Catherines Return To Classicism
Despite her fondness for Elizabeth, Catherine the Great was not a fan of her predecessor's increasingly elaborate and sumptuous displays of wealth and power. Catherine's major philosophical interest was the Enlightenment, which had brought the neoclassical style to the fore in Western Europe. As a result, she began her long reign by departing from baroque architecture and introducing neoclassicism to Russia. The first major neoclassical masterpiece in Catherine's St Petersburg was the Academy...
Peters Paradise
Peter did not wait for the war to end before he started building. The wooden palisade encampment on Hares' Isle became the red-brick Peter & Paul Fortress (pi 13). In June 1703 Peter gave the site a name - Sankt Pieter Burkh, in his favourite Dutch tongue and after his patron saint, who stands guard before the gates to paradise. There was a reason why until now the area had only attracted a few Finnish fishermen for settlement. It was a swamp. The Neva River runs from nearby Lake Ladoga,...
Cheap Sleeps
St Petersburg International Hostel (p208) Nils Bed & Breakfast (p207) Andrey & Sasha's Homestay (p210) in a simple, subdued style. The location is excellent - midway between St Isaac's Cathedral, Dvortsovaya pi and Nevsky pr. Alternatively, Herzen Hotel ( 315 5550 www .herzen-hotel.ru r R3600-4600 (El 0) is a slightly larger facility of similar standards that is in the same building. HOTEL SONATA Map pp68-9 Mini-Hotel 315 5112 www.hotel-sonata.com Gorokhovaya ul 3 r R3500-4200 Nevsky Pr...
Transport Pushkin Pavlovsk
Distance from St Petersburg 25km (Pushkin) and 29km (Pavlovsk) Travel Time 45 minutes to one hour Bus A large number of marshrutky (R25, 30 minutes) leave from outside Moskovskaya metro station in St Petersburg to Pushkin (aka Tsarskoe Selo). Take bus 286, 299 or 342. Marshrutky K299 and K545 connect Pushkin and Pavlovsk (R15,10 minutes). Train Suburban trains run from Vitebsk Station (Vitebsky vokzal) in St Petersburg, but they're infrequent except for weekends. For Tsarskoe Selo get off at...
Air
St Petersburg is Russia's second-largest air hub, although it lags far behind Moscow in terms of the number of long-haul connections. It's well-connected throughout Europe and the former Soviet Union, but from Asia, Australasia and the Americas you'll usually have to change planes in either Moscow or another European hub to fly into St Petersburg. Any airlines flying to and from St Petersburg not listed below will likely have an office at Pulkovo Airport (see p234) Aeroflot (SU Map p92 4385583,...
Revolutionary Literature
The immediate aftermath of 1917 saw a creative upswing in Russia. Inspired by social change, writers carried over these principles into their work, pushing revolutionary ideas and groundbreaking styles. The trend was temporary, of course. The Bolsheviks were no connoisseurs of culture and the new leadership did not appreciate literature unless it directly supported the goals of communism. Some writers managed to write within the system, penning some excellent poetry and plays in the 1920s...
Kresty Prison Map ppl
542 6861,542 4735 www.kresty.ru Arse-nalnaya nab 7 admission R300 S tours noon, 1,30pm, 3pm Sat & Sun year-round, plus 4.30pm Sat & Sun May-0ct M PI Lenina Kresty is St Petersburg's main holding prison if you're busted here, Kresty's where they take you to await whatever it is that awaits you. You wouldn't want to find out conditions are much better now than when the prison was at its most crowded, but it is still hardly a pleasant place. Kresty is the oldest working prison in Russia,...
Vasilevsky Island
One of the city's most interesting areas for dining, Vasilevsky Island offers river cruises, ethnic cuisine, and some of the classiest and most innovative Russian restaurants in town. Look around the metro station at (M) Vasile-ostrovskaya and near the Strelka. Staraya Tamozhnya 327 8980 www.concord -catering.ru Tamozhenny perl meals R800-1200 Slpm-1am (MJNevskyPr This restaurant is not actually set in the old customs house, although it is around the corner in the historic building that houses...
Jubilee Sports Palace
Yubileyny Dvorets Sporta 323 9322 pr Dobroly-ubova18 Sportivnaya This 7000-seat stadium is home to the local basketball team, Spartak, who play here from October to April. Buy tickets at the stadium box office or at a teatralnaya kassa (theatre kiosk scattered around the city). PETROVSKY STADIUM Mapppll4-15 328 8901 www.petrovsky.spb.ru Petrovsky ostrov 2 tickets R100-500 Sportivnaya Zenith, St Petersburg's top football team, normally plays at this huge stadium on Petrovsky Island (a small...
