Districts of St. Petersburg on the map. Borders of St. Petersburg districts, map of St. Petersburg by district. District Administrations |

City of St. Petersburg (Russia)

St. Petersburg is the second most populous city in Russia and is often called the “Capital of the North.” It is located in the north-west of the European part of the country in the eastern waters of the Baltic Sea at the mouth of the Neva River. St. Petersburg is one of the most stunning cities in Europe, with a huge historical and cultural heritage, as well as a magical atmosphere. This is a city of amazing architecture, romance and inspiration, drawbridges and white nights.

St. Petersburg has a magnificent historical center, in which almost every building is a work of art and has its own history. The city center is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and is dotted with canals, beautiful Baroque bridges and a wide variety of attractions. St. Petersburg is also home to one of the world's greatest and oldest museums, the Hermitage, which includes a huge collection of art, treasures and antiquities.

St. Petersburg has many unofficial names. Most often you can hear: St. Petersburg, the cultural or northern capital, City on the Neva, Petrograd, Leningrad, Northern Venice.

General information about St. Petersburg

The city was founded on May 27, 1703.

Former names: St. Petersburg (until 1914), Petrograd (until 1924), Leningrad (until 1991)

Area – 1439 m².

It ranks second in population after Moscow. The population is more than 5 million people.

St. Petersburg is considered the cultural capital of Russia.

City Day May 27.

Climate: fairly humid, temperate maritime with moderately cold winters and moderately warm summers.

Geography and climate

St. Petersburg is located in the north-west of Russia, 650 km from Moscow. The city is located at the mouth of the Neva River, which flows into the Gulf of Finland in the Baltic Sea. St. Petersburg is built on the swamps of the Neva Lowland and the islands of the Neva Delta, dotted with canals and small rivers.

View of St. Petersburg

The climate of St. Petersburg is temperate, with continental and maritime features. The seasons are clearly expressed. Summer is cool and rainy. In winter there can often be severe frosts, fog and cold winds. Thanks to its northern location in St. Petersburg, you can observe an interesting phenomenon - White Nights (when night turns into twilight). White nights usually last from mid-May to June.

The weather in St. Petersburg is very changeable. Her whims have become a peculiar feature of the city and the topic of numerous jokes. Rain (especially in summer) can start at any moment, even when nothing seems to predict it. In winter and autumn, St. Petersburg is often covered by gray clouds and cold winds blow from the Gulf of Finland. Also, due to the low-lying terrain, there is a risk of flooding.

Description of areas. Addresses of district administrations of St. Petersburg

Admiralteysky district

The Admiralteysky district is located on the left bank of the Neva River. The modern boundaries of the district have existed since March 11, 1994 (after the unification of Leninsky and Oktyabrsky districts).

Address of the Administration of the Admiralteysky District of St. Petersburg (marked on the map ↑ ) -

190005, St. Petersburg, Izmailovsky pr., 10 Electronic reception, Telephone

The district was founded on November 5, 1704. The area of the district is 1382 hectares. The total area of courtyard areas is 937.75 thousand sq.m. The total area of green spaces is 219 hectares. The number of households is 1381. The area is located on 9 islands. It is washed by 7 rivers and 6 canals. Number of bridges – 56. Number of tunnels – 3.

On the territory of the district there are

2 railway stations:

Baltiysky Station - on the Obvodny Canal embankment; Vitebsky Station - on Zagorodny Prospekt.

9 metro stations:

Pushkinskaya Technological Institute Baltiyskaya Sennaya Square Technological Institute Frunzenskaya Teatralnaya (designed) Spasskaya Sadovaya Zvenigorodskaya

Population: 161,300 people.

Municipalities:

MO Kolomna
Municipal district Sennaya Okrug
MO Admiralty District
MO Semenovsky
Izmailovskoe municipal district
Municipal district Ekateringofsky

Vasileostrovsky district

Vasileostrovsky district includes two large islands separated by the small river Smolenka: Vasilievsky and Dekabristov Island, as well as the small Serny Island.

Address of the Administration of Vasileostrovsky District of St. Petersburg (marked on the map ↑) -

Bolshoy pr., V.O., 55, St. Petersburg, 199178 Tel.: 576-9372, 323-6307 Fax: 321-3315 E-mail Official website of Vasileostrovsky district

Year of foundation: 1917 Area of the district: 2146.88 hectares Population - 211,048 people Number of buildings - 1911 including: residential - 1189 non-residential - 722 buildings built before 1917 - 812

Length of roads - 86.9 km Number of enterprises and organizations in the area - 21283

In the area there are: 2 metro stations

"Vasileostrovskaya" "Primorskaya"

Municipalities:

Municipal district No. 7
Vasilievsky (No. 8)
Harbor (No. 9)
Nautical
Decembrist Island (No. 11)

Vyborg district

The Vyborg district is one of the largest and is located in the northern part of the city.

Address of the Administration of the Vyborg District of St. Petersburg (marked on the map ↑) -

Address: 194100, St. Petersburg, Bolshoi Sampsonievsky Ave., 86 Electronic reception Telephone

Year of foundation: 1917 Area of the district: 11,550 hectares Population : 482,450 inhabitants

There are 6 metro stations in the district:

"Udelnaya" "Ozerki" "Prospekt Prosveshcheniya" "Parnas" "Vyborgskaya" "Lesnaya"

as well as railway stations of the Vyborg direction of the Oktyabrskaya Railway: “Lanskaya”, “Udelnaya”, “Ozerki”, “Shuvalovo”, “Pargolovo”, “Levashovo”.

Municipalities:

Sampsonievskoe municipal district
Svetlanovskoe municipal district
Sosnovskoe municipal district
MO No. 15
MO Parnas
Municipal Municipality Shuvalovo-Ozerki
Levashovo village
Pargolovo village

Kalininsky district

Kalininsky district is located in the northern part of St. Petersburg, east of Vyborg. The existing boundaries of the district were formed in 1973, when the new Krasnogvardeisky district was separated from the newly built-up eastern part.

