Museums in St. Petersburg: Art, History & Ethnography, Erotica, Literature, Military

contents: art history museums - historical & ethnography museums - thematic museums - literature museums - military history museums

All museums don't work on holidays. Average ticket price for the museums listed here is 15 to 25 roubles ($0.5 - $0.8) for Russians and up to 200 roubles ($7) for foreigners. A good way to save money is to pretend a native when you buy ticket (just don't speak English), or to ask a Russian person to buy you a ticket.

Art History Museums

Hermitage. The State Hermitage Museum owns the largest museum collection in the world, which is located in 6 buildings, one of which is Winter Palace (`Zimni Dvo`rets) – the residence of Russian emperors. So, be prepared – you won't be able to look through all the exposition in one day. It can be hard to navigate over the museum, but if you have any problems ask babushkas (supervisors, who sit in every hall) to help you. They don't speak English, but if you neatly tell them what are you searching for, they will recognize it.
The main departments of the collection: Department of Western European Art, Russian Culture, Art and Culture of Antiquity, Department of Primitive Culture, Art and Culture of the East.
Address: Dvortsovaya naberezhnaya (embankment), #34. Directions: walk along Nevsky Prospekt to the direction of Neva River and then on your right there'll be a large green and white palace – Winter Palace, that's where the Hermitage is. Phone: (812) 311-3465. Opened: 10.30-17.00, Sundays 10.30-16.00, closed on Monday. Entrance: foreigners adults 200 roubles ($7), foreigners students - free. Internet: http://www.hermitage.ru/

St. Isaac Cathedral. Impressive cathedral of 19th century, the former main cathedral of St.-Petersburg. There is an observation deck on the colonnade which provides nice view of the city.
Address: St. Isaac's Cathedral, Isaakievskaya square (Directions: metro Gostiny Dvor , Nevsky prospect, walk along Nevski Prospekt avenue to the direction of Neva river until you see the monument to Peter the Great on your left, and a but further - St. Isaac Cathedral. Phone: (812) 315-9732. Opened: 11.00 - 18.00, closed on Wednesday.

Yusupovsky Palace. A richly decorated palace.
Address: Moika river, #94. Directions: Nevsky prospect metro, make a left turn right after Kazanski cathedral (on the side of the cathedral) and walk along Moika river. The palace will be on your right after 10-15 mins walk. Phone: (812) 314-9883. Opened: 11.00 - 16.00

Thematic Museums

St. Petersburg Erotica Museum. The first Russian sex museum was opened in May 2004 in St. Petersburg by a local gynecogist in prostate research center's building. The permanent exhibition hosts quite a lot of interesting objects, sculptures, and paintings. The opening got an extensive coverage on the press because the museum exhibits Rasputin's Penis - quite a unique object by all means. They say the owner of the museum is going to buy the organs of Janne d'Arc on an auction in France to "get a girlfriend for the old man".
Address: Furshtatskaya embankment, 47/11a (metro Chernyshevskaya), tel.: (812) 320 76 00. Internet: http://www.prostata.ru Opened daily 8.00 to 21.30



Historical & Ethnographic Museums

Peter & Paul Fortress. Peter and Paul Fortress (Petropavlovskaya Krepost) was founded by Peter the Great in the 1703 to protect the city from Sweden navy. But it had lost military significance before it was completed. So it had been used as a prison for two centuries. There were plenty of famous prisoners like Alexei (son of Peter the Great, whom Peter put there himself), Dostoevsky (the author of the "The Crime and Punishment"). Nowadays the fortress cannon fires at noon, midnight and when the flood is coming. The fortress is interesting itself and there are also some nice museums in it, like Sts Peter and Paul Cathedral (18 century), where Peter the Great and other Russian emperors (except Nicolay II) were buried. Trubetskoy bastion is a former prison. The Mint museum. Museum of Gas-Dynamic Laboratories with cosmonauts' personal items and other space related stuff, I don't know why they placed it in the fortress.
Address: Petropavlovskaya krepost . Directions: metro Gorkovskaya walk to Neva river. Phone: (095) 238-4540 (excursions, should be booked at least 3 days beforehand). Opened: 11.00-17.00 (tuesdays 11.00-16.00), closed on Wednesdays and last Tuesdays of every month.

Peter's House. Small wooden building near Peter and Paul Fortress was actually the first building in the city. The house was constructed for Peter the Great in the 1703, because he wanted to look after the building of fortress. The exhibition of the emperor's belongings and a small exhibition devoted to the North war (Russia-Sweden, beginning of the 18th century).
Address: Petropavlovskaya naberezhnaya (embankment), #6. Directions: Gorkovskaya metro, between The Paul and Peter's Fortress and Aurora Cruiser. Phone: 232-4576. Opened: 10.00-17.30, closed on the last Mondays and Tuesdays of every month.

