Карта маршрута и описание достопримечательностей пешеходной экскурсии по городу Санкт-Петербург (на английском языке)

Карта маршрута и описание достопримечательностей пешеходной экскурсии по городу Санкт-Петербург (на английском языке)

YOUR INVITATION...

Welcome to St. Petersburg!

One would be hard-pressed to name another city in the world which could be described in such human-like terms. Fiercely independent, (he city has served as the cradle of both uprising and revolution. Countless treasures of art, both inside and outside of the museums, and in all manners of expression, testify to its creative spirit.

On the other hand, St. Petersburg has known anguish. Indeed, no city in the world has suffered in the manner experienced by the city during the 900-day siege by the Nazis during World War ft.

Even the geography of St. Petersburg manifests a certain human flavor to it. Like some great circulatory system, the various canals and channels flowing through the city environs carry the lifeblood from the city"s spiritual heart, the Neva River.

A fair appreciation of the city would require far more time than is afforded most of St. Petersburg's visitors. Regardless of the length of your stay, however, there are certain essential points of interest that should not be missed. We invite you to discover for yourself some of these outstanding features. We've tried to design this self-guided tour so that you'll succeed in visiting many of the outstanding highlights of St. Petersburg within one afternoon. A second optional tour offers you the opportunity to experience even more, You'll capture & feel for the city impossible to match within the constraints of ordinary tours. And perhaps, your experience will help make it easier for you to appreciate the almost spiritual nature of the relationship which exists between the city and its residents.

BACKGROUND HISTORY OF ST. PETERSBURG

During the 17th and 18th centuries, Russia and Sweden were engaged in a series of struggles to gain power over areas inhabited by Finnish and Slavic nationalities from early times. The land upon which the city of St. Petersburg now sits fell to forces under Peter the Great during the Northern War (1700-21), which settled the issue once and tor all. The city dates from May 27, 1703. On that day, Peter the Great ordered the construction of what is now known as the Peter and Paul Fortress near the mouth of the Neva River to protect the newly won region. The city takes its name from its patron, St. Peter, and not from the famous czar.

In 1712 Peter the Great decided to move the capital here from Moscow to facilitate contact with Europe. Hundreds of thousands of peasants, soldiers, and craftsmen were brought here to transform the uninhabited, marshy area to Peter's capital. To speed up construction the czar issued a special decree forbidding stone work anywhere else in the country for several years. He assessed a kind of tax; every barge that went down the Neva and every cart that entered St. Petersburg had to bring a certain number of building stones. Workers used these to lay the foundations of houses and to pave streets. Later, special brick factories were built.

The czar himself supervised the construction. A special office was built where architectural plans were drawn up. Over the years St. Petersburg has retained the harmony which characterizes its layout through adherence to such planning. From this initial activity, a remarkable variety of architectural ensembles, churches, and memorials arose in what is today considered the historic section of St. Petersburg.

Walking tour № 1. The excursion beginning – M. Gorkovskaya

5.The Mosque of the Congregation of Moslems

Arch. N. Vasiliev, S. Krichinskiy, A. Gogen (1909-1920), Kronverkskiy prospekt, 7.

The Saint Petersburg Mosque when opened in 1913, was the largest mosque in Europe, its minarets attaining 49 meters in height and the impressive dome rising 39 meters high. The mosque is situated in downtown St Petersburg, so its azure dome is perfectly visible from the Trinity Bridge across the Neva. It can accommodate up to five thousand worshippers.

The founding stone was laid in 1910 to commemorate the 25th anniversary of the reign of Abdul Ahat Khan in Bukhara. By that time, the Muslim community of the Russian capital exceeded 8,000 people. The projected structure was capable of accommodating most of them. The architect Nikolay Vasiliev patterned the mosque after Gur-e Amir, the tomb of Tamerlane in Samarkand. Its construction was completed by 1921.

Worshippers are separated by gender during a worship service; females worship on the first floor, while the males worship on the ground floor. The Mosque was closed to worshippers from 1940 to 1956.

History

In 1882, Selim-Girei Tevkelev who in 1865 was appointed the Mufti of Orenburg turned to and obtained agreement from minister Count Tolstoy with the requirement for a mosque in St. Petersburg. In 1906, the Minister formed a special committee headed by Ahun Ataulla Bayazitov to collect 750 000 rubles within 10 years for the construction of the mosque. They organised collections in towns and providences of Russia and received donations from rich sponsors. In addition the committee input securities in total amount of 142, 000 rubles and also stamps for mosque's project. The biggest donor was Said Abdoul Ahad, Emir of Bochara who undertook all expenses for the building.

The location of the mosque was symbolic, sited opposite the Peter and Paul's Fortress, in the city centre. The permission to purchase the site was given by Emperor Nicholas II in Peterhof on 3 July 1907. That autumn, the committee approved the project by architect Nikolay Vasiliev, the engineer Stepan Krichinskiy, and construction was overseen by academic Alexander von Gogen. The building facade was made by combining both oriental ornaments and turquoise blue mosaic.

On 3 February 1910, the brick laying ceremony was performed by Ahun Bayazitov, attended by government, religious and social figures. Among those who attended was Amir Buharskiy, Harusin, Novikov, the ambassadors of Turkey and Persia, Sultanov the Orenburg's Muftiy, and Tevkelev, the leader of the Muslims party in the Duma.

The walls were made with grey granite and the dome and both minarets (tower) are covered with mosaic ceramics of sky-light-blue colour. Skilled craftsmen from Central Asia took part working on the mosque. The facades are decorated with sayings from Koran using the characteristic Arabian calligraphy. Internal columns are made from green marble. woman pray in on the first floor, above the western part of the hall. The mosque was covered by huge special made carpets woven by the Central Asian craftsmen.

The St. Petersburg Mosque was closed and was made into a warehouse during the Second World War. At the request of the first Indonesian President, Soekarno (whilst visiting the city), the mosque was returned to the Muslim community of the city in 1956, ten days after his visit. A major restoration of a mosque was made in 1980.

