MAIN SIGHTSEEINGS and EXCURSIONS in St. PETERSBURG.

St. Petersburg was founded in 1703 by the famous Russian reformer Tsar Peter the Great. The city on the bank of Neva River and the shore of the the Gulf of Finnland was considered as a “Window to Europe” And truly St.Petersburg became one of the most European cities in Russia by its look and spitit. The most skillfull architects all over the world were invited to project and build its streets and houses. St.Petersburg with its marvelous palaces, park ensambles, bridges and canals remains a main sours of inspiration and a popular romantic travel destination. In 1712 St.Petersburg became the capital of Russia and retained this status until 1918. Even now, we often call St.Petersburg the "Northern Capital" and it continues competing Moscow, deservedly being a strong cultural, economical and educational centre of the State. During the World War II St.Petersburg was seriously destroyed during the long air blockade, and a lot of memorials were dedicated later to these tragic times. In Soviet 1970-80-es St. Petersburg became the place, where the most free-minded artists and progressive musicians gathered together, worked and created protest compositions. St.Petersburg is now full of “underground- style” cafes and galleries, mostly situated in the inner yards of yellow shabby houses, which have the unique atmosphere and full of city legends.

Panoramic city tour of St.Petersburg Good start to form the whole impression of the city and to see the most key monumemts at once for 2,5 hours only:

Nevsky Prospect, Kazan Cathedral, Stroganov Palace, Admiralty, Palace Square, Bazil Island Split, Peter and Paul Fortress, Naval Museum, St. Petersburg University, Menshikov Palace, Academy of Fine Arts, Senate Square, monument to Peter the Great (the Bronze Horseman), Isaac`s Square, Mariinsky Palace, monument to Nicolas II, St. Isaac`s Cathedral, Palace Embankment, Mars Fields, Summer Gardens, Robespierre Embankment, Rastrelly Square, Smolny Cathedral, Anichkov Palace, monument to Catherine the Great, Square of Arts, State Russian Museum, Koniushennaya Square, Our Saviour-on-the-Spilled Blood, Griboyedov Canal. The Hermitage Museum The State Hermitage Museum is one of the most famous museums in the world. The Hermitage collection shows the development of art and material culture in the West and the East from prehistoric times to the present days. There are remarkable collections of paintings, prints, sculptures as well as tapestries, carpets, archeological finds, furniture and unique articles of jewellery here. The Hermitage Museum has its collection in more than 350 halls and includes 6 buildings: the legendary Winter Palace - the former parade residence of Russian Emperors, the buildings of the Small, Old and New Hermitages, the Hermitage Theatre and the Eastern Wing of the General Staff building. The Museum Complex also includes Staraya Derevnya Restoration and Storage Centre and the Museum of the Imperial Porcelain Factory. So, it would be many things to watch and occupy yourself in this great Museum not only for one day but for the whole your week or two! And we are ready to arrange excursions and special visits of the lextures, seminars and temporary exhibitions on requests! But do not lose St.Petersburg ‘s another tourist spots!

Peter and Paul Fortress The Peter and Paul Fortress of St.Petersburg was founded by Peter the Great in 1703 and put the birth of the city . Beside the ancient fortifications, one of the great attractions is Peter and Paul Cathedral, built in 1733, with the burial vault of Peter the Great and other Russian tsars. Soon after its foundation, the fortress became the first political prison in Russia, reserved for the most important state prisoners. On the area of Peter and Paul Fortress you can visit the Museum of History of St.Petersburg or climb the bastionsm, from where the Neva River looks so great! The Russian Museum The Russian Museum is a treasure-house of national culture and has an outstanding collection of icons, including the 12th century Angel with Golden Hair and works of Rublyov and Ushakov. The Russian museum is housed in the palace of Grand Duke Michael, the youngest son of Emperor Paul. It was designed by the architect in 1825, in the style of a nobleman’s town estate. Permanent and temporary expositions, lectures and seminars give you the great chance to learn more about Russian art traditions and schools.

The Yusupov Palace The Yusupov Palace is the mansion of St. Petersburg nobility created by talented 18th and 19th century Russian architects, sculptors and artists. Visitors can enjoy the cosy and homelike atmosphere of the palace, where the perfect harmony of the interiors and a breathtaking collection of art objects strongly impress.

