St. Petersburg is one of the largest cities in the Russian Federation. It is located off the east coast of the Gulf of Finland. Petersburg is a major historical and cultural center of the country, where many neoclassical and baroque buildings, as well as monuments, drawbridges and other sights, have been erected.
Pavlovsk Palace
At the southern end of Tsarskoye Selo there is the Pavlovsky Palace - a beautiful and also quite interesting landmark of St. Petersburg. The palace building was erected in the neoclassical style, it served as a summer residence for Emperor Paul I. In the park area around the palace there is a wide garden, which includes meadows, lakes, decorated terraces and alleys of tall trees. The exterior of the palace is painted in white and yellow colors, and its top is crowned with a domed, snow-white roof. Inside the palace there are many rooms, which are decorated using various artistic techniques and motives. Some rooms contain art galleries.
State Russian Museum
The largest Russian museum is the State Russian Museum, built in 1895 by decree of Nicholas II. To date, the exposition of the museum contains more than 400,000 exhibits of painting, sculpture and graphics. In the museum you can see the works of Aivazovsky, Bryullov, Serov, Repin, Petrov-Vodkin, Savrasov and Malevich. One of the departments of the museum contains works by the famous icon painter Andrei Rublev.
Peterhof
Peterhof is one of the hallmarks of St. Petersburg. The complex of green parks, majestic palaces, incredibly beautiful gardens and fountains decorated with gold will not leave indifferent any tourist. The largest cascade of fountains is located directly at the entrance to the Peterhof Palace. It is also worth visiting the Lower and Upper Gardens, which impress the imagination with their incredible beauty.
Hermitage
The Hermitage is one of the largest museums in the world, which has absorbed more than 3 million exhibits from various nations and eras. The museum was created with the support of Catherine II in 1764. Works of art by Rembrandt, Raphael, Van Dyck, Watteau, Titian and Rubens are at the forefront of the museum's collection. Also, the works of sculptors Canova and Michelangelo, as well as artists of a more modern trend - Van Gogh, Cezanne, Matisse and Picasso are showing particular interest in themselves. Also in the Hermitage are collections of weapons, orders, coins, jewelry, armor, amphorae, vases and church utensils.
Great Catherine Palace
Practically the main attraction of St. Petersburg is the Great Catherine Palace, located in Tsarskoe Selo and built in the Rococo style. The facade of the palace is decorated with white and blue hues, as well as golden statues, pilasters and columns. There is a large garden at the entrance to the palace, in which plants are planted with various patterns. The interior of the palace consists of the Great Hall and the Ballroom, which are decorated with baroque elements, massive windows, gold engraving and frescoes by renowned artists.
