The Sights of St. Petersburg

St. Petersburg is one of the world’s most beautiful cities, comparable only to Paris, London and Rome in terms of historic and cultural importance.

Its unique architectural ensemble includes the Peter and Paul Fortress, the building of the 12 Collegiums, the Smolny, Nikolsky and Kazan Cathedrals, St. Isaac’s cathedral, the Winter Palace, the Senate and the Synod. Renowned architects, including Trezzini, Rastrelli, Rossi, Quarenghi, Montferrand and Shtakenshneider, designed buildings for St. Petersburg. The city has grand monuments to Russia’s statesmen, including the famous Bronze Horseman, monuments to Catherine the Great and the renowned military leaders Mikhail Kutuzov, Barklai de Tolli and Alexander Suvorov.

Nevsky Prospekt is one of the most beautiful avenues in the world.

The State Hermitage with the Winter Palace is one of the biggest museums in the world and one of the most renowned art galleries. It was founded in 1764 to house Catherine the Great’s collection. The museum has over three million exhibits, including masterpieces by Leonardo da Vinci, Raphael, Rodin, Rembrandt, Rubens, and the French Impressionists; treasures from ancient Egypt; Greek and Roman sculptures, etc.

The State Russian Museum hosts the world’s largest collection of Russian fine art. It has over 400,000 exhibits, representing all the main genres and schools of Russian fine art from the 10th to the 20th centuries. The museum is housed in four buildings in the historical center of St. Petersburg: the Stroganov and Marble Palaces, the Mikhailovsky (Engineer) Castle and the Mikhailovsky Palace. The latter is the main museum building and was partially designed by L.N. Benua.

The State Museum of the History of St. Petersburg is one of Russia’s largest historical museums and is devoted to the city’s history. Its collection includes over one million exhibits. Its branches are the Peter and Paul Fortress, the Rumyantsev Mansion, the Alexander Blok Apartment Museum, the S.M. Kirov Museum, the Newspaper Museum, M.V. Matyushin House, the monument to Leningrad’s heroic defenders and the Oreshek Fortress in Shlisselburg.

St. Isaac’s Cathedral is one of the most beautiful cathedrals in the world. It is worth visiting not only for its architecture and the techniques used in its construction, but also to see its 150 paintings, 62 mosaics and sculptures by Russian and Italian masters.

The Church of the Resurrection of Jesus Christ is a historical monument to the tragic events of March 1, 1881 and is the only monument to Tsar Alexander II left in St. Petersburg. Its grandeur and ornate decoration are striking. Its five domes are covered in jeweler’s enamel, and the bell tower is decorated with mosaics depicting emblems of cities and provinces of the Russian Empire.

The Smolny Resurrection Cathedral, which was designed by architect Rastrelli, is very impressive.

One of St. Petersburg’s oldest architectural ensembles, the monastery complex Alexander Nevsky Laura, was founded in 1710 on the bank of the Neva where, according to the legend, the decisive battle against the Swedes was fought. Now it is a working monastery of the St. Petersburg eparchy.

The Cathedral Mosque, located in the Petrograd district, is one of the largest in Europe and on important religious holidays up to 5,000 believers gather there to say their prayers. It is also a large religious and cultural center.

The Mariinsky Theater is a symbol of Russian culture. It was named after Alexander II’s wife and opened on October 2, 1860 with a performance of Mikhail Glinka’s opera “Life for the Tzar.” Among the great actors to have performed on its stage were Yelizaveta Lavrovskaya, Fyodor Chaliapin, Matilda Kshesinskaya, Anna Pavlova, Tamara Karsavina, Vaclav Nezhinsky, Mikhail Fokin and Galina Ulanova. Its present art director is one of the world’s best conductors, Valery Gergiyev.

The Aurora cruiser, the Smolny Institute and the Field of Mars all have stories to tell about the three Russian revolutions.

St. Petersburg also treasures its palaces. Peterhof, Tsarskoye Selo, Pavlovsk and Lomonosov used to be grand summer residences of Russian tzars.