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GENERAL SIGHTSEEING CITY TOUR
Vasilyevsky Island
During this tour you‘ll see the most interesting architectural
and historical sights and monuments.
- The Spit of Basil’s Island (architectural ensemble of the early
19th century, the former trade port of St. Petersburg), a beautiful view of St. Peter & St. Paul Fortress,
the Hermitage, the Admiralty.
- The Neva River embankments - University Embankment, Palace
Embankment, Admiralty Embankment, the bridges across the Neva.
- Isaac's Square - St. Isaac's Cathedral, Marinsky Palace, monument to
Nicholas I.
- Decembrists’ Square - the monument to Peter the Great.
- Palace Square - the Winter Palace - former residence of Russian
tsars, General Staff of Russian Army, Alexander Column- a monument to Russian victory over
Napoleon in the War of 1812.
- The Square of Arts.
- Nevsky Prospect- the main street of St. Petersburg and a shopping
center.
- The Field of Mars, the Summer Garden, the Marble Palace, Michael's
Castle, the Church of Our Savior on Spilled Blood.
- The cruiser Aurora (a revolutionary monument.)
- Smolny Convent and Smolny Institute (the headquarters of the 1917
October Revolution)
Optional Sights: 1) Theatre Square, St. Nicholas Cathedral. 2) Alexander Nevsky
Monastery
CATHEDRALS &
MONASTERIES:
SMOLNY CONVENT CATHEDRAL
The Smolny convent cathedral is the gem of Russian
architecture of the mid-XVIIIth century designed by Rastelli. Its name derives from the
"Smolny Dvor"or "Tar Yard", sited here in the XVIIIth century to
supply Peter the Great’s shipyards. Later empress Elisabeth founded a convent which
Catherine the Great converted into a boarding school for the daughters of the nobility
– the Smolny Institute for Noble Young Ladies. The convent, which had got the
official status in 1764, was abolished in 1997. In 1835 the architect Stasov in a more
restrained neoclassical fashion finished the building. The ground floor is now used for
temporary exhibitions and as a concert hall where concerts of ancient Russian and church
music are played.
(open 11.00 – 18.00, closed TUE)
Alexander Nevsky Monastery
The monastery was founded in 1713 by Peter the Great, on
the site where presumably battle of 13th century took place in which Prince
Alexander of Novgorod defeated the Swedes, that’s for he was nicknamed "Alexander
Nevsky" (the name " Nevsky" being derived from the River Neva). In 1797 the
monastery was elevated to the status of Lavra, the highest rank in Orthodox monasticism.
After the October Revolution of 1917 the monastery was closed and now it is a functioning
monastery again. The monastery complex comprises the Tikhvin and Lazarus cemeteries, the
Holy Trinity Cathedral and a Museum of Urban Sculpture. Many eminent figures of Russian
science and culture and representatives of the Russian aristocracy were buried in the
Lavra’s Necropolis of the XVIII-XX centuries.
(open 10.00-19.00, closed on THU)
CATHEDRAL OF THE ICON OF OUR LADY OF KAZAN
(KAZAN CATHEDRAL)
Kazan Cathedral is one of the grandest churches in the city. The Cathedral was
built to house the venerated icon, Our Lady of Kazan, and was named after it. The
Cathedral was constructed on the Order of the Russian Emperor Paul I, being modeled on St. Peter’s in the Vatican (arch. A.Voronikhin). It is a monument, commemorating the
Russian victory over France in the Russo-Napoleonic War of 1812-1814. The Cathedral became
the burial place of the Field-Marshal Kutuzov, who was at the head of the Russian Army
during the War, the character of Tolstoy’s novel "War and Peace". It was
also here that the numerous trophies were brought including keys of European cities surrendered to the Russian Army. During the Soviet period the cathedral housed the Museum of
History of Religions and Atheism. At the present time the museum’s display is
dedicated to the history of Orthodox Religion in Russia, the history of Western
Christianity and religious art. It possesses an enormous collection of cult objects and
paintings.