Address of the Administration of the Kalininsky District of St. Petersburg (marked on the map ↑) -

195009, St. Petersburg, Arsenalnaya embankment, 13/1 Electronic reception Telephone

Year of foundation: 1936 Area of the district: 4012 hectares Number of inhabitants as of 01/01/2016 - 530,163 people

In the area there are: Finland Station; Kushelevka, Piskarevka, Ruchi and Murino stations of the Priozersk direction of the Oktyabrskaya Railway (formerly the Finnish Railway)

Stations of the Kirovsko-Vyborgskaya line of the St. Petersburg metro:

“Lenin Square” “Courage Square” “Polytechnic” “Academic” “Civil Avenue”.

Municipalities:

MO Academic
MO Citizen
MO Finland District
MO No. 21
Piskarevka municipal district
Northern municipal district
MO Prometheus

Kirovsky district

The Kirovsky district is located in the southwest of St. Petersburg, overlooking the shore of the Neva Bay of the Gulf of Finland.

Address of the Administration of the Kirovsky District of St. Petersburg (marked on the map ↑) -

198095, St. Petersburg, Stachek Ave., 18 Electronic reception Phone

Year founded: 1917 District area : 4,700 hectares Population : 335 thousand people

Kirovsky district metro stations:

Narvskaya Kirov plant Avtovo Leninsky Prospekt Veteranov Avenue

Municipalities:

MO Knyazhevo;
Ulyanka municipal district;
MO Dachnoe;
MO Avtovo;
Municipal District Narva;
MO Krasnenkaya Rechka;
MO Sea Gate.

Kolpinsky district

The Kolpinsky district of St. Petersburg is located in the southeast of the city and borders the Nevsky, Frunzensky and Pushkinsky districts of St. Petersburg, as well as the Vsevolozhsky (along the Neva River), Kirovsky and Tosnensky districts of the Leningrad region.

Address of the Administration of the Kolpinsky District of St. Petersburg (marked on the map ↑) -

196653, St. Petersburg, Kolpino, Pobedy Boulevard, 1 Electronic reception Telephone

The city of Kolpino was included among the districts of Leningrad in August 1936. The area of the district is 105.6 square meters. km. Population - 185.5 thousand people

Municipalities:

Kolpino city
Metallostroy village
Petro-Slavyanka village
Pontonny village
Saperny village
Ust-Izhora village

Krasnogvardeisky district

Krasnogvardeisky district is located in the northeastern part of St. Petersburg on the right bank of the Neva

Address of the Administration of the Krasnogvardeysky District of St. Petersburg (marked on the map ↑) -

195027, St. Petersburg, Sredneokhtinsky Ave., 50 Electronic reception Telephone Fax

Year of foundation : 1973 Population : 337,065 people

Metro stations in Krasnogvardeisky district:

"Ladozhskaya" "Novocherkasskaya"

Municipalities:

Municipal district Polustrovo
Municipal District Bolshaya Okhta
Municipal district Malaya Okhta
MO Powder
Rzhevka municipal district

Krasnoselsky district

Krasnoselsky district is located in the southwestern part of St. Petersburg

Address of the Administration of the Krasnoselsky District of St. Petersburg (marked on the map ↑) -

Address: 198329, St. Petersburg, st. Partizana Germana, 3 Electronic reception Telephone

Formed by the Decree of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the RSFSR dated April 13, 1973. Population - 366,442 people Krasnoselsky district of St. Petersburg - the largest district of the city that does not have a single metro station - the nearest metro station "Prospekt Veteranov" is located in the Kirovsky district.

Municipalities:

MO South-West
Yuzhno-Primorsky municipal district
Municipal district Sosnovaya Polyana
MO Uritsk
Konstantinovskoe municipal district
MO Gorelovo
Krasnoye Selo town

Kronstadt district

Kronstadt is a district of St. Petersburg, located on Kotlin Island in the Gulf of Finland at a distance of 48 km from St. Petersburg, connected to the mainland by land.

Address of the Administration of the Kronstadt district of St. Petersburg (marked on the map ↑) -

197760, St. Petersburg, Kronstadt, Lenin Ave., 36 Official website of the Kronstadt District Administration Telephone Fax

Population - 43,005 inhabitants Area of the Kronstadt district - 1935 hectares

Kotlin Island is connected to the coasts of the Gulf of Finland by a ring road passing along a dam. A number of bus routes running along the northern part of the dam connect Kronstadt with Staraya Derevnya metro stations - bus number 101.

Municipalities:

city of Kronstadt

Resort area

The resort area of St. Petersburg stretches along the coast of the Gulf of Finland in a strip 6-8 km wide and 45 km long.

Address of the Administration of the Kurortny District of St. Petersburg (marked on the map ↑) -

197706, St. Petersburg, Sestroretsk, pl. Svobody, 1 Electronic reception Phone Fax

Area of the district - 26791.77 hectares Population - 67.9 thousand people.

Municipalities:

Zelenogorsk city
city of Sestroretsk
Beloostrov village
village of Komarovo
Molodezhnoe village
Pesochny village
Repino village
Serovo village
Smolyachkovo village
Solnechnoye village
Ushkovo village

Moskovsky district

Moskovsky district is located in the southwest of St. Petersburg.

Address of the Administration of the Moskovsky District of St. Petersburg (marked on the map ↑) -

196006, St. Petersburg, Moskovsky pr., 129 Electronic reception Telephone, Fax

Year of foundation - 1919 Area of the district - 7107 hectares Population - 337,153 people

The region is home to the Pulkovo International Airport, as well as two major highways in the north-west of Russia - Moskovskoe and Kyiv highways.

