Monkeyshrine Train Travel and Destination Specialists An introduction to Moscow and St Petersburg
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Trans-Siberian
Monkeyshrine
Train Journeys
Trans-Siberian Adventures
Train Travel and
Destination Specialists
An introduction to
Moscow and St Petersburg
2020
2 - Contents and Contacts
3 - Moscow and St Petersburg
4 - photo “Annunciation Cathedral, Kremlin, Moscow”
5 - About Us and How to Book
MOSCOW
6 - photo “Moscow Metro Station”
7 - Introduction Moscow, Tour Programs
8 - City Tour, Kremlin Tour
9 - Church of the Ascension in Komomenskoye, Sergiev Posad
Monkeyshrine
10 - Pushkin Fine Arts Museum, Tretyakov Gallery, Moscow Metro is a registered trading name of
11 - photo “Inside the Church of the Resurrection of Christ, St Petersburg”
The Russia Experience Ltd
1d, The Court Lanwades Business Park
12 - Red Square, St Basil’s Cathedral, Lenin’s Mausoleum, Novodevichy Convent Kennett , Suffolk CB8 7PN, UK
13 - photo “St Basil’s Cathedral, Moscow”
Fully bonded tour operator
Member of the TTA #U3665
14 - Izmailovsky Market, Ritz-Carlton Rooftop Bar, Ziferblat anti-cafés
15 - Bolshoi Theatre, Gorky Park, Star City, Sanduny Baths www.monkeyshrine.com
info@monkeyshrine.com
ST PETERSBURG Skype: monkeyshrine
16 - Introduction St Petersbrug Hong Kong: +852 2723 1376
17 - Attractions, Best Time to Visit, City Tour, Hermitage Beijing: +86 139 1008 1882
UK: +44 (0) 345 521 2910
18 - Peter and Paul Fortress, Pushkin and Pavlovsk, St Catherine’s Palace, Kempinski
19 - photo “Garden of St Catherine’s Palace”
20 - Peterhof, Yusupov Palace, Ballet
21 - St. Isaac’s Cathedral, the Church of the Resurrection
22 - Russian Museum, Fabergé Museum, Museum of Political History, Canal & River Cruise
23 - photo “Peter and Paul Fortress, St Petersburg”
info@monkeyshrine.com www.monkeyshrine.com
2 GUM Department Store on Red Square in Moscow.
The guided tour provided in Moscow was first class,
our guide was fantastic, superb English, really Москва MOSCOW
knowledgable and kept things really interesting! Moscow is where either your Trans-Siberian adventure starts or ends, and
Hannah Rosborough, April 2011 it would be a shame if you don’t have at least three days to explore Russia’s
capital and the country’s largest city.
• Explore the Kremlin and Armoury complex and see Russia’s Fabergé
Eggs and other treasures.
• Stroll around Red Square to take in the sights of this iconic place:
St. Basils’ Cathedral, Lenin’s Mausoleum and the huge Gum Department
store opposite the Kremlin.
• Ride the famous Moscow Metro, with many stations looking like
museums.
• Enjoy an evening at the renovated Bolshoi Theatre.
Moscow and St Petersburg are connected by a dozen high-speed trains completing the
650 km in a few hours or during a comfortable overnight trip while saving hotel costs.
ST PETERSBURG Санкт-Петербург
Four days in St Petersburg will give you a good taste of this beautiful city. Explore the treasures of the
Hermitage with a private guide, take a self-guided walking tour of the city’s main sights such as the
Church on the Spilled Blood, and visit the gilded behemoth of Catherine Palace in the Tsars’ Village.
Our specialists know and love St Petersburg, often considered to be Russia’s unofficial cultural capital,
and we’ll help design your itinerary to make the most of your time there.
• See the many treasures of the Hermitage, one of the world’s best art galleries.
• Explore the beautiful canals and grand buildings of one of the world’s prettiest cities.
• Visit the Peter and Paul Fortress, the city’s first permanent building.
• Take a hydrofoil into the Gulf of Finland to see Peter the Great’s Palace and the Catherine Palace
to marvel at the phenomenal wealth of the Tsars.
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3
Annunciation Cathedral, Kremlin, Moscow
It really was the trip of a lifetime. This
was the best thing we’ve ever done. We
were dubious about booking a ‘package’,
but it didn’t feel like one.
Barclay Mullins, April 2008
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4
About Us Specialising in railway and destination tours through Russia and Mongolia, we are happy to customise your Trans-Siberian
adventure. Begin your trip in Beijing, Moscow or Vladivostok - travel the entire Trans-Siberian or Trans-Mongolian route, or
depart from Beijing on a round-trip circuit through Mongolia and Siberia. Whatever your travel style, time frame or budget,
we help to plan your next adventure.
Operating since 1988, Monkeyshrine is the most experienced operator specialising solely in Trans-Siberian train trips and
tours. We pioneered an online Trans-Siberian website for travellers in April 1997. Despite our prominence in the field, we still
remain a small company with just a handful of loyal staff, all of whom have first hand experience of the Trans-Siberian train
trips and local specialist knowledge.
We have sales staff in England and at various locations in cyber space, plus local partners across Russia as well as guides
and agents in each city you may wish to stop. We have partners in Hong Kong and in Beijing that can provide assistance,
info and visa application support.
