The Best Full-Day 1 Tours

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005_714041-ch01.indd5_714041-ch01.indd 7 66/18/09/18/09 9:109:10 PMPM 8 ‘get your bearings’ tour taking you from the Ato the famous dead at the cemetery, via the key sights on main thoroughfare . While the points here have been arranged in a way that makes geographic sense, feel free to mix and match, timing wise: the riverside embankments are a joy to wander as the sun goes down over the Neva. START: from

Full-Day Tours Nevsky Prospect Metro onto the Griboedov Canal for the Church of the Spilled Blood

1 ★★★ The Singer Building. Prospect d. 28. y 812 448 2355. The Best The first thing you see as you 24hr. Metro: Nevsky Prospect. emerge from Nevsky Prospect metro, this classic piece of Style 2 ★ Frikadelki/Prokoffi. This is a Moderne (p 105) was built for the long tour, so fill up on traditional Singer sewing machine company in Russian salads, coffee and cakes at 1904. Originally home to the US either of these ultra-cheap buffets Embassy, a bank, and a museum of on the canal: Frikadelki’s best, in my costume—in addition to the Singer view. Frikadelki, Nab. Kanala Griboe- offices on the upper floors, busily dova d. 8/1. y 812 571 5135. Pro- engaged in supplying uniforms to koffi (same address). y 314 5629. $. the Imperial army—it housed Petro- gosizdata (the Petrograd State Pub- lishing House), with the Dom Knigi 3 ★★★ The Church of the (literally ‘House of Books’) on the Spilled Blood. Psychedelic domes two lower floors. Don’t be misled by on this Russian Revival masterpiece signs telling you literature is on the hit you as you turn into the Griboe- second floor: bear right from the dov Canal. Built in 1883 to com- entrance for a good selection of memorate Tsar Alexander II’s novels in English, as well as maps, assassination in 1881 (an ironic end guidebooks and souvenirs. Nevsky for one of the few Romanov reform- ers and the liberator of the serfs), The Style Moderne former Singer building, this is an orgy of Russian national- now Dom Knigi. ism, built in the nine-domed Mus- covy style of St. Basil’s cathedral (albeit some 300 years later), with the belfry decorated with the insig- nia of the cities and regions of Rus- sia, and a series of plaques on the exterior walls celebrating the late 19th century reforms which were to prove their originator’s undoing. The canal embankment was extended to allow the church to be built over the exact spot of the assassination, (which is now enshrined), complete with the origi- nal cobble stones. With the building only completed in 1907, a decade before the Revolution, the church has never been consecrated and

005_714041-ch01.indd5_714041-ch01.indd 8 66/18/09/18/09 99:10:10 PPMM 9 The Best for Tsar Alexander I (whose face is reproduced on the angel at the top), it took more than 3,000 builders and troops to erect in 1834. in One Day 5 ★ The Admiralty. Nothing remains of ’s original fortress and shipyard, built here in 1704, although Konnogvardeisky Bulvar follows the route of the canal which once ran from here to New Holland. The Neoclassical building you see was built by Adrian Zakhraov in 1806–1823: it now houses the Naval Engineering Insti- tute, and is closed to the public. Don’t miss the ship-shaped weather vane on top of the spire, said to be based on Peter the Great’s own korablik or ‘little ship’. With the facades facing the river now quite shockingly tatty, this is best viewed The Church of the Spilled Blood. from among the statues (and beer tents) of the Alexandrovsky Sad (the faced repeated threats of demoli- Maxim Gorky Workers’ Garden until tion throughout the Soviet era, 1989). Directly behind, the building before being made a protected at No. 2 (now the Museum of the monument in 1968. Canal Griboe- y History of the Political Police) previ- dova d. 2a. 812 315 1636. http:// ously housed Felix Dzerzhinsky’s eng.cathedral.ru/saviour. Admission Extraordinary Commission, an early 300R adults, 170R kids. 10am–7pm, forerunner to the KGB (see p 69). closed Wed. Metro: Nevsky Prospect. Admiralteysky Proezd d. 1. 4 ★★★ & The Hermitage. The main attraction, ’s Admiralty Arch. but impossible to do in one day (or even a week). This timetable allows for two hours or so running through the Hermitage’s State Rooms or your personal favorites: Grandmas- ters, the Italian Renaissance, or the Impressionists. Check the mini- tours on p 26–p 37 and take your pick. The arch through which you’ll enter the square was built by Carlo Rossi 1823–1829. Previously the Head Quarters of the General Staff, the left wing is now part of the Her- mitage Museum (see p 31). The Alexander Column in the center (August Montferrand, 1832) was erected to commemorate victory over Napoleon in 1812. Named