Museum of Russian Political History. This mansion belonged to the famous Russian ballerina Matilda Kshesinskaya, soon after the revolution communists set there a museum of Great October revolution, now it is Museum of Political history. There are four exhibitions in the building: "Russian political parties and movements from the 19th century to the present", "Matilda Kshesinskaya", "Russian Duma from 1905 to 1917", "Finance and Banking, in the 19th and 20th Centuries". The entrance ticket is valid for all exhibitions.
Address: Kuibysheva Ul., #2/4. Directions: metro Gorkovskaya walk down to Neva river and then make a left turn on Kuibysheva street. Phone: (812) 233-7052. Opened: 10.00-17.00, closed on Thursdays.

Kunstkamera. "Kunstkamera" is German for "Chamber of Art". It was start up in the 1718 by Peter the Great. He placed here the collection of curiosities, which he collected during his travels. It was the first museum in St. Petersburg.
Sometimes the museum hosts art exhibitions, which are very interesting, for example, the exhibition of Japanese Kokasi dolls (until 1 September, 2001).
Address: Universtiteskaya Naberezhnaya, # 3. Metro: Nevsky Prospekt. Phone: (812) 218-1412. Opened: 10.00-17.00, closed on Thursdays

The Ethnographic Museum. The exhibitions are devoted to the everyday life of different Russian people in the 19th-20th centuries. Folk art, national dresses, crafts -- all the standard ethnic stuff.
Address: Inzhenernaya ul., #4/1. Metro: Gostiny Dvor, Nevsky Prospect. Phone: (812) 313-4320. Open: 10.00 - 17.00, closed on Mondays and on the last Friday of every month.

Elizarov's Museum-Apartment. Two reasons to visit. First, it is the typical apartment of Russian intelligentsia in the beginning of 20th century with all the furniture and interior safe. Second, there are many items devoted to the life of Lenin.
Address: Shirokaya (Ul., #52. Directions: metro Petrogradskaya. Walk along Bolshoi prospekt to the direction on Neva river and make a right turn on the 7th street (this is Shirokaya Ul.). Phone: (812) 235-3778. Opened: 10.00 - 18.00, closed on Wednesdays and Sundays.

Literature Museums

Pushkin's Museum. Pushkin is the famous Russian poet of the 18th century, perhaps as importand for Russia as Sheakspeare is important for Great Britain. I don't like such kind of a museums: some items belonged to the master, room, where he died... It is far more interesting to read his poetry, than visiting this place.
Address: Naberezhnaya (embankment) Reki Moyki, #12. Directions: Nevsky Prospekt metro, walk along Moika river to the direction of St. Isaac Cathedral. Phone: (812) 314-0007. Opened: 11.00 - 17.00, closed on Tuesdays and on the last Fridays of every month.

Dostoevsky's House. The house of Dostoevski, the one who wrote "The Crime and Punishment".
Address: Kuznechniy pereulok, # 5/2. Metro: Dostoevskaya. Phone: (812) 311-4031. Opened: 11.00 - 17.30, closed on Mondays and on the last Wednesdays of every month.

Nabokov's House. The building, where Vladimir Nabokov was born in the 1899 have little to do with his the actual house and belongings of the famous writer. It mostly hosts thematic exhibition, forums and talks.
Address: Bolshaya Morskaya , #47. Directions: Nevsky Prospekt metro, the next street (to the direction of Neva river) on the left after Moika river. Phone: (812) 315-4713. Opened: 11.00 - 18.00, closed on Fridays and Saturdays.

Military Museums in St. Petersburg

Museum of Artillery, Engineer and Signal Troops. It is the world's largest military museum, situated in the building of the former Arsenal. Huge collection of military banners and uniforms.
Address: Alexandrovsky park , #7. Metro: Gorkovskaya. Phone: (812) 238-4704. Opened: 11.00 - 17.00, closed on Mondays, Tuesdays and last Thursdays of the month.

Avrora Cruiser. The real cruiser ("kreser" in Russian) from the beginning of the 20th century is a museum now. Avrora participated in the war with Japan, but it is famous for the activities during the October Revolution. The only fire during the revolution from the cannons of this ship was a signal to begin the storm of the emperor's palace. This was enough to make the cruiser one of the most loved sight of the communists. Now the exposition devoted to the Revolution is not so popular, but it is great to be on the board of the real cruiser.
Address: Avrora kreiser, Petrogradskaya nab. Directions: Gorkovskaya or Ploshchad Lenina metros. Phone: 230-8440. Open: 10.30 - 16.00, closed on Mondays and Fridays. Entrance: free.

Suvorov's Museum. Suvorov is considered to be the best Russian military leader. He defeated Austria, Turkey and France. He managed to cross the Italian Alps with his army without proper roads. He was military genius. Exposition: personal things of Suvorov and war-related items.
Address: Kirochnaya ul., #43. Directions: metro Chernyshevskaya , walk to the direction of Tavricheski gardens, the museum is in front of the gardens on your right. Phone: (812) 279-3914. Opened: mon: 10.00 - 16.15, tue and fri: 10.00 - 17.15; sat and sun: 10.00 - 18.15, closed on Thuesdays, Wendesdays and every last Monday of the month.