Since 2018, Monkeyshrine is the trading name of The Russia Experience Ltd in the UK, a fully bonded tour operator reg-
istered in the UK, where EU law requires us to protect your travel funds. We are members of the Travel Trust Association
(TTA) www.traveltrust.co.uk – your travel funds are frozen in a Trust Account until your trip is complete, and only released
to us by the TTA`s approval Trustee.
How To Book Planning a Trans-Siberian tour isn’t easy to organise:
working out complex train schedules, deciding
Decide on the tour type that most suits you.
-Most popular and a good deal are our POLNY
how long to stay in each place, booking hotel
packages.
accommodation and guides, then working out
dates, discussing all this with friends, and applying -Travel light on our OSNOVA Basic ‘no frills’ trips.
for tricky visas. We do most of that for you! This
Our packages can be customised to create your
brochure is a great place to start.
perfect Trans-Siberian adventure.
To start off, you need to decide in which direction
-We offer a variety of all-in Private luxury tours.
to travel, from Beijing to Moscow, or from Moscow
to Beijing. There is also the option to travel to or Next, choose a date of departure, then contact
from Vladivostok, or to fly into any city along the us and we’ll do the rest. We’ll email you a quote,
route. explain how to apply for your visas and of course
how to make payment. All that’s left is to pack,
Then decide which destinations you would like
and we’ll help you there too! We will provide an
to visit along the way - this brochure is a big help
indispensable 200+ pages Infopack, advising what
introducing our most popular places.
to take, where to find the best restaurants and lots
info@monkeyshrine.com www.monkeyshrine.com of background info on the Trans-Siberian...
5
Moscow Metro Station
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loco wheels
6
MOSCOW A city beyond compare Moscow Tour Programs
Moscow, far from merely being the bureaucratic Allowing yourself at least two or three days in Moscow
capital of Russia, this vibrant buzzing city dominates definitely makes sense as it is a bigger city and it takes
the political, economic and cultural imagination of time to dive beneath the surface and to begin to
the entire country. To Muscovites, little else in Russia breathe freely despite the more hectic pace of life in
matters, and to those who live far from the chaotic this cosmopolitan mecca. Of course The Kremlin is the
vortex, the city and its inhabitants take on near highlight, whether you visit inside the grounds with
mythological proportions. Moscow encompasses a knowledgeable local guide, or satisfy yourself with
all that is good and bad about large cosmopolitan views from Red Square.
cities, and the city offers its own special kaleidoscopic
As the capital, Moscow ticks all the boxes in regards
version of Russia in an extreme dose. Some love
to galleries, museums and cultural attractions,
it, some hate it, but one thing that everyone can
highlights including: Tretyakov Gallery, St. Basil’s
agree upon, Moscow is a unique and extraordinary
Cathedral, Cathedral of Christ the Saviour, and of
bombardment of the senses.
course the Bolshoi Theatre, and no visit to Moscow is
Old world elegance, highbrow culture, Soviet austerity complete without exploring the enchanting artistry
and capitalist ostentation collide in Moscow, Russia’s of the subway stations.
capital and the country’s largest city. It’s a political,
Apart from a three-hour guided city orientation tour,
economic and cultural powerhouse and a city of
we do not have set tours included in our packages.
immense contrasts where the bright fairytale domes
You can enhance the Moscow experience by adding
of St Basil’s Cathedral sit next to brutalist Soviet-era
on any one or more of the guided tours listed on
blocks and gleaming skyscrapers. World renowned
following pages, most of which are available year
opera houses and galleries full of Old Masters co-
round.
exist with brash designer malls that cater for the
city’s extravagantly wealthy. Yet, this inconsistency Late spring and early autumn are the best times to
of character merely adds to the city’s vibrant and visit Moscow, with mild weather and fewer visitors.
spirited nature. Moscow is anything but predictable Although the summer months are warmer, they
and, consequently, a fascinating place to explore. can be extremely busy and prices are consequently
higher. Moscow can be brutally cold in winter, but the
Moscow may be a bustling metropolis, but it also
city looks at its most romantic under a sprinkling of
one of the greenest cities in Europe with some
fresh snow.
great parks to enjoy. In the south of the city you can
enjoy the medieval architecture of the well cared
Москва
for Kolomenskoye Museum Estate or the crumbling
charm of Catherine the Great’s Tsaritsino.
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7
Moscow guided city walking tour (3 hrs)
All our guides have their own personal touch, while of course, visiting the main sites
and introducing you to the diversity of Moscow’s architectural styles from Russian-
Moscow Baroque and Art Nouveau to the Pseudo-Chinese and Moorish influences.
The 3-hour tour will generally include the following sites: Boulevard Ring, Puskinskaya
Square, Tverskaya Street and it’s important buildings, Manezhnaya Square, Marshal
Zhukov monument, Aleksandrovsky Gardens, Red Square, St. Basil Cathedral (not
inside), GUM (the main department store), Cathedral of Christ the Saviour (not
inside), Zamoskvorechie Region, Lubyanka (former KGB building), Teatralnya Square
and Arbat Street.
Kremlin tour (3 hrs or 4 hrs with Armoury)
Closed Thursdays
The Kremlin is the true heart of Russia, the history of both of the early Tsars and of
the 20th-century Communist State. With your local guide and official escort we will
visit the Assumption Cathedral where Russian Tsars and Emperors were crowned, the
Annunciation Cathedral – private chapel of the tsar’s family, the Archangel Michael
Cathedral – the burial place of the Russian Princes and Tsars.