6. The Museum of the Political History of Russia (The Mansion of M. Kshesinskaya ballet dancer)-Ulitsa Kuybysheva, 2/4.

How did the appearance of politicians vary in the period from the Imperial Russia till our days? How did social crises and dominating ideology influence clothes of ordinary citizens in the XXth century? What did the first ladies of the country wear? These questions are in the focus of attention of the exhibition «Politics and Fashion».

Fashion as a «range of habits and the tastes dominating in a certain social environment during a certain period of time» reflects brightly and picturesquely different epochs. At all times clothes had a distinct indicative content, showed involvement in various social groups, and sometimes underlined political predilections.

This exhibition shows how, during the Soviet period, fashion which was considered a phenomenon of the bourgeois West, overcame a number of barriers to take a legal place in the life of our society. At the exhibition you can see how the appearance of the population depended on political, social and economic conditions. Certain clothes could tell about observance of social behavior rules or cases of deviation.

The Exhibition consists of 7 sections

Section I. Appearance of the population in the Imperial Russia in the early XXth century.

Section II. The Revolution of 1917 and the Civil War. Attributes of revolutionary fashion.

Section III. Fashion of the NEP period and struggle against it. Searches for the ”Soviet style» in clothes (the 1920s).

Section IV. Influence of the first five-year plans epoch on the Soviet people’s appearance. “Prosperity” course in the mid-1930s. Formation of the Soviet elite’s fashion and its influence on people’s tastes.

Section V. Difficulties of a post-war life. Passion for the western fashion and struggle against «servilities to the West» in the late 1940s – early 1950s.

Section VI. Formation of the consumer society in the 1950 – 1980s and its adaptation to the Soviet conditions. Deficiency and fashion. Arrival of the world fashion in Russia.

Section VII. «The Party fashion».

2. The Grand Ducal Burial Vault (Peter and Paul Fortress)

Arch. D.Grimm (1896-1908).

1. St. Apostles Peter and Paul Cathedral (Peter and Paul Fortress) Arch. D.Trezini (1712-1733)

4.The State Museum of the History of St. Petersburg (Peter and Paul

Fortress)

3. The Boat House (Botnyy Domik) (Peter and Paul Fortress)

Arch. A.Vist(1762-1765), Zayachiy Ostrov

On May 27, 1703 the Sankt-Petersburg fortress was founded on Zayatchy (Hare) island. The island is only 600 meters long and 350 meters wide. However, the fortress was constructed in the strategically important place of the Neva River’s estuary. At first, the fortress was called Sankt-Petersburg (Saint-Petersburg) - the city of Holy Peter. Later, the Saints’ Peter and Paul Cathedral was built on the territory of the island and the name was changed to the Petropavlovskaya (Peter and Paul) Fortress.

The Peter and Paul Fortress was supposed to be the Russia’s key to the European maritime communications - Russian outlet to the Baltic Sea, by Peter the Great. The enterprising emperor designed the plan of its construction himself. The fortress has an elongated form from East to West and the walls repeat the island’s outline. Pentagonal bastions at the corners of the fortress constructed under the supervision of Peter the Great and his close associates got their names - His Majesty’s, Menshikov,, Zotov,, Trubetskoy,, Golovkin, and Naryishkin,. The bastions are connected with the others by six curtains - Peter’s, Catherine’s, Neva’s, Basil’s, Nicholas and Kronverk. A canal was dug through the island to supply the garrison of the Saint-Petersburg fortress with ammunition, hardware and fresh water that was later covered with earth in 1882. The walls of the fortress were mainly made of earth and wooden planks in 1703. Their replacement with solid masonry constructions started in May 1706 and lasted till 1740. The Swiss architect Domenico Tresini designed bastions and curtains of the fortress to 12 meters high and to 20 wide. These military fortifications consist of two parallel walls. The external walls are from 4 to 8 meters thick, while the internal ones are to 2,5 meters. Casemates for soldiers and storage of ammunition were arranged between two walls. The fortress has six gates and the main is the Petrine Gate designed by Domenico Tresini. The gate was rebuilt in stone to the design of the same architect in 1718. The Petrine gate imitates a triumphal gate of the Russian victories over Sweden. The construction of ravelins - additional fortification structures, designed to protect Eastern and Western gates of the Peter and Paul fortress, started in 1731. The Eastern Ioanovsky ravelin is called in honour of Peter I’s brother - Ivan, while the Western Alekseevsky ravelin - after his father Aleksey Mikhailovitch.

Domenico Tresini presided the construction of the Peter and Paul Cathedral in 1712-1733. At first the 122,5 meters belfry was constructed to symbolize the Russian steadfast position on the banks of the Neva River and the Baltic Sea. It was the highest structure on the territory of Saint-Petersburg from 1718 to 1963, when the present 316-meters TV-tower was built. The bell tower ends with a 32-meters high golden spire, a turning cross with the figure of an angel. A Dutch chiming clock bought by the order of Peter the Great was placed on the top. The Peter and Paul Cathedral has an elongated rectangular form with a high belfry on the western side instead of a high central cupola in the Old Russian architecture. Inside the cathedral is divided into three naves by two rows of pylons that support groined vaults. Murals and sculptures depicting angels, chirrups and instruments of Christ’s torture decorate the vaults. One of the most precious exhibits of the Peter and Paul cathedral is an 18th-century iconostasis. It was made of oak and linden by a group of skilled craftsmen headed by Ivan Zaroudny in Moscow in 1722-1725. Then it was transported to Saint-Petersburg and was placed inside the cathedral in 1727. The iconostasis was designed in the form of a triumphal arch, symbolizing the Russian victory in the Northern war over Sweden. The tsar’s place, the pulpit and copies of Turkish and Swedish military banners impart a solemnity to the decoration of the Peter and Paul Cathedral. In 1756, a thunderbolt struck the high spire, the belfry with the figure of the angel burnt to the ground, and the inside of the cathedral was badly damaged as well. Only twenty years later the bell tower was completely rebuilt. The badly weathered frameworks of the belfry were replaced with the exact copies made of steel to the design of civil engineer Zuravsky in 1858. Then the height of the bell tower was increased to 122.5 meters due to the computation error. The Peter and Paul Cathedral was a burial place of all Russian tsars. All Russian emperors from Peter I to Nicholas II, except Peter II and Ivan IV, all Russian empresses and many Grand Dukes were buried there. The Grand Ducal Burial Vault, designed by Grimm, Tomishko and Benua, was constructed near the Eastern side of the Peter and Paul cathedral in 1896-1906. Thirteen members of the Romanovs’ family were buried there before the Bolshevik October Revolution in 1917.

