Saint Petersburg Things to Do Tips by Herttuli

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The Russian Museum was established in 1895 and opened on March 14, 1898 in the Mikhailovsky Palace. The original collection consisted of 80 canvases from the Hermitage collection, 120 - from the Academy of Fine Arts and 200 - from various royal palaces. So many pieces of art were donated to the Russian Museum after 1898 that an additional Benois Building was constructed in 1914-16 to house the growing collection of the museum. After the revolution of 1917 collection of the Russian Museum grew quickly due to 'nationalization' (requisition) of art from numerous private collections.

From the very first days of the Russian Museum, Mikhailvosky Palace was the main building of the museum and was showcasing the creme de la creme of Russian Art. Currently it shows art from the early Russian icons to early 20th century paintings (for Avant-garde see the Marble Palace). Displayed at Mikhailovsky Palace are excellent Russian icons, including some by Andrey Rublyov, portraits by Rokotov, Levitsky, Borovikovsky and Shubin, works by Brullov, Bruni and Ivanov, seascapes by Aivazovsky, historical paintings and portraits by Surikov and Repin, landscapes by Kuingi and Levitan, paintings by Vasnetsov, Korovin, Vrubel, Nesterov, Benois, Somov, Dobuzhinsky, Bakst, Serov, sculptures by Trubetskoy, Grabar, Serebryakova, Kustodiev, Rerikh and many others. It is a good idea to see it all with a guide, who will give you more background information on artists and their works.

Mikhailovsky Palace, although remodeled to house a museum, is a fine neo-classical building with a stunningly beautiful facade and a few interesting interiors. The main facade of the palace with a exquisite portico and an entrance flanked by two sculptures of lions is a focal point of the Arts Square. The palace was built in 1819-25 by the architect Carlo Rossi for Grand Duke Mikhail (younger brother on Alexander I and Nicholas I). The Grand Duke himself was rather a forgettable person, but his wife Elena Pavlovna was best loved by the enlightened aristocracy and cultured people, whom she always welcomed at her home till her death in 1873. In the end of the 19th century the palace was bought by the government and was given to the newly-formed Russian Museum of Emperor Alexander III. The palace was damaged during WWII (the Siege of Leningrad), but was soon restored and last year revamped again for this year's Centennial celebrations.

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St. Petersburg's main street - Nevski Prospekt - runs from the Admiralty, past the Moscow Station to the Aleksandr Nevsky Monastery. Start from the Admiralty and in a few minutes you will come to the Kazan Cathedral, modeled on the Vatican in Rome. Now the Museum of the History of Religion, it is undergoing renovation after many years of neglect. It stands in a large square . Many of its old icons are housed in glass cases.
On the opposite of the square, at No. 28, you see an Art Deco style building from about 1910. In it is the House of Books (Dom Knigi. In the store you can buy English language books, and also posters, maps and art books.

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Situated in the centre of St. Petersburg the State Hermitage Museum is housed in five magnificent buildings created by celebrated architects of the 18th to 19th century. The Winter Palace, formerly the residence of Russian Emperors which was constructed between 1754 and 1762 after a design of Bartolomeo Rastrelli, occupies an important place amongst the other constructions of the overall Museum ensemble.

Put together throughout two centuries and a half, the Hermitage collections of works of art (over 3,000,000 items) present the development of the world culture and art from the Stone Age to the 20th century. Today the Museum is creating its digital self-portrait to be displayed around the world. Computer technologies enable the State Hermitage Museum to provide people from all over the world with wider access to information about the Museum and its treasures.

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The Mariinsky Theatre was founded in 1783 following a decree by Empress Catherine the Great to stage the first Russian comic operas and the best works by foreign composers. The current theatre was built on a site that had been a circus, opposite the Italian Bolshoi Theatre in Carousel Square. Today this area is known as Theatre Square, and the Italian opera house has long ago made way for the famous St. Petersburg Conservatory, named after Rimsky-Korsakov who taught there for nearly 40 years.
Designed by the architect Caves, the theatre, opened in 1860, was named for Maria, wife of the reigning Tsar Alexander II. Known during the Soviet era as the Kirov, after a Russian revolutionary leader, the theatre has regained its original imperial title: the Mariinsky.

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The Russian Museum was established in 1895 and opened on March 14, 1898 in the Mikhailovsky Palace. The original collection consisted of 80 canvases from the Hermitage collection, 120 - from the Academy of Fine Arts and 200 - from various royal palaces. So many pieces of art were donated to the Russian Museum after 1898 that an additional Benois Building was constructed in 1914-16 to house the growing collection of the museum. After the revolution of 1917 collection of the Russian Museum grew quickly due to 'nationalization' (requisition) of art from numerous private collections.

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