St. Petersburg – City of Three Roads

St. Petersburg is the youngest among the great cities of Europe. Walking on it, you will not see relics of the times of Ivan the Terrible, Alexander Nevsky. There are no ancient half-century temples. But if you want to get to a city that breathes history, St. Petersburg is what you need! Every street, every house is ready to tell a grateful listener a lot of interesting things from the life of its inhabitants. Only tourists are rarely interested in the history of one house. They want to see Peter in full. To understand and feel the city in this way is difficult. But we'll still try.

In this tour, we will try to explore some of the attractions, and by the evening get to the most beautiful and exciting sight - the breeding of bridges.

Starting with the museums

My first visit was spontaneous. The business trip came suddenly, and I was terrified of the city I had heard so much conflicting information about. Everyone I asked answered that St. Petersburg is a beautiful place, but damp, rainy, gloomy. But as soon as I went to the balcony of the hotel in St. Petersburg and looked at the unfamiliar city from the height of the fourth floor, I immediately fell in love with the roofs and felt a kind of romantic fleur.

From the roofs and began my acquaintance with St. Petersburg.

Roofs of Petersburg

In St. Petersburg, tours of the roofs are very popular. On the city sites you are easy

You'll find a guide. And sometimes enterprising locals hand out leaflets with invitations to admire the city from the height of high-rise buildings at the exits near the subway and shopping centers.

I won't be too original. I started my acquaintance with St. Petersburg with the museum, which all tourists aspire to visit. The Hermitage is located in the Winter Palace, the residence of emperors built by order of Elizaveta Petrovna by the architect Rastrelli. But Elizabeth herself did not have time to live here, she died before the completion of construction. The new emperors were Peter III and Catherine II.

Winter Palace. Hermitage.

The queues at this museum are really huge. You can wait a few hours to get inside. Due to the small space at the cash register, run in small batches of several people. I spent about 40 minutes in this line. And I was disappointed. For me, the museum is only good at a certain dosage. When there's a lot of stuff, I don't learn. Yes, I have seen ancient objects, paintings, works of art, but I will advise – it is better to visit the Hermitage in portions. One or two rooms at once. Then you can really say I was in the Hermitage. Otherwise, it's just a run through a big building. Therefore, on my second visit to St. Petersburg, I did not go to the Hermitage, but walked along the Palace Square.

Here you can feel the grandeur and solemnity of the Winter Palace.

Palace Square

If you want to visit interesting museums, you should pay attention to small collections. I suggest you go to the Kunstkamera. The museum building is located on the most beautiful embankment of St. Petersburg and those who come to the metro station Vasilievsky Island should not give in to persuasion and take a bus or minibus. Take a walk. How would you feel all this beauty? Would you like to see sphinxes, for example?

Sphinxes on the University Quay

 

Kunstkamera

The Kunstkamera was created by decree of Peter I in 1714 with the aim of studying rarities created by human hands and nature. Now the Museum of Anthropology and Ethnography is one of the most interesting in the world. There are many exhibits that reflect the history of different peoples. Many tourists believe that the Kunstkamera collected only alcoholized organs or the bodies of infants. I hasten to disappoint - this exposition occupies a single hall, and on the other four floors there is a historical exposition. Here you will see models of houses of a Chinese mandarin and a Japanese peasant, many are amazed by the size of a Chinese woman's shoes. Here are the Museum of M.V. Lomonosov and the Astronomical Observatory of the Academy of Sciences. By the way, to attract to the museum, Peter I came up with a kind of advertising campaign – each visitor on the doorstep was given a drink of vodka and a snack with a pickle. Oh, there's no such thing now. However, for everyone who wants to go to this museum cucumbers can not be stocked.

I also liked the Central Museum of Railway Transport of the Ministry of Railways of Russia, which is located on Sadovaya Street. It is better to book a tour there - the guide will not just tell you about how railways appeared in Russia, but will bring into action the mechanisms of many models to visually demonstrate the development of this type of transport.

