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The white nights in St. Petersburg
The miracle of white nights can be enjoyed by those manage to visit St. Petersburg from June 11th through July 2nd , when the sun practically never sets, can enjoy the fabulous city Panorama while walking along numerous embankments during the white nights. The night becomes curiously indistinguishable from day, so much so that the authorities never need to turn the city’s streetlights on.
The State Hermitage Museum
 The State Hermitage is one of the oldest and largest museums in the world. The museum occupies six magnificent buildings situated along the embankment of the River Neva, right in the centre of St. Petersburg. The main building of the museum complex is the Winter Palace, the residence of the Russian tsars that was built to the design of Francesco Bartolomeo Rastrelli in 1754-62. The exhibition shows the development of the world culture and art from the Stone Age to the 20th century. The collection of the museum (more than 3 million items) include magnificent works of art, Antique art and one of the best collections of Western European paintings in the world and dozens other interesting and unique exhibits.
The State Russian Museum
 The State Russian Museum in the world’s largest museum of Russian art. It is located in the very center of St.Petersburg, just on the city’s central magisterial, Nevsky Prospekt. The museum is situated in the former Mikhilovsky palace, the residence was built in Emperial style for the Grand Duke Mikhil ( the son of the emperor paul 1) in the early 1820s the collection of the Russian museum numbers some 400,000 works and covers the entire history of Russian fine art from the tenth century to the present day. It reflevts virtually every form and genre of art in Russia, including a unique collection of old Russian icons, works of painting, graphic art and sculpture, decorative and applied art folk art and numismatics, as well as the world’s finest collection of Russian avant-grade.
The St.Isaac Cathedral
 It is one of the finest cathedrals built in Europe in the end of the 19th century and third largest domed cathedral in the world after those in Rome and London. 400 kilos of gold were used to decorate the cathedral and more that 11 square meters of Lazurite details were used to fase the coloumns and architectural details of the icons were created using mosaic techniques. The cathedral contains more than 50 murals and oil paintings comprising a unique collection of Russian monumental painting of the first half of the 9th century. Now serves as a museum and services are held only on significiant ecclesiastical holidays.
The Church of our Saviour on the blood
This church was built on the place where the Russian tsar nAlexander 11 was assassinated by revolutionaries. Its construction lasted for 27 years. The best masters of painting, mosaic and stone carving took part in its unique collection of mosaics expressing typical features of Russian art.
The Peter and Paul Fortress
 The Fortress was founded by peter the great in 1703. Thought it never played its military role it was turned into political prision. Among the prisoners of the fortress there were Alexander Ulianov (elder brother of Lenin), Chernishevsky ( Russian writer and philosopher) and others. In the middle of the fortress stands the burial place of all the Russsian Emperors and Empresses from Peter the Great to Alexander 111. The Cathedral was the first church in the city to be built of stone and its design is curiously unsual for a Russian Orthodox Church. There is also a range of museums inside the fortress.
The Alexander Nevsky Lavra
Peter the Great founded the lavra (monastery of the highest rank) in 1710 as ‘ the Monastery of the Holy trinity and Grand Duke St.Alexander Nevsky’ to honour the victory over the Swedish troops in 1240. The Highest priests of the Orthodox Church were educated in the theological school situated on the territory of the Lavra. Later the Academy of Theology was estabilished here. From the very beginning the Alexander Nevsky lavra got the status of the most prestigious burial place in Imperial Russia. The members of royal family, priests, outstanding governors and commanders were buried on the territory of the Necropolis and Nikolay cemetery Among them once should name Commander Suvorov, prince Bezborodko, architects Quarenghi, Voronikhin, Rossi and others.
The palace of Yusupov
 It is one of the most beautiful palaces of St. Petersburg famous for its interiors. There is also a magnificent theatre in the museum where it is possible to visit concerts and performances. The palace belonged to the wealthy and respected Yusupov family, which members murdered Grigory Rasputin. Tourists can visit the exhibition devoted to this dramatic episode.
Pavlovsk
 This superb estate was used as a summer residence of the Russian emperor Paul 1 and his family. Paul 1 received the park grounds as a gifts from his mother Catherine the Great in 1777. The Landscape park ( one of the largest in Europe) covers the area of 600 hectares. The owners of Pavlovsk brought a large number of unique sculptures, paintings, furniture, bronze articles, silk fabric, Chines sets to Russia from their trips. The estate was reconstructed in 2003, so now it’s a real master piece.
Tsarskoe Selo ( Royal Village )
In the course of the 18th – 19th centuries Tsarkoe selo became the summer residence of Russian Tsars. During this period the most architects, painters, and craftsmen of the time created that fantastic world whose splendour equals the most magnificent and richest residences of Europe. The compositional centre of this ensemble is Catherine’s Palace, the striking examplpe of Baroque architecture containing exquisite decorative items, furniture, paintings of Russian and European artists, unique collection of porcelain, amber.
Peterhof
 Peterhof is a jewel of Russian artistic culture of the 18th- 19th centuries, a town of parks, palaces and fountains. It used to be the most splendid official royal summer residence. There are over 150 fountains in magnificent parks of peterhof. That’s why it is often called ‘ capital of fountains’ on the territory of Peterhof there are 9 museums: Grand Palace,Monplaisir, the Church of Alexander Nevsky and others. Peterhof is one of the most wonderful places in Russia which everyone will enjoy | 
 
