Sightseeing in Saint Petersburg

St. Petersburg is often called the cultural capital of Russia because the city is famous for its museums, palaces, monuments and theatres.
The Alexandrinski Drama Theatre, the Bolshoi Drama Theatre, the Mariinsky Theatre of Opera and Ballet are pearls of Russian art.

In St. Petersburg therere a lot of parks and gardens where citizens spend their free time. The Summer Garden is the oldest and most fascinating park. Rare trees, bushes and flowers grow there. Beautiful marble statues made by Italian sculptors and a famous cast iron fence decorate the Summer Garden. There is a bronze monument to the prominent Russian fabulist Ivan Krylov designed (by sculptor Klodt).

St. Petersburg is famous for its magnificent architectural ensembles of the 18th and 19th centuries. The city began with the Peter and Paul Fortress built to protect the Neva banks from Swedish invasion. Later Domeniko Trezzini, the famous Swiss architect, reconstructed the fortress. It became a prison. Now it is a museum. Trezzini erected the Peter and Paul Cathedral here, and Russian tsars were buried in it.

The most famous square in the city is the Palace Square with its magnificent ensemble. Here one can see the Winter Palace built by Rastrelli. Till the revolution it was the residence of the Russian csars. Now the Winter Palace and four other buildings are occupied by the Hermitage, one of the oldest art museums in Russia. There one can see masterpieces of outstanding artists: Leonardo da Vinci, Raphael, Rembrandt, Velazquez and other unique works of art.
The Russian Museum is located in the Mikhailovsky Palace, designed by Rossi. Marvellous paintings by the famous Russian artists: Tropinin, Repin, Bryullov, Fedotov, Surikov, Serov; the works of sculptors: Rastrelli, Shubin, Antokolsky are exhibited here.

The streets and squares in St. Petersburg are very beautiful. Nevsky Prospect is the main street of the city, where there are amazing buildings, shops, hotels and the remarkable Kazan Cathedral (by Voronikhin) with a colonnade and monuments to M. Kutuzov and Barclay de Tolly. Here in the prospect one can see the magnificent building of the Admiralty (by Zakharov) and the ensemble of the Alexander Nevsky Lavra. Famous Russian writers, painters, composers and actors were buried in the Lavra.

Majestic palaces, cathedrals, churches and other buildings, built by famous architects. Among them there are such as: palaces of Stroganov, Menshikov, Anichkov, and St. Isaac's Cathedral, erected by Montferrand decorate St. Petersburg.
The city is often called the Venice of the North because there are 65 rivers and canals with artistically decorated cast iron bridges. One of the most beautiful is Anichkov Bridge.

Citizens and tourists enjoy visiting the suburbs of St. Petersburg: Petergof, Pushkin, Pavlovsk with their wonderful palaces, parks and fountains.
St. Petersburg inspired many of our great poets, writers, painters, sculptors, composers and actors. Much of the life and work of Pushkin, Dostoevsky, Tchaikovsky, Repin and Kramskoi was connected with the city.

Answer the questions

1. Why is St. Petersburg an important cultural centre?

2. What famous St. Petersburg museums do you know? Do you often visit them?

3. What St. Petersburg theatres are the most popular?

4. Are there many parks and gardens in the city? What is your favourite park? Which park is the oldest one?

5. What square is the most beautiful and why?

6. What is the main street of the city famous for?

7. When is the best season to visit the suburbs? Why?

8. Why is the city often called the Venice of the North?

9. How many bridges are in Saint Petersburg? What are the most beautiful ones?

10. Why is Saint Petersburg called the City of White Nights?

11. What famous architects worked in the city? What buildings did they erect in Saint Petersburg?

12. What are the symbols of Saint Petersburg?

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