Virtual City Tour St. Petersburg

Many guests of Russia, coming herefrom all over the world, dream to visit its cultural capital –

St. Petersburg. Of course,their acquaintance of the city starts with the city tour St. Petersburg. It

gives the first impression and general idea of the city’s scale and location of the most important

sites, which you will probably want to explore better. Kremlin Tour St. Petersburg will be happy

to give you the overview of the highlights.

General information:

St. Petersburg is located in the North-West of Russia; it’s nicknamed “the Window to Europe”.

The city was founded by Tsar Peter the Great in 1703 and bears the name of his holy patron – St.

Apostle Peter. The city was renamed several times: 1914 – Petrograd, 1924 – Leningrad, 1991 –

back to St. Petersburg. The population of St. Petersburg today is more than 5 million people

which equals to population of its northern neighbor – Finland.

Nevsky prospect:

The main street of St. Petersburg – Nevsky–has beautiful edifices and shopping centres, striking

cathedrals and churches. It stretches for about 4,6 km and connects the two city’s highlights - the

Admiralty and St. Alexander NevskyLavra.

St. Isaac’s Square:

St. Isaac’s Square is one of the most perfect squares of St.Petersburg completed in the 19th

century. It got its name after St.Isaac’s Cathedral the fourth tallest one-dome cathedral in the

world. The golden shining cupola of St. Isaac’s can be seen from different angles, it serves as a

wonderful landmark to find yourself in our big city. The Monument to Nicholas I, grandson of

Catherine the Great, stands in front of MariinskyPalace, today it accommodatesLegislative

Committee of the city. Don’t miss Astoria hotel even Hitler planned to stay there, but fortunately

for us - Leningrad never gave in and Hitler’s dream never came true.

Theatre Square:

FamousMariinsky Theatre, in Soviet times known as Kirov Ballet, will impress you with its 19th

century architecture. Opposite Mariinsky you will see the building of the Conservatory of Music

– the first school for professional training of Russian composers and musicians. Among its first

students was Pyotr Tchaikovsky. Attractive domes of St. Nicholas’s Naval cathedral will catch

your eye and it will be curious to learn about two-storied churches in Russia on its example.

The Bronze Horseman:

The Bronze Horseman – the most famous equestrian monument to Peter the Great is in the

Senate Square. It is the highlight you should definitely see on your city tour St. Petersburg. The

nickname “Bronze Horseman” was given to it by Alexander Pushkin, who created a poem with

this title. Over several centuries, the Monument to Peter the Great witnessed a lot: the success of

Catherine the Great, the Decembrist’s uprising against her grandson Nicholas I and finally it

managed to survive the Blockade of Leningrad during the World War II staying on the same

spot.

The Highlights of Basil’s Island:

The Egyptian Sphinxes will be definitely a surprise for you in European St. Petersburg,

they adorn embankment in front of the Academy of Fine Arts.

St. Petersburg State University housed in the building of Peter the Great’s time called

the Twelve Collegia (the Roman word for the association on basis of law).

The Monument to Mikhail Lomonosov, the first Russian scientist, the founder of

St.Petersburg Academy of Science and Moscow State University.

Kunstkamera, or Chamber of Curiosities – the first museum of our country with

valuable anthropological and ethnographic collection founded by Peter the Great.

Spit of Basil’s Island :

Spit of Basil’s Island is the 19th

century commercial port with beautiful red rostral columns –

former light-houses. Thereopens a wonderful view on the State Hermitage and ensemble of Peter

and Paul’s fortress fromthisspot.

St. Peter and Paul’s fortress:

St. Peter and Paul’s fortress is the birthplace of St. Petersburg, named in honour of the two

apostles. The golden steeple crowned with the angel belongs to the cathedral where all the

important Romanovs are buried: from Peter the Great to Nicholas II.

The Summer Garden :

The Summer Garden is the First public garden of Russia and the oldest one in St. Petersburg. It’s

located on the island and attracts the visitors by the revived fountains and statues.

St. Mikhail’s Castle:

The only palace with medieval spirit in St. Petersburg, was commissioned by the emperor Paul I,

whose life tragically ended in this castle. Later on it was used for the college of Military

Engineers – here comes the second name: Engineers’ Castle.

Our Saviour on the Spilled Blood Сathedral:

Spilled Blood Church became one of the symbols of St. Petersburg. It was created in pseudo-

Russian style in memory of the Emperor Alexander II, tsar Liberator. There happened the

terrorist bomb explosion in 1881 on the embankment of Catherine’s (nowadays Griboyedov)

canal and the Church on the Spilled Blood marks the place where the Tsar was actually mortally

wounded. This Churchis one of the biggest mosaic centres in the world!

The Square of Arts:

One of the beautiful 19th

century ensembles of St. Petersburg with the State Russian museum,

Mikhailovsky theatre, Grand Hotel Europe, monument to Alexander Pushkin, Grand

Philharmonic Hall and the Ethnographic Museum.

The Palace Square:

The main square of St. Petersburg with the Winter Palace on one side and General Staff of the

Army building on the other. In the middle of it you will see Alexander’s Column, which

celebrates Russian victory over Napoleon in the Patriotic War of 1812.

The Palace Square witnessed tsars and revolutionists, Victory Day parades and concerts and it is

waiting for you! Here Sir Paul McCartney sang “Back in USSR”, Pink Floyd and Madonna

followed. And hospitable petersburgers are welcoming you to our beloved city, St. Petersburg,

Russia.

Kremlin Tour

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