You will hear how Russian tsars received foreign ambassadors and gave feasts in
the palace. You will also see Grand Kremlin Palace (19th century) – built as Imperial
Residence, the Senate building – which today is the office of the Russian President.
After the tour you can sit and rest in the Upper Kremlin Gardens.
The Armoury and Diamond Fund is home to art from the 12th to the 21st centuries,
including: the royal crowns and regalia, the tsar’s ceremonial dress, vestments of
church hierarchy, gold and silverware of the Russian, European and Eastern master
craftsmen, arms and armouries and royal carriages, lavishly decorated thrones of the
tsars including the oldest of Ivan the Terrible, ambassadorial gifts from all over the
world and jewellery including the famous Fabergé Easter Eggs. A world-wide treasure
known throughout the world, the exhibits offer a unique and treasured experience.
Moscow Metro Station
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8
Church of the Ascension in Kolomenskoye (3 hrs by car)
The Kremlin is the true heart of Russia, the history of both of the early Tsars and of the 20th-century Communist
State. With your local guide and official escort we will visit the Assumption Cathedral where Russian Tsars and Emperors
were crowned, the Annunciation Cathedral – private chapel of the Tsar’s family, the Archangel Michael Cathedral – the
burial place of the Russian Princes and Tsars.
You will hear how Russian Tsars received foreign ambassadors and gave feasts in the palace. You will also see Grand
Kremlin Palace (19th century) – built as Imperial Residence, the Senate building – which today is the office of the Russian
President. After the tour you can sit and rest in the Upper Kremlin Gardens.
The Armoury is home to art from the 12th to the 21st centuries, including: the royal crowns and regalia, the tsar’s
ceremonial dress, vestments of church hierarchy’, gold and silverware of the Russian, European and Eastern master
craftsmen, arms and armouries and royal carriages, the thrones of the tsars including the oldest of Ivan the Terrible,
ambassadorial gifts from all over the world and jewellery including the famous Fabergé Easter Eggs. A world-wide
treasure known throughout the world, the exhibits offer a unique and treasured experience.
Sergiev Posad (6 hrs by car)
Six-hour tour by private car and guide to Sergiev Posad (or still better known as Zagorsk), one of the most interesting old towns of Central
Russia, situated 70 km from Moscow. The blue and gold cupolas of the Trinity Monastery of St. Sergius (Troitse Sergieva Lavra) mark one of the
most celebrated centers of the Russian Orthodox Church.
As the seat of patriarchate, it was permitted to function even during the Soviet era, when town was known as Zagorsk. The town was built in
the 14th century as a settlement around the Trinity Monastery, established by reverend Sergius of Radonezh in 1340. He was canonized by the
Russian Orthodox Church and became one of the most honored of Russia’s Saints.
The St. Trinity Sergius Monastery was one of the largest monasteries founded in Russia in the 14th – 15th centuries. In 1774 it was elevated
to the status of Lavra, i.e. the monastery of the highest rank. Today it is considered to be the spiritual center of the Russian Orthodox Church
and has one of the most interesting historical museums, which displays Old Russian icons, ancient church plates, needlework, embroidery and
Church books.
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9
Pushkin Fine Arts Museum (4 hrs)
Closed Mondays
The Pushkin State Museum of Fine Arts has one of the most representative collections of foreign
art in Russia, dating from the ancient times to modern days. The exposition of the museum
includes a vast collection of tinted plaster casts of famous ancient, medieval and renaissance
sculptures and a collection of original works by foreign artists, sculptors and graphic designers
together with objects of decorative arts. The rooms of the ground floor present mainly
original works of ancient Egypt, antiquities, and European paintings of the VII-XVIII centuries.
The first floor rooms acquaint the public with art of the 19th and 20th centuries; the collection
of French impressionists is one of the best in the world.
Tretyakov Gallery (3 hrs)
Closed Mondays
The State Tretyakov Gallery is an art gallery in Moscow, Russia, the foremost depository of Russian fine art in the world. It is
located in one of the oldest directs of Moscow - Zamoskvorechye, not far from the Kremlin.
The gallery’s history starts in 1856 when the Moscow merchant Pavel Mikhailovich Tretyakov acquired works by Russian
artists of his day with the aim of creating a collection, which might later grow into a museum of national art.
Moscow Metro tour (2 hrs)
Welcome to the busiest and most beautiful metro system, a world of mosaics, marble, hundreds of statues, thousands of
trains and 9 million passengers daily. Over the last 60 years the Moscow metro has become an integral part of the city.
Designed by the best Soviet architects and artists, it is one of the most efficient and astonishing underground systems in
the world. Lavish depictions of military victories or happy Communist living adorn the station walls along with baroque
stucco-work, elaborate mosaics and deliberately atmospheric lighting. Combined with crystal chandeliers, stained glass and
life-size marble figures, it feels more like a series of museum pieces than a public transport system.
Guests will learn about the people responsible for the creation of the metro, their fate, often tragic historical events associated
with particular stations. The guide will raise the shroud of mystery covering the so-called “special-purpose-metro”, and
explain how changes in the life of the country were reflected in the design of the metro stations. The guided tour takes in
the older, richly ornate stations, along with the more modern stations, also designed in an interesting and attractive manner.
