Saint-Petersburg Excursions

• Duration - 5 hrs.
• Entrance ticket(s) included.
• This excursion is not available on Mondays (museum day-off).
• Tour includes roundtrip transfer and english-speaking guide assistance.

Peterhof, that is often called "Russian Versailles" or "The Capital of Fountains", is probably, the most famous and spectacular Imperial estate in St. Petersburg, a town of parks, palaces, and fountains. It is located on the coast of the Gulf of Finland. Peterhof was the favourite summer estate of Peter the Great and for a long period of time it was the official residence of Romanovs dynasty. The idea of creating the whole architectural ensemble, the basic planning of design, the projects of decorations art belongs personally to Peter the Great. The construction of the new Summer residence had started in 1714, and its grand opening was held on 15 August 1723. The Grand Palace, with it's fascinating and magnificient interiors, stays on the top of a high seashore, overlooking the Lower Park. The Lower Park is situated between the Grand Palace and the coast of the Gulf of Finland. It is famous for the world's largest system of fountains, spread under the parks lands. The unique fountain system of the park was designed in the 18th century and doesn't require the use of any pumps to operate the fountains. There are three major cascades and over 140 fountains in the park. The most impressive is the Grand Cascade, located directly below the Grand Palace and featuring an impressive golden statue of Samson grasping the mighty jaws of the lion.

• Duration - 4 hrs.
• Entrance ticket(s) included.
• This excursion is not available on Tuesdays (museum day-off).
• Tour includes roundtrip transfer and english-speaking guide assistance.

A small town of Pushkin is located at 25 km south of St. Petersburg. Historically, the estate was called "Saarskaya Myza", but later, in 1724, when the Russian Empress Catherine I had ordered to built here a palace, and lay a park, it was renamed to "Tsarskoe Selo" (Royal Village). The unique architectural ensemble of Pushkin is world known for its elegant palaces and pavilions, landscape parks and ponds. It has inspired many celebrated Russian poets, painters and musicians to create their masterpieces in music and art. Many world famous and higly-talented russian architects, like Rastrelli, Rinaldi, Cameron, Zemtsov, Chevakinskiy, Neelov were invited to work here, and set here their's beautiful creations. In 1937 the name of the town was changed to "Pushkin", in memory of the great Russian poet Alexander Pushkin and his tragic death. The famous amber room is located inside the Catherine's Palace. It was presented to Peter the Great by the Prussian King Frederick William. The 16-feet panels were constructed of more than 100.000 pieces of amber, perfectly fitted to each other. During the World War II the Nazis dismantled the amber panels and shipped them to Germany, and they have never been found. Many Russians believe that they still exist somewhere in Germany. Russian artists and restorers began to recreate the Amber Room in the the early 1980's, using the old techniques. The room was finally opened to the public in 2003. The Catherine's Park is located around the Catherine's Palace. It combines both a formal garden and a landscape park. The Formal Park, is placed directly behind the Catherine Palace. It was designed by the italian architect Rastrelli. The English landscape Park, which runs to the south of the Cameron Gallery, was laid out by the English architect Johann Busch. This park is centered around the Great Pond and has an extremely varied range of beautiful buildings and monuments. To the west of the Great Pond, there is one more, different area, known as the Italian Park. It also has a number of picturesque buildings.

• Duration - 4 hrs.
• Entrance ticket(s) included.
• This excursion is not available on Fridays.
• Tour includes roundtrip transfer and english-speaking guide assistance.

The Pavlovsk Palace and park ensemble is located 27 kilometers away from St.Petersburg. Pavlovsk Palace was the favorite summer residence of Paul I, son of Russian Empress Catherine II, who gave him this lands as a present. The Pavlovsk Palace was built in 1779. It's interiors were decorated to the tastes of Paul I and his wife Maria Fyodorovna. British architect Charles Cameron spent over twenty years of his life to create the Pavlovsk ensemble. His work was continued by the architect Brenna. The Pavlovsk Park, one of the biggest parks in Europe, is beautiful and peaceful. It preserves the spirit of Russia. From it's very beginning it was laid as an English landscape park, therefore it is different to the French regular gardens in Peterhof and Tsarskoe Selo. Pavlovsk park is very poetic, and resembles a forest, with lots of trees, huge fields, small rivers and several pavilions spread over this great territory. The Pavlovsk Park is one of the precious pearls of the world landscape art.

