Saint Petersburg Things to Do Tips by emilienoelle

This new museum is dedicated entirely to the history of Russia's national spirit, vodka. It is a small museum, but their exhibits document the history of vodka back to its invention hundreds of years ago. You can see how vodka is made (properly, the Russian way!) and trace how its history is intertwined with the history of Russia itself. Fascinating stuff! You can also enjoy samples of various Russian vodkas and buy some to take home with you.

We tried 3 different types of vodka here, and I have to say that they do really have different flavors even if you wouldn't think so.

Exhibits are all in Russian, so if you don't speak Russian or have someone with you who does, you can ask for an English guide.

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Phone: 812-312-91-78
Address: 5 Konnogvardeisky bv.
Website: http://www.vodkamuseum.ru/english/

The Winter Palace/Hermitage actually consists of 5 different buildings connected by walkways. It was built by Peter the Great for his daughter Elizabeth, but she did not live long enough to see the palace finished. Her son, Peter III, was the first Russian Czar to live in the Palace. Today, the Hermitage houses the vast art collection of Catherine the Great. It is one of the finest collections of art in Europe, with works from every concievable master from every time period represented. The museum also houses many items once belonging to the royal family including Alexander the Great's coffin and other, more personal items. All in all, the museum houses over 2.7 million works of art.

The Winter Palace is the largest building that I have ever seen. It's green and white, gold-trimmed walls encompass perhaps 10 city blocks, maybe even more. It is incredible. Sadly, the building is not in very good condition. Much of the palace is in need of repair or renovation.

You will have to pay an additional fee ($5 US, cash only) in addition to the entrace fee if you would like to take pictures inside the Palace. I also recommend that you be wary of the many people that congregate outside the palace doors trying to sell things or begging for money. There is a good chance that you will get your pockets picked if you are not careful!

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Directions: Adjacent to Palace Square
Website: http://www.hermitagemuseum.org/html_En/05/hm5_2_1.html

This beautiful cathedral was built on the spot where Alexander II was assasinated in 1881, thus the name "Spilled Blood". It is one of the most recognizable landmarks in St. Petersburg. The church is covered inside and out with intricate mosaics. Pictures really can't do it justice. From the early 1930's until 1997 the church was closed to the public by the Soviet government. Today the building has been fully restored and functions as a museum of Russian mosaics.

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Directions: Off of Nevsky Prospect at the end of the canal.
Website: http://www.saint-petersburg.com/virtual-tour/church-of-savior.asp

This fortress, central to which is the golden St. Peter and St. Paul Cathedral, was the very first structure built in St. Petersburg. Orginally, it was built as a means of protecting the city's citizens, but it is most famously known as a prison--a prison once one entered, one never emerged from. Some of its most famous residents were Gorky and Dostoevsky. The cathedral is the final burial place of the Russian Emperors (not to be confused with the czars who are buried in Moscow). The remains of Nicolas II and his family, who were killed by the Bolsheviks, were laid to rest here in 1998.

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Website: http://www.saint-petersburg.com/cathedrals/Peter-Paul-Cathedral.asp

Palace Square stands next to the Winter Palace and was the place where the Bloody Sunday massacre took place. The statue of Alexander in the square's center was built to commemorate Russia's victory over Napoleon. The statue supposedly weighs more than 600 tons and is not bolted to the ground. This square is incredibly vast and is the sight of many public gatherings and festivals.

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Directions: Adjacent to the Winter Palace