last, is expressed by the phrase on the northern portal: "Lord, by your strength the king will rejoice." The five-domed temple with four belfries has a height of 101.5 m, a length of 111.3 m, a width of 97.6 m, a dome of 25.8 m in diameter.
The structure is striking in its size, grandeur, originality. 72 columns of solid granite pieces rise to a height of 40 m (for the first time in the history of architecture). The 30-ton main bell contains portraits of Russian sovereigns.
Legally, there is a church and a museum under the same roof. There are always many believers and tourists here. Visitors are invited to climb the spiral staircase to the observation deck of the colonnade and see the most beautiful city in Russia.
Inside the cathedral, products from colored marble reign: white, pink, green, yellow, red shades. Black slate decorating the floor, jasper panels, porphyry on the walls. The unusual altar is covered with lapis lazuli and malachite. In the Cathedral there are over 300 statues, 60 types of mosaics, a large number of paintings by Russian artists.
For the first time a stained glass window was used in the architecture of an Orthodox church. The Resurrection of Christ is depicted on the altar window. The construction of the Cathedral (40 years old) gave rise to many interesting legends and predictions. Many of them have come true.
Savior on Spilled Blood
The fate of the Resurrection Cathedral (Savior on Spilled Blood) is complex and tragic. Erected as a memorial temple to the murdered king, it was on the verge of closure and destruction more than once. By a happy decision of the authorities, the Cathedral was preserved, restored and reborn in 1997.
The initial consecration took place in 1907, repeated in 2004. Now, walking along Nevsky Prospekt, on the bank of the Griboyedov Canal, you can see a real dance of 9 multi-colored domes, carved kokoshniks, pilasters, and original stone carvings. In the external decoration gilding, enamel, mosaic, granite shimmer.
The cathedral is similar to the St. Basil's Cathedral in Moscow. The interior of the temple is a kingdom of magic mosaics (the total area reaches 7000 m2). The floor of the cathedral is covered with 45 mosaic paintings with original patterns.
There are also mosaic icons under the dome of the temple. The iconostasis is made of colored marble. It looks like a tree. The main place in the Cathedral is the canopy over the place where the king was wounded. It is made of precious stones (the cost of the construction is equal to half the amount spent on the construction of the temple).
A section of the embankment and a piece of the enclosing lattice have been preserved. The place is closed by a dome, a lamp is always on here.
Mikhailovsky Palace
The historic building of the Empire style was erected by the architect Rossi on the territory where the "Third Summer Garden" was located. The consecration of the Mikhailovsky Palace (it was intended for Prince Mikhail Pavlovich) took place in 1825.
The architectural ensemble includes the buildings of the palace, two wings on the sides. Square in front of the building, two new streets: Mikhailovskaya, Engineering. From the side of the Field of Mars, the estate Mikhailovsky Garden was laid. The facade of the palace is decorated with eight columns (Corinthian colonnade) with a triangular pediment, arches, windows with heads of stone lions, 44 bas-reliefs.
The main staircase is decorated with copies of antique lions discovered during excavations of Ancient Rome. The personal chambers of the Grand Duke, an arsenal with weapons, guest rooms of the premises for courtiers were located on the 1st floor. An office, a library, a reception room, a drawing room, and a house church occupied the second floor. The inner halls were arranged in a suite.
They sparkled with finishes, rich decorations, selected with great taste in a single harmonious composition. The parquet floor was made of the most expensive types of wood: sacchardan, black, violet, palm, chiffras.
In the palace, high society receptions and balls were constantly held. To preserve the building (after the death of the prince), the Imperial Museum of Russian Art was opened in it in 1895. The entire palace complex was transferred to the disposal of the museum.
The opening of the Russian Museum took place in March 1898. Now it houses the richest collection of works by Russian artists.
Mikhailovsky castle
The Engineering Castle is one of the most unusual and mysterious places in the city. The austere, graceful architectural style of the building differs from pompous palaces and resembles a medieval fortress. The future emperor Paul was born in his chambers in 1754. Here, in his own bedroom, he was killed (according to legend, his ghost still roams the castle).