A number of subsidiary buildings were constructed on the territory of the Peter and Paul fortress: ordnance depot, commandant’s house, mint, guardhouse, engineers’ house, jail of the Trubetskoy bastion. Today many buildings accommodate exhibitions about the foundation, construction and history of Saint-Petersburg. An excursion route called the Neva’s gala panorama was arranged on the bastions and curtains of the fortress that overlook the Neva River.

8. Zoological Park (It was established in 1865), Alexandrovskiy Park, 1.

ZOOLOGICAL PARK (until 1952, the Zoological Garden), a cultural, educational and scientific institution, where wild and certain domestic animals are kept, demonstrated and studied. It is situated on Petrogradskaya Side, on the former location of the Alexandrovsky Garden. Its area is about 7.4 ha. The collection of animals consists of approximately 2,000 examples of 408 species (80 are are considered to be internationally endangered species while 42 are endangered in Russia, 15 are protected in the territory of Leningrad Region). The Zoological Park was opened on 1 August 1865; its first owners were Sofia Gebgardt and her husband Julius Gebgardt (died in 1871). After her husband's death S. Gebgardt married E.A. Rost (1842-1908, who owned the Zoological Garden from 1873. Under Rost the Zoological Garden was supplied with the very latest equipment, and the collection grew to 200 species and 1,200 animals, birds and reptiles. A sewage system and electrical lighting was arranged, a theatre was built for 500 seats. The Zoological Garden had its own brass band and later on a symphony orchestra; the Zoology restaurant was also located at the park. In 1897, Rost departed to Germany and the Zoological Garden had gradually declined. After 1910, the Zoological Garden was practically re-created again under a new lessee, actor and entrepreneur S.N. Novikov (1850-1922): a number of pavilions were built for animals; city-residents could again see lions, hippopotamuses, rhinoceros, elephants and other exotic animals. Three theatres ran in the Zoological Garden, the open air theatre, the restaurant theatre, the shooting gallery and the carrousel. Performing animals acted there, children could ride on ponies or donkeys. A big wooden theatre was predominantly used for performing operettas. In 1918, the Zoological Garden was nationalised, zoologist N.P. Tanasiychuk (1890-1960) was appointed its manager, the general direction was performed by the Scientific Council (abolished in 1924), which included the most eminent zoologists. From 1929, the Young Zoologists Society has been working in the Garden. For the 75th anniversary of the Garden in 1940, 171 ha in the region of the Udelny Park were given to the Zoological Garden; however, military operations rendered the plans for constructing a new zoological garden impossible. During the Siege of 1941-44, workers of the Zoological Garden continued working in difficult circumstances (in memory of their exploits the old name of Leningrad Zoological Garden has been retained). The Zoological Garden was opened to visitors in the summer months, and from 1944 it has been working throughout the year (the animal theatre never ceased working). In 1952, the Zoological Garden was given part of еру garden of the State People's House, and its territory increased by more then 2.5 times. In the 1950s-60s, many interesting animals were brought to the park where acclimatisation experiments were conducted. The collection and the level of scientific and educational work carried out in the Zoological Garden was the best in the country.

4. (5.)Kronverk (The Museum of Artillery, Engineers and signal corps) Arch. P.Tamanskiy (1849-1860), Alexandrovskiy Park, 7

(Military-Historical Museum of Artillery, Engineering and Communications Forces)

Displaying an enormous collection of arms and heavy artillery from the Middle Ages to the present day, this museum is located just across a narrow canal from the Peter and Paul Fortress. The museum is a great place to visit with your kids, who will love the open-air exhibition of artillery and missile launchers in the museum's courtyard. Inside the museum displays a rather old-fashioned collection of military memorabilia, temporary exhibitions, a nice little shop stocked with models of weapons and miniature soldiers and a cafe.

1. Baltiyskiy Dom Theatre. Alexandrovskiy Park, 4

The excursion termination № 1 – M. Gorkovskaya

Walking tour № 2. The excursion beginning – M. Vasileostrovskaya

THE SPIT OF VASILYEVSKY ISLAND

Over the years the Neva River has enriched St. Petersburg's heritage both through its purely practical function as an artery for trade and also as a theme incorporated into outstanding Russian literature. From its source, Lake Ladoga, the Neva flows west seventy-four kilometers to the Gulf of Finland. The city of St. Petersburg has grown up on and around the more than forty islands which form the Neva's delta. You are currently standing on the eastern tip of one of them, Vasilyevsky (St. Basil's) Island. At one time this was the focus of Peter the Great's detailed development scheme for his capital. Since no bridges spanned the Neva in those early days, however, the transportation of construction materials here proved difficult and foiled the plan. Eventually the center of the city was constructed on the side of the Neva where Nevsky Avenue (Prospect) runs.

The spit of land upon which you are now located was formed from stone and sand fill material extending 122 meters (400 ft.) eastward into the Neva from, Vasilyevsky Island. All of the buildings in this area were constructed between 1805-32 to serve the needs of the growing port. In the center of what is now known as the Exchange (Birzhevaya) Square stands the former stock exchange. It currently houses the Central Naval Museum. The architect Jean Thomas de Thomon designed the structure; it was constructed in 1810. On each side of the stock exchange stands a building created by the architect Giovanni Luchini. The port utilized both of them originally as warehouses. Today the structure on the left houses the Zoology Museum. The Soil Science Museum occupies the one to the right.

