St Petersburg
Home of Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov for the last 15 years of his life (1893–1908), this is where he composed 11 of his 15 operas, including the Fairy Tale of…
Must-see attractions in St Petersburg
St Petersburg
Surrounded on two sides by canals, this ice-blue cathedral is one of the most picture-perfect in the city, beloved by locals for its baroque spires and…
St Petersburg
This branch of the Russian Museum features temporary exhibitions of contemporary art and a permanent display from Cologne's Ludwig Museum that includes…
Museum of the Arctic & Antarctic
St Petersburg
This museum is devoted to polar expeditions, wildlife, cultures and history. The enormous collection includes scientific equipment, maps, taxidermy,…
Around St Petersburg
The home of Ilya Repin in his later years is now a museum and park, and it's a pleasant day trip any time of year. You can also visit the nearby beach and…
St Petersburg
The main burial place for the victims of the Nazi blockade in WWII is a stark and poignant memorial to the tragedy. Some half a million people were laid…
St Petersburg
The Krasin, built in 1917, has a history almost as volatile as the 20th century itself. The Arctic icebreaker was decommissioned in 1971, and can now be…
St Petersburg
Created by Carlo Rossi in the 1820s and 1830s, this square is named for Alexander Ostrovsky (1823–86), a celebrated 19th-century playwright. An enormous…
Around St Petersburg
This early-19th-century wooden house was the composer’s childhood home until the age of 12. It became a museum in 1944, the centenary of Rimsky-Korsakov’s…
St Petersburg
Named after the great scientist Mikhail Lomonosov, this small square forms the southwestern end of the Carlo Rossi–designed ensemble and is the best spot…
Museum of Soviet Arcade Machines
St Petersburg
Giving new meaning to 'back in the USSR', this 'museum' is sure to be one of the most entertaining ones you will visit in St Petersburg. Admission…
St Petersburg
Excavations beneath the Hermitage Theatre in the late 1970s revealed remains of the principal residence of Peter the Great, including a large fragment of…
St Petersburg
Lenin’s wife’s family lived in this apartment-turned-museum and VIadimir Ilyich himself laid low here before the revolution while organising the workers…
St Petersburg
Evocative use of the original cells for displays about the former political prisoners of Trubetskoy Bastion – who included the likes of Maxim Gorky, Leon…
St Petersburg
Rebuilt in the 1970s in rectilinear Soviet style, the Finland Station (Finlyandsky vokzal) endures as a place of historical significance, where Lenin…
Cathedral of the Transfiguration of Our Saviour
St Petersburg
The interior of this marvellous 1743 cathedral, which has been beautifully restored and repainted both outside and in, is one of the most gilded in the…
St Petersburg
This excellent museum displays the traditional crafts, customs and beliefs of more than 150 cultures that make up Russia’s fragile ethnic mosaic. It’s a…
Around St Petersburg
You'll have to pay to enter the serene Pavlovsk Great Park just to access the palace, so it’s worth exploring while you're here. Filled with rivers and…
St Petersburg
One of the city’s loveliest baroque exteriors, the salmon-pink Stroganov Palace was designed by court favourite Bartolomeo Rastrelli in 1753 for one of…
St Petersburg
This grand old Petersburg residence was the home to court poet Gabriel Derzhavin (1743–1816), one of Russia's greatest early writers, who recognised the…
Around St Petersburg
Kronshtadt’s key sight is the unusual and beautiful Naval Cathedral. Built between 1903 and 1913 to honour Russian naval muscle, this neo-Byzantine wonder…
St Petersburg
Moored on the Bolshaya Nevka, the Aurora had a walk-on part in the communist revolution. On the night of 25 October 1917, its crew fired a blank round…
Around St Petersburg
This Rinaldi-designed building, created for the young Peter III, is the only remaining part of Peterstadt. It's a boxy miniature palace with rich,…
St Petersburg
The biggest of the three northern islands, Krestovsky consists mostly of the vast Maritime Victory Park, dotted with sports fields; at the far western end…
St Petersburg
This now legendary locale is a former apartment block – affectionately called by its street address despite the fact that the public entrance is actually…
Museum of the History of Political Police
St Petersburg
In the very same building that housed the tsarist and the Bolshevik secret police offices, this small museum recounts the history of this controversial…
St Petersburg
The former headquarters of the Singer sewing machine company, which opened a factory in the Russian capital in 1904, is one of St Petersburg’s most…
St Petersburg
This leafy park, laid out in 1845, wraps in an arc around the Kronwerk moat and Artillery Museum. It's too close to traffic to ensure a peaceful escape…
St Petersburg
Tucked in a recess between Bolshaya and Malaya Konyushennaya uls is this lovely church, in the Romantic-Gothic style, built for St Petersburg’s thriving…
St Petersburg
This stunning 1895 neo-Byzantine church was built by architect Vasily Kosyakov on the site of a former monastery. It was closed during the Soviet period,…
St Petersburg State Museum of Theatre & Music
St Petersburg
This museum is a treasure-trove of items relating to the Russian theatre including model sets, posters and costumes. You'll have to buy separate tickets…
St Petersburg
This beautiful working mosque (built 1910–14) was modelled on Samarkand’s Gur-e Amir Mausoleum. Its fluted azure dome and minarets are stunning and…
St Petersburg
Alexander Pushkin, Russia’s national poet, had his last home here on one of the prettiest curves of the Moyka River. He only lived here four months, and…
Museum of the History of Religion
St Petersburg
Back in the day, this was called the Museum of Atheism; it had a very strong anti-religious bent and was housed in the Kazan Cathedral. Now the name has…
St Petersburg
Housed in the fort’s original arsenal, across the moat from the Peter & Paul Fortress, this fire-powered museum chronicles Russia’s military history, with…
St Petersburg
For an idealised view of what parts of St Petersburg looked like back in the early 18th century, this interactive model village is a small revelation. The…
State Museum of Urban Sculpture
St Petersburg
Despite the name, this two-storey gallery typically has more than just sculpture on display at its changing exhibitions. You may find paintings, video art…
Around St Petersburg
Spared Nazi occupation and, after WWII, ruined by Soviet neglect, Oranienbaum and the surrounding town were renamed after the scientist-poet Mikhail…
Around St Petersburg
Along the shore to the west, the 1725 Hermitage is a two-storey yellow-and-white box featuring the ultimate in private dining: special elevators hoist a…
St Petersburg
West of Sennaya pl along Sadovaya ul you’ll find the charming Yusupov Gardens, a pleasant park with a big lake in the middle. The flower-filled grounds…