005_714041-ch01.indd5_714041-ch01.indd 9 66/18/09/18/09 99:11:11 PPMM 10

Russian Museums: Need to Know

Dual Pricing: Some museums still operate dual pricing for Russian nationals and foreigners: ‘foreigner’ rates are shown throughout this guide. Opening Times: Russian museums close one day a Full-Day Tours week, usually Monday. Many also close for cleaning (the so-called ‘sanitarny den’) usually—although by no means always—on the final Monday of every month. Floor Numbering: What Europeans call the ground floor will be the first floor in . This system is

The Best used throughout this book.

6 ★★ The Bronze Horseman. 8 ★★★ St. Isaac’s Cathedral. Taking its name from Pushkin’s With its colonnades open until 4am well-loved poem of 1833, this monu- during summer, this must be the ment was commissioned by Cathe- city’s most romantic venue. The rine the Great in 1782, mounted on third cathedral to stand on this site the ‘Thunder Stone’, a 1,600 ton (Peter the Great was married in the boulder from Konnaya-Lakhta. The first), this was built by Auguste de somewhat immodest inscription Montferrand (together with more reads: ‘To Peter the First. From than half a million laborers over 40 Catherine the Second.’ The square years) and consecrated in 1858. on which it sits was formed when Personally, I never pay the 300-ruble the Senate and Synod (Carlo Rossi, entrance fee: save your time to 1834) were built along its western drink in the exquisite sculpture on side. Now home to the Constitu- the portico and dome. Isaakievs- tional Court, look out for the plaque kaya Ploshad d.1. y 812 315 9732. on the Senate commemorating the http://eng.cathedral.ru. Cathedral December 1825 uprising from which tickets 300R adults, 170R kids, colon- the square takes its name, where nade 150R adults, 100R kids, 300R army officers led 3,000 troops in after 7pm.Cathedral 10am–7pm (and protest at Nicholas I’s accession to 7pm–10.30pm summer), colonnade the throne. You’ll find some (all too 10am–6pm (and 7pm–4am summer). rare) restrooms at the top of Kon- Closed Wed. nogvardeisky Bulvar, between the Synod and the former Imperial Sta- 9 ★★★ The Gallery, Angleterre bles (the Manege). Ploshad Hotel. Allegedly the poor relation to Dekabristov. the Astoria next door, although I’ve never understood why. Stop for cof- 7 ★★★ Ploshad Dekabristov. fee in its perfectly preserved 1912 Steer clear of the shashlik (kebabs) Art Deco interior, directly overlook- at this chaotic summer café facing ing St Isaac’s Square. M. Morskaya the river, but be sure to stop for a Ul. d. 24. y 812 494 5125. $$. beer: the nightly karaoke is just too hilarious to miss, as the fifty-plus generation belt out classic 1960s 0 The Angliiskaya Naberezh- party-political pop. Ploshad Deka- naya (English Embankment). bristov. No phone. $. It’s a fascinating walk along Bol- shaya Morskaya back to Nevsky

005_714041-ch01.indd5_714041-ch01.indd 1010 66/18/09/18/09 99:11:11 PPMM 11 The Best in One Day

The Cathedral of Our Lady of Kazan.