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10Inside the Church of the Resurrection of Christ, St Petersburg
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11Red Square Lenin’s Mausoleum
Red Square is a city square in Moscow, Russia. It Lenin’s Mausoleum on Red Square is a very special monument and guests can enter free of
separates the Kremlin, the former royal citadel and charge; there is no guiding allowed. Vladimir Ilyich Lenin was a highly divisive politician, he
currently the official residence of the President of was revered by his own people and upon his death in 1924 he was embalmed using secret
Russia, from a historic merchant quarter known as methods. A visit to his tomb is a surreal experience that allows you a brief look at his carefully
Kitai-gorod. Red Square … isn’t red! preserved body, kept behind bullet-proof glass in a dimly-lit, temperature-controlled room.
Personal belongings including bags and cameras must be left in the luggage room – this can
be done at the Historical museum on Red Square or near the entrance to the Kremlin at the
St. Basil’s Cathedral Kutafya Tower (Alexandrosky Garden – a good 10 minute walk from Lenin’s Tomb). The queue
for Lenin’s Tomb can take some time. Visitors are kept moving, therefore, you only get to spend
An introduction to St. Basils’ Cathedral is generally included in the city tour. Arriving
a few minutes inside the mausoleum before you’re hurried out by the guards. Outside you can
at Red Square, as part of the guided city walking tour, the guide will provide an
examine the busts and headstones of other political leaders, including Stalin and Brezhnev.
overview of the cathedral, along with descriptions of the Kremlin and Lenin’s Tomb.
Rather than prolonging the standard guided city tour, guests can visit the St. Basil’s
Cathedral on completion of the tour.
Novodevichy Convent and Cemetery (3 hrs by car)
The church was commissioned by Ivan the Terrible to commemorate the capture
This convent was established in the 16th century and showcases a glorious collection of
of Kazan and was built between 1555 and 1561. It came close to demolition during
Russian Orthodox architecture. It is a jewel in the crown of Moscow’s convents and monasteries
Stalin’s premiership, when he decided it interfered with a clear procession route for
with it’s white walls, towers topped by festive coronas, magnificent Smolensky Cathedral and
his tanks through Red Square.
a beautiful bell-tower. Tranquil and charming today, the convent was more than once the
Inside, eight smaller chapels surround the larger central Church of the Intercession eye of turbulent storms of the events of Russian history. The tour recalls the figures of Boris
with its soaring roof and golden iconostasis. The chapels are connected by a warren Godunov, Ivan the Terrible, Nicholas II, Napoleon and of course many Russian princesses
of narrow passageways and staircases whose walls are decorated in ornate floral and tsarinas who were imprisoned or took the veil here. Known as ‘New Maiden’s College’,
and geometric patterns. it became a retirement home for the country’s female nobility and a prison for rebellious or
unwanted wives who were forced to take holy orders.
The museum displays rare Russian artworks and illuminated manuscripts and describes how
the noblewomen lived in much comfort despite their
enforced stay.
You will also visit Novodevichy cemetery, famous
not only for its distinguished inhabitants (including
Khrushchev, Chekhov, Gogol and Mayakovsky), but
also for the monuments of exceptional beauty and
pleasing variety.
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12St Basil’s Cathedral, Moscow
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13Izmailovsky Market
Row upon row of Russian dolls, fur hats, hand-carved chess sets and Soviet paraphernalia line the stalls at this huge
market just outside the city.
It’s the best place to shop for souvenirs as well as being an intriguing place to wander, with antiques, rugs, pottery,
jewellery and religious art in among bric-a-brac and second-hand clothes. The market is at its best and busiest at the
weekend, when the volume and variety of stalls increases.
It’s well worth spending a day here, stopping for a lunch of fresh flat breads and shashlik (skewered meat) cooked on an
open grill.
Ritz-Carlton rooftop bar
Stylish rooftop O2 Lounge and terrace featuring breathtaking panoramic views over the Red Square and the Kremlin. Relaxed and inti-
mate oasis far above the streets of Moscow with home infused cocktails.
The hotel is just a couple of minutes’ stroll from Red Square, and the stylish, modern bar has become a fashionable haunt for the city’s
well-heeled elite. An impressive vodka menu is accompanied by champagne, cocktails and sushi, while the restaurant serves a modern
Peruvian menu.
Sip a drink on the terrace, watch the twinkling lights of the city below and just soak up the atmosphere of Moscow old and new.
Open 12 pm till 2 am. Serving: Lunch, Dinner
Ziferblat anti-cafés
A counter-culture movement started in Moscow, the Ziferblat, or clock face, cafés offer everything for free except your time. A visit has the
frisson of a clandestine activity as the cafés are generally unmarked and you must ring a door bell to gain access.
On arrival, you choose from a collection of clocks, help yourself from the wide array of coffees and herbal teas, Russian cakes and biscuits
and then hand back your clock as you leave, paying per minute for the time you spent there. Relaxed, unconventional and well-hidden,
these underground cafés offer a glimpse of modern youth culture in Russia.
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14Bolshoi Theatre
Known the world over, the Bolshoi Theatre is renowned both for its beauty and its ballet. The current theatre was built
in the mid 18th century and has a neoclassical design with a striking portico surmounted by a statue of Apollo. This
famous Moscow landmark is equally opulent inside after an extensive renovation.
Gorky Park
Leafy Gorky Park in central Moscow was designed as part of a grand plan to promote ‘culture and leisure’ in the city.