St. Isaac`s Cathedral

St.Isaac’e Cathedral was built in 1858 and is the fourth-highest among the world`s cathedrals under a single cupola. It follows St Peter`s in Rome, St. Paul`s in London and Santa Maria del Fiorre in Florence. The richly-adorned interior, lined with marble, and with malachite and lazurite columns, was intended for up to 10,000 worshippers. Standing on the broad Isaac`s Square, its golden dome can be seen all over the city. On a clear day, the observation platform at the foot of the dome commands a fine view over St. Petersburg and its surroundings.

Kazan Cathedral .

This recornized “post-card of St.petersburg” is situated right on Nevsky Prospect and dedicated to Our Lady of Kazan - probably one the most venerated icons in Russia. The place has complicated history and mysterious legends. The construction was started in 1801 and lasted for ten years. It was initially modelled after St. Peter's Basilica in Rome. But after 1812 the Cathedral was perceived primarily as a memorial to the Russian victory against Napoleon, as the commander-in-chief Mikhail Kutuzov asked Our Lady of Kazan for help against the invaders and beat the conquerors.. After the Russian Revolution of 1917, the Church was closed and later reopened as the pro-Marxist "Museum of the History of Religion and Atheism”.Only in 1996 the Cathedral was returned to the Russian Orthodox Church. The interiors impress by the numerous columns, sculptures and icons executed by the best Russian artists of the day.

Mariinsky theatre

Mariinsky theatre is the main musical theatre in St.Petersburg with the brilliant opera and ballet repertoir. Situated in the heart of the city, its main building, was constructed in 1847-48 and then restored in 1860 after the big fire. The theatre is nowadays ruled by the world famous conductor V.Gergiev. Dive into the world of art and exquisite sounds in one of the evenings during your stay in St.Petersburg and catch the real stream of inspiration! Our company is always ready to assist you with repertoir and ticket information.

John Lennon Street and Squat of free Artists:

St.Petersbourg is full of informal yards with graffiti paintings and musical cafes where the most progressive and free-mnded art intelligence gather together. One of such places is here, in the art-center on Pushkinskaya, 10. Its history begins since 1989, when the building was illegally occupied by painters and turned into their experimental area and art squat. There are a weirdly decorated art café here, a tea loft, space for musical performances and concerts. The place is also famous for the inner yard with graffities, which are dedicated to the Beatles as the music band of freedom and the hippy culture. There are also several galleries in honour of John Lennon and his music. If all this sounds interesting to you, ask us, and we will show a range of places of this type.

COUNTRYSIDE EXCURSIONS:

Peterhof

Peterhof is a great imperial palace and park ensemble of 18th century, 29 km from St.Petersburg. In Summer-time it is especially attractive to walk in its green labirynths, to breath the air of the Gulf of Finnland and to enjoy the fountains. But be aware, keep ready your umbrella! There are some traps for inattentive tourists, where hidden fountains can shot the streems of water at the very unexpected moment! In Summer-time it is possible to reach Peterhof by the boat”Meteor”approaching from the Gulf of Finnland.

Pavlovsk

The town of Pavlovsk is situated 25 km south from St.Petersburg and included into UNESCO list. The main attention of all the tourists coming here is focused first of all on the marvellous palace and park ensemble of the 18th century. It impresses by the large scale area of 600 ha and natural landscapes, where you can take a deep breath, interesting pictures of the last epoche and just relax a bit from noize and hustle of big city.

Pushkin (Tsarskoye Selo)

The town of Pushkin, 24 km from St.Petersburg, was founded in 1701 as a countryside residence of Russian emperors. It was the place of study of young Pushkin, the dominant Russian poet, who wrote a lot about this magnetic place. The city is partonised by UNESCO, and its nature, the famous Imperial Catherine Palace and the unique poetic atmosphere inspire people for more than 300 years here. Come here and feel its poetry with your own fibres of the soul!

Gatchina

The town of Gatchina, 45 km south of St.Ptersbourg, has existed since the 15th century. For some period it was under the rule of the Swedish people and drenched some skandinavian elements in its architecture. According to one of the legends the name of Gatchina was taken from the German phrase “hat Schoene”, that means “ has beauty”. And this is true about the city! It is deservedly patronised by UNESCO and haa the marvellous park and palace ensembles of the 18th century. The city is not so often visited by the foreign tourists if to compare it with Pavlovsk and Pushkin, but if you are interested in Russian history and less artificial tourist arrtactions, this place should be included in your list!