Prospect if you’re so minded, but removal, Andrei Voronikhin’s Neo- summer visitors shouldn’t pass up classical masterpiece (built in 1801– the chance to enjoy a drink with the 1811) isn’t looking its best. It’s rest of the population at the sum- worth a visit just to marvel at any mer cafes along the river bank. government that could turn a build- Don’t miss the ornate Palace of ing like this (in 1932) into a ‘Museum Weddings at No. 28, or the monu- of the History of Religion and Athe- ment in front of No. 44 (now the ism’. The two statues in front are to Museum of the History of St Peters- (hero of the Napole- burg, see p 49), marking the spot at onic War, buried in the chapel on which the Avrora Cruiser was the left-hand side) and Barclay de moored the night the Revolution Tolly, Minister of War during Napo- started, 25th October 1917. leon’s invasion in 1812. Kazanskaya Ploshad d. 2. y 812 318 2548. ! The Cathedral of Our Lady Admission free. Daily, 8am–8pm. of Kazan. With the colonnade cur- Metro: Nevsky Prospect. rently under scaffolding, and with a very relaxed approach to rubble

Telephone Numbers

The 812 St Petersburg city code is shown throughout this guide. If dialing long-distance, you’ll need to prefix the number you’re calling with ‘8’ and wait for a tone before dialing the number. For international calls, dial ‘8’, wait for a tone, then dial ‘10’ before dialing the country code: see Savvy Traveler, p 163. Many small businesses here use mobile phones: these are 10-digit numbers, always prefixed with ‘8’.

005_714041-ch01.indd5_714041-ch01.indd 1111 66/18/09/18/09 99:11:11 PPMM 12 @ ★★★ Eliseevskiy Statue at the Eliseevskiy Gastronom. This Gastronom. Style Moderne mas- terpiece, opened by although others the Eliseev broth- claim it is the face ers in 1903 (and of his worst the Soviet-era enemy, or his mis- Full-Day Tours ‘Gastronom No. tress. Pick up the 1’), has been green line (Line 3) closed since Jan- at uary 2007, no metro and it’s two stops directly to The Best longer viable in the face of Ploshad Alexandra Nevsky’s soaring Nevskovo. rents, and the city government’s insis- $ Get&Go. In a city tence it remain a grocery. where it’s all too easy to The original fittings are still in spend $6 on a cup of coffee, it’s place, however, so peer through the worth breaking your journey at doors for a glimpse of the stained Mayakovskaya metro for this deli- glass lining the main hall, and don’t style coffee bar in the Nevsky miss A.G. Adamson’s allegorical Atrium shopping mall. Fresh crois- sculptures (Industry, Commerce, Art sants and American style coffee for and Science) outside. Nevsky Pros- less than you’d pay at home. Nevsky pect d. 28. Metro: Nevsky Prospect. Prospect d. 71. No phone. $. # The . Don’t get back on the metro without tak- % The Alexander Nevsky ing a moment to snap the Horse Monastery. Founded by Peter the Tamers on each corner of this Great in 1710 to celebrate Alexan- bridge, the first to be built in St der Nevsky’s victory over Sweden in Petersburg, in 1715. Peter Klodt von 1240, the Tikhvinskoye Cemetery Urgensburg’s statues were erected has been the final resting place of in 1851, Tsar Nicholas I had sent St Petersburg’s favorite sons since previous versions to Prussia and 1823. See p 54 for the full tour, Naples. Urban myth has it that the or simply pay your respects to sculptor—out of sheer frustration— Tchaikovsky, carved the Tsar’s face in the veins Dostoevsky, of one of the horses, Mikhail Glinka, Modest Musso- rgsky, Nikolai Rismky-Korsakov,

Horse tamers on the Anichkov Bridge.

005_714041-ch01.indd5_714041-ch01.indd 1212 66/18/09/18/09 99:11:11 PPMM 13 The Best in One Day

The Alexander Nevsky Monastery.