It’s a vast green space where locals flock to walk, ride or skate, paddle across ponds, play tennis or enjoy the funfair
rides. In winter, the ponds freeze and seemingly the whole city comes out ice-skating.
There are children’s playgrounds, formal gardens, woodland and an artificial beach, as well as a host of restaurants,
open-air bars and street entertainers, making it a great place to wander and observe everyday life. The park also hosts
regular events, including exhibitions and concerts.
Star City
Formerly a secret military training facility, Star City is a complete town home to the Gagarin Cosmonauts Training Centre and to Russian cosmonauts and their families. Located about
25 km from Moscow, it’s a captivating destination if you’re at all interested in space travel.
In a day trip, you can learn about the history of Russian space exploration, watch astronauts in training and even try the G-force simulator. The Space Museum houses a full-scale
mock up of the Mir space station, Yuri Gagarin’s office and an impressive collection
of space suits and vehicles.
Sanduny Baths
Steam baths are one of Russia’s oldest and most treasured customs, and this
traditional banya, or bathhouse, is a place to relax and unwind with a hot steam
bath and a vigorous massage.
Sanduny Banya is Moscow’s oldest and grandest public bathhouse and is housed
in an opulent building with richly decorated rooms, elaborately carved panelling
and the air of grace and elegance. The steam rooms here are extremely hot and
you’ll be offered a felt hat to help you regulate your temperature and oak or birch
twigs to stimulate your circulation.
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15MOSCOW < > ST PETERSBURG The majestic jewel of Russia Санкт-Петербург
St. Petersburg (Russian: Санкт-Петербург Sankt-Peterburg) is one of the world’s most majestic and picturesque cities.
Founded by Peter the Great in 1703, St. Petersburg was the imperial capital of Russian throughout the 18th and 19th
centuries, up until the capital was moved inland to Moscow. Home today to around 5 million people, the city was renamed
Petrograd (Петроград) in 1918, and Leningrad (Ленинград) in 1924, before reverting back to Saint-Petersburg in 1991.
The city’s palatial and colourful baroque and neo-classical architectural is intersected by the Neva River and a handful of
canals, creating an enchanting setting for visitors. No wonder the city’s historical centre, housing 36 historical architectural
complexes and around 4000 monuments of cultural and historic significance make the UNESCO World Heritage List. The
endless list of attractions call upon the visitor to set aside at least a couple of days in this magical city.
Straddling the Neva River’s delta, St Petersburg is a living monument to 18th-century Russia’s imperial ambition. In con-
ceiving the city, Peter the Great dreamed of rivalling great European capitals like Paris. The result is a latticework city of
islands, bridges, canals, cathedrals, and grand palaces.
Hi-Speed SAPSAN Trains
Walking down broad prospekts (avenues) bordered with elegant classical and baroque façades, you’d be forgiven for thinking that the Revolution had
never happened here at all. Russia’s second city flaunts its cultural credentials instead. There’s the fine art powerhouse of the Hermitage, the Mariinsky
ballet corps and the Mikhaelovsky Theatre, and the apartments-turned-state-museums of literary idols Pushkin, Dostoevsky and Nabokov.
St Petersburg is magical, known as the Venice of the north thanks to its waterways, cathedrals and cafe-lined streets.
A monumental city of sweeping avenues and broad canals, St Petersburg is urban Russia at its most impressive. The centuries have been kind to the
former capital of the Russian Empire – St Petersburg looks as grand today as when Peter the Great laid the foundation stones in 1703. The then-emperor
invited Europe’s leading architects to fill the streets with extravagant palaces and elegant baroque cathedrals, and their legacy remains.
It’s said that if Moscow is Russia’s head, St Petersburg is its heart. For 300 years this has been the country’s cultural capital,
producing authors, poets, painters and playwrights.
It remains a bustling hub for the arts, showcasing everything from painting and literature to street theatre and rebel rock. Focal points include the Mari-
insky Theatre, home to the famous Kirov ballet company, and the Hermitage, the world’s largest art museum, founded by Catherine the Great in 1764.
Today, superimposed over the old city is a modern metropolis, complete with alternative cafés, techno clubs and some of the deepest metro stations
in the world. In addition, a new 69,000-seat football stadium is being built in the city as it limbers up to help host the 2018 World Cup. Fans are in for
a memorable time, particularly as it will coincide with the city’s famed “White Nights” season, when the sun barely sets from mid-June to early July.
The historic heart of this timeless, romantic city is focused on the crescent of land bound by the Neva and Fontanki Rivers. Here you’ll find the Admiralty,
the Hermitage and Dvortsovaya Ploshchad (Palace Square), as well as Nevsky Prospekt, St Petersburg’s most elegant avenue.
West of the Admiralty is Mariinsky, home to the famous theatre, and north across the river are Vasilyevsky Island, with its universities and museums, and
Petrogradskaya Storona, home to the Peter and Paul Fortress and even more famous museums.