Museum of Railway Transport

I visited the Doll Museum on Vasilievsky Island. It's not just the kids who like it. There is one room for adults, marked 16+. There are very indecent dolls in this room. But if you go with a child, it is better not to enter, however, this is not the biggest loss, there are many amazing and interesting things in the museum.

Doll museum

There are many museums in St. Petersburg, more than anywhere else. After all, many famous people lived here. So, it is useful to visit the last apartment of Pushkin, where he and his wife Natalia Nikolaevna spent the last years.

Courtyard at the Pushkin Museum

The Peter and Paul Fortress made a great impression on me. Inside are many small exhibition halls with interesting displays, such as the chilling Torture Museum. And there you can just walk through the squares, sit, relax. I advise everyone to choose the time to visit this place.

Peter and Paul Fortress

This historical monument, according to many tourists, has a huge charm. From the time of Peter I, only the layout remained here, and the fortress received its modern appearance during the reign of Catherine II. Many historical events are associated with the Peter and Paul Fortress, for example, the death of Tsarevich Alexei, who was accused of treason.

The historical monuments of St. Petersburg are not limited to the city. Not far from St. Petersburg is Peterhof – the country residence of Russian tsars is so inspiring and impressive that it is breathtaking!

Peterhof

An hour in Peterhof flies like 5 minutes. And impressions are the sea. Yeah, if we'd been here all day, or if we knew we'd be back the next day, we wouldn't be in such a hurry. More time should be devoted to each object. But it worked out well, too.

There are many museums in Peterhof dedicated to the history and life of the royal family. There was only one visit, Marley. We agreed to a free tour and did not regret it. It was so interesting to see the interior of a small house where Peter might have preferred to retire with his family. Surprised by the low ceilings, given the high height of Peter I. Then the guide explained that the king found such a height extremely cozy, so nothing strange.

Of the museums, I highly recommend one more – the Museum of the Blockade. The exhibition presented there is breathtaking. You try to imagine, imagine – how would you behave if you were in such conditions?

Walk to the monuments

How many monuments are there in St. Petersburg? This question can be answered by Wikipedia. I probably haven’t seen a tenth of it in my walks. Let’s try to look at some of them.

If you go down from the Hermitage along the Palace Embankment to the English, you can walk to the symbol of St. Petersburg – “Bronze Horseman”. It was commissioned by Catherine II sculptor E. Falcone. He created this famous monument, the inscription on which reads in two languages: “Petro I – Catherine II”. The uniqueness of this monument is that it has only three points of support - the wriggling tail of a snake and the hind legs of a horse.

Copper horseman

Pay special attention to the monolith on which the monument stands. This stone was found in the area of Lakhta, and the locals called it “Thunderstone”. That name is still there.

Now let’s go to one of the main revolutionary symbols. I think you've already guessed what this is about.

Cruiser Aurora.

The cruiser is located at the Petrograd embankment. The Naval History Museum is now on board. Guests of the museum can find on board many interesting photos, items of history of the famous cruiser and historical documents.

Well, now let’s look at two small monuments, about which tourists dream of seeing. First of all, it is a hare, near the Hare Island.

Monument to the Hare

I didn’t see the next sculpture right away. I couldn't believe Chiszyk Pyzhik was so small.

Chizic Pyzic

There is a belief that you need to make a wish and throw coins at these two monuments. If the coins remain on the basis of the sculptures, the wish will come true. Alas, throwing coins aptly I am not a master.

Just a walk.

You must be tired. It's time to relax in the park. Nope. Better in the garden. We are going with you to the Summer Garden - the favorite brainchild of Peter I.

Summer garden

Peter ordered to destroy it a year after the founding of St. Petersburg. He wanted to build the most beautiful garden. Many architects, both Russian and foreign, worked on the implementation of the grandiose plans of the emperor. The result is a very organic park. Simultaneously with the laying of the garden, they began to build the Summer Palace. It was designed by architect Trezzini.

Summer Palace

Perhaps you should not waste time describing the Summer Garden, since this place is better than me, and its significance in the life of St. Petersburgers was described by Anna Akhmatova:

Summer Garden (1959):

I want roses in that one garden,

Where the best in the world stands out,

Where the statues remember me young,

I remember them under the water.