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PROGRAMS in ST.PETERSBURG Palaces of St. Petersburg 5 days, 4 nights DAY 1 Arrival to St. Petersburg. Meeting with the guide. Check-in the hotel. Panoramic city tour of St. Petersburg Nevsky prospect, Palace Square, Admiralty, Winter Palace, monument to Peter the Great (Bronze Horseman), Neva River, famous canals and bridges of St. Petersburg DAY 2 Breakfast Tour to Peterhof, an exquisite summer residence of the Russian tsars, known for its magnificent palaces, picturesque parks and unique fountains. *River cruise along the canals of St. Petersburg with dinner (optional). DAY 3 BreakfastVisit of the Yusupov Palace *Dinner at Nikolaevsky Palace with folc concert (optional) DAY 4 Breakfast Tour to Tsarskoye selo, the old suburb of St. Petersburg and the former residence of the Russian emperors. During this excursion you will visit the magnificent Catherine Palace with the famous Amber Room. Walking along the alleys of the Catherine Park you will see more than 100 architectural constructions from magnificent palaces to intimate pavilions and park sculptures. Tour to the town of Pavlovsk. *Visit of Mariinskiy Theatre (optional). DAY 5 Breakfast Transfer to the airport.

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TEL. +7 (495) 785 37 16 FAX +7 (495) 792 56 06 E-mail: incoming@natalie-tours.ru

Weekends in St. Petersburg 3 Days, 2 nights DAY 1 Arrival to St. Petersburg. Meeting with the guide. Check-in the hotel. Panoramic city tour of St. Petersburg Nevsky prospect, Palace Square, Admiralty, Winter Palace, monument to Peter the Great (Bronze Horseman), Neva River, famous canals and bridges of St. Petersburg DAY 2 Breakfast. Visit of the Hermitage Museum Tour to the St. Isaac’s Cathedral Visit of Peter and Paul Fortress DAY 3 Breakfast. Check out. Transfer to the airport.

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TEL. +7 (495) 785 37 16 FAX +7 (495) 792 56 06 E-mail: incoming@natalie-tours.ru

Standard St.Petersburg 8 days, 7 nights. DAY 1 Arrival to St. Petersburg. Meeting with the guide Transfer to the hotel. Check-in. DAY 2 Breakfast Panoramic city tour of St. Petersburg and visit of the Peter and Paul Fortress DAY 3 Breakfast The Hermitage Museum St. Isaac’s Cathedral Standing on the broad Isaac’s Square, its golden dome can be seen all over the city. On a clear day, the observation platform at the foot of the dome commands a fine view over St. Petersburg and its surroundings DAY 4 Breakfast Tour to Peterhof DAY 5 Visit of the Yusupov Palace River cruise an enjoyable trip over canals of St. Petersburg. DAY 6 Breakfast Visit of the Russian Museum. DAY 7 Breakfast Tour to Pavlovsk. DAY 8 Breakfast Transfer to the airport

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TEL. +7 (495) 785 37 16 FAX +7 (495) 792 56 06 E-mail: incoming@natalie-tours.ru

“Blockade of Leningrad Tour”, 4 days, 3 nights. DAY 1 Arrival to St. Petersburg. Meeting by the guide. Transfer to the hotel. DAY 2 Breakfast City tour . Nevsky prospect, Palace Square, Admiralty, Winter Palace, monument to Peter the Great (Bronze Horseman), Neva River, famous canals and bridges of St. Petersburg The group also stops to visit the monument of the heroic defenders of Leningrad. In the underground part there are two memorial halls, one of them displays The Chronicle of Blockade, 900 sheets made of bronze Visit of the Piskariovky memorial Cemetery This is the largest cemetery in the world, ( 28 hectare), where half a million people during the blockade of Leningrad was buried. DAY 3 Breakfast The museum of History of St Petersburg to learn more about the city-life, especially in the period of the World War II and Blockade.This museum is located in the beautiful mansion on English embankment and is a brilliant monument of late Russian Classicism, mansion former belonged to Count Rumyantsev, politician and art collector.

DAY 4 Breakfast Transfer to the airport.

FOR MORE DETAILS AND BOOKING PLEASE CONTACT OUR INCOMING DEPARTMENT

TEL. +7 (495) 785 37 16 FAX +7 (495) 792 56 06 E-mail: incoming@natalie-tours.ru