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16Attractions Tour Programs
St Petersburg is smaller than Moscow, and allows visitors to cover many St. Petersburg guided city walking tour (3 hrs)
of the main attractions on foot; even so, three days in St Petersburg is
All our guides have their own personal touch, while of course, visiting
better than two, and the extra time will open up the opportunity for an
the main sites and introducing you to this fabulous city. On the tour
excursion outside the city, to Peterhof (Peter the Great’s summer Palace),
you will walk along Nevsky Prospect, see the Palace Square, St. Isaac’s
where visitors enjoy wandering among
Cathedral, the Winter Palace, and the Admiralty. You will also visit the
the lovely fountains and gardens resting
Peter and Paul Fortress, and if you get there before 12:00 p.m. you will
on the shore of the Gulf of Helsinki, or to
hear the traditional daily cannon-shot.
the town of Pushkin (Tsarskoe Selo) to be
enchanting by the exquisite Catherine’s Hermitage Museum (3 hrs)
Palace.
As one of the world largest museums, the Hermitage has a collection
Winter Palace (housing the Hermitage of more than 3,000,000 objects of art, jewels and antiques exhibited
Museum), Peter and Paul Fortress, St. in 4 adjoined buildings with over 1,057 rooms. One of the buildings is
Isaac Cathedral and Menshikov Palace, the Winter Palace – the former Tsars’ residence. They say, “if you haven’t
make the UNESCO World Heritage List. been to the Hermitage – you haven’t been to St. Petersburg”. The picture
gallery is as famous as Louvre, Prado and the National Gallery. Our guide
will help you to find the paintings or artefacts that you are interested
Best time to visit St Petersburg in, tell you the history of the Hermitage and mysterious stories of the
Winter Palace and its former inhabitants, and show you only the main
From late May onwards St Petersburg’s wintery weather dissipates, the
highlights of the collection, as you would need years to see everything.
fountains are turned on, and the cathedrals are kept open.
Spearheaded by Catherine the Great, who bought many paintings
The winter period, though cold and dark, is also wonderfully atmospheric
during her rule, the collections were bolstered after the 1917 Russian
– especially when the sun finally rises on streets covered in fresh snow.
Revolution. During this period, the Bolsheviks confiscated heirlooms
From late May to early July, the days are long in St Petersburg. The and artworks from Russia’s gentry with the notion of protecting them
brightest period, the White Nights, normally last from mid-June to mid- on behalf of the Russian people.
July. At this time, local people strip off the greys of winter and are joined
Towards the back of the Hermitage is an intimate yet lavishly
by visitors from across the globe in a celebration of life and light. The
decorated ballet theatre where Empress Catherine would enjoy private
midnight sun never quite sets on this northern city making it a magical
performances. You can still see ballets performed here today.
time to visit and with plenty of cultural and music festivals available,
you will need the extra hours of daylight to fit in all the sightseeing!
The guides in Beijing,
Ekaterinburg, Kazan and Moscow
were all top notch!
Steve Newcomer, June 2013
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17Peter and Paul Fortress (2 hrs – Walking/Metro) St. Catherine’s Palace at Pushkin Village
(Tsarskoe Selo) (5 hrs)
The Peter and Paul Fortress was built in 1703 during the Great Northern War
against Sweden. It has had a rich, hugely varied, and sometimes sinister Travelling from the city for about 30 km by metro and bus,
history as a military base, a home of government departments, the burial on arrival in Pushkin Village, you will walk to Catherine’s
ground of the Russian imperial family, the site of ground-breaking scientific Palace (blue and white baroque building) through the
experiments, and a forbidding jail that held some of Russia’s most prominent gardens, passing a pond, several canals, and the Tsars’
political prisoners. The list of famous residents included Dostoyevsky, Gorkiy private pavilions. The guide will conduct an excursion
and Trotsky. SS. Peter and Paul Cathedral is the oldest church in St. Petersburg, around the magnificent Catherine Palace, former summer
and the final resting place of nearly all of Russia’s imperial rulers. Depending residence of Catherine the Great, including the famous
on the time of your tour you may witness the daily firing of the cannon from restored Amber room and numerous golden chambers.
the Naryshkin Bastion at noon. Your guide will explain the history of the site This Palace is something of a behemoth, with a blue,
during your tour. white and gold façade and impossibly extravagant, rococo
interiors. Its highlights include a grand enfilade of state
rooms, a huge ceiling fresco titled The Triumph of Russia,
Pushkin and Pavlovsk (5 hrs) and a ballroom covered in gold and mirrors.
The excursion begins with a walk in the Pavlovsk Park – the former Czarist Russian imperial life was rife with paranoia as well as
lands. In winter, the trees are covered with snow, which gives an unforgettable grandeur. Pavlovsk Palace, down the road from Catherine
experience of the Russian winter wonderland. After the walk you take a tour Palace, is a stately lemon-hued villa built in a crescent. It was
around Big Pavlovsk Palace (yellow classical building), the former mansion of commissioned by Catherine the Great for her son, Grand
Catherine the Great’s son Paul. During the tour the guide tells you about the Duke Paul. It’s thought to have been a way for Catherine
palace, describes interiors of the rooms and answers your questions. After that to rid herself of her son, whom she loathed, while also
you can take a snack at a cafe situated in the wing of the Palace and leave keeping him close in case he mounted a coup.
for Pushkin by bus (approx. 20 mins). In Pushkin you arrive in another park,
quite distinct from Pavlovsk Estate. On your walk to Catherine Palace (blue
and white baroque building) you pass a pond, several canals, and the tsars’ Dinner at the Moika Kempinski Hotel’s rooftop
private pavilions. The guide will conduct an excursion around the magnificent restaurant
Catherine Palace, former summer residence of Catherine the Great, including
The Bellevue Brasserie offers 360-degree panoramas of St
the famous Amber room and numerous golden chambers.