In the sweet silence between the royal lindens

I see the masts of the ship creaking.

And the swan, as before, floats through the ages,

Admiring the beauty of his double.

And hundreds of thousands of steps sleep dead.

Enemies and friends, friends and enemies.

And the procession of shadows has no end in sight.

From the granite vase to the palace door.

There whispers my white nights.

Someone's high and secret love.

And all pearl and jasper burn,

But the light source is mysteriously hidden.

It’s evening and I want to have some fun. If you are young at heart and like extreme, then I advise you to visit Krestovsky Island. First, there is a wonderful Victory Park, where you can walk, feed squirrels, ride rollers or bicycles.

Victory Park

If you walk through the park, you will reach the Gulf of Finland.

Near the Victory Park is the park of extreme attractions "Divo Island". Here you can take many beautiful photos, against the background of interesting figures.

Divo Island

You can go on rides. Have you noticed the name of the park? This is an Extreme Amusement Park. In general, brave and brave - you are there. I personally watched with fear as people ran to the Flying Saucer, Rocket, Catapult. But the goal of many extremes is Booster – the most terrible attraction in Europe. I will not describe, on YouTube there are shootings that daredevils do directly from the attraction. I'll show you a picture of this structure.

I don’t really know what courage people have to be willing to accept such a test. However, the queue for Booster is one of the biggest. Especially considering that from 21.00 hours every day all the attractions at 30% of the cost.

Please note that there are three roads in this city. Ground, on which you can travel by car or public transport, underground - subway. And the waterway. In the summer, be sure to take a ticket for a tour of the canals and rivers.

Water walk

After such a trip on the water, you get to know St. Petersburg from a new side. And you fall in love with him even more!

If you come to St. Petersburg for a few days, then dedicate one of them to a goalless walk. You will see a lot of interesting, unusual things. Come across houses where celebrities once lived.

Where to eat.

Seeing the sights, walking requires a lot of strength and energy. We need to stop and eat. Where? There are a lot of budget canteens in St. Petersburg, where you can have cheap and tasty lunch. Particularly popular is the network "Table No. 1". Appetite dishes are offered at budget prices.

An alternative to McDonald’s, and a good alternative, is the fast food restaurant Teremok. From the cafe I would advise - coffee shops "Shokko-Mocha" and "Chocolate" and sushi bar "Ginno taki". The Chocolate Girl is very cozy. But cream soup with chicken and mushrooms is tastier in Ginno-taki. And there is an amazing dessert "Tiramisu", the truth has never tasted better.

I had the idea of finding a cafe with Armenian cuisine in St. Petersburg. And I did, yeah. Café Cilicia is famous for its diversity. There will prepare a real Tanov-savior, Arisa and a salad of aveluq.

But wherever I advise you to go (although this is my private opinion), it is in Coffee House (expensive, unjustified). And the network of sushi bars “Eurasia” was not impressed. Or rather, we were in one of the branches on Nevsky, so I liked the food there, but the atmosphere itself is not very. I'm definitely not going there because of the waiters. We saw three of them, and they all had rings in their ears. Although the lie, the rings were one, and another guy and girl – channels with rings. They approached us somehow condescendingly, as if they initially assessed our property status (below the plinth), the boy, taking the order, looked somewhere over us and, as a result, messed up with the order - just did not bring the dish.

If you want to cook in a rented apartment or in a hostel yourself, then I advise you to visit the market on Senna. Fruits and vegetables are 2-3 times cheaper than anywhere else. I couldn't believe it. But it is!

Building bridges

And now it's evening, we're all tired, but we have one important thing to do. We want to look at building bridges. In St. Petersburg, it’s not just a show, it’s a show. The spectacle can be seen from one of the embankments or from the excursion ship.

Building bridges

That was such a rich excursion. Before I finish it, I would like to make a wish to return to Peter. I hope this wish comes true! For those who have not visited this city, I highly recommend it!

Author of text and photo: Valeria Smirnova