Moskovsky district metro stations:

Moscow Gate (1961) Elektrosila (1961) Victory Arch (1961) Moskovskaya (1969) Zvezdnaya (1972) Kupchino (1972) Borovaya (2022, projected) Bronevaya (2022, projected) Zastavskaya (2022 , being designed) → Spb metro line2.svg Moscow Gate Bronevaya 2 (in plans) → Bronevaya

Municipalities:

MO Moskovskaya Zastava
Municipal district Gagarinskoe
Novoizmailovskoe municipal district
MO Pulkovo Meridian
MO Zvezdnoe

Nevsky district

The Nevsky district is located in the southeast of the city on two banks of the Neva.

Address of the Administration of the Nevsky District of St. Petersburg (marked on the map ↑) -

192131, St. Petersburg, Obukhovskoy Oborony Ave., 163 Electronic reception Telephone

Year of foundation - 1917 Area of the region - 6177.4 hectares Population - 506,201 people

Nevsky district metro stations:

Elizarovskaya Lomonosovskaya Proletarskaya Obukhovo Rybatskoye Bolshevikov Avenue Dybenko Street

Municipalities:

MO Nevskaya Zastava
MO Ivanovsky
MO Obukhovsky
Rybatskoye municipal district
MO Narodny
MO No. 54
MO Nevsky
MO Okkervil
Pravoberezhny municipal district

Petrogradsky district

Petrogradsky district is located on islands in the northern and northwestern parts of the Neva River delta.

Address of the Administration of the Petrogradsky District of St. Petersburg (marked on the map ↑) -

197101, St. Petersburg, Bolshaya Monetnaya st., 19 Electronic reception Telephone

Year of foundation - 1703 Area of the region - 24 km2 Population - 136,613 people

Metro stations of the Petrogradsky district - Petrogradskaya - Gorkovskaya - Chkalovskaya - Sportivnaya - Krestovsky Island

Municipalities:

MO Vvedensky (since May 8, 2009)
Kronverkskoe municipal district
MO Posadsky (since May 8, 2009)
MO Aptekarsky Island
MO Petrovsky
Municipal district Chkalovskoe

Petrodvortsovy district

Petrodvortsovy district is located on the southern coast of the Gulf of Finland, 30 km from the city center.

Address of the Administration of the Petrodvortsovy District of St. Petersburg (marked on the map ↑) -

198510, St. Petersburg, Peterhof, Kalininskaya st., 7 Electronic reception Telephone Fax

Year of foundation - 1938 Population - 135,565 people Area - 109 km²

Municipalities:

Lomonosov city
city of Peterhof
Strelna village

Primorsky district

Address of the Administration of the Primorsky District of St. Petersburg (marked on the map ↑) -

197374, St. Petersburg, st. Savushkina, 83 Electronic reception Telephone

Year of foundation - 1936 Area of the district - 109.87 square meters. km. Population : 549,774 people

Primorsky district metro stations:

Pionerskaya Black River Komendantsky Avenue Staraya Derevnya Begovaya (2018, under construction) Shuvalovsky Avenue (2025, in plans)

Municipalities:

Municipal district Lakhta-Olgino
MO No. 65
Municipal district Chernaya Rechka (since February 15, 2008)
MO Komendantsky airfield
Municipal District Lake Dolgoye
MO Yuntolovo
Municipal District of Kolomyagi (since March 25, 2011)
Lisiy Nos village

Pushkinsky district

Pushkinsky district is located in the southern part of St. Petersburg.

Address of the Administration of the Pushkinsky District of St. Petersburg (marked on the map ↑) -

196601 St. Petersburg, Pushkin, Oktyabrsky Boulevard, 24 Electronic reception Telephone

Year of foundation : 1938 Population : 178,584 people Area of the district : 24,032.6 hectares

Municipalities:

Pavlovsk city
city of Pushkin
Alexandrovskaya village
Tyarlevo village
Shushary village

Frunze district

Frunzensky district is located in the south of St. Petersburg. The historical center of the district is Kupchino. It borders with the Admiralteysky, Nevsky, Central, Moskovsky, Pushkinsky and Kolpinsky districts.

Address of the Administration of the Frunzensky District of St. Petersburg (marked on the map ↑) -

92241, St. Petersburg, Prazhskaya st., 46 Electronic reception Telephone Help service; 709-61-70 - On-call service (24 hours a day) Fax: 576-84-39

Year of foundation - 1936 Population - 405,308 people Area - 37,469 km²

Frunzensky district metro stations:

“Kupchino” (1972) “Obvodny Canal” (2010) “Volkovskaya” (2008) “Bukharestskaya” (2012) “Mezhdunarodnaya” (2012) “Prospekt Slavy” (2018) (under construction) “Dunayskaya” (2018) (under construction) “Shushary” (2018) (under construction) “Karetnaya” (2022) (designed) “Romanovskaya” (planned)

There are 8 railway stations in the district.

Municipalities:

MO No. 71 (Volkovskoe)
MO No. 72
MO No. 73 (Kupchino)
MO No. 74 (Georgievsky)
MO No. 75
MO No. 76 (Balkan)

Tourist information

Population: 5.4 million people.
Area - 1439 km2.
Russian language.
Currency is Russian ruble.
Time - UTC +3.
The average height above sea level is 3 m.

Interesting facts about St. Petersburg

St. Petersburg is the largest city in Europe among those that are not capitals of states.
St. Petersburg is the northernmost among large cities.
The northern capital ranks third in Europe in terms of population, second only to Moscow and London.
St. Petersburg is famous for its drawbridges. There are about 20 of them in the city. The bridges are raised between 1.00 and 5.00 for the passage of large ships. Therefore, if your route includes crossing these bridges, then it is better to clarify the exact disengagement time, for example, here - https://mostotrest-spb.ru/razvodka-mostov.