Petersburg. Punctuating the city skyline are all the major
In general, we had very knowledgeable and landmarks, including St Isaac’s Cathedral. The gourmet
interesting tour guides. I was most impressed food served by the brasserie includes Russian classics like
with Ludmila from St Petersburg for her caviar, Kamchatka crab and seafood platters.
depth of knowledge with Hemitage and
passion for arts.
April Li, Oct 2013 info@monkeyshrine.com www.monkeyshrine.com
18Garden at St Catherine’s Palace
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19ST PETERSBURG Peterhof (Petroverts) (5 hrs)
Grand Palace closed Mondays
Peterhof, part of Pushkin Village, is a jewel of Russian art, a town of parks, palaces and fountains. In the past it functioned
as the exquisite summer residence of the Russian tsars. From the Grand Palace of Peterhof three monumental cascading
fountains (one of them comprising the famous Samson) lead to the Lower park, the real masterpiece in itself, consisting
of 173 fountains. Your guide will conduct a tour of the impressive terraced fountains of the Grand Cascade before a one-
hour tour of the Grand Palace. The architecture and landscaping consciously echo France’s Versailles, which Peter the
Great visited in 1917.
Travel to Peterhof is by hydrofoil (30 minutes ride) or the cheaper mini-bus option. In winter, the Baltic Sea freezes over,
making crossings impossible – but looking out over vast sheets of ice from Peterhof’s gardens makes for an impressive
vista.
Yusupov Palace (2 1/2 hrs)
For those interested in Russian architecture and interior design, the Yusupov Palace on the Moika Embankment is not to be missed. It showcases
architectural trends from the 18th through to the 20th centuries. The palace and surrounding estate dates back to the epoch of Peter the Great,
who founded St. Petersburg and took nearly 200 years to acquire its present shape with contributions from the best architectural talent of the time.
The home of a Russian aristocrat married to the niece of Tsar Nicholas II, Felix Yusupov’s wealth is evident in the decadent chandeliers and tapestries
that decorate the palace. Some rooms have more exotic furnishings, such as the Byzantine Moorish Drawing Room and the Turkish Study. There’s
also a small private theatre designed to seat 135 people. The palace’s magnificent interior decorations, restored through the hard work of St. Peters-
burg’s best restoration artists, welcome Russian and international fans of history, art, music and theatre. In addition, the palace is the site where one
of the Romanov family’s advisors, Grigory Rasputin, was assassinated in 1916. The historical interior, documents & pictures helps capture the trage-
dy of the times and a guide will share some of the different theories regarding this fascinating and mysterious murder. A Siberian priest, he was sus-
pected of having supernatural healing powers and exerting too much control over Tsarina Alexandra while Tsar Nicholas was away with his troops
in World War I. Rasputin’s murder, orchestrated by Yusupov and another aristocrat, was complicated, and he ended up being drowned in the Moika.
The Ballet
St Petersburg’s flagship ballet corps is one of the leading ballet companies of the world. The Mariinsky Ballet (known during the Soviet era as the
Kirov) have their official home at the city’s Mariinsky Theatre, a sea-green and cream wedding cake of a building. At its canal side setting in the heart
of St Petersburg, it hosts performances of operas as well as classical ballets. The auditorium, with its ornate balconies, can seat 2,000 people.
The Mariinsky company dates back to the 18th century. Its alumni include Rudolf Nureyev, who famously defected to the West in 1961, Mikhail
Baryshnikov, and Anna Pavlova. The corps de ballet – the main company of dancers, as opposed to the star dancers and principals – are known for
their perfect lines and discipline.
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20St. Isaac’s Cathedral (2 hrs)
Closed Wednesdays The Church of the Resurrection of Christ (Savior
on the Spilled Blood) (4 hrs)
The St Isaac’s Cathedral is one of the city’s architectural landmarks and the Closed Wednesdays
second tallest structure after the Saints Peter and Paul Cathedral. The first St
Isaac’s temple was erected in Rising up at the end of the Griboedev Canal, this church’s
1707 on the orders of Peter I distinguishing feature is its five kaleidoscopic, gleaming onion
to honour the venerable St. domes. It purposely recalls St Basil’s Cathedral in Moscow.
Isaac the Dalmation, the Tsar‘s The Church of the Resurrection of Christ (The Savior on Blood)
patron saint. The church was was erected on the site where Emperor Alexander II was mortally
remodelled out of the drawing wounded. The Church was jointly designed by the architect
barn adjacent to the Admiralty. A.A. Parland (1842-1920) and the archimandrite Ignaty (secular
In this temple, the wedding name Malyshev, 1811-1897), a rector of the Troitse-Sergievsky
ceremony of Emperor Peter Monastery. To fulfil Alexander III’s wish, the cathedral was erected
I and Empress Ekaterina in “the true Russian style”, enclosing the actual assassination site
Alexeevna took place. Since within the walls of the church.
the grand structure (The
Fourth St Isaac’s Cathedral), as conceived by Montferrand, required reliable solid The Church of the Resurrection is one of the most extraordinary
foundations, pine piles were driven into the foundation site before granite slabs churches in St Petersburg. Its vibrant, painterly composition
and quarry stones were placed on top. St Isaac’s Cathedral is the only structure in and varicoloured decor make it a bright, distinctive landmark in
the Russian Neo-Classical style that incorporates polished granite columns and the surrounding architecture of the city’s center. The opulence
marble in its exterior decoration. The dark red portico columns, the colonnade continues behind the Russian Orthodox façade.