Anton Rubinstein, and the city’s ★★★ perestroika reformist mayor, Ana- ^ Vostochniy Express. Perfect Russian cooking and cheap toly Sobchak. Ploshad Alexandra prices: one to remember and come Nevskovo d. 1 y 812 274 1113, back to. Ignore the pricier restaurant y 812 274 2635. www.lavra.spb. next door in favor of the informal ‘buf- ru/. Admission 60R. Daily 9.30am– fet’ offering traditional soups, main 5.30pm, closed Wed. Metro: Ploshad courses, and fabulous hachapuri Alexandra Nevskovo. (Georgian cheese-filled bread). Feed a family from 350 rubles a head. Ul. Marata d. 21. y 812 314 5096. $$.

St Petersburg by Night

You can pick up a boat almost anywhere in the center but for a midnight cruise head down to the Admiralteisky Quay, right at the water’s edge, opposite the Tsar Carpenter statue of Peter the Great and guarded by two marble lions, it’s impossible to miss. Tickets sell out fast, so get there early and take advantage of the many summer beer tents. Boat tickets are available at Kassa No. 1, Lion Quay, Admiralteiskaya Nab. d. 2. y 812 716 5886, y 812 233 4577. Night trips 450R, 500R weekends. Or try AstraMarine, Admi- ralteiskaya Nab. d. 2. y 812 320 0877. If you prefer dry land, you’ll find numerous night-time bus tours among the bargain coaches to Helsinki outside the Bukvoed bookshop on Ploshad Vosstaniya. Admiral Tours depart at 11pm every night. Ploshad Vosstaniya. y 812 971 5050.

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Peter and Paul Cathedral The Best in Two Days

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005_714041-ch01.indd5_714041-ch01.indd 1414 66/18/09/18/09 99:11:11 PPMM 15 Current The Best day of pure decadence, among the most ornate of the A Romanov palaces and gardens, exploring the art of the Russian Museum, the statues of the Letniy Sad, and the moats of the Engi-

neers’ Castle. START: at the Vernisazh (market) directly behind the Heading 1 in Two Days Church of the Spilled Blood.

1 The Vernisazh. Most souvenir For something more upmarket, go tourist-traps pall after about five min- to the Stray Dog Café. utes: but not this one, sandwiched The was built between the Griboedov Canal and in 1819–1835 for the youngest son the River Moika, overlooking the of Paul I, and opened to the public Mikhailovsky Garden. All the matrosh- as the Emperor Alexander III Russian kas (Russian nesting dolls), fur hats, Museum in 1898. This tour is highly and Lenin busts you’d expect, and selective, covering the best-known also amber, mini Fabergé eggs, and masterpieces only, but you should Lomonosov porcelain. Nab. Kanala be able to do it in about two hours. Griboedova d. 2. y 812 167 1628. Fans of Andrei Rublev, Dionysus, Daily, 9.30am–6pm. Simon Ushakov and other icon mas- ters should head for Rooms 3 and 2 ★★★ The Russian Museum 4 j–k: while the prize exhibits (Mikhailovsky Palace). See are Rublev’s The Baptism (1408) below for the full tour. There are two and Apostle Paul (1408), the most entrances to this museum, one striking piece is Ushakov’s directly from the Benios Wing on the The Old Testament Trinity (1671). Griboedov Canal, the other from the Room 5 l contains some fascinat- Mikhailovsky Palace wing on Ploshad ing portraits of Peter the Great: don’t Isskustv. If using the latter, take 10 miss Carlo Rastrelli’s cast of Peter minutes for an ice-cream or a beer in the Great’s face, made in 1719, and the shade of the compare it to Bartolomeo Rastrelli’s statue, erected in 1957 to commem- very different bust beside it, orate the city’s 250th anniversary.

The Mikhailovsky Palace, home to the Russian Museum.

