Places of Interest in St. Petersburg: Museums
Many museums in St. Petersburg participate in the International Museum Day on May 18, organizing special activities and/or offering free entrance.
Special events are also held in the Night of Museums. 2012 the museums will stay open in the night between May 19 and May 20.
1. The Hermitage (18-19 centuries)
The State Hermitage Museum is one of the world’s most famous museums of fine art. Its collection contains over three million items. The Winter Palace is the main building of the Hermitage. The Small, the Old, the New Hermitage and the Hermitage Theatre also belong to the museum complex.
Hours of the Winter Palace:
Tuesday through Saturday 10:30 a.m. - 5:00 p.m.
Sunday 10:30 a.m. - 6:00 p.m.
Monday closed
The box office closes one hour prior to the museum closing.
Address: Dvorzovaya Naberezhnaya 32-36
Metro: Nevsky Prospekt
The official website of the Hermitage (Russian and English)
2. The Russian Museum (founded in 1895)
Along with the Tretyakov Gallery in Moscow, the State Russian Museum houses one of the best collections of Russian and Soviet art. The museums collection contains over 400 000 items. The Michael Palace and the Benois Wing are the main buildings of the museum. The Marble Palace, the Stroganov Palace, the Michael Castle (the Engineer Castle) and the Summer Garden also belong to the museum complex.
Article about the Russian Museum with interactive map and video
Hours of Operation:
Wednesday through Sunday 10:00 a.m. - 6:00 p.m.
Monday 10:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m.
Tuesday closed
The box office closes one hour prior to the museum closing.
Address: Inzhenernaya Street 2-4
Metro: Gostiny Dvor, Nevsky Prospekt
The official website of the Russian Museum (Russian and English)
3. The Kunstkamera (opened in 1714)
Official name: Peter the Great Museum of Anthropology and Ethnography. Established by Peter I., the Kunstkamera was the first public museum in Russia. On his trips to Europe the Russian tsar collected various curiosities and rarities. The collection includes peculiar instruments, arms, books and natural abnormities. The Kunstkamera is especially popular for "Cabinet of naturalia" which exhibits human and animal anomalies like embryos, Siamese twins or a double-headed calf.
Hours of Operation:
Tuesday through Sunday 11:00 a.m. - 6:00 p.m.
Monday and last Tuesday of each month - closed
The box office closes one hour prior to the museum closing.
Address: Universitetskaya Naberezhnaya 3 (Entrance from Tamoshevsky pereulok)
Metro: Nevsky Prospekt, and then by trolleybus 1,7,10 or by bus 7,10
The official website of the Kunstkamera (Russian and English)
4. The Cabin of Peter the Great (1703)
It was the first residential house in St. Petersburg. A small wooden cabin was built for Peter the Great within three days. Later a stone gallery with a roof was erected around the original Cabin to protect it from bad weather. Personal belongings of Tsar Peter are exhibited here now.
Hours of Operation:
Monday, Wednesday through Sunday 10:00 a.m. - 6:00 p.m.
Tuesday and last Monday of each month - closed
Address: Petrovskaya Naberezhnaya 6
Metro: Gorkovskaya
The official website of the Cabin of Peter the Great (Russian and English)
5. The Cruiser "Aurora"
On October 25, 1917 "Aurora" fired a blank shot giving a signal to storm the Winter Palace. This was the official start of the October Revolution.
Hours of Operation:
Tuesday through Thursday, Saturday & Sunday 10:30 a.m. - 4:00 p.m.
Monday and Friday – closed
Free admission.
Address: Petrogradskaya Naberezhnaya
Metro: Gorkovskaya, Ploshchad Lenina, Tram 2, 6, 63
The official website of the Cruiser "Aurora" (Russian and English)
6. Pushkin Memorial Museum
The museum was established in the last apartment of the world-famous poet where Pushkin died mortally wounded at the duel with the French officer d’Anthes. Among other personal belongings of the poet, one can see the waistcoat Pushkin wore at the duel.
Hours of Operation:
Monday, Wednesday through Sunday 10:30 a.m. – 6:00 p.m.
Tuesday and last Friday of each month – closed
The box office closes one hour prior to the museum closing.
Address: Naberezhnaya reki Moiki 12
Metro: Nevsky Prospekt (Exit to the Griboyedov Kanal)
The official website of Alexander Pushkin Museum (Russian and English)
7. Dostoevsky Memorial Museum
Established in the last apartment of the world-famous writers. Here Dostoevsky spent the last three years of his life and wrote his last novel "The Brother Karamazov". The museum was opened in 1971 to celebrate the150th birth anniversary of Fyodor Dostoevsky.
Hours of Operation:
Tuesday through Sunday 11:00 a.m. – 6:00 p.m.
Monday - closed
The box office closes one hour prior to the museum closing.
Address: Kuznetchiy pereulok 5/2
Metro: Vladimirskaya, Dostoevskaya
The official website of Dostoevsky Memorial Museum (Russian and English)
8. Achmatova Memorial Museum
Anna Achmatova (1889-1966) is a very popular poet in Russia. During Stalin’s time her works were rigorously censored. The memorial museum was opened in the former apartment of the poet to celebrate Achmatova’s 100th birth anniversary.
Hours of Operation:
Tuesday, Thursday through Sunday 10:30 a.m. – 6:30 p.m.
Wednesday 1:00 p.m. – 9:00 p.m.
Monday - closed
The box office closes one hour prior to the museum closing.
Address: Naberezhnaya reki Fontanki 34 / Entrance from Liteiny prospekt 53
Metro: Vladimirskaya, Dostoevskaya, Gostiny Dvor; Nevsky Prospekt. Tram 28, 34; Trolleybus 8, 15, 19
The official website of Achmatova Memorial Museum (Russian and English)