around the main dome, the cathedral base with grey marble veneers and the The interior is encrusted with rainbow-hued mosaics and icons
gilded domes make a dramatic blend to give a stately appearance to the entire blending modernist and Byzantine styles. On August 19, 1907, the
structure. Metropolitan Antony of St Petersburg and Ladoga consecrated
For some of the best panoramic views over St Petersburg, climb up to the the church, and a new temple emerged at the Catherine Canal
colonnade of this 19th-century orthodox basilica. The cathedral itself is an (now called Griboedov) to perpetuate the memory of Emperor
imposing sight, as grand inside as it is outside, with a dome made from 90 kg of Alexander II.
gold. With its golden iconostasis, and granite columns that were shipped over Oh my goodness we just LOVED
from Finland, the interior recalls the gilded grandeur of Rome’s St Peter’s Basilica. the train journey and really
Officially classed as a museum, services are nonetheless held here on public enjoyed the folk in our group.
holidays. The guides were fabulous, each of
The decision to hand over St. Isaac’s Cathedral back to the Orthodox Church, them very dif ferent, of fering an
announced in early January 2017, sparked protests by nearly 2,000 people. interesting mix of personalities to
each tour. We loved the fact the
tours were walking tours.
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Glenda Hinkley, May 2010 21The Russian Museum (3 hrs) Canal & River boat cruise (3 hrs)
Closed Tuesdays
Canal cruises usually start from one of the moorings on the
The Russian Museum was established, in 1895, as the first state museum of Russian Moika or the Fontanka rivers. After embarking the cruise
fine arts in the country. It was established by a decree of the Emperor Nicholas II heads for the St-Isaac’s Square passing under Narodny
and is today a unique depository of artistic treasures, a famous restoration centre, (Peoples) bridge across the Nevsky Prospect, Red bridge
an authoritative institute of academic research, one of the major cultural and across Gorokhovaya street and Blue bridge, the widest
educational centers in Russia, and a research and instructional centre of art museums bridge of the city and enclosed into St-Isaac’s Square.
of the Russian Federation, overseeing activities of 260 art museums in Russia. Having passed under Pochtamtsky (Post), Potseluev
(Kissing) and Krasnoflotsky Bridges you’ll find yourself in
the waters of Krukov Channel and enjoy the view on the
The Fabergé Museum Mariinsky Theatre, the Conservatory, the Nicolsky Square
The riverbank palace of Shuvalov houses the largest collection of objets d’art by and the St-Nicolas Cathedral. Entering the Fontanka river
masterly Russian goldsmith Peter-Carl Fabergé ever amassed. between Egyptian and Smezhny bridges not far from
hotel Sovetskaya and heading in the direction of the
Inside, you’ll embark on a self-guided tour through ornately furnished halls to admire Nevsky Prospect under Izmailovsky bridge you’ll pass
the museum’s highlights. In artfully lit display cabinets sit nine Imperial Fabergé the Izmailovsky Gardens and the University of Railway
eggs, which Russia’s royal family would exchange as Easter gifts. Transportation, between Obukhovsky and Semenovsky
Variously encrusted in opal, agate, pearls, pink enamel and diamonds, the eggs bridges you’ll see houses of the 19th and the 1st quarter
remain some of the world’s most beguiling artistic objects. Some are still thought to of the 20 century designed in different architectural
be lost. You’ll learn about the stories behind each egg’s creation and their features, styles: Renaissance, Pseudo Russian.
from the simple Hen Egg to the art nouveau Lilies of the Valley Egg. Guest will see the famous Tovstonogov Drama Theatre
between Semenovsky and Lomonosovsky bridges on
the left bank of the river and at Anitchkov bridge, the
Palace of Beloselsky-Belozersky, the Anitchkov Palace,
Museum of Political History (2.5 hrs) the classic Shuvalovsky Palace, and the Sheremetievsky
Closed Thursday and last Monday of every month
Palace; at Belinsky bridge, the building of the Circus to
The only St. Petersburg museum that reflects the country’s history as regards the the left and the Semenovsky Cathedral to the right. After
upheavals in society in the 19th and 20th centuries. Located in two unique old passing the monumental building of the Mikhailovsky
mansions of the ballerina Matilda Kseshinskaya and of Baron V. Brant, the Museum Castle and the Summer Gardens, the cruise boat enters
collection counts over 460,000 items. Among the most remarkable exhibits are the Neva, making a large circle and passing under
documents concerning the legislative activities of Catherine the Great and S. Vitte’s Troitsky bridge before returning into the Fontanka. From
and P. Stolypin’s reforming activities, items referring to the epoch of the Great Reforms the Fontanka the boat goes into the Moika passing under
carried out by Alexander II and objects telling about three Russian revolutions. A Pantelejmonovsky Bridge, the Mikhailovsky Garden and
large volume of unique materials reveals the activities of supreme state organs of the the Champ du Mars and returning to the mooring at
Russian Empire, the USSR, and the Russian Federation. Pevchesky Bridge.
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22Peter and Paul Fortress, St Petersburg
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23Monkeyshrine Trans-Siberian Tours
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