Museums of Saint Petersburg

The silent white continent has always been attracting scientists and explorers. For a long time Russia and then the Soviet Union held the lead in the opening up and exploration of Polar Regions. In the Soviet period a special museum that was meant to cover this field of knowledge broadly was established in Leningrad.

The log cabin of Peter I is the unique monument, one of the first constructions in Saint Petersburg, the only wooden structure of the city foundation period that survived until nowadays. The first residence of Peter I in Saint Petersburg was constructed by solders within a very short time - from 24 till 26 May, 1703.

The cruiser Aurora moored at Petrovskaya Embankment, in front of the Naval School named after Admiral Pavel Nakhimov, is not only a monument to Russian shipbuilding, but also a symbol of the Soviet epoch. The cruiser was named in honor of the frigate that heroically defended Petropavlovsk-Kamchatski in 1853-1856.

The Kunstkammer was founded in 1718. It was intended for the library and collections of "monsters and rarities" gathered by Peter I. Nowadays the Kunstkammer contains the collections of the Museum of Anthropology and Ethnography based on the gatherings of the founder of Saint Petersburg, Peter the Great.

The palace built for the associate of Peter the Great is a very immense construction. It combines elements of both Russian and Western European architecture. Some parts of the palace remind of Italian Renaissance palazzo, and the vaults decoration of the Menshikov Palace is typical for Russian architectonics.

The flat on Moika Embankment is the last place where the outstanding Russian poet Alexander Pushkin lived. He accommodated there with his family from October, 1836 till January 29, 1837. It was the flat that Pushkin left for his fatal duel with Dantes. In the study of the flat Pushkin died.

The collection of the Russian Ethnographic Museum is displayed in 24 halls. Ceramics, textiles, jewelry, metal and wooden works, typical buildings, national costumes - the works of applied art of each nation have unique distinctive features and convey the spiritual culture of the people living in a certain region.

The State Hermitage features one of the largest art collections in the world. It numbers about 3 million items, including masterpieces by outstanding artists. The collection includes culture objects concerning the period from the Stone Age till modern times. The Hermitage occupies five magnificent buildings along the Neva River.

The State Russian Museum contains the world's largest collection of Russian fine art. It was opened on March 7 (March 19, New Style), 1898. The collections of the Russian Museum number over 400,000 exhibits. All genres and schools of fine, applied and folk art from the 10th till the 20th century are presented in the museum.

The main exposition of the museum enlightens the history of Russian navigation and Russian Fleet from the ancient time till nowadays. The visitors can learn about the creation of Russian navy, the most important naval battles that brought the glory to the Russian Fleet, geographical discoveries, and celebrated expeditions.

The Yusupov Palace located on Moika Embankment is one of the most beautiful examples of classicism style constructions in Saint Petersburg. Decorated with six-column portico, the palace delights with harmony of proportions and elegancy. The palace features original interiors of the 19th-beginning of the 20th centuries.

The exposition of the museum numbers over 30,000 exhibits. And this is just a small part of the museum's funds that number over 15 million items representing all the groups of animal world - invertebrate, fish, amphibious, reptiles, birds, and mammals. The exhibition is organized in the systematic way.