The castle is considered an expressive symbol of the Pavlovian era, embodying the character and artistic taste of the owner. The great strength and power of Russia as a naval power was expressed in interesting elements of construction.
These are protective ditches, bridges, parapet, cast-iron gratings, canals. The castle was located on an island and it seemed that it had emerged from the water. In subsequent times, many were destroyed. Even the original color of the castle walls is covered with legends.
It is now pink, almost like the original (pinkish-orange-yellow). Although the walls of the castle were brick red for many years. Since 1823, the building housed the Main Engineering School, which gave it the second name Engineering Castle. Since 1990, a branch of the Russian Museum has been located here with numerous works of Renaissance artists and masters working in Russia in the 18th and 19th centuries.
Fontanka river embankment
A walk along the old embankment starts from the Neva, goes through the center and ends near Gutuevsky Island, where the Fontanka flows into the Bolshaya Neva. The ancient river was called Golodusha, Nameless Erik and in 1737 received its name from the fountains of the Summer Garden (first the Fountain River, and later the Fontanka).
Granite pipes, forged iron gratings are used in railings (they were made in the Urals by the craftsmen of Demidov's factories) hold the river for 7 km. The embankment was first decorated in the 1750s with wooden fences.
By 1789, the river was straightened, deepened, dressed in a granite outfit, and slopes were built. The first building of the embankment is considered the Summer Palace of Emperor Peter I. Later it was allowed to build expensive, monumental architectural structures in the idea of magnificent palaces and luxurious mansions.
Bygone eras have left their mark on the banks of the Fontanka. Beautiful, original bridges became its special decoration. The symbol of the river is the famous monument to Chizhik - Pyzhik, standing next to the Mikhailovsky Castle. The yellow-green uniforms of the students of the Imperial Law School became the reason for the birth of the famous song and the original monument.
Stroganov Palace
The architectural landmark, built according to the project of Rastrelli, is one of the oldest (surviving) examples of Russian Baroque. Since 1988, it houses a branch of the Russian Museum. Before the 1917 revolution, the palace belonged to the Stroganov family of industrialists. In the 18th century, it was the only residential building on Nevsky Prospekt.
High-society balls and dinners were held in the luxurious palace. Voronikhin and Demertsov were the creators of the interior of the palace. Separate offices, rooms of the palace are well preserved, for example: the Office of the Count, the Hubert Robert Hall, Mineral, Physics rooms, library, Picture gallery.
Representatives of the Stroganov family began to collect art, book collections at the beginning of the 19th century. Many Russian painters, being students of the Academy of Arts, performed their first works on copying famous works based on the originals of the Stroganovs' art gallery.
The first public exhibition of sculptures and paintings kept in the palace was held in 1897. After the transfer of the palace to the Russian Museum, a large-scale restoration, the facade of the building returned to its original state.
In honor of the 300th anniversary of the city, access was opened to visitors (now it is proposed to visit 23 rooms, including the famous Arabesque living room). In one of the parts of the building, the Chocolate Museum began to work.
Anichkov Palace
One of the imperial palaces appeared on the Fontanka embankment during the period when the outskirts of the city were located here, and the famous Nevsky Prospect was an ordinary forest clearing. The arrangement of the surroundings of the palace resembles Peterhof with fountains and flower beds.
The shape of the multi-storey structure is made in the form of an extended letter "H", and the name comes from the Anichkov bridge, which is located nearby. The construction of the palace took place by order of Empress Elizabeth from 1741. The building often served as a gift from empresses to their favorites (Razumovsky, Potemkin), passed from hand to hand.
Nikolai often came here during Lent, the whole family lived in it for some time. The childhood of the future Alexander II passed in the premises of the palace. Famous persons of those times were often present here. Zhukovsky (a friend of the poet) had his own home in it.
