Saint Petersburg Things to Do Tips by Canadienne

When traveling, I'm much more interested in visiting a museum filled with national art than simply "impressive" art. Time is precious and I'd rather be soaking up the atmosphere of the country I am in, in every way possible, than admiring borrowed treasures.

So, visiting the Russian Museum was a priority for me. . .and it fulfilled every expectation.

Leave a Comment

Address: Inzhernaya ulitsa 4
Directions: Arts Square, near Gostinyy Dvor & Nevsky Prospekt Metros
Website: http://www.rusmuseum.ru/eng/

The museum's art collection is laid out in chronological order. . .fantastic for watching the progression of themes and techniques. I tore the applicable pages from my Rough Guide and carried them through, adding to the educational aspect.

There is a decent cafeteria (no more expensive than museum cafeterias at home) to grab lunch if you spend the day, as we did.

Leave a Comment

Address: Inzhenernaya ulitsa 4
Directions: Arts Square, near Gostinyy Dvor and Nevsky Prospekt Metros
Website: http://www.rusmuseum.ru/eng/

The Russian icons are wonderful ~ though we weren't able to discern the aspects that make Andrey Rublev the legend that he is.

My mother's favourite section was classical ~ portraits and landscapes, with a particular fondness for Levitsky.

I favoured later paintngs, more interested by the period beginning with the Wanderers (painters who rebelled against their Academy) and continuing into the early 20th Century.

Each period is very well represented. . .even a couple of hours spent would give a good introduction to the rich history of Russian art.

Leave a Comment

Address: Inzhenernaya ulitsa 4
Directions: Arts Square, near Gostinyy Dvor and Nevsky Prospekt Metros
Website: http://www.rusmuseum.ru/eng/

The Church on Spilled Blood (Khram Spas na Krovi) is eye-catching from any angle. . .the onion domes can be seen from many spots in central St. Petersburg (the steeple is 80 metres high). While they bring to mind St. Basil's in Moscow, they are unique in St. Petersburg and stand out from the "European" influence in the city's other churches.

Leave a Comment

Address: nab. Kanala Griboedova

The church is simply gorgeous ~ it's decorated (inside and out) with mosaics that cover some 7,000 square metres.

It's hard to believe that in 1930 it was closed and transformed into a warehouse. Incredible amounts of restoration work have been done since the 70s and it was finally reopened to the public in 1997. It's a museum, not a church, but it is used for special religious functions/occasions.

The section in the picture juts out over the Griboedova canal, in an effort to truly mark the spot where Tsar Alexander was killed.

Leave a Comment

Address: nab. Kanala Griboedova

Entry to the museum is 250 rubles (it was 31 to a usd when we were there), so it's not cheap (none of the entries are) and a camera ticket is an additional 50 rubles.

As beautiful and extraordinary as the exterior of the church is, it is surpassed by the mosaics on the inside, so I recommend swallowing the fee and counting this as an "unmissable" sight. We later visited St. Basil's and both feel this is a definite example of improving on the model.

Leave a Comment

Address: nab. Kanala Griboedova

The mosaics were based on works of art by Russian painters including Vasnetsov (one of my favourites from the Russian Museum) and Nesterov.

It took artists in the St. Petersburg Academy of Arts 12 years to complete the majority of the work on the pieces. The detail that goes into each scene is incredible ~ pay special attention to the fingers and toes for a sense of the magnitude of work.

Leave a Comment

Address: nab. Kanala Griboedova

The Church on Spilled Blood is one of St. Petersburg top attractions ~ it had quite a few tourist groups when we visited (Russian and Italian were the predominant languages).

There isn't anywhere to sit inside, so the amount of time that you'll spend admiring the mosaics and other interior decorations is limited by your tolerance for standing on the marble floors.

A few sections of the mosaics are lit with warm lighting, which the gold tiles reflect.

Leave a Comment

Address: nab. Kanala Griboedova

The Alexander Column is located at the centre of the Palace Square. The pillar weighs 600 tonnes and, combined with its base, it reaches 47 metres. It was raised in the 1830's to honour Alexander I and his success against Napolean's armies.

This photo doesn't do it justice, but if you check out the size of the people next to its base, you'll get a better sense of it.

Leave a Comment

Address: Palace Square (Dvortsovaya ploshchad)

The double-headed eagle was adopted as a Russian emblem in 1497 by Ivan III. The eagle looks east and west and was a byzantine emblem (the Tsar was linked to that empire through marriage).

You'll find the emblem on gates, on monuments, in tapestries, and many other places. Here it's found at the base of the Alexander Column.

Leave a Comment

Address: Palace Square (Dvortsovaya ploshchad)