Flanking the spit, two "rostral columns" rise 32 meters (105 ft.) into the sky. The term conies from the Latin "rostra" meaning "beak." In ancient times the Romans traditionally decorated triumphal columns with the figure headed prows of defeated ships. In the 19th Century, these columns served as lighthouses for vessels arriving from Lake Ladoga. Now they are used during national festivals. A tire is lit on the top which people can see from all over the river area. At the base of both columns rest sculpted figures which serve as the symbols of four of Russia's greatest rivers. Viewed from this location, from left to the right, these include the Neva, the Volkhov, the. Volga, and the Dnieper.

St. Peterburg's prominence as a seaport elates from November of 1703, with the arrival of the first trading ship from Holland. Eager So promote his fledgling port and gain for it further acceptance by the Europeans, Peter the Great rewarded the crew of this first ship with a cash bonus. He promised additional sums for succeeding visitors.

Eventually St. Petersburg became Russia's most important seaport; the immediate area around the spit became one of the busiest places in the city. One could hear the voices and shouts of numerous foreign languages. Here, before the construction of the elaborate buildings which now front onto the spit, Russian and foreign merchants came So negotiate their deals. Inhabitants of the capital frequently gathered to note the comings and goings of trading vessels from all parts of the world.

16. The Cathedral of Apostle St. Andrew the First Called Arch.

A. Vist (1764-1780), Vasilievskiy Ostrov, 6-ya liniya, 11

UNIVERSITY EMBANKMENT

Walk down the street which runs along the Senate-Synod ensemble towards the Neva River and cross over to the embankment at the stoplight. Try to find a vantage point which offers you an unobstructed view of the opposite bank, for there are a number of remarkable sites to look at.

Immediately opposite the Senate-Synod ensemble, for instance, lies the Menshikovsky Palace. Alexander Menshikov, a favorite of Peter, built his palace on this site upon being granted ownership of all of Vasilyevsky Island in 1707. Although it now appears rather plain-looking, in the days of Peter the Great, it was one of the most luxurious buildings in all of the city. The czar, who hated official meetings, often arranged for them to be held here.

To the left of Menshikovsky Palace, an extensive stand of trees marks the location of an obelisk, hidden from view, which commemorates a Russian victory over the Turks in a war fought between 1768-74. To the left of this, at the foot of one of the bridges which span the Neva, stands the Academy of Arts. Originally founded in 1757, it has played a crucial role in the training of Russian painters, sculptors, and architects. In our day, it houses not only an art school, but also one of the nation's oldest art museums.

Directly in front of the academy there are steps leading from street-level down to the Neva. Flanking them lie two sphinxes purchased by Russia in the 19th Century. Discovered in 1820, they probably, date from the 15th Century B. C. Archaeologists believe that the features of Pharoah Amenhotep III are carved on their faces. The Russian writer Andrei Muravyov saw the statues while traveling through Egypt. Much impressed, he lobbied for their purchase by his government. Czar Nicholas I granted his permission and a special ship brought the treasures to St. Petersburg in 1832.

Now look up the Neva in the other direction until you catch sight of one of the orange-colored rostral columns you visited earlier. To the left of it stands the former Kunstkammer, a blue and white building crowned with an eight-sided turret and high dome. Here the private collections of Peter the Great were housed and exhibited. This assembly included rare books, valuable minerals, exotic plants and animals, as well as preserved specimens of anatomical variation — some quite hideous. A number of these can still be seen in the Chamber of Curiosities located inside this building in the Museum of Ethnography. Later, the St. Petersburg Academy of Sciences used the site.

After the Academy outgrew the facilities of the Kunstkammer, the Academy of Sciences building was constructed next door. Designed by Giacomo Quarenghi and featuring an eight-column portico, it was constructed between 1783-88. In 1934 most of the Academy's departments were transferred to Moscow. The departments of literature and language remained.

Finally, immediately to the left of the Academy of Sciences stands the red and white building which marks the location of St. Petersburg University. Designed by Domenico Trezzini and built between 1722-41, the complex of twelve adjacent structures housed ministries of the government until the University occupied the site in 1819. From this vantage point, only the short, southernmost end can be seen.

14. The Russian Academy of Arts (The Research Museum of the Russian Academy of Arts) Arch. A. Kokorinov, J.-B. Vallin de Lamothe (1764-1788), Universitetskaya naberezhnaya, 17

Many prominent Russian artists graduated from the Russian Academy of Fine Arts and the Repin Institute. The museum's exhibitions, displayed in the former building of the Academy, feature graduation and study projects completed by students of the Academy, a number of works by the Academy's teaching staff and various paintings related to the history of the Academy. Although this is hardly the most impressive art collection in town, you will still find some excellent pieces and gain an interesting insight into St. Petersburg's artistic education of the past. The museum also features temporary exhibitions of works by prominent local artists in the Titian Hall and the annual art exhibition of the Academy, which is now based in Moscow.

15. The Egyptian sphinxes Universitetskaya naberezhnaya, 17

SPHINXES. Mythical creatures with the body of lion and a human head. In the second half of the 18th century, marble sphinxes were installed in the Private Garden in Gatchina and at the Osinovaya Roscha estate. Cast-iron sphinxes were installed in the Stroganov Palace courtyard. Miniature granite sphinxes were placed at the Kushelev-Bezborodko residential landing (end of the 18th century). At the beginning of the 19th century, stylised Egyptian sphinxes were created in the workshop of sculptor P.P. Sokolov. In 1825-1826, a pair of cast-iron sphinxes decorated the Egyptian Bridge across the Fontanka River. It is likely that the two sphinxes situated in the yard at Mozhaiskaya Street were cast according to the same model; in the 1980s they were installed on the new boat landing stage on Kamenny Island. In 1832, original sphinxes were brought from ancient Thebes in Egypt to St. Petersburg (15th century B.C.), and were installed at the landing near the Academy of Fine Arts (1832-1834, architect K.A. Ton). The sphinx image was given an original treatment by artist M. M. Shemyakin in his Monument To Victims of Political Repression on Robespierre Embankment (see Monument to the Victims of Political Repression).

