Museums

Classics

    * Hermitage
    * Russian Museum
    * Kazan Cathedral (daily cult from 10:00-12:00 p.m.)
    * St. Isaak Cathedral
    * Peter and Paul Fortress
    * Yusupuv Palace
    * “Jason’s Choice” (some like it macabre):
          o Kunstkamera
          o Museum of Hygiene: Monday-Friday 10:00 p.m.-17:00 a.m., Italjanskaja ul. 25, nice spot!
          o Guided tour (in Russian) of the legendary (and still very active) 'Kresty' Prison, Arsenalnaya nab. 7. Offered weekends only, at 12:00.p.m., 1:30 p.m. and 3:00 p.m.,
            Take your passeport with you. Not for children.
      If you enjoyed Jason’s recommendations have a look on his site

Other museums

    * Menshikov Palace, Branch of the Hermitage
      Built in 1710-1727 by Peter the Great for his favorite Alexander Menshikov, d.b. Fontana & Shedel; exhibits on 18C Russian culture, concerts of chamber music. Excursions for groups only.
      Universitetskaya nab., 15
      Tel: 323 11 12
      Tu-Su 10:30-16:30; Bus 7, T-bus 10
    * Summer Garden and Palace of Peter the Great
      Built in 1710-1714 by architect Trezzini. Located in the NE corner of the Summer Garden. Interiors contain original plafonds, carved oak panels, tile stoves. Exhibits include personal clothes and turnery of Peter the Great.
    * Letniy sad
      Tel: 314 04 56
      summer - Daily 10-21; winter - Daily 10-18; Palace-museum: from May till October - Mo, We-Su 11-18;
      Bus 46
    * Peter the Great's House
      City's oldest wooden structure, built in 1703 and preserved till our days
      Petrovskaya nab., 6
      Tel: 232 45 76
      Mo, We-Su 10-17; Gorkovskaya
    * Marble Palace, Branch of the Russian Museum
      Built in 1768-1785, d.b. Rinaldi for Grigoriy Orlov, the favorite of Catherine the Great. Displays permanent exhibition "Foreign Painters in Russia", "Gifts from Peter and Irene Ludvig" and temporary exhibits.
      Millionnaya ul., 5/1
      Tel: 312 91 96
      Ticket office: Mo 10-16, We-Su 10-17; Nevskiy Prospekt
    * Savior on the Blood Cathedral
      Griboedova kan. nab.,2
    * Alexander Nevsky lavra
    * Elagin Palace Museum of Russian Decorative & Applied Art and XVIII - early XX CC Interior
      D.b. Rossi in 1818-1822; former summer residence of Empress Maria Fedorovna
      Elagin ostrov, 1
      Tel: 430 11 31
      We-Su 10-18; Krestovskiy Ostrov
    * Defense and Siege of Leningrad Museum
      Founded in 1943. The exhibit features household goods, paintings and graphics from the blockaded city.
      Solyanoy per., 9
      Tel: 275 72 08
    * History of Religion Museum
      History of different religions, from ancient times till present. Unique collections on Siberian shamanism and North-Byuryat Buddhism.
      Pochtamtskaya ul., 14/5
      Tel: 117 04 95
      Ticket office: Mo-Tu, Th-Su 11-17; Bus 3, 22, T-bus 5, 22
    * Michael's (Engineer's) Castle, Branch of the Russian Museum
      Built in 1797-1800, d.b. Bazhenov and Brenna for Emperor Paul I. Resembles a medieval castle to protect Paul who feared assassination. Ironically, Paul was smothered in his bed on March 11, 1801. In 1823 it became the Military Engineering Academy, hence the second name Engineer's Castle. Now a branch of the Russian Museum.
      Sadovaya ul., 2
      Tel: 313 41 73
      Ticket office: Mo 10-15, We-Su 10-17; Gostinyy Dvor
    * Central Naval Museum
      The largest museum of its kind in the world. Opened in 1709. Displays the history of Russian fleet with 1860 ship models, arms and armors, paintings, coins, standards, documents, manuscripts, photos.
      Birzhevaya pl., 4
      Tel: 328 25 01
      Ticket office: We-Su 11-17:15; T-bus 1, 7, 10
    * Museum of the Artillery and Military Equipment
      More than 50,000 exhibits of artillery, firearms, military and engineering equipment, military paintings and large outdoor display of Russian tanks, a favorite for children.
      Aleksandrovskiy park, 7
      Tel: 232 02 96
      Ticket office: We-Su 11-17; Gorkovskaya
    * Zoological Museum RAN
      The oldest and largest in Europe. Animals, fish and insects from all over the world: 40,000 specimens, stuffed mammoths from permafrost.
      Universitetskaya nab., 1
      Tel: 328 01 12
      Ticket office: Mo-Th, Sa-Su 11-18; Bus 7, T-bus 1, 7, 10

Literature

    * Dostojewskji
    * Nabokov
    * Pushkin House
      D.b. Lukini in 1829-1832 as a customs house. Since 1905 has housed Institute of Russian Literature, in 1994 literary museum opened with exhibits of Lermontov, Gogol, Turgenev and Tolstoy.
      Makarova nab., 4
      Tel: 328 05 02
      Ticket office: Mo-Fr 11-16; Vasileostrovskaya
    * Anna Akhmatova. Silver Century.
      Displays personal effects, books and autographs of beloved Russian poetess.
      Avtovskaya ul., 14
      Tel: 185 04 42
      Mo-Fr 10-18

Suburbs

    * Pushkin
    * Peterhof
    * Pavlovsk
    * Gatchina
    * Oranienbaum