Vladimirskaya Vosstaniya Walking Tour
1 Vladimirskaya PI Named for the golden domed Vladimirsky Cathedral (p91), this bustling square is the centre of a commercial district. Indeed, if you like to shop, Vladimirsky Passage (p156) is a nice place to do it. The bronze bust .Che 'c Moscow EQ Station 4 Vloskovsky vokzal)
Russian Empire Style
Alexander I (r 1801-25) ushered in the new century with much hope that he would see through Catherine's reforms, becoming the most progressive tsar yet. His most enduring architectural legacy would be the new Alexandrian Empire style, a Russian counterpart to the style that had become popular in prewar Napoleonic France. This style was pioneered by a new generation of architects, most famously Carlo Rossi. Before the Napoleonic Wars, the two most significant additions to the cityscape were the...
Alexander Nevsky Monastery
Lavra Alexandra Nevskogo 274 0409 www .lavra.spb.ru pi Alexandra Nevskogo admission free S grounds 6am-10pm M PI Alexandra Nevskogo Peter the Great made a mistake when he founded the Alexander Nevsky Monastery on this spot at the far end of Nevsky pr. He wrongly thought that this was where Alexander of Novgorod had beaten the Swedes in 1240. Nonetheless, in 1797 it became a lavra, the most senior grade of Russian Orthodox monasteries. And today it is a working monastery that attracts the most...
Site Of Pushkins Duel Map P
Mesto duela AS Pushkina Kolomyazhsky pr M Chyornaya Rechka This is a point of literary pilgrimage for those who mourn the loss of Russia's poetic genius, Alexander Pushkin, who was senselessly killed in a duel with the Frenchman Georges d'Anthes on 8 February 1837. The story has developed a certain mythology around it in the past two centuries see p73 for details. A marble monument now stands on the place where Pushkin was shot and there are always fresh flowers here. From the metro station at...
Within The Moyka
This inner circle of the Historic Heart is so packed with palaces, museums and churches that there is hardly any room left for regular places such as restaurants. But you'll find a few gems on the smaller streets, especially Gorokhovaya, Malaya Morskaya and Bolshaya Morskaya. 571 7591 www.neprestoran.ru nab reki Moyki 37 meals R600-800 Nevsky Pr Unlike most communist-theme restaurants in the city, NEP celebrates the early 1920s, a period of entrepreneurial activity and relative liberalism under...
Kisselenko Fashion Salon
Map p84 Clothing & Accessories 271 2552 www.kisselenko.ru Kirochnaya ul 47 Chernyshevskaya Designer Lilia Kisselenko uses sublimely simple fabrics to create women's clothing that is at once linear and flatteringly feminine. This is a name to watch out for - she's not quite flashy enough to appeal to the New Russian nouveau riche (who don't care for Russian products anyway), but rather caters to connoisseurs with a discerning eye and upper-class fashion sensibility. If you like this place,...
Who Murdered Sergei Kirov
Though no Longer the capitaL, Leningrad still figured prominently in Soviet politics. The Leningrad party machine, headquartered in the Smolny Institute (p83), was a plum post in the Communist Party. The First Secretary, head of the Leningrad organisation, was always accorded a seat on the Politburo, the executive board of Soviet power. In the early years Leningrad was a crucial battle front in the bloody intraparty competition to succeed Lenin. Lenin died at the age of 53 from a stroke,...
Fast Food Russianstyle
Now that Russians are part of the capitalist world, they sometimes need to eat on the go just like the rest of us. There is no shortage of American fast-food chains around St Petersburg, but there are also a few uniquely Russian chains that are every bit as popular as their Western counterparts. Perfect for travellers who are short on time and or short on cash, these options for bystrayayeda (fast food) offer an authentic Russian experience at a faster pace and lower price. Outlets are located...
Beat Street
If you are up for a night of bar-hopping, you can't do better than Dumskaya ul (Map pp68-9 Dumskaya ul 9 cover R100-300 S 8pm-6am (M) Gostiny Dvor), where four of St Petersburg's hottest spots for drinking and music are crammed into a crumbling, classical fa ade. A couple of these places are (or were) owned by Anton Belyankin and Andrei Gradovich - two members of the local ska band Dva Samolyota - which pretty much guarantees great music and a cool vibe. Sadly, rumours are running rampant that...