13. Menshikovskiy Palace (The Branch of The State Hermitage)

Arch. D. Fontana, G. Shedel, Universitetskaya naberezhnaya, 15

The Menshikov Palace (Russian: Меншиковский дворец) is a Petrine Baroque edifice in Saint Petersburg, situated on Universitetskaya Embankment of the Bolshaya Neva on Vasilyevsky Island.^[1] Since 1981, it has served as a public museum, a branch of the Hermitage Museum.

The palace was founded in 1710 as a residence of Saint Petersburg Governor General Alexander Menshikov and built by Italian architect Giovanni Mario Fontana and, later, German architect Gottfried Johann Schädel. It was opened in 1711, but the construction continued until 1727 (assisted by Domenico Trezzini, Bartolomeo Rastrelli, Georg Johann Mattarnovy and Jean-Baptiste Le Blond), when Menshikov with his family was exiled to Siberia and his property was confiscated.

In 1731, Cadet Corps were established and occupied the palace and neighboring buildings. At the end of the 19th century the Menshikov Palace was restored and became the museum of the Corps. In 1924, its collections were moved to the Hermitage and other museums. From 1956-1981 the Menshikov Palace was restored again and finally opened to the public as a branch of the Hermitage Museum with a collection of Russian art of the late 17th-early 18th century.

12. The Twelve Colleges (Saint Petersburg State University)

Arch. D.Trezini (1722-1742), Mendeleevskaya liniya, 5

The Twelve Collegia was commissioned by Peter the Great, who wanted a place for the Russian government, at the time divided into 12 branches:

The Senate (created in February 1711, eventually renamed "Council of the Empire")

The Synod

Nine colleges (later called ministries): Foreign Affairs, Revenue Collection, Justice, Expenditure, Financial Control, War, Admiralty, Commerce, Mining and Manufacturing

Additional, or tenth college/ministry for trade.

1.                 – 11. The Museum of Anthropology and Ethnography named after Peter the Great (Kunstkammer),(Chamber of Curiosities)-Universitetskaya naberezhnaya, 3

The museum was founded in 1879. Rich collection acquaints the visitors with the culture of the people of Asia, Africa, Australia and American Indians.

2. The Museum of Zoology. Universitetskaya naberezhnaya, 1

St. Petersburg's impressive zoological collection consists of over 17 million species, although only 500 thousand species can be displayed in the museum's current 19^th century home. Exhibits range from enormous dinosaur, mammoths and whale skeletons to stuffed animals and birds and a unique collection of butterflies. Although the museum's exhibits are rather low-tech and old-fashioned, future funding projects hope to liven up the museum with more interactive displays and multimedia presentations.

З. (9)Тhе Central Naval Museum (Birzha)

(Former Stock Exchange Building) (The Central Naval Museum)

Birzhevaya ploshchad, 4

The Central Naval Museum is one of the oldest museums in Russia and one of the largest of its kind in the world. It originates from the Model Chamber, founded by Peter the Great in 1709. Initially it was a drawing workshop where all the ship models and drawings were kept. In 1720s - 1730s, there was even a singular exhibition of the most interesting models and drawings. In 1805 on the basis of the Model Chamber collection the Naval Museum was established. Naval officers hearty welcomed the appearance of the maritime museum and willingly supplied it with exhibits. Soon after even the tradition of bringing from voyages some rarities for the museum collection was established. But unfortunately the sailors thought that only foreign wonders and curiosities were worth bringing to the museum. That's why after a time the museum was crowded with the ethnographical, zoological and geological collections that had nothing to do with the specialization of the museum. Tsar Nikolay I decided that the museum wasn't effective and annihilated it.With the development of the shipbuilding the problem of systematic study of technical, historical and military experience became urgent, besides there was a need for preservation of valuable historical naval monuments and demonstration of the new achievements. The Russian Fleet desperately needed its own museum and in 1867 the Naval Museum was reopened.

After the Revolution of 1917 the collection of the museum was enlarged considerably due to the expropriated collections. A lot of exhibits connected with the royal family and famous aristocratic families were destroyed as not corresponding the new ideology.

In 1939 the Central Naval Museum was given one of the most beautiful buildings in the city - the Stock Exchange building. The Stock Exchange, the focal point of wonderful architectural ensembles of the Spit of Vasilyevsky Island, was erected in 1805 - 1810 to the project of the celebrated architect Thomas de Thomon. The strict classical image of the Stock Exchange corresponds well to the majestic and mighty style of the city. All around the building magnificent Doric colonnade, resting upon the granite stylobata, goes. Decorating the attic allegorical sculptural groups "Neptune with two rivers" and "Navigation with Mercury and two rivers" underline the Stock Exchange's connection with maritime subject.

The main exposition, enlightening the history of Russian navigation and Russian Fleet from the ancient time till nowadays, occupies 10 halls situated on the ground floor of the museum. There visitors can learn about the creation and history of Russian navy, the most important naval battles, that brought the glory to the Russian Fleet, geographical discoveries, circumnavigation and celebrated expeditions. Russian men-of-war's played an important role in the revolutionary events of 1917 and Civil War. Several exhibition halls are devoted to the Soviet Fleet in World War II. The exhibition devoted to the creation of the missile atomic navy in the USSR in 1965-1975 is especially interesting. There models of warships of different classes, atomic submarines of the second generation and a strategic missile submarine, as well as documents and photographs are on display. The exposition ends with the exhibition devoted to the Navy in the period of the so-called "Cold War", its development after the war and the state of Russian Navy nowadays.

In all, the Central Naval Museum stocks more than 8,000 items, among them there are models of ancient and modern ships, navigation tools, patterns of weapon and equipment, maps, photos, flags and banners, war booty, personal belongings of the famous Russian navigators, rich collections of paintings and numismatics. The oldest exhibit displayed is the ancient dug-out, the archaeologists date back to the 1st millennium B.C. The museum treasures "The grandfather of the Russian Fleet" - the famous botik (a small vessel) of Peter I.