(open 11.00-17.00, SAT, SUN : 12.30-17.00, closed WED)
ST. NICKOLAS CATHEDRAL
The cathedral is a lovely example of the 18th
century Russian Baroque (arch. S. Chevakinsky), traditionally known as the
"Sailors’ Church" after the Naval officers that once prayed here. Its low,
vaulted interior is festooned with icons and – as other functioning cathedrals –
you might encounter a funeral in one part of the nave and the baptism in the other, occurring simultaniously. During services (6 p.m.), the cathedral resounds with sonorous
Orthodox Liturgy, chanted and sung amid clouds of insense. The first floor of the
cathedral is more festive and used for services only on great Orthodox Holidays.
Services: 7 a.m., 10 a.m., 6 p.m.
The Synagogue
St.Petersburg’s Synagogue stands discreetly just off the main thoroughfare,
its corkscrew-ribbed cupola poking above the rooftops on the corner of Lermontovski
prospect. Visitors are first taken to the gift shop to obtain a skullcap, and then into
the red-brick Small Synagogue (Malaya sinagoga), whose coffered prayer hall is used for
everyday worship; Torah and Hebrew lessons occur in the adjacent Yeshiva, which also
dispenses cheap meals to Jewish pensioners. Although the Great Synagogue (Bolshaya
sinagoga) is reserved for festivals, you can peer through the doors of its main hall,
decorated in yellow and white, with a mass of stucco squinches and stalactite mouldings; a
combination of local color and Moorish motifs that characterizes synagogues throughout
Eastern Europe. What makes Petersburg so different is that its Jewish community escaped
Nazi genocide, so the synagogue lacks the haunting emptiness of its counterparts in say,
Poland or Hungary. The Jewish community is currently estimated at between 6000 and 8000
people, but this says nothing about cultural affinities, many people being of mixed
parentage, or else totally non-observant.
St. Petersburg Mosque
The Mosque was constructed in 1914 (arch. Krichinsky, Gogen, Vasiliev) to serve the
city’s Muslim community at the behest of the Emir of Bukhara. The Mosque is stylized
in imitation of traditional Central Asian architecture. The cupola was copied from the
Gur-Emir Mausoleum in Samarkand. The majolica decoration of the exterior is very
impressive and the interior reflects the typical Muslim architectural tradition. Recently
it has been restored and now it is a functioning Mosque.
SUBURBS:
Tsarskoye Selo
(Pushkin)
Tsarskoye Selo is 24 km to the south from St.Petersburg
and is one of the finest examples of royal country residences. Tourists are able to see
the Catherine Palace built by the architect Rastrelli in baroque style more than
200 years ago and a beautiful park (1500 acres). Before the revolution Tsarskoye Selo was
a summer residence of Russian tsars. Breathtaking view of the so-called Golden Corridor
gives a vivid example of opulence and luxury of Russian 18th century court.
Two expositions outside the palace are available: "Russian
Costume of the 18-19th c." and "Imperial Carriages". We can also offer you a city tour of Tsarskoye Selo built up with
mansions and country houses of Russian nobility and a tour "The Last Tsar from the
Romanov Dynasty in Tsarskoye Selo". Tsarskoye Selo is also famous for the fact that great Russian poet
Alexander Pushkin studied at the Lyceum. The house where he stayed with his
newly-wed wife has been preserved and you can see it as well as the Lyceum.
(open - 10.00 - 17.00, 10.00 - 15.00 (before holidays); closed -
TUE, last MON)
Alexander Palace
Opened for
public to see rooms where the last Russian Tzar Nickolas II and his family lived.and where
from they were deported to Siberia after the October Revolution of 1917.