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The Russian Museum

FIRST FLOOR Full-Day Tours 2E

2F The Best

SECOND FLOOR

2D 2C 2A 2B

2G 2H

2I 2J 2K

completed in 1810. Don’t miss Ivan 33–35 are dedicated to Ilya Repin Nikitin’s Portrait of Peter I on his (1844–1930), a leading artist of the Deathbed (1725). Rooms 5 to 23 Peredvizhniki (or ‘Wanderers’) cover 19th-century art (there’s an school, in revolt against the prevail- interesting portrait of ‘Mad’ Paul I ing classicism of the Academy of (V.L. Borovikovskiy, 1800) as you Arts. The real masterpieces here leave the the main gallery in Room are the Bargemen on the Volga n 12 m), but things don’t get really (1870–1873) and Zaporozhe Cos- interesting until you go downstairs sacks Writing a Letter to the Sultan to the Rossi Wing, en route to the (1880–1891) o. Once you reach the Avant Gardists in the Benois. Rooms Benois wing, head straight for

005_714041-ch01.indd5_714041-ch01.indd 1616 66/18/09/18/09 9:119:11 PMPM 17 The Best Mikhail Vrubel’s works in Rooms glasses (see www.crystalharmony. 74 and 75, including Hamlet and ru). Originally attached to the Sum- Ophelia (1884), Flying Demon mer Palace of Catherine I, the gar- (1899) p, and Morning (1897) q. dens were re-laid in 1823–1825. Room 78 r has three works by Admire the of the in Two Days Vasily Kandinsky, George (1911), Pic- Mikhailovsky Palace (the Russian ture with Edges (1919), and Improvi- Museum’s) rear view, then head sation (1910). The Avant Gardists north for the Rossi Pavillion (1825) start in Room 80 2, with Alexander and boat deck. Leave via the gates Rodchenko’s White Circle (1918) to the right of the Pavillion and you’ll and Black on Black (1918) as well emerge directly opposite the as some more political works on the Mikhailovsky (Engineers’) Castle, far wall, and continue into Room 81 testament to the eccentricity of with Kazimir Malevich’s Girls in a ’s only son, ‘Mad’ Field (1928–1929) and Suprema- Paul I. Inzhenernaya Ul. d. 4. y 495 tism (1915–1916). @ 2 hrs. Inzhener- 595 4248. Admission free. Daily, naya Ul. d. 4. y 495 595 4248. 10am–10pm May–Sept, 10am–8pm www.rusmuseum.ru. Admission to Oct–Mar. Closed Apr. this museum only, 350R adults, 150R 5 ★ The Mikhailovsky Castle kids. Tickets to all branches of the (Engineers’ Castle). Tsar Paul I’s Russian Museum 600R adults, 300R morbid fear of assassination and kids. Wed–Mon 10am–6pm, to 5pm fascination with the Medieval were Mon. combined in this castle (complete with moat and drawbridges), built at 3 Stray Dog Cafe. A magnet for the confluence of the Moika and futurist poets (including Vladimir May- rivers. Legends abound, of akovsky and Boris Pasternak), the a secret passage direct from the Stray Dog Cabaret (or Society for Inti- Royal bedroom, and tunnels carved mate Theater) ran for three years under the Field of Mars (see p 42). until closed by the authorities in All to no effect. He was murdered 1915. The sense of history by his own guardsmen six weeks is palpable. after moving in. The statue of Peter Although the Great in front was erected on the service the castle’s completion (Vincenzo will drive you Brenna and 1797– stark staring mad. 1800) in 1801: the bas reliefs cele- Ploshad Isskustv d. 5/4. brate the Tsar’s victories against y 812 315 7764. $$$ the Swedes at Poltava and Hango. The building was given to the army and the Central College of 4 ★★★ The Engineering opened in 1822: stu- Mikhailovsky Garden. dents included a 16-year-old Fyodor Take five minutes to appre- Dostoevsky, in 1837. It now ciate the buskers outside houses Romanov portrait the main gates includ- galleries, Russian folk art ing, if you’re lucky, one and sculpture: worth a gifted soul recreat- ing fully harmo- nized Tchaikovsky Alexander Pushkin statue on a tray of singing on Ploshad Isskustv.