10. Rostral Columns

Arch. J.-F. Thomas de Thomon (1805-1816), Birzhevaya ploshchad

Early in the history of St. Petersburg the Strelka (spit) of Vasilevsky Island, the largest island of the Neva delta, was intended to become the heart of downtown St Petersburg. Some of the buildings, such as the Customs House, still remain from that time, although downtown shifted onto the left bank of the river. In the early 19th century one of St. Petersburg's most elegant architectural ensembles appeared on the eastern edge of the island. The imposing white colonnaded building of the Stock Exchange was its focal point, and was flanked by two Rostral Columns. The Stock Exchange, designed by the French architect Thomas de Tomon and built in 1805-10, was inspired by Ancient Greek and Roman architecture. The two Rostral Columns, studded with ships' prows, served as oil-fired navigation beacons in 1800s (on some public holidays gas torches are still lit today).

The excursion termination № 2, the bus 259 to the underground the Neva avenue.

Walking tour № 3. The excursion beginning M. Nevskiy Prospekt

37. The Duma Tower

Arch. D.Ferrari (1799-1804), Nevskiy prospekt, 33

The City Duma building was the center of local government 1786-1918.

The Duma Tower seen on the left, was built 1799-1804 as a watchtower for fires. Ironically the tower was severely damaged by fire itself in 1998, but has since been restored.

The adjacent building on the left of the tower is the Municipal Assembly or Duma itself with its numerous offices and the Grand Assembly Hall. The original 18th century building was redesigned in the neo Renaissance style by Nikolai Efimov and rebuilt between 1847 and 1852. Some additional reconstruction work was also done in 1913. Low fourth floor level was added in 1914.

33. The Zinger Company Building (House of Books)

Arch. P. Suzor (1902-1904), Nevskiy prospekt, 62

Singer building in St. Petersburg is a historical and architectural heritage building and owned by the federal government. Seven-storey building, built in modern style (1902-1904) for «Singer» manufacturing company, occupies about 7000 square meters. Management of «Singer» corporation wanted to build a skyscraper, similar to the «Singer» building in New York City, but it was not allowed to build houses more than 22 m tall in the center of St. Petersburg. The architect constructed a tower with a globe made of glass on the top that made an impression of a «Skyscraper», but didn't block the view on other important buildings of the city center.

Arch. С Rossi, art. V. Demut-Malinovskiy, S.Pimenov (1819-   1825)

Inzhenernaya ulitsa, 4

14. The State Russian Museum (Mikhaylovskiy Palace)

All the buildings surrounding this square accommodate museums or theaters of some kind. To orient yourself, stand facing the front of the sculpture to Pushkin. On your left stands the yellow Maly Opera and Ballet Theater, named after the Russian composer Musorgsky. Designed by Alexander Bryullov, it opened in 1833. The internationally renowned dance company performs to the music of the world's most beloved ballets during the regular season.

If you look ahead, you will see the Russian Museum. While the world-famous Hermitage houses Russia's greatest collection of international art, this gallery retains solely the great works of the country's own painters and sculptors. These were collected by the czars over the centuries of their rule. The architect Carlo Rossi originally designed the building for the brother of Czar Nicholas I, the Grand Duke Mikhail, and completed it in 1825. It opened as a museum in 1898 as the czar's gift to the Russian public.

The street onto which the museum fronts is known as Engineer's Street. Head east on it until you reach Sadovaya Street. You'll know you're there when you spot the tracks for the city trams which run its length. Turn left and head down Sadovaya. You'll soon come upon a park situated to your left. Continue along. Opposite the gated entry to the park lies the Mikhailovsky (Engineers') Castle, painted orange. Cross the street and make your way onto the castle grounds.

36. Monument of A. Pushkin

Art. M.Anikushin (1957)

17. The Russian Ethnographical Museum-lngenernaya ulitsa, 4/1

The Russian Museum of Ethnography is one of the largest and famous museums in the world. Its collection contains above half a million objects and creates a broad picture of traditional life and culture of more than 150 peoples of Russia from the 18th-20th centuries.

The Museum was founded as the Ethnographic Department of the Russian Museum in 1895. In 1934 it became an independent scientific and cultural institution - the State Museum of Ethnography of the peoples of Russia, and since 1991 it carries the title the Russian Museum of Ethnography

40. The Monument to Peter I

Arch. F. Volkov, A. Mikhaylov, art. K.-B. Rastrclli, I. Terebenev, V. Demut-Malinovskiy (1745-1747)

In 1716, emperor Peter the Great commissioned the Italian sculptor Carlo Bartolomeo Rastrelli, father of his favorite architect Bartolomeo Rastrelli, to design an equestrian statue in commemoration of the Russian victories over Sweden in the Great Northern War. Rastrelli worked for eight years with a model of the monument before it was approved by the emperor in 1724. But as the emperor died the following year, work halted and the sculpture's casting was only completed after the sculptor's death, by 1747,only to remain in a local warehouse,and not to be erected until 53 years later. In the meantime, Catherine the Great had ordered another monument in memory of her predecessor Peter the Great - the Bronze Horseman, the most famous statue of Peter the Great in St Petersburg. At the base of the Bronze Horseman, Catherine even linked her name with Peter the Great, an expression of Catherine's attitude toward her predecessor and her view of her own place in the line of great Russian rulers. Catherine, who, having gained her position through a palace coup, had no legal claim to the throne, was anxious to appear as Peter's rightful heir.

Only in 1800, during the reign of emperor Paul I, was the Monument to Peter I finally erected. It was placed on a pedestal faced with green, red and white-shaded Finnish marble that is decorated with bas-reliefs depicting scenes of two Russian victories over Sweden during the Great Northern War, the Battle of Poltava and the Battle of Hangö, and also an allegorical composition with trophies. The Russian victories at Poltava and near Hangö, Finland helped Russia become the dominant power in the north of the continent. Peter the Great led his troops to both victories.

By order of emperor Paul I, the inscription "To Great Grandfather from Great Grandson" (Прадеду - правнук) was made on the pedestal, a subtle but obvious mockery of the Latin "Petro Primo Catherina Secunda", the pompous dedication by Catherine the Great on the Bronze Horseman.