One of the best ways to get to know St. Petersburg is to take a walk along the St. Petersburg canals. It’s not for nothing that this city is called the “Venice of the North”. More than 800 bridges were built in St. Petersburg, and the total length of canals is about 300 km. The canal system was built to protect the city from floods. The two most popular waterways are the Griboyedov Canal and the Winter Canal. The Griboyedov Canal passes under beautiful bridges and next to some of St. Petersburg's most famous landmarks. The shortest canal in the city is the Winter Canal. It takes place near the Winter Palace.

Streets of St. Petersburg

Administrative division of St. Petersburg

St. Petersburg is divided into 18 districts:

Admiralteysky
Vasileostrovsky
Vyborg
Kalininsky
Kirovsky
Kolpinsky
Krasnogvardeisky
Krasnoselsky
Kronstadt
Resort
Moscow
Nevsky
Petrogradsky
Petrodvortsovy
Seaside
Pushkinsky
Frunzensky
Central

The historical center of St. Petersburg is formed by the following districts: Admiralteysky, Vasileostrovsky, Petrogradsky and Central.

Food and entertainment in St. Petersburg

Amusement park Divo Island

The famous amusement park is the largest in Russia. It is part of Victory Park. There is a huge amount of entertainment for every taste - from simple children's carousels to those that make the blood run cold even in adults. The city park itself has a vast forest area with numerous ponds inhabited by ducks and swans.

Address: Kemskaya street, 1A

Walk along the rivers and canals of St. Petersburg

You can get special pleasure from the views of the city just by sailing along its waterways. During the summer season, walks along the rivers and canals of St. Petersburg are very popular, because the city opens up in a completely new light from the water. Each such walk will be like a separate unforgettable adventure with an immersion in the history of the northern capital and a lot of positive impressions. Excursions can be taken from almost anywhere in the city.

Mariinskii Opera House

By the beginning of the 20th century, the Mariinsky Theater became the first among all imperial theaters. The Mariinsky Theater became in honor of the first wife of Alexander II, Maria Alexandrovna. It was once conceived as a common stage for opera and drama troupes. On the upper ceiling, its decoration is decorated with portraits of twelve Russian playwrights. The elite of the capital's society gathered for the premieres, and the ballet dancers were under the personal patronage of the imperial family.

Address: Teatralnaya Square, 1

St. Petersburg food

In St. Petersburg there are entire streets with a variety of cafes, bars and restaurants for every taste and budget. But St. Petersburg canteens attract special attention; they are at almost every turn here. This is a great option for those who love traditional homemade Russian cuisine.

To eat in St. Petersburg style, you should definitely try shawarma. It can be meat or vegetarian - whatever suits your taste.

If you like sweets, go to the Pyshechnaya - there are a lot of them here. In them you can try donuts with a variety of fillings and toppings. The most famous crumpet is “Pyshka”. It has been open since 1958 and has been preserved not only as the best place to eat crumpets, but also as a monument to Soviet culture. Everything here has remained the same since Soviet times.

When visiting St. Petersburg, be sure to try fried smelt - this is a local delicacy and the general's fish soup made from several types of fish. You can try these dishes, for example, at the Koryushka restaurant on Hare Island. Restaurant address: Hare Island, Peter and Paul Fortress, 3.

The next dish that has become a culinary legend in Russia is beef stroganoff. It’s interesting that this legend is known more abroad than in our country. According to legend, this dish was born in St. Petersburg. It was prepared for Count A. Stroganov, when he, being of advanced age, could no longer eat meat in large pieces as before. His cook made a dish in which he cut the meat into small, small pieces. For example, the restaurant “Ivan da Marya” at 64 Nevsky Prospekt.

The favorite dish of Emperor Alexander III is Guryev porridge. Few people make this dish in St. Petersburg, but you can still find such places. The original Russian recipe for the dish consists of placing semolina porridge and milk foam alternately on a baking sheet. It turns out something like a layered porridge pie. For example, the Stroganov Steak House restaurant at Konnogvardeisky Boulevard, 4.

If we are talking about food, then it is impossible not to mention the famous gourmet food store of the Eliseev merchants. It was restored according to the exact drawings of the original one. Now you can buy all sorts of delicacies from all over the world here. Address: Nevsky Prospekt, 56.

Best time to visit

The most popular time to visit St. Petersburg is from May to June - the season of the famous White Nights. Also, a great time to come to the Northern capital will be July, August and September. In October the flow of tourists decreases. November to March is the lowest tourist season.

Saint Petersburg

About people in St. Petersburg

The people here are really creative and open-minded. Just walk along Nevsky Prospect and you will see a huge number of street musicians, artists, performers and poets. They paint pictures, sing, play unusual instruments, act out skits and stage entire performances. If you have the opportunity, visit some apartment building - there you can see with your own eyes how the St. Petersburg elite lives and relaxes. This is a great opportunity to meet unusual people or meet a descendant of some cult personality.

Story

St. Petersburg was founded in 1703 by Peter I in the Neva Valley in the territory of the province of Ingria, conquered from Sweden. In ancient times (in the 7th - 8th centuries) the Ilmen Slovenian and Krivichi tribes lived here. Then these territories belonged to Novgorod and were part of the trade route “From the Varangians to the Greeks.”

St. Petersburg is named after St. Peter, whom Peter I considered his patron.

The history of St. Petersburg begins with the founding of the Peter and Paul Fortress on Zayachiy Island. In 1704, the Kronstadt fortress was founded on Kotlin Island, and a year later - the Admiralty Shipyard. In 1712, St. Petersburg became the capital of Russia.

Saint Petersburg

By the middle of the 18th century, many of the “Peter’s” buildings were in a state of disrepair, which was facilitated by several large fires. During this period, a new city development plan was approved, which included the construction of numerous buildings and streets. By the end of the 18th century, about 200,000 people lived in St. Petersburg. The city included more than 1,200 streets and alleys, as well as more than 3 thousand houses.

