THE PETER AND PAUL FORTRESS
The Peter and Paul Fortress was founded by Peter the Great on a small island in the Neva delta on May 27, 1703 (May 16 according to the old calendar), which is now marked as St. Petersburg's City Day. From 1721, the fortress housed part of the city's garrison and also famously served as a high security political jail - among the first inmates was Peter's own rebellious son Alexei. More pleasantly, the Peter and Paul Fortress is home to the Peter and Paul Cathedral, a church where almost all the Russian Emperors and Empresses from Peter the Great to Nicholas are buried. The Cathedral was the first church in the city to be built of stone (in 1712-33).
The State Hermitage
The Hermitage Museum is Russia's best art gallery, one of the most prominent museums in the world, and definitely the main tourist attraction of St. Petersburg. The museum was founded in 1764 when Catherine the Great purchased a collection of 255 paintings from Berlin. Today, the Hermitage has about 2.7 million exhibits and displays a full range of world art from Ancient Egypt to early 20th century Europe. It includes works by Leonardo da Vinci, Michelangelo, Raphael, Titian, unique collections of Rembrandt, Rubens, French Impressionists (Renoir, Cezanne, Manet, Monet, Pissarro), plus Van Gogh, Matisse, Gaugin and sculptures by Rodin.
The State Russian Museum
In March 1998, the State Russian Museum, the world's largest museum of Russian art, celebrated its 100th anniversary. The museum, then called the "Russian Museum of Emperor Alexander III", was established in 1895 and opened its doors to the public on March 7 (19), 1898. The first paintings for its collection were donated by the Hermitage, Academy of Fine Arts and various royal palaces. Since then the collection has been growing very quickly, and today is on display at four different locations in downtown St. Petersburg.
ADMIRALTY
The Admiralty was one of the first structures to be built in St Petersburg. It was designed to be a dockyard, where some of the first ships of Russia's Baltic fleet were built, and also fortified to be an extra defense for the newly obtained Neva delta. Today's Admiralty was built in 1806-23 by Adrian Zakharov. He maintained the original plan of the building, but turned it into a marvelous example of the Russian Empire style, with rows of white columns, plentiful reliefs and statues. The gilded spire of the Admiralty (and particularly its weather-vane korablik - "little ship") is a famous St. Petersburg landmark.
MARIINSKY THEATER
The Mariinsky Theater is probably better known as the Kirov Theater, as which it was known in the Soviet era and which it still tours as in the West. The Mariinsky Theater building dates back to 1859, when an earlier theater was remodeled and got its name. The bass Fyodor Chaliapin sang on the theater's stage and its most prominent dancers included Vaclav Nijinsky, Anna Pavlova, and Rudolf Nureev.
THE MIKHAILOVSKY (ST MICHAEL'S) CASTLE
The Mikhailovsky Castle - the name means St. Michael's Castle - bears silent witness to the story of the short, dramatic reign of Emperor Paul I, son of Catherine the Great. Paul came to the throne aged 42, and deeply disliked by the and the royal guards, so he was constantly afraid of assassins. He ordered a fortified palace, surrounded by deep ditches, to be built for him. Yet Paul did not live in his new palace for long: In 1801 he was assassinated in his own bedroom by a group of officers who organized a coup, inspired by Paul's son Alexander.
CRUISER "AURORA"a veteran ship of the Russian Navy
historic Aurora is now a museum, located just a few hundred yards upstream from the Cabin of Peter the Great. Built in St Petersburg in 1897-1900, the Aurora saw active duty in the Russo-Japanese War of 1904-05. After the war the ship was used for personnel training and during the October Revolution of 1917 gave the signal (by firing a blank shot) to storm the Winter Palace.
