Independently in St. Petersburg: from Ligovsky Prospekt to Nevsky
If you have not yet visited the cultural, historical and architectural pearl of Russia – St. Petersburg, then you can say in advance that there will be no limit to your admiration. The brainchild of Peter the Great is a storehouse of magnificent architectural monuments, each of which is directly or indirectly associated with the names of great, world-famous personalities. This article is a guide that allows you to see the most significant sights of the northern capital from Ligovsky Avenue to Nevsky as part of an independent tour.
Loft Project Floors
This is the name of the cultural and exhibition center, organized in the premises of the former bakery (loft – the adaptation of industrial buildings for housing or cultural and entertainment facilities). It was opened in 2007 on the initiative of the current director M. V. Romashova and was marked by an exhibition of works by E. Logan and I. Kuksenite.
On the 5 floors of the building with side walls decorated with picturesque paintings, culture now “reigns”: there are various exhibitions, lectures on art topics; there are performances and entreprises, all kinds of master classes. The facade of the building looks majestic with arched arcs of display windows on the 1st and 2nd floors.
The designers of the art project did not undergo a radical reconstruction of the building: they retained many elements of industrial use, successfully combining modernist details from the outside and inside with them. Leaving the configuration of the ceilings unchanged, the Archipenko brothers decorated vast spaces with antiques and avant-garde items, turning the premises of the bakery into magnificent halls and halls that make up the whole “temple of modern art”.
Part of the roof has been turned into an open terrace, where round tables are installed for meetings and communication in the fresh air. There is also a hostel where those who wish can rent a room. A visit to the “Floors” leaves an indelible impression on tourists who come here in a continuous stream.
Address: Ligovsky Avenue, 74.
Bread Museum
Where else, if not in the former Leningrad, which had endured the blockade and knew well the price of a piece of bread, it was necessary to organize such a museum. When creating it, the organizers based it on the catchphrase of the ancient Romans “Bread and circuses!” and united the museum and the cinema hall in one building.
The exhibits of the museum are thousands of samples of bread products made from wheat, rye, corn and other flour. Through a succession of different special bread-baking tools, one can see the history of the development of the Russian bakery industry.
The museum's collections are extremely interesting, demonstrating everything related to the main Russian product. Kitchen and dining utensils of the past, all kinds of shapes and molds, without which Russian families could not do; famous art canvases reflecting the “bread” theme; symbolic sculptures and figurines – more than 15 thousand exhibits in total – give a broad idea of the role, significance of bread and the attitude towards it in Russia. The 125-gram kraukha that saved the lives of blockade runners causes tears.
Address: st. Mikhailova, 2 or Ligovsky prospect, 74.
Museum of the Arctic and Antarctic
An elegant building with a colonnade at the entrance and on the sides, with a green dome on the roof inside, personifies the history of the exploration of the planet's ice poles by Russian explorers and polar explorers. The dome on the roof is evidence that it used to be St. Nicholas Church, erected according to the project of Melnikov in the 19th century. This museum is the only one in Russia and the largest in the world.
The expositions of the museum contain valuable material evidence of the conquest of the Arctic and Antarctic expanses, the development of the Northern Sea Route by Russian polar explorers: authentic documents of scientific expeditions, photographs, items of equipment, personal belongings of researchers. Of interest are navigational instruments, ship models, a real SHA-2 amphibious aircraft, steering wheels from Soviet icebreakers and much more.
Representatives of the polar fauna look bewitchingly plausible: a group of penguins (skillfully made stuffed animals), polar bears, an arctic wolf, snow partridges. There are many entertainment “highlights” for children, for whom an excursion here will be an unforgettable event.
Address: st. Marata, 24 A.
Dostoevsky Museum
How could one not have such a museum in St. Petersburg?! Who else, besides Dostoevsky, knew so deeply this city of contrasts, its luxurious palaces and secular salons, wells-yards and miserable slums?
The museum was opened in 1971 in honor of the 150th anniversary of the birth of the writer in the house where Fyodor Mikhailovich and his family moved in in the autumn of 1878 and never left it until his death in 1881.
1st floor – halls for organizing various art exhibitions, seminars, musical and literary evenings. 2nd floor – the writer's apartment and museum expositions, made up of items donated by Dostoevsky's grandson and niece. The interiors of the apartment were created on the basis of the memories of his wife and close relatives. It contains authentic copies of the writer's furniture and other priceless rarities.
The expositions show a lot of documents, manuscripts, photographs, books, theater posters, paintings and graphic works. The heart of the museum is the writer's study, where mute witnesses of his stay here are kept: a family icon, a box of medicines, a pen, a purse; clock, the hands of which indicate the time of the death of Fyodor Mikhailovich.
Address: Per. Forge, 5/2.
Vladimir Cathedral of the Icon of the Mother of God
The amazing beauty of the cathedral complex, erected in honor of the Vladimir Icon of the Mother of God, is the result of the work of outstanding architects. Each of them contributed to the construction of a real architectural masterpiece, captivating by the fabulous beauty of the main building and the high bell tower.
Parishioners and tourists constantly come here, to the current Orthodox church, to pray and admire the strict but beautiful interior decoration of the church, where every object is a true work of art.
The snow-white wooden iconostasis is decorated with magnificent carved patterns and gilding. There are no numerous paintings here, except for frescoes depicting 4 evangelists and copies of paintings: Veronese's Lamentation of Christ and Raphael's Transfiguration are genuine artistic treasures.
Address: Vladimirsky pr., 20.
Beloselsky-Belozersky Palace
If you move further along Nevsky Prospekt, you can not help but notice the luxurious corner pink building – the Palace of Russian aristocrats, the princes Beloselsky-Belozersky. The former appearance of the palace was preserved only in the drawing of the artist Vorobyov M.N. The building acquired its current appearance after the reconstruction of 1847-1848, the author of which was the architect Stackenschneider, who gave the palace the splendor and pomposity of the new baroque.
