There’s no shortage of history and culture in this part of St. Petersburg’s centre. Vosstaniya Square, one of St. Petersburg’s main squares and transport hubs, lies in the middle of Nevsky Prospekt and its name translates as “uprising,” as it was the site of many demonstrations of the Russian Revolution in 1917. Most of the buildings surrounding the square, however, date back to the 19th century and the bustle of contemporary St. Petersburg plays out against a historic backdrop. If you’re coming in by train from Moscow, this is the first part of town you will see because the Moskovsky railway station is located here. The Alexander Nevsky Monastery (also known as Alexander Nevsky Laura, with laura being the highest rank for a monastery) is at the very end of Nevsky, right on the banks of the Neva. In pre-revolutionary Russia there were only four such lauras including the Alexander Nevsky Monastery which was awarded this rank in 1797. It was named after the great warrior, Prince of Novgorod, Alexander Nevsky (1220-1263) on the occasion of his canonization.

The fashionistas among you should definitely pay a visit to Galeria (the largest shopping mall in the centre) or Nevsky Center, which are on opposite sides of Vosstaniya Square.