Nils Bed Breakfast
923 0575 www.rentroom.org 5-ya Sovetskaya ul 21 s d tr from 65 80 95 PI Vosstaniya (B Nils' new B& B is an excellent option at a great price. Four spacious rooms share two modern bathrooms, as well as a beautiful light-filled common area and kitchen. Nils renovated this place himself, taking great care to preserve the mouldings, wood floors and other architectural elements. He now exhibits the same consideration in taking care of his guests, who enjoy personal and hospitable treatment.
Left Luggage
You can check your bags at most hotels and train and bus stations. Look for the signs KaMepa XpaHeHJM (kamera khranenia left-luggage counter) or ABTOMaTMiecKMe KaMepbi XpaHeHMH (avtomaticheskie kamery khranenia left-luggage lockers). Both options are usually secure, but make sure you note the opening and closing hours. To utilise the left-luggage lockers 1 Buy two tokens (zhetony) from the attendant. 2 Find an empty locker and put your stuff in. 3 Decide on a combination of one Russian letter...
Summer Garden Map pp
Letny Sad admission free S 10am-1 Opm May-Sep, 10am-6pm Oct-Mar, dosed Apr (M) Gostiny Dvor Central St Petersburg's loveliest and oldest park, the Summer Garden is on its own island between Mars Field and the Fontanka River (you can enter at the northern or southern end). Early-18th-century architects designed the garden in a Dutch baroque style, following a geometric plan, with fountains, pavilions and sculptures studding the grounds. The ornate cast-iron fence with the granite posts was a...
An Drey Sashas Homestay
315 3330 asamatuga mail.ru nab kanala Griboedova 49 d 60 M Sadovaya Energetic owners Andrey and Sasha extend the warmest of welcomes to travellers who pass through St Petersburg. This is the biggest of three apartments they rent out by the room or in their entirety - all are centrally located and eclectically decorated. Andrey and Sasha have chipped back plaster to the brick walls, laid terracotta-tile floors with underfloor heating and installed iron candelabras. The bedrooms two to four in...
Menu Decoder
Word stress falls on the syllables in italics. 6jinHbi bli-ny - pancakes crepes also eaten as an appetiser or dessert 6jihhihkh Wm-chi-ki - bliny rolled around meat or cheese and browned rama fai-sha - Russian-style buckwheat porridge Kei np ki-ftff - buttermilk, served as a drink OMJieT ahm- yef - omelette TBopor tva-rok - cottage cheese aiiito yai-fro - egg aniHnita ya- i j ni tsa fried egg BTopbie 6jiiofla ffo-ryye blyuda -second courses or'main' dishes ropaiiie niofla gar-yc-chi-ye blyu-da...
Pio On Mokhovaya
273 3585 www.hotelpio.ru Mokhovaya ul 39, apt 10 amp 12 s d tr q R2200 2800 3200 3600 Mayakovskaya B This lovely lodging is the sister property to the Pioon Griboedov opposite . While this place lacks the canal views, the two apartments are midway between the Fontanka River and the Cathedral of the Transfiguration of Our Saviour. Prices are slightly higher here because each of the 11 rooms has a bathroom. Bonus there is also a Finnish sauna on site. HOTEL NEVA Map p84 Soviet Hotel 578 0504...
Mariinsky
Decidedly quiet, the Mariinsky district does nevertheless have a few excellent restaurants clustered around the theatre. Look out for the expatriate mainstay The Idiot and the Mariinsky's fashionable restaurant, Backstage Za Stsenoy . NOBLE NEST Map p102 Russian-French SSS Dvoryanskoye Gnezdo s 312 0911 ul Dekabristov 21 meals R1000-1500 M Sennaya Pl Sadovaya This is the doyenne of the St Petersburg I haute cuisine world, housed in the Trianon of the Yusupov Palace p102 . It's exceptionally...
Peterhof nETEPHHD
This most stunning of the tsarist palaces around St Petersburg was first built by Peter the Great it is also known as Petrodvorets Peter's Palace . Over the years his successors continued to build and expand - pretty much constantly - to create the astounding ensemble seen today. Comparisons to Versailles abound and it's easy to see why the sheer scale of the main palace and its incredible garden were heavily influenced by Louis XIV's own summer residence. That said, the centrepiece at...
Winter Palace Rd Floor
Although the rooms are not numbered chronologically, the artwork is actually arranged in approximate chronological order. Start at Room 314 near the stairs and lift in the northeast corner, continue from 332 to 328, then 325 to 315, ending with 343 to 350. The rest of the rooms on this floor house the Oriental and Middle Eastern collection. Rooms 316-320 Impressionists amp Postimpressionists Inspired by Romanticism, a group of painters in the 1860s began experimenting with painting modern life...