During the World War II, the equestrian statue of Peter I was removed from its pedestal and sheltered from the 900-day German siege of the city. In 1945, the statue was restored and returned to its pedestal.

41. (16.) Mikhaylovskiy Castle (Engineer's Castle)

(The Branch of The State Russian Museum)

Arch. V. Bazhenov, V. Brenna (1797-1808)

MIKHAILOVSKY CASTLE (ENGINEERS' CASTLE)

This building was designed by the Russian architect Vasily Bazhenov and was used as the personal residence of Czar Paul I. The original layout reflected his great fear of being assassinated (see thumbnail sketch on page 8). In Paul's day, water surrounded the building on all four sides. Drawbridges offered access during the day, but they were raised at night to prevent entrance by would-be murderers. Twenty bronze cannon looked out onto the city from within the palace grounds to defend the czar.

Alas! His paranoia proved to be well-founded, but his preventive steps failed to measure up to the task. After living here only forty days, Paul was strangled as part of a court intrigue involving his son, the future Alexander I.

Paul's murder occurred in March 1801. The castle remained vacant after his death for nearly twenty years. In 1819, a school for military engineers opened here. Reportedly, young cadets occasionally saw the ghost of Paul prowling the corridors of the castle.

The cadets numbered among their ranks the young Feodor Dostoevsky. The future writer studied literature, history, drawing, and architecture here. Long into the night, he would remain awake reading in his second floor room, which looked out onto the Fontanka River. A year after his graduation in 1844, Dostoevsky left the engineers to concentrate on writing.

Before you move on, you may wish to walk around to the southern facade of the castle to see the first monument erected in the city to the memory of Peter the Great. Paul I ordered its construction. Sculpted by Carlo Rastrelli, the father of the architect who designed the Winter Palace, it bears the following inscription: "To Grandfather — from Grandson."

34. The Cathedral of Christ's Resurrection (The Church on Spilled Blood)

Arch. A. Parland (1883-1907), Naberezhnaya kanala Griboedova, 2a.

THE CHURCH OF THE SAVIOR ON SPILT BLOOD

If you look to the south and west from the Field of Mars, you can see the distinctive cupolas of the Church of the Savior on Spilt Blood, your last stop of the day. From the southern end of the Field of Mars, cross the street, turn right, and follow the embankment of the Moika River. Walk until you reach a signal crossing. Turn left, cross the bridge which spans the Moika and continue along until you come upon the church.

On this spot, on March 1, 1881, a terrorist bomb mortally wounded Czar Alexander II. As a memorial to him, the royal family paid for the church's construction. Built between 1883-1907, it stylistically borrows from Russian church architecture of the 16th and 17th centuries. In particular, it resembles St. Basil's Cathedral, located on Red Square in Moscow. In the future, this church will house a museum of Russian mosaics.

This ends the second section of your tour of some of the best-known sites in St. Petersburg. Again, we're delighted you took the opportunity to take a closer look at our city and we hope that your schedule will allow you to enjoy still more of what it has to offer.

To return to Nevsky Avenue, simply walk north following the Griboyedov Canal, which passes alongside the facade of the church. You will soon emerge onto the location where the first tour began — next to the House of Books.

30. The Evangelical Lutheran Church of St. Pet (Tserkov Svyatogo Petra)

Arch. A. Bryullov (1833-1831 Nevskiy prospekt, 22-24

31. The Cathedral of the Icon of Our Lady of Kazan (Kazanskiy Sobor)

Arch. A.Voronikhin {1801-1811), Kazanskaya ploshchad, 2

Kazan Cathedral, built between 1801-11, having 96 Corinthian columns arranged in four rows that form an extended arc facing Nevsky Prospekt. Andrei Voronikhin's design was inspired by Bernini's colonnade for St. Peter's in Rome. From 1811-1858, the Kazan Cathedral was the main cathedral of the city. After 1932, when the cathedral was closed, the building housed the Museum of the History of Religion and Atheism. In 1991 services were resumed and it is again fully functional as an Orthodox church.

The excursion termination № 3 m. Nevskiy prospekt

POPULAR MUSEUMS

HERMITAGE. Dvortsovaya Naberezhnaya 34. Open daily except Monday.

RUSSIAN MUSEUM. Inzhenemaya Ulitsa 4. Open daily except Tuesday.

MUSEUM OF THE POLITICAL HISTORY OF RUSSIA. Ulitsa Kuibysheva 4. Open daily except Thursday.

MUSEUM OF ST. PETERSBURG HISTORY. Petropavlovskaya Krepost 3.

Open daily except Wednesday.

MUSEUM OF THE HISTORY OF RELIGION. Kazanskaya Ploshchad 2.

Open daily except Wednesday.

RUSSIAN ETHNOGRAPHICAL MUSEUM. Inzhenemaya Ulitsa 4/1. Open daily except Monday.

HISTORY MUSEUM OF ARTILLERY, ENGINEERS, AND SIGNALS.

Across from Peter and Paul Fortress. Open daily except Monday.

CENTRAL NAVAL MUSEUM. Birzhevaya Ploshchad 4. Open daily except Monday and Tuesday.

ST. ISAAC'S CATHEDRAL. Isaakiyevskaya Ploshchad. Open daily except Wednesday.

SUMMER PALACE OF PETER THE GREAT, Letny Sad (Summer Garden).

Open daily except Tuesday.

BOTANICAL MUSEUM AND GARDEN. Ulitsa Piofessora Popova 2. Open

Monday through Friday except Wednesday.

ZOOLOGICAL MUSEUM. Universitetskaya Naberezhnaya 1 Open daily except Friday.

CENTRAL EXHIBITION HALL, Isaakiyevskaya Ploshchad 1. Open daily except Thursday.

THE RELIGIOUS COMMUNITY

ST. TRINITY CATHEDRAL. Ploshchad Aleksandra Nevskogo 1, Alexander

Nevsky Monastery. I. Starov, 1776-90.