Drawbridge

In 1824, the largest flood in its history occurred in St. Petersburg. In 1825, an attempted coup d'etat was carried out on Senate Square, known as the Decembrist uprising. In the first half of the 19th century, the architectural appearance of the city was finally formed. In 1836, the first railway in Russia was built between St. Petersburg and Tsarskoe Selo.

In 1914, St. Petersburg was renamed Petrograd. In 1918, after the October Socialist Revolution, St. Petersburg lost its capital status. Moscow became the capital of the state. In 1924 the city was renamed Leningrad. In 1941, the blockade of Leningrad by German troops began, which is one of the most tragic pages in the history of the city. The blockade lasted 900 days and claimed a huge number of lives.

Peter. Saint Isaac's Cathedral

After the end of World War II, the city was restored and developed vigorously. In 1951, Pulkovo Airport was founded. In 1955, the first metro line was launched. In 1991, the city was returned to its historical name - St. Petersburg.

Where to go with children in St. Petersburg

Grand Layout Museum

In order to look at St. Petersburg in miniature, you need to visit the Grand Layout Museum. Here everything moves and lives its own life. Not only your children, but also you will be delighted with what they see.

Address: Tsvetochnaya street, 16L

Park of the 300th anniversary of St. Petersburg

The park has access to the Gulf of Finland and a sandy beach. Many types of trees were donated to the park by other countries. The main attraction of the park is a large 22 meter lighthouse. This park is one of the most favorite family vacation spots in St. Petersburg. Among the children's entertainment, there are only trampoline playgrounds, but despite this, the sun, beach and nature of the park are enough for a wonderful time with children. In addition, on its territory there is an amusement park Divo-Ostrov, and a ten-minute walk away is the huge Piterland water park.

Address: Primorsky Avenue, 74D

Leningrad Zoo

The historical name of this zoo was preserved in honor of the memory that during the siege the staff were able to save the lives of the animals that lived here. It was founded in 1865 on the site of a private zoo. Now there are about 2.5 thousand animals and birds, 18 species of which are listed in the Red Book.

Address: Alexandrovsky Park, 1

Zoo museum

It is one of the three largest such establishments in the world. The collection was founded back in 1714 by Peter the Great. The world-famous Birch Mammoth is located here. The huge variety of exhibits of representatives of the deep sea, birds, dinosaurs, and marsupials will not leave anyone indifferent.

Address: Universitetskaya embankment, 1-3

Museum of Magic

A fabulous place with a lot of surprises. Here you can interact with magicians, interactive miracles, hat tricks and even Harry Potter's broom. You will see exhibits borrowed from magicians and learn how it all works. There is a relaxation area with a cafe and a place for a magical photo shoot.

Address: Nevsky Prospekt, 74-76G

How to get there

St. Petersburg Pulkovo Airport is one of the largest in Russia. It is located 20 km south of the city. The airport is connected to the metro by several bus routes. Pulkovo has air connections with most of the largest cities in Russia and Europe.

St. Petersburg has five railway stations. You can get to St. Petersburg by train from Moscow, Helsinki, Riga, Tallinn, Minsk, Kyiv and other cities.

Public transport in St. Petersburg is represented by the metro, trolleybus, tram and bus lines. The metro is the most efficient transport for moving around the city. The St. Petersburg metro includes 5 lines. The sixth one is currently under construction.

Panorama of St. Petersburg

How to get to St. Petersburg from Moscow

You can get to St. Petersburg from Moscow in any way convenient for you - by car, bus, train or plane.

Flights depart daily from Vnukovo and Domodedovo airports to St. Petersburg. The flight takes about one and a half hours. This is the fastest way.

You can get to the northern capital using the services of the Sapsan high-speed train. It will take you from Moscow to St. Petersburg in 4 hours.

You can take advantage of the railway connection between the cities and set off on the Red Arrow and Lastochka trains from Leningradsky Station in Moscow. Travel time is approximately 7-8 hours.

There is another way to get to St. Petersburg - by bus. The method is not the fastest or most comfortable, but it exists. The time you will spend on the road is about 11 hours.

If you choose a car as your mode of transportation, you will also spend about 11 hours on the road. You can try to avoid traffic jams by driving along the M11 toll highway.

Food

St. Petersburg is famous for its gastronomy, which includes Russian national, European, Georgian and Asian cuisine.

Popular St. Petersburg dishes:

Shawarma
Beef Stroganoff
St. Petersburg donuts
Fried smelt
Leningradsky rassolnik

Panorama of St. Petersburg

Attractions

St. Petersburg has a stunning variety of attractions, historical sites and cultural monuments, some of which are included in the list of UNESCO World Heritage Sites. Here you can visit magnificent museums and luxurious palaces, powerful fortresses and spacious squares, see ancient churches, drawbridges and White Nights, stroll along beautiful embankments and old streets, where you can feel the atmosphere of the real St. Petersburg.

Hermitage

Hermitage
The Hermitage is one of the largest and most famous museums in the world (the second largest art museum after the Louvre in Paris). It is a huge museum complex consisting of 6 buildings, the architectural dominant of which is the Winter Palace. The Hermitage is an impressive palace museum that contains more than 3,000,000 exhibits covering all facets of art, history and archaeology.

Its luxurious interiors house the world's largest collection of paintings, among which you can see masterpieces by Rembrandt, Leonardo, Michelangelo, and Rubens. In addition to exhibits of French neoclassical and impressionist art, Flemish Baroque and Italian Renaissance, the museum houses an impressive collection of Russian art, Egyptian antiquities and archaeological finds from around the world.

