Europe’s leading publisher of locally produced city guide
ESSENTIAL CITY GUIDES
St. Petersburg
- Arriving and Transport
- Mail and Phones
- Studying Russian Language
- St. Petersburg Culture and Events
- Hotels in St. Petersburg
- Restaurants and Cafes in St. Petersburg
- St. Petersburg Nightlife
- Sightseeing in St. Petersburg
- Shopping in St. Petersburg
- Consulates
- Expat
- Business Directory
- Health, Sports and Lifestyle
Free Download
Features
- The Magnificent Mariinsky
- Volga Dream
- Spooks in the City
- Leningrad Symphony
- Peter the Great
- Russian superstitions
- Lenintown
- Great Russian Beer Test
- Bridges of St. Petersburg
- Hermitage - the Ultimate Guide
- How Russians Say I do
- Russian People: Horsegirls
- Russian People: Babushkas
- Heroes of Russian Folklore: meet these homegrown favourite lads
- Children of the Revolution
- Chizhik & those Sphinxes: Quirky tales behind even quirkier statues
- Poor, paranoid Paul
- The Russian Banya
- Revolution!
- Great Russian Women
- The secrets of Russian caviar
- Caucasian cuisine – A taste of the South
- The Russian Kitchen
More features:
-
Lenintown
Vladmir Ilyich Ulyanov or Lenin, as he is more commonly known, is everywhere you look in Russia. St Petersburg is no exception, after all the starting point of the revolution itself was named after him for more than 65 years.... -
Poor, paranoid Paul
Pushkin once called Paul the first, the Romantic Emperor, but readers may know of Paul (Pavel in Russian) as Poor Pavel.... -
The Russian Banya
With winter arriving late, the In Your Pocket Editors hunt for indoor winter entertainment and recommend ice-skating and the essential experience of the Russian banya.... -
Chizhik & those Sphinxes: Quirky tales behind even quirkier statues
During the last ten or so years, new and intriguing statues have been appearing on the streets of St.... -
Volga Dream
A romantic and memorable trip down the Volga river from Moscow to St. Petersburg is the dream of many a foreign visitor to Russia.... -
Great Russian Women
You can call them the pillars of Russian society: the Russian women. But most of them don’t stand in the foreground (men always take this place).... -
The Russian Kitchen
Food in Russia is a serious business. No jokes please! We’re talking national pride here. Traditional Russian food is rich and stodgy peasant-fare from the village.... -
Spooks in the City
Ah the romance of the canals and neo-classic buildings, the world’s best ballet and opera stars and museums filled with priceless works of art.... -
Peter the Great
Born in 1672, Peter the Great is one of Russia’s most famous tsars. With the help of his half-sister Sophia he ruled for 12 years from 1682 until 1694 when he finally got rid of the pesky whisper in his ear that was his power hungry half-sister, by forcing her into a convent.... -
Great Russian Beer Test
Even the bears in Russia wander around swigging vodka, right? According to the stereotypes, in Russia it’s vodka straight up and nothing else.... -
Bridges of St. Petersburg
When Peter the Great, that wonderful builder, founded the city, he envisaged a bridgeless city where everyone maneuvered around on boats in summer and in winter, cruising around on sleds.... -
Russian superstitions
Russians are a very superstitious folk, they do a whole host of strange or unusual things to ward off the bad luck and welcome in a bit of good luck.... -
Revolution!
According to the old Russian style calendar, the revolution occurred in October, however with the new calendar, the Revolution date is celebrated on the 7th of November.... -
How Russians Say I do
As a tourist in St. Petersburg, it is sometimes difficult to avoid falling over the brides hovering around the city’s tourist sights posing for photos....
Ahoy there! Time to go boating...
1. The bridges
2. Central Naval Museum
Located in the former stock-exchange building, this museum shows the history of the Russian and Soviet Navy, from the time of Peter the Great until the present. Its exhibits include uniforms, flags and even a submarine complete with loaded torpedoes.
Open 11:00 - 18:00. Closed Mon, Tue. Admission foreigners 120-350Rbl, Russians 50-100Rbl. Photography 60Rbl, video 100Rbl.
If you want to look the part then you need one of these blue and white stripy tops. Typically you can get them for bargain prices at local military shops, for example at Kanal Griboedeva 10. And if you really want to get all out and give yourself the imperial naval fleet treatment get yourself a three-cornered hat from the treugolka shop at 6 Italianskaya ul D-3 (enter into the courtyard and it’s to the right of the hairdressers).