ST. NICHOLAS' CATHEDRAL. Nicolskaya Ploshchad 6. S. Chevakinsky,

1753-62.

CHURCH OF OUR LADY OF VLADIMIR. Vladimirsky Prospekt 20.

A. Menshikov, G. Quarenghi, 1780-83, L. Rusca, 1848. P

RINCE VLADIMIR'S CATHEDRAL. At the comer of Ulitsa Blokhina and

Prospekt Dobrolyubova. A. Rinaldi, 1766-72, I. Starov, 1783-89. S

T. TRINITY CATHEDRAL. At the corner of Izmailovsky Prospekt and

Prospekt Moskvinoi V. Stasov, 1828-35.

CATHEDRAL OF OUR SAVIOR'S TRANSFIGURATION. Preobrazhenskaya

Ploshchad 1. V. Stasov, 1827-29.

ST. CATHERINE'S ARMENIAN CHURCH. Nevsky Prospekl 40-42.

Y.Felten, 1771-80.

ROMAN CATHOLIC CHURCH OF OUR LADY OF LURDE. Kovensky

Pereulok 7. L. Benoit, M. Peretyatkovich, 1908-09.

ST. CATHERINE'S LUTHERAN GERMAN CHURCH. Vasilyevsky Ostrov,

Bolshoi Prospekt 1. Y. Felten, 1768.

MOSLEM MOSQUE. Prospekt Gorkogo 7. N. Vasilyev, A. von Gogen,

S. Krichinsky, 1910-14.

BUDDHIST TEMPLE. Primorsky Prospect 91. G. Baranovsky, 1909-15.

JEWISH SYNAGOGUE. Lermontovsky Prospekt 2. I. Shaposhnikov,

1891-93.

BAPTIST CHURCH. Borovaya Ulitsa 50. N. Nikonov, 1889-97.

A FEW FINAL SUGGESTIONS...

Despite our best efforts, some notable points of interest in St. Petersburg lie outside the route of your walking tour. If time permits, we urge you to inquire at your hotel or with your tour escorts about how to visit these places.

The cruiser Aurora, moored in the Neva River opposite the St. Petersburg Hotel, fired the shot which signalled the launching of the Revolution in 1917.

The Smolny complex of buildings, featuring an outstanding cathedral, was originally designed as a convent, but was used for decades as a school for the daughters of the nobility. A building located nearby served as the famous headquarters for the Bolsheviks during the Revolution in 1917.

Located one-half hour's drive to the west of the city, Peterhof was built by direction of Peter the Great to commemorate Russia's victories in the Northern War. Over one hundred and forty fountains and cascades adorn the spacious grounds, which are dominated by a lavish palace. Allow a full day.

Tsarskoye Selo, also known as Pushkin, lies about one-half hour south of the city and once provided a nearby retreat for the royal family. A single structure, the splendid Catherine Palace, dominates the complex of parks and build-sags. The Lyceum, nearby the palace, contains a museum devoted to Alexander Pushkin, the famous poet who once studied here.

Finally, several cemeteries deserve consideration. On the grounds of the Alexander Nevsky Monastery, in the Tikhvinskoye and Lazarevskoye cemeteries, are buried many eminent Russians, including the writer Dostoevsky and the composer Tchaikovsky. To the northeast of the city's center, the Piskarovskoye Memorial Cemetery stands as a moving, solemn tribute to more than one-half million victims of the seige of the city during World War II.

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YOUR INVITATION...

Welcome to St. Petersburg!

One would be hard-pressed to name another city in the world which could be described in such human-like terms. Fiercely independent, (he city has served as the cradle of both uprising and revolution. Countless treasures of art, both inside and outside of the museums, and in all manners of expression, testify to its creative spirit.

On the other hand, St. Petersburg has known anguish. Indeed, no city in the world has suffered in the manner experienced by the city during the 900-day siege by the Nazis during World War ft.

Even the geography of St. Petersburg manifests a certain human flavor to it. Like some great circulatory system, the various canals and channels flowing through the city environs carry the lifeblood from the city"s spiritual heart, the Neva River.

A fair appreciation of the city would require far more time than is afforded most of St. Petersburg's visitors. Regardless of the length of your stay, however, there are certain essential points of interest that should not be missed. We invite you to discover for yourself some of these outstanding features. We've tried to design this self-guided tour so that you'll succeed in visiting many of the outstanding highlights of St. Petersburg within one afternoon. A second optional tour offers you the opportunity to experience even more, You'll capture & feel for the city impossible to match within the constraints of ordinary tours. And perhaps, your experience will help make it easier for you to appreciate the almost spiritual nature of the relationship which exists between the city and its residents.

BACKGROUND HISTORY OF ST. PETERSBURG

During the 17th and 18th centuries, Russia and Sweden were engaged in a series of struggles to gain power over areas inhabited by Finnish and Slavic nationalities from early times. The land upon which the city of St. Petersburg now sits fell to forces under Peter the Great during the Northern War (1700-21), which settled the issue once and tor all. The city dates from May 27, 1703. On that day, Peter the Great ordered the construction of what is now known as the Peter and Paul Fortress near the mouth of the Neva River to protect the newly won region. The city takes its name from its patron, St. Peter, and not from the famous czar.

In 1712 Peter the Great decided to move the capital here from Moscow to facilitate contact with Europe. Hundreds of thousands of peasants, soldiers, and craftsmen were brought here to transform the uninhabited, marshy area to Peter's capital. To speed up construction the czar issued a special decree forbidding stone work anywhere else in the country for several years. He assessed a kind of tax; every barge that went down the Neva and every cart that entered St. Petersburg had to bring a certain number of building stones. Workers used these to lay the foundations of houses and to pave streets. Later, special brick factories were built.

The czar himself supervised the construction. A special office was built where architectural plans were drawn up. Over the years St. Petersburg has retained the harmony which characterizes its layout through adherence to such planning. From this initial activity, a remarkable variety of architectural ensembles, churches, and memorials arose in what is today considered the historic section of St. Petersburg.