NEVSKY PROSPECT is the heartbeat of St Petersburg. and other Saint Petersburg, Russia Things to Do Tips

NEVSKY PROSPECT is the heartbeat of St Petersburg. It runs for maybe 6 miles, from the Alexander Nevsky Convent to the Spit with Vostania metro and everything from Gostiny Dvor, to Subway, to McDnalds, to KFC, to Dom Knigy and several dozen churches inbetween.

Its the quintessential place to watch people from all over the world ogle St Petersburg.

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The world-renowned theater, known during Soviet times as the Kirov Opera and Ballet Theater, resumed its original name in 1992.

The present building dates back to 1859, when an earlier theater was remodeled and got its name - the Mariinsky. During the pre-revolutionary years the theater was constantly under royal patronage. Fiodor Shaliapin sang on its stage and among the most prominent dancers were Vatslav Nizhinsky, Matilda Kshesinskaya, Anna Pavlova and many others.

The building and its marvelous 1625-seat hall were severely damaged during the 900-day Siege of Leningrad and restored in 1944. Since then the theater has maintained its excellent reputation particularly for classical ballet. The most prominent conductors were Yuri Temirkanov and Valery Gergiev (currently Chief conductor) and among ballet directors - Leonid Yakobson. The famous Rudolf Nureev danced here too.

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Located on Nevsky Prospect there's a building that immediately attracts your attention. Kazan Cathedral encircles a small square with a double row of beautiful columns and an impressive colonnade.

Built by tarchitect Andrei Voronikhin in 1801-1811 Kazan Cathedral was greatly inspired by Basilica of St Peter's in Rome and was meant to be a Russian version of St Peter's in Rome.

After the defeat of Napoleon in the War of 1812 the church became a monument to the Russian victory. Captured enemy banners were put in the cathedral and the famous Russian field marshal Mikhail Kutuzov, who won the most important campaign of 1812, was even buried inside the church.

The cathedral was named after a "miracle-making" icon of Our Lady of Kazan, which the church housed till the the Bolsheviks closed the cathedral for services in 1929. From 1932 it housed the collections of the Museum of History of Religion and Atheism.

It remained so untill just a few of years ago when regular services were resumed in the cathedral, though it still shares the premises with the museum there is happily no "atheism" in its title any more!

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The massive St. Isaac's Cathedral dominates the skyline of St. Petersburg. Its gilded dome soars over 100 meters into the air, making it visible far out onto the Gulf of Finland.

The Cathedral was commissioned by Alexander I in 1818, ook more than three decades to complete and Its architect August Monferrand incorporated dozens of kinds of stone and marble into this enormous structure while lading its vast interior with frescoes, mosaics, bas-reliefs and the largest stained glass window in the Orthodox Christian world.

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Church of the Spilled Blood. No trip to SPB or travel log is complete without it!

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The Neva river dominates the entire St Petersburg horizon. I loved the lion ststues overlooking the river.

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Admiralty Arch. Every trip to St Petersburg should begin with a walk through the Arch into this broad Square.

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Rostral Columns are on the "spit" on Vasilevsky Island.

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Located within the island fortress.

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Bronze Horseman has the Neva as his backdrop.

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