The Maritime Glory of St.Petersburg
A route for those who are in love with the sea. A visit to Peterhof, a fortified town of Kronshtadt, cruiser Aurora and icebreaker Krassin, and the Arctic and Antarctic Museum
The route will let you get in touch with the history of Russia — a great maritime power — from the first Russian fleet, constructed under the order of tsar Peter the Great, to modern nuclear powered ships. For more than three centuries ships were created at shipyards of St. Petersburg. Our city is one of the largest Russian ports and an active participant of marine scientific researches.
Strolling around St. Petersburg and its suburban areas, you will travel not only in space, but also in time: the "Meteor" hydrofoil will take you to Peterhof and the courtly XVIII century. Then you may go to Kronstadt and its man-made forts — the heart of the Russian navy and the vanguard in the construction of sea fortifications in Imperial Russia. On the cruiser Aurora you will find yourself in the beginning of the XX century in the times of the World War I and the socialist revolution. The icebreaker Krasin will immerse you in the heroic atmosphere of exploration of the North, and then study its history in the museum of Arctic and Antarctic.
And, finally, you find yourself in the modern magnificent and peaceful St. Petersburg, and its power and glory impress you even more by its beauty.
Russian tsars' summer residence of 18th-19th centuries
Peterhof founded in the very beginning of the XVIII century by the emperor Peter I near the new capital - St. Petersburg, became one of the most magnificent summer imperial residences and a peculiar triumphal monument of a successful conclusion of fight of Russia for an exit to the Baltic Sea. Regular Upper garden and Lower park were laid out, the Grand palace and some "small" palaces and pavilions were built, the world's largest system of fountains and water cascades was created, the most part of sculptural furniture was created to the middle of the 20th years of the XVIII century.
Visit the only museum in Russia, devoted to history of playing cards in Peterhof. It is located in the building of the former Palace board constructed in the end of the XVIII century. More than 8 thousand exhibits are presented in six halls of the museum. There are items of visual art and of arts and crafts representing the game and its attributes or related to it directly, and also unique in its content library except playing cards.
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It is one of the forts that made up the fortification system of Kronstadt
Fort Konstatin is one of the largest of the former artillery forts of Kronstadt with preserved batteries, barracks, distance measuring pavilion and other fortifications.
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23 km, 731 m
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The history museum with its new exhibits and interactive blockade room is close to Naval Cathedral
The museum offers a time travel to find out about more than 300 years history of Kronshtadt, about glorious traditions of the town - fortress and port - and to learn its place in the Russian history.
Nowadays the museum funds counts about 8 thousand items belonging to 18-20 centuries. They comprise a lot of interesting exhibits: the fort "Kronshlot" model, a piece of the first in Russia and in Kronshtadt water-pipe system and numerous photos, documents and antique household objects. An interactive Blockade Room is presented in the museum, too. A special attention is devoted to the events of the 20th century - Revolution 1905-1907, Civil War and Intervention, Kronshtadt Rebellion.
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9 km, 933 m
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21.09.2014 the ship was transferred to the Kronstadt shipyard`s dockage facility till 2016
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44 km, 503 m
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Built in Great Britain in 1917, the icebreaker Krasin has had an eventful, but difficult career.
The Icebreaker "Krasin" is the only museum-icebreaker in Russia. It was built in 1916-1917 after the drawings of Vice Admiral S.O.Makarov in Great Britain. Originally the icebreaker was named by ancient epic hero "Svjatogor".
In 1927 after the death of the Soviet diplomat the icebreaker was renamed "Krasin". The icebreaker "Krasin" participated in the rescue of the Umberto Nobile expedition to the North Pole in 1928. During World War II 1941-1945 Krasin participated in many Russian convoys. Later it served as a floating power plant on the island of Spitsbergen. In 1990 "Krasin" made a last voyage to European ports. In 1992 it was included in the list of historical monuments of national importance and was moored on Lieutenant Schmidt Embankment. The first exhibition was opened in 1995. In 2004 the icebreaker "Krasin" became a branch of the Museum of the World Ocean.
The Icebreaker "Krasin" is an active ship, and the equipment you see here can operate normally.
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7 km, 546 m
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One of the largest polar museums in the world
Nowdays the Museum collection includes approximately 65 thousand exhibits. It presents archaeological findings and relics relating to the history of the exploration of the Northern sea route. Among the exhibits — the instruments and expedition equipment, manuscripts and maps. In the Museum collection there are photographs of many significant events in the Arctic and Antarctic, including the history of the world's first linear Arctic icebreaker "Ermak" (1899-1901), the activities of the Hydrographic expedition of the Arctic ocean (1910-1915), an expedition on the icebreaker "Krasin" to rescue members of Italian flight on the airship "Italia" (1928), the research of Soviet and Russian drifting stations "North pole" and the first Soviet Antarctic expeditions.
The collection also comprises the archives of famous polar captains, Soviet polar explorers, as well as the constructors of the first nuclear icebreaker "Lenin" and the nuclear icebreaker "Arktika". There is an interesting collection of paintings and drawings, which is represented by the works of artists A. A. Borisov and N. V. Pinegin,Tyko Vylko and the students of the Institute of the peoples of the North, representatives of Soviet realism by I. P. Ruban, M. A. Kaneev, V. V. Fomenko and others, the works of the participants of the Soviet Antarctic expeditions N.I.Shvyrkov and V. I. Kostyrsky, as well as professional traveler F. Konyukhov. The Museum consists of three departments: "Arctic Nature", "History of research and exploration of the Northern sea route" and "Antarctica". In addition to the permanent exhibition of the Museum has temporary exhibitions devoted to the jubilee events in the history of the development of the Arctic and Antarctic.
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8 km, 338 m
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Useful information
This route is provided by St.Petersburg Card company. Official website: https://petersburgcard.com/
It is recomended to take the route in parts.