005_714041-ch01.indd5_714041-ch01.indd 1717 66/18/09/18/09 99:11:11 PPMM 18 visit if only for a look inside the restored state rooms. Sadovaya Ul. d. 2. y 812 570 5112. Admission 300R adults, 150R kids (also includes entry to the Marble Palace and Sum- mer Palace below). Wed–Mon 10am– 6pm (to 5pm Mon). Full-Day Tours 6 Chizhik Pizhik. You’ll see the crowds around this tiny statue as you approach the Panteleimonovsky Bridge: they’re trying to throw coins The Best to land on the head of the little metal bird underneath. Its name comes from an old Russian rhyme, a refer- ence to the green-capped students (including a young Pyotr Tchaikovsky) from the Imperial College of Law on the . Seven identical statues have been stolen since the first was installed in 1994. 7 The Stieglitz Museum of Applied Arts. Founded by Baron The Engineers’ Castle. Alexander von Stieglitz in 1878, its architect (and first director) Maximil- decorated to match their original lian Messmacher’s building was contents: don’t miss the 18th- inspired by the Italian Renaissance, century Russian art: inspired by although individual halls were the Terem Palace in the Kremlin. Severely depleted after the Revolu- Chizhik Pizhik. tion, when many pieces were trans- ferred to the Hermitage, it closed in 1926 before re-opening in 1945. Still used to display works by students of the Central School of Design (for whom it was originally built), its exhibits include glass, ceramics, porcelain and costumes from the 16th–20th centuries. Solyarny Per. d. 9. y 812 273 3258. www.stieglitz museum.ru. 120R adults, 50R kids. Tues–Sat 11am–5pm. 8 The Summer Palace & . The modest, 14-roomed palace is worth visiting as an example of early Petrine archi- tecture (see p 58), or simply to see the private rooms of Peter the Great and his wife, Catherine I. The oldest of the city gardens, the Letniy Sad, was established in 1704 and its lay- out completed in 1725. While the statues you now see are all copies,

005_714041-ch01.indd5_714041-ch01.indd 1818 66/18/09/18/09 99:11:11 PPMM 19 The Best they do nonetheless match the 100- plus figures that had been placed in the garden by 1728. Cut through the Field of Mars past the Monument to Revolutionary Fighters (see in Two Days p 42) for the Marble Palace. Letniy Sad. y 812 312 9666. 10am–10pm, May–Oct, 10am–8pm Oct–Mar. Closed Apr. Summer Palace open Wed–Mon 10am–6pm (to 5pm Mon). 9 The Marble Palace. Built by Antonio Rinaldi 1768–1785 for Cath- erine the Great’s favorite (or lover?) Count Orlov, the Marble Palace (so-called for the 32 different types used in its construction) set new standards of opulence, even then. Perhaps the reason the Soviet government chose it to house the History of Material Culture (1919– 1936) and, thereafter, a branch of the Lenin Museum. There’s a perma- Statue in the Letniy Sad. nent exhibition on Foreign Artists in Russia, but the real draw is the Millionnaya Ul. d. 5/1. y 812 312 modern art in the Peter Ludwig at 9054. Wed–Mon 10am–6pm (to the Russian Museum collection, 5pm Mon). including works by Andy Warhol.

The Alexander III statue at the Marble Palace.

005_714041-ch01.indd5_714041-ch01.indd 1919 66/18/09/18/09 99:11:11 PPMM B

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005_714041-ch01.indd5_714041-ch01.indd 2020 66/18/09/18/09 9:119:11 PMPM 21 Current The Best he Romanov summer palaces (Peterhof, Tsarskoe Tselo) Tare architecturally stunning and decadent beyond belief: a must see, even on a whistlestop trip (see Chapter 10). If you don’t want to

go beyond the city, however, the Petrogradsky and Vasilievsky Heading 1 in Three Days islands north of the River Neva offer plenty to explore. START: from Gorkovskaya metro, heading south down Kamenoostrovsky Prospect and east into Ulitsa Kuibisheva.