(open 10.00-16.30, closed TUE, last WED)
Pavlovsk
Pavlovsk is 30 km to the south from St.Petersburg. The
Grand Palace in Pavlovsk was built for Emperor Paul I and was used as his official
residence. The palace is reminiscent of an Italian villa in design. On the ground and first
floors you will be able to see private and state rooms of the royal family while on the
second floor there is an exposition "Russian Interior of the 19th century". The
palace contains a unique collection of antique sculptures, 18-19th century furniture,
bronze, clocks and porcelain. The luxurious park round the palace covering the area of 600
hectares with numerous pavilions can give you an idea of the early 19th century Landscape
Park. The Rose Pavilion is open after restoration, concerts of chamber and classical music
can be arranged there.
( open - 10.00 -17.00; closed - FRI, first MON)
Peterhof
(Petrodvorets)
Peterhof is situated 30 km. away from St. Petersburg and was founded by Peter the
Great on the southern coast of the Gulf of Finland in the early 18th c. The tour of
Peterhof includes the Grand Palace built by Rastrelli and the park with numerous
fountains and small palace pavilions. Recently Grottoes were open to public after the
restoration. The favorite palace of Peter I Monplaisir meaning "my
pleasure" is on a high artificial terrace right by the sea. In Monplaisir you
would see Peter’s books, his bedroom and favorite marinas. A small pavilion Hermitage is in the remote part of the park.
Hermitage was used for private receptions and dinners. Lovely Marly Palace with the
Golden Hill Cascade next to it was built for Catherine I, wife of Peter the Great.
In the gardens one can see Catherine Block where Catherine II
stayed alone while her husband Peter III lived in another palace. From this block on 10
July 1762 Catherine II galloped to St. Petersburg to proclaim herself the Empress. For over
200 years Peterhof was used for official ceremonies, lavish feasts and formal receptions.
(Grand Palace, Cottage, Hermitage, Marli - open 10.30 - 17.00,
closed - MON, last TUE; Monplaisir - open - 10.30 - 17.00, closed - WED, last THU;
Catherine Block- open – 10.30-16.00, closed THU, last FRI)
Gatchina
It is a town of Imperial palaces, pavilions and follies,
some 48-km southwest of St. Petersburg. Originally the palace was built for Grigory Orlov a favorite of Catherine the Great, later it became the residence of Crown Prince Paul.
Later Paul made Gatchina his Imperial residence, Nicholas I moved his headquarters during
seasonal war games to Gatchina, Alexander II transferred the Tsar Hunt from Peterhof to
the forests of Gatchina. Alexander III lived here a simple family life. Nickolas II stayed
here with his family and in those days one could enter the imperial town only with a
special passport. The Palace was destroyed by nazis, now it is being restored. In the
palace you can see the staterooms and beautiful collection of side- and fire- arms, as
well as the collection of oriental objects. Like in ancient castles you can go along the
underground passage to romantic gardens. The gardens with pavilions on the banks of the
lake turn this place into sentimental retreat from everyday life.
(open 10.00 - 17.00, closed MON, first TUE)
Oranienbaum
(Lomonosov)
Oranienbaum is situated on the southern coast of the Gulf of Finland some 40 km.
away from St.Petersburg. Oranienbaum was started as the residence of Menshikov who built
his summer palace there. Later on Elizabeth I gave the estate to Peter III and Catherine,
who built their own palaces. These palaces are unique in the vicinity of St.Petersburg, as
they are entirely original. Catherine’s bijou Chinese Palace , which she called her
dacha or "the Empress’s Solitude" was seldom visited after 1772, probably
about 50 times in 30 years. Peter’s palace is decorated with lacquered panels imitating the Chinese black lacquer and Rotari’s portraits. There is the switchback Pavilion built by Rinaldi to descend down the artificial slope on a specially designed
little cart on rails. The ride provoked a sensation of height and speed. The roller coaster
was demolished in the 19 century, but the pavilion remains. There one can see Meissen
porcelain groups, specially modeled for the Porcelain Study of the Pavilion.