You can find out the cost of tickets to the Hermitage and buy electronic tickets on the official website of the museum - https://www.hermitagemuseum.org

The Hermitage was founded in the second half of the 18th century by Catherine II. Until 1852, the museum was closed to the general public. The main exhibition is housed in the luxurious building of the Winter Palace. This magnificent Baroque building was designed by Bartolomeo Rastrelli and commissioned by Catherine II. Construction of the palace began in 1754 and was completed in 1962. Until 1904, the Winter Palace was the official residence of the Russian emperors.

Palace Square

Palace Square
Palace Square is the main city square of St. Petersburg. This is a spacious public space located in front of the Winter Palace. The square is surrounded by a magnificent architectural ensemble of the 18th and early 19th centuries. In the center is the Alexander Column, erected in the first half of the 18th century in honor of the victory over Napoleon. The column is made of a single piece of red granite and has a height of 47 meters. The size of Palace Square is 5.4 hectares.

Palace Square was the epicenter of many important historical events. In 1879, an assassination attempt was made here on Alexander II, and in 1917, the storming of the Winter Palace marked the beginning of the October Revolution.

On the opposite side of the Winter Palace is the impressive General Staff Building, designed by Carlo Rossi in 1829. Previously, there were residential buildings here, but they poorly fit into the architectural ensemble of the main square of St. Petersburg. The two wings of the General Staff building are connected by an impressive triumphal arch dedicated to the victory in the Patriotic War of 1812. The arch is topped with a sculpture of the goddess of victory Nike, who controls six horses.

Peter-Pavel's Fortress

Peter and Paul Fortress
Peter and Paul Fortress is one of the main attractions of St. Petersburg, a unique monument of architecture and engineering. This fortification structure on Hare Island was founded by Peter I in 1703 and is actually the first “stone” of the new city (the founding date of the fortress is generally considered to be the founding day of St. Petersburg). Interestingly, the fortress has never seen military action. From the 18th century to the 20s of the 20th century, a prison was located within the walls of the Peter and Paul Fortress. Since 1924, this building has been a museum.

Every day at 12.00 a special cannon is fired from the Naryshkin Bastion.

The symbol of the fortress and its most significant attraction is the Cathedral of Saints Peter and Paul with a high spire, on top of which there is a figurine of an angel. This expressive baroque church is the tomb of all the rulers of the Russian Empire, starting with Peter I. The cathedral was built according to Trezzini's design between 1712 and 1732. Next to the cathedral is the Grand Ducal Tomb, built at the end of the 19th century and intended for uncrowned representatives of the Romanov dynasty.

The mint is also an interesting object. This is the oldest industrial enterprise in St. Petersburg, founded in 1724, and one of the largest coin minting centers in the world. It is believed that the mint was built according to the design of Antonio Porto.

Vasilyevsky Island

Vasilievsky Island
Vasilievsky Island is a small island in the historical center of St. Petersburg with an area of about 11 km2. Located at the mouth of the Neva and connected to the city center by two drawbridges (it is also connected by bridges to Dekabristov Island and the Petrograd Side). Vasilyevsky Island is known for its beautiful architecture, museums and parks. Here is the Menshikov Palace - a masterpiece of Peter the Great's Baroque architecture. This is the first stone building in St. Petersburg, which was built by the closest associate of Peter I, Count A.D. Menshikov.

St. Andrew's Cathedral

St. Andrew's Cathedral is an architectural monument on Vasilievsky Island, built in the second half of the 18th century. This church is in the Baroque style, which has a beautiful carved iconostasis.

Nevsky Avenue

Nevsky Prospect
Nevsky Prospekt is the main street of St. Petersburg, 4.5 km long, rich in magnificent baroque and classicist architecture. Crosses the Moika, the Griboyedov Canal and the Fontanka. Nevsky Prospekt was formed in the second decade of the 18th century and includes more than 200 beautiful historical buildings and several familiar landmarks:

The Admiralty is an impressive building in the classicist style with a tall, elegant spire, on top of which there is a boat. The Admiralty is one of the most significant historical buildings in St. Petersburg and a symbol of Russia's rich maritime history. The building was founded in 1711 and significantly rebuilt in the first half of the 19th century according to the design of the architect Andreyan Zakharov. Now it houses the maritime museum and the command of the Russian Navy.
The Stroganov Palace is a masterpiece of Russian Baroque, built in the mid-18th century.

Admiralty

Anichkov Bridge is one of the most beautiful bridges in St. Petersburg, famous for its sculptures. It consists of three arches and crosses the Fontanka River. The bridge is named after engineer Lieutenant Colonel Mikhail Anichkov, who supervised the construction of the first engineering structure on this site. The modern bridge was built in the first half of the 18th century and reconstructed at the beginning of the 19th century.
Anichkov Palace is one of the imperial palaces, built according to the design of Francesco Rastrelli on the orders of Elizabeth Petrovna in the first half of the 18th century. The palace combines baroque and classicism architecture.

Kazan Cathedral

The Kazan Cathedral is an impressive church in the Empire and Classical style with a grandiose bell colonnade, founded in the second decade of the 19th century to store a valuable relic - the icon of the Mother of God of Kazan. The Kazan Cathedral was built by order of Emperor Paul I and is one of the largest churches in St. Petersburg. The church is designed after St. Peter's Basilica in Rome and has a beautiful interior with many columns. The famous commander Mikhail Kutuzov rests here.
The Alexander Nevsky Lavra is a monastery founded by Peter I in 1713. The relics of Alexander Nevsky are kept here. The Lavra is a complex of religious buildings in the style of early classicism, most of which were built in the second half of the 18th century under Catherine II. The architectural dominant of the monastery is the Trinity Cathedral - a single-domed church with two towers. Its most valuable relic is a one and a half ton baroque memorial (so-called cancer) of Alexander Nevsky, made of silver.
The Alexandrinsky Theater is a drama theater, one of the oldest in Russia. It is one of the iconic cultural buildings of St. Petersburg. The Alexandrinsky Theater was founded in 1756.
The Eliseevs' store is a building from the early 20th century, a masterpiece of Art Nouveau architecture.