Vladimirskaya Vosstaniya
Plenty of places to eat are clustered around the metro stations at pi Vosstaniya and Vladimirskaya, as well as along Nevsky pr. Zagorodny pr is also becoming something of an 'eat street', with plenty of restaurants to suit all price ranges. 764 4413 ul Marata 54 34 meals R600-800 M Ligovsky Pr Generally accepted by all to be the city's finest seafood restaurant, this place is often completely full. The curious metallic maritime design complements the excellent menu of grilled, baked and fried...
Theatre
While it may not be completely accessible to most travellers due to language barriers, theatre plays a major role in St Petersburg performing arts. At least a dozen drama and comedy theatres dot the city streets, not to mention puppet theatres and musical theatres see p190 for a list of venues . As in all areas of the performing arts, contemporary playwrights do not receive as much attention as well-known greats and adaptations of famous literature. Nonetheless, drama has a long history in...
Smolny Institute Map P
2761461 pi Proletarskoy Diktatury 3 S by appointment only 10am-6pm Mon-Fri Chernyshevskaya Built by Giacomo Quarenghi between 1806 and 1808 as a school for aristocratic girls, the Smolny Institute was thrust into the limelight in 1917 when it became the headquarters for the Bolshevik Central Committee and the Petrograd Soviet. From here, Trotsky and Lenin directed the October Revolution, and in the Hall of Acts Aktovy zal on 25 October, the All-Russian Congress of Soviets conferred power on a...
World Of Water Museum
MirVody 275 4325 Shpalernaya ul 56 adult student R40 15 S 9.30am-6pm Wed-Sun Chernyshevskaya The handsomely restored complex of 19th-century brick buildings between Tauride Gardens and the Neva River house St Petersburg's water treatment company Vodokanal and its museum. The 1st floor has an interesting multimedia exhibition about what goes on underneath St Petersburg. The upper floors of the water tower contain historical exhibitions, including the construction of waterways in the city and the...
Mariinsky Theatre Map P
326 4141, fax 3141744 www.mariinsky.ru Teatralnaya pi S box office 11 am-7pm, tours by arrangement M Sadovaya The pretty green and white Mariinsky Theatre has played a pivotal role in Russian ballet ever since it was built in 1859. Outside performance times you can usually wander into the theatre's foyer and maybe peep into its lovely auditorium. To organise a full tour, fax a request to Dr Yury Schwartzkopf and call for an answer. For more information about attending performances at the...
Graveyard To The Greats
The Alexander Nevsky Monastery - named forthe patron saint of St Petersburg - is the city's most ancient and eminent monastery. So it is appropriate that the attached Tikhvin Cemetery should be the final resting place for so many cultural icons. Like Novodevichy Cemetery in Moscow, this is where visitors pay their respects to the most illustrious individuals in Russian music, literature, art and theatre. It was in St Petersburg that the 'Group of Five' - Modest Mussorgsky, Nikolai...
Anichkov Pension
314 7059 www.anichkov.com Nevsky pr 64, apt 4 s d from R4680 5860 Gostiny Dvor In the best tradition of exclusive European pensions, the unsignposted Anichkov is a place for those in the know. On the 3rd floor of a handsome apartment building with an antique lift, this self-styled pension has just six rooms. All are decorated in soft shades of beige and cream with walnut veneer furniture and antique-themed wallpaper. The delightful lounge offers balcony views of the bridge from which the...
Peter Paul Fortress Map PP
Petropavlovskaya krepost 230 0329 www .spbmuseum.ru grounds free S grounds 6am-10pm daily, exhibitions 11am-6pm Thu-Tue Gorkovskaya Founded in 1703, the Peter amp Paul Fortress is the oldest major building in St Petersburg. It was built as a defence against the Swedes, but they were defeated before the fortress was finished. In fact, it has never been utilised in the city's defence - unless you count incarceration of political 'criminals' as national defence. Up until 1917, the main use of the...
Index
Academy of Arts 47, 78, 110-11 Academy of Arts Museum 110-11, 112 accommodation 202-12, see also Sleeping subindex airport, near to 212 costs 202-3 Historic Heart 203-6 Liteyny 206-8 Mariinsky 210-11 Petrograd Side 211-12 rental agencies 202 room reservations 202 Sennaya 209-10 Smolny 206-8 Southern St Petersburg 212 types of 202 Vasilevsky Island 211 Vladimirskaya 208-9 Vosstaniya 208-9 Vyborg Side 212 activities 198-9 Admiralty 67, 9 air travel 233-4 airlines 233-4 airports 234 to from St...