Pushkin was also invited here in 1836 for a conversation with the emperor demanding that the duel be abandoned. The palace became the residence of Alexander III. The oldest building of Nevsky Prospekt housed the Museum of the City for a long time after the revolution. It was closed since 1925. In 1937, the Palaces of Pioneers, Youth Creativity, Anichkov Lyceum began to work in the building.
House of Peter the Great
On the occasion of the celebration of the annexation of the lands and the founding of a new city in May 1703, the first building of the future St. Petersburg was built (in three days) - a house for Peter I. The place for it was not chosen by chance: from here the fortress bastions, water expanses were clearly visible, neighborhood. In the old documents of those times, it was called "the old red khoromtsy", "red choir".
It was built from hewn pine logs, like a Russian hut, but with elements of Dutch architecture, which the tsar was keen on. For example, the appearance of a stone building was created due to the hewn logs painted under red brick, a high roof covered with shingles under the tiles. The king lived in it in the summer, so there were no stoves or chimneys in the house.
Along the edges of the roof were installed (they have not survived) "bombs with a flaming torch." The tsar moved to the Summer and Winter palaces, and the house was abandoned for a long time. Before the October Revolution, a small chapel functioned here.
The building was given the status of a historical and memorial museum in 1930. It opened to visitors in September 1944. The museum displays authentic things of Peter I, household items, information about the Northern War, the founding of the city, the stages of the restoration of the house. At the entrance to the Museum there is a bronze plaque indicating the height of the Great King: 2 and 4 cm.
Cruiser Aurora"
The ship-museum became the cultural heritage of Russia and became one of the famous ships in the world, whose fate did not end on the seabed or in a heap of scrap metal. The legendary cruiser changed the course of world history during the 1917 revolution.
In addition to the blank shot, which became the signal for the storming of the Winter Palace, the ship took part in other historical events of the past century. He survived with dignity in the hell of Tsushima, escaped death during the First World War, recovered after the blockade of Leningrad and became one of the museums of St. Petersburg.
Having visited it, it is proposed to find out the history of the name, the creation of the ship. Listen to how "Aurora" starred in the film of the same name in the role of the famous ship "Varyag". The cruiser was manufactured at the Baltic Shipyard.
The first launching took place on May 11, 1900 in the presence of Nicholas II and two Empresses Maria and Alexandra Feodorovna. The stately cruiser (it is considered a branch of the Naval Museum) is located on the Petrovskaya embankment.
Peter-Pavel's Fortress
When creating the city, Peter I strove to strengthen the dominant position of the capital with special architectural structures. Deserted Hare Island was chosen for the construction of fortress bastions and other structures.
The Peter and Paul Fortress is considered the first bastion-type fortification in Russia. There are no defensive towers in it, and every meter of the island was used for the construction of fortress walls.
There have never been any battles with the enemy. For two centuries, the fortress served as a political prison. There were Tsarevich Alexei, Princess Tarakanova, the Decembrists, Gorky, Chernyshevsky, etc.
In the entire history of its existence, not a single escape has been committed from the prison of the Peter and Paul Fortress. The architectural ensemble of the fortress includes the Mint, the Main Treasury, and the Botny House. Krmendantsky and Engineering House, guardhouse, Artillery shop. An important place is occupied by the Church of Peter and Paul.
Its height should have been higher than the Menshikov Tower, the Ivan the Great Bell Tower. The spire of the cathedral is decorated with a gilded figure of an angel with a cross (which has an interesting history). At the request of the king, the temple from the first days was the burial vault of the members of the dynasty. There are 60 graves in the form of concrete crypts.
Peter I was buried on the south side of the temple. During the life of the king, a flag was raised and lowered every day on the Tsar's bastion, which meant the end of the working day. It is now constantly evolving at the Flag Tower.
The tradition of the midday shot (of the Admiral's hour, born in the 18th century) from cannons on the Naryshkin bastion has also been preserved. The residents check the time by the shot.