Peterhof

Peterhof
Peterhof is a chic ensemble of palaces, magnificent gardens and fountains, founded by Peter in 1705 and built on the model of the French Versailles. Located 30 km from St. Petersburg on the shores of the Gulf of Finland. Peterhof was the country residence of Russian emperors and amazes with its atmosphere of luxury. Its most famous attraction is the Grand Cascade, a group of 64 fountains. There are more than 170 fountains in Peterhof. They are fed by underground water and some of them are real works of art.

The architectural appearance of Peterhof was formed over the 18th and 19th centuries. The main building of the complex is the Great Peterhof Palace, built in 1714-1725 and rebuilt in the Verstalian Baroque style under Elizabeth Petrovna. To the south of the palace is the Upper Garden with ponds and fountains, covering an area of 15 hectares. On the shores of the Gulf of Finland there is a stunning French-style Lower Park (102 hectares) with the Grand Cascade, a greenhouse and several palaces.

Church of the Savior on Spilled Blood

Church of the Savior on Spilled Blood
Church of the Savior on Spilled Blood is one of the most beautiful churches in St. Petersburg, located on the embankment of the Griboyedov Canal. This is a colorful sacred structure in the traditional style of Russian religious architecture, built by order of Alexander III on the site where his father Alexander II was mortally wounded. Construction of the temple began in 1883 and was completed 24 years later. Nicholas II already opened the temple.

The Church of the Savior on Spilled Blood was built according to the design of Alfred Parlande. Its architecture clearly shows imitation of St. Basil's Cathedral in Moscow. The inside of the temple is decorated with stunning mosaics and paintings. During the revolution, the church was used as a warehouse for vegetables. During World War II there was a morgue here. The restoration of the temple and restoration of its historical appearance took 30 years.

Saint Isaac's Cathedral

St. Isaac's Cathedral
St. Isaac's Cathedral is the world's largest Orthodox basilica and one of the religious buildings of St. Petersburg. The temple was completed in 1858 and has a magnificent neoclassical façade. The building is a cross-domed basilica with a height of 101.5 m. The architecture is distinguished by the impressive main dome, which has a diameter of almost 26 meters. The outside of the church is lined with gray marble and decorated with sculptures. There are porticos on each side. Inside, the walls of the temple are lined with white Italian marble and decorated with paintings.

Mariinskii Opera House

Mariinsky Theater
The Mariinsky Theater is one of the most famous cultural sites in St. Petersburg. The theater is located in a magnificent building, which is a masterpiece of neoclassical architecture with elements of neo-Byzantine design. The Mariinsky Theater was founded at the end of the 18th century by Catherine the Great. But the theater received its building only in the second half of the 19th century.

Cruiser Aurora

Cruiser Aurora
The cruiser Aurora is an armored military deck cruiser launched in 1900. Participated in the Russo-Japanese War of 1904–1905. and “survived” the Battle of Tsushima. The cruiser Aurora is a symbol of the October Revolution. The shot of his cannon served as the signal for the storming of the Winter Palace. Now the ship is part of the exhibition of the naval museum.

Bronze Horseman

The Bronze Horseman
The Bronze Horseman is one of the symbols of St. Petersburg and the most famous monument to Peter I. This is an impressive bronze sculpture installed on Senate Square in 1782. The author of the monument is the French sculptor Falconet. It’s interesting that Peter’s head was sculpted by his student.

Kunstkamera

Kunstkamera
The Kunstkamera is a museum of rarities and wonders, founded in 1714 by Peter I. This is the first public museum in Russia, the first exhibits of which Peter personally brought. The Kunstkamera is located in a beautiful building in the Peter the Great Baroque style, built on the spit of Vasilievsky Island. Unfortunately, most of the original collection was destroyed by a severe fire in 1747. Now the Kunstkamera is called the Museum of Anthropology and Ethnography named after Peter the Great.

Kronstadt Fortress

The Plague Fort is one of the symbols of Kronstadt.
The Kronstadt Fortress is the first fortification structure in Russia. The fortress was founded by Peter I in 1723 and throughout its history it reliably protected St. Petersburg from the sea. Once it was armed with more than 300 cannons and 250 guns that controlled the fairway. The fortress was disarmaed in 1965. Only the Northern Wall and forts have survived well to this day.

Where to go in St. Petersburg for free

Nevsky Avenue

The most famous and picturesque street of the northern capital, the front facade of the city. It stretches for 4,500 meters from the Alexander Lavra to the Alexander Garden. The avenue was designed as the main entrance to the city from Moscow. There are many architectural monuments and places that you can simply visit, for example, Vosstaniya Square, Anichkov Bridge, the shop of the Eliseev merchants, Gostiny Dvor, the Singer House, the Kazan Cathedral. Nevsky Prospekt is a popular place with a special atmosphere that is perfect for walking. The spirit of St. Petersburg lives here.

Address: from the Admiralty to the Alexander Nevsky Lavra

New Holland Island (park)

Initially, this place was intended for testing ships for buoyancy. Now it has been transformed into a recreation area for townspeople with picnic areas, playgrounds, restaurants and cafes, and just a pleasant atmosphere. There is a theater on site.

Address: Admiralteysky Canal embankment, 2

Summer garden

The Summer Garden is the oldest garden in the city. A year after the founding of the city by Peter 1, the garden was founded. By the way, he himself personally planted the first trees here - oaks, lindens, elms. In the garden you can see sculptures depicting beauty, architecture, day, evening and night, busts of Roman emperors and fountains - which Perth considered a mandatory attribute of his garden. But after the flood of 1777, many fountains were destroyed and were never restored. To avoid incidents of vandalism, the famous park fence was installed in 1784 - it is considered the most beautiful lattice in the world.

