The Maritime Glory of St.Petersburg

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. 

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.

There are many events held on the territory of the fort: the festival of retro technology "FORTUNA", an annual rally-sprint "Cup of Fort Konstatin", moto festivals, historic reenactments, festivals of electronic music.

In summer, one can enjoy the rope park and cable wakeboard with springboard complex, sauna and warm-up trampolines. Moreover, you can go on a boat ride around the forts of Kronstadt on board of the legendary "Reeperbahn" ferry.

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.

21.09.2014 the ship was transferred to the Kronstadt shipyard`s dockage facility till 2016

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.
 

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.