Museums

Peter the Great's Summer Palace Peter the Great's Summer Palace In the Summer Garden, Peter the Great Summer Palace is located on the small island which is formed by the Neva, the Fontanka, the Swan Canal and the Moika. The Summer Palace was built by the Italian architect Domenico Trezzini in 1714 and served as a residence of Peter the Great. While the construction work was underway, the tsar lived in a wooden cabin on the other bank of the Neva. In ... Read more >>>
St. Isaac’s Cathedral St. Isaac’s Cathedral St. Isaac’s Cathedral is the most magnificent church of Saint-Petersburg, one of the most exquisite creations by the architect O. Montferrand. The largest cathedral can hold 10000 people. The huge gilded dome of St. Isaac’s Cathedral (26 metres in diameter) dominates the city centre, and it is visible from Peterhof. The largest church of Russia was built for more than 40 years, from 1818 to ... Read more >>>
The Church of Resurrection (Saviour on the Spilled Blood) The Church of Resurrection (Saviour on the Spilled Blood) This cathedral was built in the memory of the Russian tsar Alexander II; it was modelled on St. Basil Cathedral in Moscow, in Pseudo-Russian Style (1907, arch. Parland). The cathedral was erected on the spot where Tsar Alexander II was mortally wounded by terrorists. Mosaics, designed by famous Russian painters Vasnetsov, Nesterov, Koshelev, Ryabushkin, dominate the interior and the exterior ... Read more >>>
The Cruiser Aurora Museum The Cruiser Aurora Museum At the point where the Bolshaya Nevka flows out of the Neva, the famous Cruiser "Aurora" has been permanently moored since 1948. This war battle ship underwent the baptism of fire in the Russo-Japanese War (1904-1905) in the Battle of Tsushima; it participated in the First World War, in two Russian Revolutions and in the Second World War. The cruiser played a decisive role during the ... Read more >>>
The Menshikov Palace The Menshikov Palace The Menshikov Palace, erected in 1720, is the first large masonry structure of Saint-Petersburg. The first architect of the palace was the Italian architect Fontana, then the German architect Gottfried Schadel. The palace was constructed for Alexander Menshikov, the first governor of Saint-Petersburg. Prince Alexander Menshikov was a close friend and the counsellor of Peter the Great. ... Read more >>>
The Mikhaylovsky Castle (Engineers' Castle) The Mikhaylovsky Castle (Engineers' Castle) The castle was constructed by the order of Paul I. He wanted his new residence to be made in the form of a fortified castle, to feel secure against attempts on his life. However, as a result of the palace coup Paul I was strangled in the bedroom of the castle. From 1817 the castle housed the Central Military Engineering College. Among its graduates, there were a lot of famous people, for ... Read more >>>
The Museum of Anthropology and Ethnography named after Peter the Great - Kunstkammer (Chamber of Curiosities) The Museum of Anthropology and Ethnography named after Peter the Great - Kunstkammer (Chamber of Curiosities) The museum was founded in 1879. Rich collection acquaints the visitors with the culture of the people of Asia, Africa, Australia and American Indians. Closed: on Monday and the last Tuesday of every month Read more >>>
The Peter and Paul Fortress The Peter and Paul Fortress The Peter and Paul Fortress was founded by Peter I on a small island (Hare Island) in 1703, during the Northern War. It is the oldest construction of the city. The Fortress Museum includes: the Cathedral of St. Peter and St. Paul (the 18th century, arch. Trezzini) with the tomb of Peter the Great and other Russian tsars, the prison of the Trubetskoy Bastion, different temporary exhibitions... Read more >>>
The Russian Ethnographic Museum The Russian Ethnographic Museum The exposition is dedicated to the life styles, customs, traditions and folk art of different nationalities of Russia. In 1911, the architect Svin'in erected the present day building next to the eastern wing of the Russian Museum. The collection of the museum numbers about half a million exhibits from different regions of the former U.S.S.R. Closed: on Monday and the last Friday of every ... Read more >>>
The State Hermitage Museum The State Hermitage Museum The Hermitage is one of the oldest and at the same time the largest museums in the world. If you are going to come to Saint-Petersburg, you should include a visit to the Hermitage into your plans. The museum collection is displayed in five historical buildings. About 3 million items, from prehistoric till modern times, are kept in the museum, and one can view them in more than 400 splendid ... Read more >>>
The State Russian Museum The State Russian Museum The Russian Museum has one of the largest collections of Russian art. There are more than 400000 paintings, sculptures, objects of applied and folk art in the museum. The Russian Museum was founded by Alexander III in 1895, and opened in 1898 in the Michael's Palace (arch. K. Rossi). The exhibition of the museum covers the period from ancient Russian art (Russian ancient icons) to the art of ... Read more >>>
The Yusupov Palace The Yusupov Palace The palace was built in 1780 in Classical style by the famous architect Vallin de la Mothe. Then the aristocratic Yusupov family used it for accommodation of their collection of paintings. The Yusupovs ranked among the richest dynasties of the country. From the beginning to the middle of the 19th century the work on the interior was completed; we can see that original interior now. The rich ... Read more >>>