Address: Kutuzov embankment, 2

Street musicians

One of the city's calling cards is street musicians. They create the atmosphere of a creative city right before your eyes. There are many of them here and they are all very talented. You can just listen or dance to your favorite songs. You can find them in a variety of locations: on Vosstaniya Street, between Nevsky Prospect and Ostrovsky Square, on the embankment of the Griboyedov Canal, on Malaya Sadovaya, on Palace Square and others.

Raising bridges

Since the raising of bridges attracts a huge number of spectators, they made a show out of it here, complete with music and beautiful lighting. You can admire this action both from land and from a boat, but it’s no longer free. List of drawbridges: Dvortsovy, Troitsky, Liteiny, Bolsheokhtinsky, Blagoveshchensky, A. Nevsky, Volodarsky.

Lakhta Center

The tallest building in Europe is the Lakhta Center skyscraper. Its height is 462 meters. Built quite recently, using innovative technologies, the skyscraper has already become a city landmark, and its observation deck offers a wonderful view.

Address: Vysotnaya street, 1

Kazan Cathedral

Construction of the cathedral began in 1801 thanks to Paul 1. The horseshoe-shaped colonnade of this atypical cathedral consists of 96 columns outside and 54 inside. This is a functioning cathedral, although since 1932 it has been listed as a museum of the history of religion and atheism. It is here that M. Kutuzov is buried. A scene for the film “The Diamond Arm” was also filmed here.

Address: Kazanskaya Square, 2

Other sights and interesting places of St. Petersburg

Smolny
Smolny is a convent founded by order of Empress Elizabeth Petrovna in 1744 on the site of the palace of the same name. The monastery began to be built according to Rastrelli's design. The architect planned to build a huge cathedral with a high bell tower here. But the project was never completed during Elizabeth's lifetime. During the reign of Catherine II, the monastery began to be used as an institute for noble maidens. The monastery was completely completed during the reign of Nicholas I. Its cathedral has bright Baroque architecture and is considered one of the main long-term construction projects in St. Petersburg (it took almost 90 years to build).

Chizhik-Pyzhik

Chizhik-Pyzhik is a tiny monument on the Fontanka embankment, erected in 1994. Interestingly, this small sculpture is very popular among tourists. For example, there is a tradition of throwing coins on a small pedestal and making a wish. If the coin does not fall, then the wish will come true.

The little siskin has been stolen several times. It was returned several times. The last time they didn’t find it and installed a copy.

Narva Triumphal Gate
Narva Triumphal Gate is a magnificent bronze monument of architecture in the Empire style, decorating Stachek Square. It was built in the first half of the 19th century in memory of the heroes of the Patriotic War of 1812.

Sampson's Cathedral

Sampsonievsky Cathedral is one of the oldest churches in St. Petersburg, first mentioned in 1709. The current Baroque building was built between 1728 and 1740. based on Trezzini's design.

St. Vladimir's Cathedral

Vladimir Cathedral is an Orthodox church on the square of the same name with a separate bell tower. It was built in the second half of the 18th century in a style transitioning from late Baroque to early classicism.

Cathedral of Saints Peter and Paul

The Church of Saints Peter and Paul is an old Lutheran church, which is practically the same age as St. Petersburg. It was founded in 1704. The first building was built within the walls of the Peter and Paul Fortress. Then the church was allocated a plot of land on Nevsky Prospekt. The current building, in the late classicist style and with neo-Romanesque elements, was built in the first half of the 19th century. Unfortunately, during the Soviet period, the temple lost most of its original interior decoration.

Naval Cathedral

The Naval Cathedral in Kronstadt is an impressive neo-Byzantine style cathedral built in the early 20th century. The interior of the church is modeled after the Hagia Sophia in Istanbul.

Cathedral Mosque

The Grand Mosque is an impressive religious building from the early 20th century with two 48-meter minarets, an impressive portal and a dome decorated with blue ceramic tiles.

Choral Synagogue

The Choral Synagogue is the largest Jewish religious building in Russia and the second largest in Europe. The synagogue was built at the end of the 19th century in the neo-Moorish style.

The most famous monuments of St. Petersburg

Monument to Chizhik-Pyzhik

Chizhik-Pyzhik is the most unusual and small monument - only 11 cm high and weighing 5 kg. It is located on the embankment of the Fontanka River. Probably everyone knows or has at least heard the song: “Chizhik-Pyzhik, where have you been?

I drank vodka on the Fontanka.

I drank a glass, drank two -

My head was spinning."

According to St. Petersburg legend, this song was composed about students of the Imperial School of Law, which was located here from the 30s of the 19th century until the beginning of the 20th century. The colors of the uniforms and siskin hats worn by the students resembled the plumage of a siskin. That’s why they were nicknamed “siskin-fawns.” Throughout history, this monument was stolen seven times, but each time it returned to its place. According to tradition, you need to make a wish and throw a coin at the foot of the siskin, and if the coin does not fall into the water, then your wish will come true.

Address: embankment of the Fontanka River

Bronze Horseman

The most famous monument to Peter 1 in the world. In general, it is made of bronze, but this name was assigned to it thanks to A. S. Pushkin’s poem “The Bronze Horseman”. It is worth mentioning separately the pedestal called the thunder stone. This block weighing 1600 tons was found 9 kilometers from this place. And it took six months to transport the whole monolith. In the place where this stone was located, a lake subsequently formed.

Address: Senate Square

Alexander Column

“I erected a monument to myself, not made by hands

The people's path to it will not be overgrown.

He ascended higher with his rebellious head

Pillar of Alexandria"

The monument, 47.5 meters high and weighing 600 tons, was erected in honor of Russia's victory over France in 1812. To this day, it is the tallest column in the world made of solid red granite. The column is not secured by anything and is not dug into the ground, it is just a long stone that stands on a flat pedestal.

Address: Palace Square

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