in April–July 1917, or the video 1 Sladkoeshka. Only for the recording of Mikhail Gorbachev sweet-toothed, but still worth a visit under house arrest during the coup for the sheer eye-boggling excess of of August 1991: and for an insight the cakes on sale here. Open from into Vladimir Putin’s rise to power, 10am, follow the northern boundary see the newest collection, ‘Russian of Alexandrovsky Park for a cup of Politics, With a Petersburg Face.’ coffee before you start. Kronversky @ 2 hrs. 2/4 Kuibysheva Ul. d. 2/4. Prospect d. 47. y 812 310 8005. $ y 812 449 2833. www.polithistory. ru/en/. Admission 200R adults, 100R 2 ★★★ The State Museum of kids, tours in English from 250R pp, the Political History of Russia. but call in advance. Daily 10am– Housed in the former mansion of 6pm, closed Thurs. Metro: Mariinsky prima ballerina Mathilda Gorkovskaya. Kshesinskaya (one of the city’s Style 3 Peter’s Cabin. I’ve almost Moderne landmarks, see p 105), come to blows with (philistine) much of the content does reflect its friends over this, underwhelmed by previous incarnations as a branch of the tiny log cabin built in three days the Central Lenin Museum and, by the newly arrived Tsar in May later, the State Museum of the Great 1703. Although it did not officially October Socialist Revolution. While become a museum until 1931, its it covers the key moments in 19th importance was clear almost imme- and 20th century Russian history diately after Peter’s death, its first (from the reforms of the 1860s to protective covering being built in the events of 1917 and the Russian 1723 and the interior altered in Civil War), the main draw for 1742 to allow easier access for the non-Russian speakers will crowds viewing the Tsar’s icon. be the no-holds-barred With sail cloth on the walls, ‘Soviet Era: Between Uto- misted 18th century glass in pia and Reality,’ tracing the windows, and an armchair the history of repression, apparently made by the Tsar propaganda and eco- Carpenter himself, I’ve always nomic realities from the felt it gives a mid-1920s to pere- direct sense of stroika. Don’t miss the founding Lenin’s office and fathers’ aus- the office of the tere and coura- Bolshevik Cen- geous lives. tral Commit- Sceptics, however, tee, kept as point out that the they were during the Bolsheviks’ Peter the Great at Peter’s occupancy Cabin.

005_714041-ch01.indd5_714041-ch01.indd 2121 66/18/09/18/09 99:11:11 PPMM 22 heavily disputed—some claiming the shots fired to signal the 25th October assault on the Winter Pal- ace were, in fact, blanks. Nonethe- less, the cabin from which Lenin broadcast the news of the Bolshevik victory is a must-see. There’s a fasci-

Full-Day Tours nating photo gallery covering its role in the Russo-Japanese War, the Revolution, and the dismantling of its guns for use on the frontline

The Best during the (see p 50). With much material in Rus- sian, it’s worth taking advantage of any guides that may approach you. Be prepared for steep and narrow staircases: no heels. @ 1 hr. 2/4 The Aurora Cruiser. Kuibysheva Ul. d. 2/4. y 812 230 walls are suspiciously IKEA-smooth. 8440. www.aurora.org.ru. Admis- sion free. 10.30am–4pm, closed Mon @ 30 min. Petrovskaya Nab. d. 6. and Fri. Metro: Gorkovskaya, then y 812 232 4576. www.rusmuseum. tram 2, 6, or 63. ru/eng/. Admission 200R adults, 70R kids. Daily 10am–5pm, closed Tues. 5 ★★★ = The Peter Paul Metro: Gorkvoskaya. Cathedral: Graves of the Tsars. 4 ★★★ = The Aurora Another magnet for small boys, it’s Cruiser. Small boys will love this: a worth taking a full day to do justice real battleship with real guns, and to the Peter Paul Fortress’s prisons, the chance to go below deck to visit cannon and ghoulish history, partic- the communications and boiler ularly if combined with the Artillery rooms. Its role in the Revolution Museum directly behind (see p 67 (see p 39) is legendary— and for the full tour). If you’re short of

