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The monastery’s buildings are beautiful ~ red and white dominate the grounds. They are the product of collaboration of many Russian and foreign architects/artists chosen by Peter the Great ~ Trezzini, Starov, Shubin, Fontano, Danilov and many others.
Like so many other religious institutions, the monastery was closed during the Soviet era. It was returned to the Orthodox Church in 1956, but not fully reopened until 1996. Leave a Comment Other Contact: Metro pl. Alexsandra Nevskovo
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The new island offered a perfect storage place for flammable materials, such as wood, which would later be transported to the shipyards. Prior to this, timber was kept at the Admiralty, where it was treated in Dutch methods ~ the explanation for the “naming” of the new island as New Holland. Over time, the island's original wood buildings were replaced with brick ones of varying heights, which allowed the lumber to stand on end, thus drying out faster. Leave a Comment Other Contact: Nab. reki Moiki 103
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The rooms of the palace are unique and breathtaking. . .each generation of the family revamped certain rooms, so the styles are varied, but almost all are refined and impressive.
My favourite was the Moorish Room, pictured here, which is decorated in mosaics and lattice screens, with a fountain in the centre of the room. Leave a Comment Other Contact: Nab. reki Moiki 94
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The small-in-scale, private theatre of the Yusupov Palace far surpassed the beauty of the Mariisnky (and of the Bolshoi, still to come at this point).
It's decorated in Rococo style and, as is the case with every room in the palace, is tasteful and exquisite.
You can attend performances in the theatre ~ it seats 180 ~ but we weren't able to coordinate this during our visit. Leave a Comment Other Contact: Nab. reki Moiki 94
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The street has a number of examples of Style-Moderne architecture ~ the intersection of Kamennoostrovskiy and Ulitsa Mira is particularly pretty, with four unique buildings around a circular space.
Most of the buildings are from the late 19th and early 20th century ~ the period in which Art Nouveau (or Style Moderne as it came to be known in Russia) first became popular. Leave a Comment Other Contact: Metro Gorkovskaya
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There are multiple reasons to visit the lavra ~ the cemeteries, the Trinity Cathedral (it's a working church, not a museum, and our visit on Sunday resulted in another wonderful experience listening to an Orthodox choir), and the overall visual effect of the architecture and green spaces on the grounds.
It's a bit further away from the city's core ~ but the metro stop is right across the street from the lavra's entrance. Take the extra time to fit this one into your visit. Leave a Comment Other Contact: Metro Pl. Anexsandra Nevskovo
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There are plenty of things to watch for in the palace ~ these initials worked delicately into the stucco molding of the entryway are but one. . .
The palace holds other, more bloody appeal (should you need more to draw you to it). Rasputin, advisor to the Yusupovs (as well as other influential families in the city ~ especially the Romanovs), was murdered here in 1916. Prince Felix Yusupov poisoned, then shot Rasputin. Still alive, he was chased and shot three more times, then beaten and dumped into a river to drown.
There is a special tour that you can take through the lower floor, where an exhibit on Rasputin can be viewed ~ during our visit, only tour groups could arrange this in English. Leave a Comment Other Contact: Nab. reki Moiki 94
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This church (1762-1783), located on Nevsky Prospekt just west of the Grand Hotel Europe, is the largest and oldest Roman-Catholic church in Russia. It is set back a good piece from the street and the makeshift square in front of the church entrance was alays filled with artists and their paintings when we passed by it.
The church was closed during the Soviet era, used as a museum, then a warehouse. It was later to be converted into a concert hall, but as the transformation was completed in the 80's, the interior was completely destroyed and the ceiling and walls heavily damaged in a fire. In 1992, the building was finally returned to the Catholic Church for restoration.
Open to the public since 2000, it is a working church and worth dropping into for a brief visit, as you are bound to pass it many times during your stay. Leave a Comment Other Contact: Nevsky Prospekt
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This red and white building was built between 1722-1742 to house Peter the Great's governmental divisions. Today, it forms a western border for a group of buildings that make up the St. Petersburg University.
The University grounds are a lovely place for a walk ~ the buildings in this section are attractive and I always find campuses fun for the people-watching factor. Leave a Comment Website: Vasilievsky Island Other Contact: Universitetskaya nab. 7
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Viewable from the southern edge of the Summer Gardens, the Mikhailovsky Castle is bordered by its own gardens and makes a nice extension to a walk through the former. The castle was undergoing a cosmetic touch-up during our visit ~ according to the English weekly, the colour had been updated and brightened considerably. . .the review was not entirely positive.
Having not seen the previous tone though, we thought the colour was beautiful and the steeple was striking from even a distance.
The building houses part of the Russian Museum's collection, but we didn't make it inside this one. Leave a Comment
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on June 22, 2003