Alexander Park
On the huge vacant lot of the city of Pushkin (Tsarskoe Selo) there is an architectural monument of the 18th-19th centuries.The idea of creation belongs to Alexander I, but the idea was realized during the reign of Nicholas I. The park begins immediately behind the central entrance to the Catherine Palace.
On the territory of about 200 hectares there is a New Garden, a Landscape Park, a complex of architectural structures in the neo-Russian style. This is the Feodorovsky town, the Cathedral, the War Chamber. Refurbished Arsenal building, barracks, stables, Great Chinese Bridge, etc.
In the New Garden there were a curtain (pavilion) "Mushroom", a Chinese theater. Here you can see Mount Parnassus, the Chinese village (1780), the Ozerki pond. The landscape park took the place of the menagerie. He moved to Gatchina along with the imperial hunt.
In the park there is a building of the Arsenal (formerly there was a hunting pavilion "Monbijou"), the White Tower (after restoration, it houses a children's museum center). In 1796, the Alexander Palace was erected on this territory. It was the royal residence.
From this palace, the imperial family of Nicholas II was sent to Yekaterinburg. According to existing legends, the grave of Grigory Rasputin was located in the park. Since 1918, the park has received the status of a museum. During the war there were barracks in the palace, a prison for prisoners of war. Since 1946, it has been opened to visitors, restoration work is constantly being carried out.
Peterhof
The city was founded by Peter I as a country residence of the imperial family in 1719 (it received the status of a city in 1762). The settlement was created as a symbol of Russia's victory in access to the Baltic Sea.
Spreading along the Gulf of Finland, the city plunged into the atmosphere of numerous parks, palaces, and various attractions. Among them there is a monument of world architecture and palace and park art - "Museum Reserve Peterhof".
The ensemble includes the Great Peterhof Palace, the Upper Garden, and the Lower Park. The idea to install the original fountains belongs to Peter I. The water in them comes by gravity due to the natural slope of the area. The highest is the Samson fountain. The first pillar of silver spray rose in 1721. The system of canals feeding the structures has been working properly for three centuries.
There are 170 fountains and four cascades in the city: Bolshoi, Chess Mountain, Golden Mountain, Lion. The total number of parks in the city is 10 names (among them Kolonistsky, Aleksandrovsky, English, Lugovoi, etc.).
Historically, four parts were formed in it (as a settlement for a residence). These are Old, New, Middle Peterhof and Egerskaya Sloboda. All of them are interesting for exploring, getting to know the city of the tsars, where 6 famous princesses, princes, children of Nicholas II, Alexander III, Nicholas I were born and raised.
Tsarskoe Selo
The history of Tsarskoye Selo begins in 1710. Peter I conquered new territory. On it was the estate of a wealthy Swede, Sarskaya manor. Peter I presented it to his future wife Catherine. The famous Catherine and Alexander palaces were erected, the beautiful Alexander Park with strict lines and antique sculptures was formed in the Dutch manner.
The created museum-reserve "Tsarskoe Selo", which has become a monument of architecture and landscape gardening art of world significance, reflects the traces of the life of many kings of Russia. Palaces with luxurious decoration of the halls amaze with their wealth, beauty, harmony and at the present time.
The magnificent Catherine Palace houses the "Golden Enfilade" of the ceremonial halls, the revived Amber Room. The sights of Tsarskoye Selo include many historical sites. This is the Tsarskoye Selo Lyceum, where the young years of Pushkin, Kuchelbecker, the Decembrist Pushchin, Delvig passed.
Pushkin's dacha, where the first months of the poet's family life passed. The Tsar's Chamber, which became the only museum of the First World War in Russia. The Arsenal Pavilion, which houses the imperial collection of weapons.
Fedorovsky town in the form of a complex of buildings among the fortress walls, conceived as a monastery building. The Imperial Farm, located near the Ratnaya Chamber. Well-groomed horses live on it, on which you can ride.