St Petersburg by Helicopter

Prices are eye-wateringly high, but if you’ve ever dreamt of viewing St Petersburg from the air, it’s perfectly possible to arrange. Baltic Air run 15-minute flights from the Peter Paul Fortress heli- pad at 2,000 rubles per person, Sat–Sun only, 12pm–6pm. y 812 704 1676, y 812 571 0084. They run a similar service at Peterhof (see p 162). Airtours will fly anywhere you like, any day from Mon- day to Thursday, starting at €2,100 per hour: they’ll take off from the Peter Paul Fortress if you wish, although that’s an additional €1,000. y 812 902 9029, y 812 969 6932. www.airtours.spb.ru/ excursions.htm. A number of tour companies offer excursions tak- ing off from Pulkovo: U-Piter are among the cheapest, with hire of a four-seater starting at 45,000 rubles per hour. y 812 458 8048, y 8 921 377 5540, y 812 322 9240.

005_714041-ch01.indd5_714041-ch01.indd 2222 66/18/09/18/09 99:11:11 PPMM 23 The Best The St Petersburg Metro

Its development put on hold by the exigencies of recovery in Three Days after the Siege, St Petersburg’s first metro line (the Kirovsko– Vyborskaya (red)) did not open until 1955—two years after Stalin’s death, when Khrushchev was already cutting back on the worst excesses of the earlier regime. As a result, only this line comes close to matching the glamour of the Moscow metro, but its central stations do not disappoint. Ploshad Vosstania is said to have the last remaining sculpture of Stalin (see p 42); and look closely at the sculptured panel you’ll see above the escalators at : the characters seem to be encircling (and looking at) a blank space. Urban myth has it that a figure of Stalin was due to be placed here—never completed, for reasons of either death or dishonor. The station does, apparently, have a panel of Stalin, hidden behind a false wall in 1961. Avtovo is currently undergoing restoration, but the floor-to-ceiling cut glass on the pillars is still impressive, as is the sheer volume of granite, running from the cupola-topped ticket hall to the platforms.

time, however, head for the Peter was consecrated directly after the Paul Cathedral, burial place of founding of the city (in 1704), this almost all members of the Romanov building was completed in 1733. dynasty. Peter the Great is here, as Don’t miss the iconostasis—an icon- are Catherine II, Nicholas and Alex- filled tower rather than the typical andra, and the children of the last layered screen—and try to time your Imperial family, re-interred in 1998. visit for the daily cannon shot (from While the original cathedral the Naryshkin Bastion) at noon.

Ploshad Vosstaniya metro.

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Gorkovskaya, then marshrutka (mini- bus) Nos 46, 76, 183, 223, bus No. 6 or tram No. 46. Tram No. 6 also runs from the Avrora (see above). 6 ★★★ The Strelka. It’s a long walk from the Peter Paul Fortress to the Strelka (the eastern-most spit of Full-Day Tours Vasilievsky Island), but worth it for the views of the Palace Embank- ment, Birzhevaya Ploshad (Exchange Square) and, if you time it right, The Best floodlight fountains as you cross the Birzhevoy Bridge. This is one spot definitely to be visited during White Nights, when—during the annual Economic Forum or Aliye Parusa end of term party—flares are lit from the top of the Rostoral Columns and lasers shoot across the facades of the Winter Palace. If you’re still on your feet, follow Birzhevoy Proezd The Rostoral Columns. eastwards and wander the statue- lined Mendeleyevskaya Liniya and the Twelve Colleges, built between @ 1 hr. y 812 230 232 9454. Admis- 1722–1742 to house Peter the sion to the cathedral only 150R Great’s various ministries, now part adults, 70R kids. Daily 10am–8pm. of St Petersburg State University. Access to the belltower is possible See the full Vasilievsky Island tour at certain times (closed Wed), at on p 78. 150R adults, 60R kids. Metro: • The Strelka.

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