(open 10.00-17.00, closed TUE, last MON)
THEATRES:
Alexandrinsky theatre
Alexandrinsky theatre is the oldest and most magnificent
of all the imperial theatres of St. Petersburg. Carlo Rossi, an outstanding master of
Russian Empire style was chosen as an architect and he did a marvelous job designing the
theatre convenient both for the actors and for the audience. Special apartments were built
for Nicholas I. He could get to a smaller Tsar’s box nearby the stage from outside,
seen by nobody, watch the rehearsal or the performance and then leave the theatre in same
manner. At the beginning ballet, opera, drama and vaudeville performances were staged at
the theatre. Currently Alexandrinsky theatre is considered a drama theatre but it stages
ballet, opera and musical comedy again. Large ballet seasons have been organized on this
stage for many years.
Mariinsky
(Kirov) Theatre
The history of Mariinsky (Kirov) theatre begins with the Grand theatre of St.
Petersburg built in 1783. Since the beginning of the 19th century the St.
Petersburg ballet group has been known as the finest example of Russian classical ballet
school. Mariinsky theatre’s stage has presented innumerable world-famous pieces of
Russian opera: several major works by Glinka, Borodin, Rimsky-Korsakov and Mussorgsky were
performed here for the first time. Tchaikovskiy’s ballets and operas were also staged
at the Mariinsky theatre. World-known dancers of our century, such as Galina Ulanova,
Rudolf Nureyev, Natalia Makarova and Mikhail Baryshnikov started their remarkable careers
in this theatre. Today the conductor Valery Gerbiev who directs the opera, the orchestra
and the ballet leads Mariinsky theatre.
Mussorgsky Opera and ballet theatre
The Mussorgsky Opera and Ballet theatre (the former Maly
Opera and Ballet Theatre) was built in the 1830s. Architecturally the building is
compatible with the style of the Square of Arts. During the second half of the 19th
century and at the beginning of this century the stage of Maly Opera House has seen
numerous great performances of French, Italian and German Operas staged by foreign
companies. After the October Revolution of 1917 foreign artists left Soviet Russia. A new
era began in March 1918 when Russian musical artists performed Rossini’s "Barber
of Seville". Since 1933 the theatre has maintained its own independent ballet group.
It was always known as the theatre that staged all new Soviet operas and ballets of
Shostakovich, Prokofiev and Stravinsky.
Great philharmonic hall
The Great Philharmonic hall is the traditional home of the St. Petersburg Philharmonic Society, which was established in 1802. Architect Rossi designed this
building. The Great Philharmonic Hall was a site of musical sessions for members of the Marinsky theatre orchestra who gathered there to play new music in their free time. The
Hall was known for its fantastic balls and masquerades where Russian celebrities of
literature and music mingled with public. Throughout the years the concert program of
Great Philharmonic Hall was never interrupted, neither during Russian Civil War nor during
the 900-day Nazi Siege of Leningrad in the World War II. On May 1st, 1942 the
Radio Orchestra played the Sixth symphony of Tchaikovsky in the Great Philharmonic Hall. On
August 9, 1942 the Seventh (Leningrad) Symphony of Shostakovich was conducted Eliasberg in
this hall. The magnificent tradition continues with today’s great concerts of
classical music in this hall. The world famous conductors and orchestras consider it an
honor to perform in the Great Philharmonic Hall in St. Petersburg.
Hermitage Theatre
The Hermitage Theatre is an outstanding architectural
monument of Russian Classical style of the 18th century. Quarenghi built the
Great it in 1775-1784 as a private theatre for Catherine the Great. The first play was
staged here in 1785, even before the decoration of the building was finally completed. The
theatre was renovated and reconstructed many times – in 1980s when the architects
found the remains of Peter the Great’s Winter Palace, where the founder of
St. Petersburg died in January 1725. Today during the season the old theatre tradition of
the imperial stage is brought to life again. Famous ballet soloists of the Marinsky,
Bolshoy and Maly Opera Theatres perform on the stage of Hermitage Theatre gather vast
audience of musical theatre fans.
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