The original design of the roof with figured superstructures, many windows with gray patterned architraves at the top and bottom, standing out against the pink background of the walls, sculptures make the palace a unique architectural masterpiece.
Inside, everything is as beautiful as outside: magnificent decoration of walls, ceilings, decorated with intricate patterns; amazing openwork stair railings, chic antique chandeliers – cause emotional shock. The color schemes of the walls in the halls are also worthy of admiration: green, peach, beige backgrounds are decorated with elegant stucco snow-white medallions and ornaments.
Now the palace is a cultural and educational center where concerts, theatrical performances are organized, festivals and competitions are held.
Address: Nevsky prospect, 41 (intersection with Fontanka).
Anichkov bridge
This is not just a bridge, but a work of art depicted in granite and metal, sung in poetry and prose, in documentaries and feature films, the favorite bridge of St. Petersburg residents and guests of the city. The name is inherited from the name of the design engineer Anichkov; the opening of the bridge across the Fontanka in 1842 was a significant event in the life of the city on the Neva.
The Anichkov Bridge has a long history: it has undergone several restorations, additional reconstructions aimed at strengthening the supports and spans. A romantic legend about the unhappy love of a certain Anichka is composed about him. Recognized masterpieces are equestrian bronze statues created by Peter Klodt in 1850, which embody the idea of conquering a horse by a man (earlier sculptures were donated by the Russian emperor abroad).
The ingenious embodiment of the author's idea was expressed in 4 sculptural compositions illustrating the difficult victory of man over a recalcitrant horse. The beauty and strength of the muscles of an athletic youth and a mighty horse are so inspired that they seem alive, not bronze. Magnificent cast-iron patterns on the fence of the bridge depicting seahorses and mermaids (sketches by the German artist K. Schinkel). Anichkov Bridge is a landmark known all over the world. Location: at the intersection of Nevsky and Fontanka
Anichkov Palace
There is a building next to the bridge, which should be approached closer to see the majestic, monumental structure – the fruit of the perestroika experiments of many famous architects: Zemskov, Dmitriev, Starov, Ruska, Rakhau, Messmacher and others. This is probably why the building, called the Anichkov Palace, is so magnificent and beautiful.
The severity of classicism echoes in it the pomp of baroque: the huge lower arched windows of the central facade are adjacent to the classical forms of the upper windows; slender columns surround the entrance; stucco decoration decorates the pediment.
Now the palace, which has been reconstructed many times inside and out, serves as a cultural and entertainment facility where tours are held and documentaries are shown. An interesting story of the former owners of the palace opens before visitors; the ceremonial halls fascinate with the beauty of the decoration; the winter garden delights, the library of Alexander III amazes with the wealth of book rarities.
Address of the Anichkov Palace: Nevsky prospect, 39, A.
Alexandrinsky Theater
The next interesting object of an independent tour of Nevsky will be the Alexandrinsky Theater, one of the first Russian drama theaters, opened at the direction of Elizabeth Petrovna in 1756. This event marked the beginning of the history of professional theatrical art in Russia, to which all emperors paid great personal attention. In 1832, another one was added to the theater building.
Now this architectural complex, designed by the great Rossi, is considered a unique architectural monument and is protected by UNESCO.
The theater was named in honor of Empress Alexandra Feodorovna, wife of Nicholas I. The building of the Alexandrinsky Theater became the hallmark of St. Petersburg. Beautiful and majestic, it is an ideal example of classicism from architecture: the majestic colonnade of the facade, stucco decorations; lattice roof balustrade; equestrian sculptural composition – a chariot drawn by four horses.
The area in front of the theater is equipped with benches under shady crowns, decorated with a picturesque lawn – a real masterpiece of floristry. A visit to the theater, where the great masters of the stage played, is a significant event in everyone's life. Children are not allowed to enter the theatrical sanctuary, a teenager over 12 years old is allowed only with an adult.
Address: Pl. Ostrovsky, 2
Monument to Catherine II
Near the theater there is a majestic monument, which cannot be indifferently passed by – the wisest ruler of Russia, surrounded by her associates, is imprinted on it in bronze. The famous sculptors Mikeshin, Opekushin, Schroeter, Grimm worked on it. A bell was erected on the pedestal – one of the symbols of Russia, on which bronze figures of legendary historical figures of the Catherine's era are placed.
Above them is a royal sculpture of Catherine, dressed in a mantle, with a scepter in her hand and a wreath of laurel on her head. This monument is a masterpiece of bronze sculpture, a symbol of high art and a tribute to the famous empress.
Gostiny Dvor
The vast monumental building, designed by Vallin-Delamote, was an integral part of the northern capital, an important center for the life of the city. The strict classical style of architecture fully corresponded to the business purpose of the object. At the beginning of the 20th century, a department store was located here, occupying an entire block (between Nevsky and Sadovaya Streets).
Now it is the most important historical and architectural monument of the 18th century, actively visited by tourists as one of the main attractions of St. Petersburg and a shopping universal mega center with numerous services and thousands of products.
Address: Nevsky prospect, 35.
Nevsky Prospect
Nevsky Prospect – St. Petersburg Broadway, the main street of the city, named after the Alexander Nevsky Lavra, opened in honor of Prince Nevsky. These are 4.5 km of historical, architectural and cultural monuments, 3 bridges across the Fontanka, Moika and Griboyedov Canal rivers. The section of the city from the Admiralty to the Nevsky Lavra, where Gogol, Pushkin, Dostoevsky and their heroes lived, walked, talked, is known to the whole world.