4. Flying Dutchman
The first thing you notice about this hulking construction on the side of the Neva is the fitness centre. But there is so much more... like for instance the restaurant. The Flying Dutchman serves Russian and Latino-American cuisine amid a luxurious glass encased dining space and a fantastic view of the Neva. The sailing ship, a model of the 18th-century barque Amsterdam, also has a beauty salon.
Open: 10:00 until last guest. (1500Rbl).
5. Kronshtadt
GETTING THERE: From Chernaya Rechka metro, take marshrutka 405, 406, from Staraya Derevnya metro, take bus 101, from Pr. Prosveshcheniya metro, take marshrutka 407.
6. Blagodat
This huge Dutch-style frigate doesn’t actually go anywhere but you can still go up on the deck to the Veter (wind) café and restaurant and feel like a pirate amongst all the rigging. Down in the hull there’s even more places to behave like a rowdy buccaneer with the intriguingly named Imperial Pleasure restaurant serving up big humps of steak and schnitzels. They even have karaoke!(900Rbl).
7. Cruiser Avrora
The battle ship, anchored off the banks of Petrograd Side, has become somewhat a Soviet shrine. This is because blank shots fired from the Aurora are said to have been the trigger for the revolution of 1917. The ship was sunk during WWII, to protect it from German bombing, and, in 1958, it was made into a museum. It is operated by the Central Naval Museum. After the collapse of the Soviet Union, mysterious rumours have been spreading that it is, in fact, a replica. But who knows? Why not find out for yourself!
Open 10:30 - 16:00. Closed Mon, Fri. Admission free. Excursions: foreigners 50-200Rbl, Russians 30-80Rbl.
8. Speedboats to Peterhof
Open 10:00 - 16:00. Boats leave every 30 minutes. Tickets cost 400 one way and 700Rbl return. On Fri, Sat and Sun price is 50Rbl higher. Discounts for children and students.
9. The Tall Ships Race
10. Jazz Boat
Respected local jazz musicians serenade a rhythm hungry crowd as you float around the city on the Jazz Philharmony’s summer jazz boat. On the upper deck the group Moscow plays Dixieland, whilst the lower deck hosts musicians playing more complex and modern jazz.
Show starts Wed, Thu, Fri at 20:00, Sat, Sun 16:00. Tickets are available in theatre box offices. Price 550 - 700Rbl.
11. Take a cruise
12. New Island
New Island claims to be St. Petersburg’s only luxury floating restaurant. With its own state of the art kitchen on board the well-presented fish and fusion dishes arrive promptly at your table just as the boat is floating past another beautiful palace on its way to Smolny. Great view but take care if you are in any way prone to motion sickness…
Boats leave at 14:00, 18:00, 20:00, 22:30. (800Rbl).
13. Boat tours
14.Krestovsky Ostrov
My ne vstretimsya nikak!’
‘You’re a sailor woman, I’m a sailor man
16. Boat bars
17. Icebreaker Krasin
The Krasin (built in 1916) was the world’s first icebreaker and although it’s now simply a museum, back in the day it was well respected around the world for taking part in a number of high-profile rescue missions. Although the ship’s equipment actually works, it can only be viewed during special tours, which are far superior to the regular tours. A regular tour will take you around the living quarters, the navigation rooms and the bridge. Unfortunately tours are given in Russian by an old sea-captain who speaks at about 200 knots an hour (at least ours was) and hence can be rather boring.
Tours leave everyday on the hour from 11:00 - 17:00. Tours of the engine rooms and icebreaking equipment leave Sat and Sun at 13:00 and 15:00. Admission foreigners 200Rbl, Russians 100Rbl, students 50Rbl.
18. Historical monuments
19. Submarine D-2 Narodovolets
Put into service in 1931, the Narodovolets was one of the first submarines in the Soviet Union. Inside the submarine itself if there are more than ten of you it can feel a little claustrophobic (or is that atmospheric?) although not half as much as it must have been when it was full with its 53 crew members. Everything has been faithfully preserved here, right down to the beds and the tiny kitchen and visitors are left free to wander up and down the narrow space, crawling in and out of hatches and staring down the torpedo chutes to their heart’s delight.