• Duration - 5 hrs.
• Entrance ticket(s) included.
• This excursion available daily.
• Tour includes roundtrip transfer and english-speaking guide assistance.

The ensemble of the Great Oranienbaum (Menshikov) Palace - is an outstanding architectural monument of the first half of XVIII century. It was founded by the Duke Alexander Menshikov in 1711 by the project of the architect F. Fontana. The construction of the central building of the palace was completed in 1716 under the supervision of the architect, I. Braunstein. At the same time, there were built the curved wings of the palace, adjacent to the main building from the east and west sides. In 1717, the Lower Garden was set in front of the palace, and, in 1919, there were erected the tower pavilions. The interiors of the palace were finished by 1720. The palace church was consecrated on September 3, 1727. After the fall of the Duke Menshikov, the Palace was handed over to the Office of the buildings, and in 1736 - the Admiralty College Hospital. In 1743, the Oranienbaum estate became the property of the Grand Duke Peter Fedorovich. During the Soviet Era, the Palace had played different roles, but not a museum. It was used as a hospital, rural school, a college and a dormitory. Only in 1995 the restoration works had started here. Finally, the restored and renovated Great Menshikov Palace in Oranienbaum, was opened to the public in summer of 2011. The opening of the palace was devoted to the 300-th anniversary of the town Lomonosov.

• Duration - 5 hrs.
• Entrance ticket(s) included.
• This excursion is not available on Tuesdays (museum day-off).
• Tour includes roundtrip transfer and english-speaking guide assistance.

The first owner of the beautiful Gtachina Estate was the favorite of the Empress Catherine II - Count Grigory Orlov. In 1766 he had started to build a palace here, under the supervision of the architect Antonio Rinaldi. The Catherine's son - Duke Paul Petrovich, had settled in the palace after the death of Gregory Orlov, in 1783. Paul I put Gatchina to the status of the city and adopted it's emblem, which depicts a traditional Russian double-headed eagle. At that time the palace had undergone a serious modernisation, held by another Italian architect Vincenzo Brenna, and it keeps that shape till nowadays. After the death of Paul I, the Palace belonged to his wife Maria Feodorovna, and later, to emperors Alexander II, Nicholas I and Alexander III. The palace of Paul I looks different than other Imperial Palaces around saint-Petersburg. It is not decorated with gilded baroque elements and sculptures. However, this does not diminish its value as a monument of architecture. The facade of the palace is decorated with natural stone. This practice in construction was used for the first time in Russia here. And the tour of the castle you can see the Antechamber, the Marble Dining room, the Throne room of Paul I, and other carefully restored interiors of the palace.

• Duration - 4 hrs.
• Entrance ticket(s) included.
• This excursion is not available on Wednesdays (museum day-off).
• Tour includes roundtrip transfer and english-speaking guide assistance.

The Alexander Palace was started in 1792, by the order of Catherine II. It was built as a present for the wedding of her favorite grandson, Grand Duke Alexander Pavlovich (the future Emperor Alexander I) with the Grand Duchess Elizaveta Alekseyevna. In May 1796, the last year of the reign of Empress Catherine II, the construction was completed, and on June 12th, 1796, Grand Duke Alexander Pavlovich and his wife moved into a new palace. The successor of Alexander I - Emperor Nicholas I loved the Alexander Palace and paid special attention to it's improvement. Later, Alexander Palace was the Grand Duke's residence for the grandson of Nicholas I, Grand Duke Alexander Alexandrovich - the future Emperor Alexander III. In 1904, Alexander Palace became the permanent residence of Emperor Nicholas II, who was born here in 1868 and cared of the Tsarskoe Selo with a special warmth. The last 13 years of the reign of the last Russian Emperor were spent here, and, from here, on August 1, 1917, the imperial family was exiled to Tobolsk. The Palace had held the most important events in the russian social life of the beginning of XX century: receptions of ambassadors and foreign dignitaries, the celebration of 300 years of the Romanov dynasty and the 200th anniversary of Tsarskoe Selo.

• Duration - 3 hrs.
• Entrance ticket(s) included.
• This excursion is not available on Wednesdays (museum day-off).
• Tour includes roundtrip transfer and english-speaking guide assistance.

Many centuries ago, the great philosopher of antiquity - Aristotle had established a school for the talented children in Athens. It was called the Lyceum. On October 19th, 1811, in the town of Tsarskoe Selo (today's town of Pushkin), there was established the school for children of nobles, which has got the same name. The founders of the institution cherished the hope that the Lyceum of Tsarskoe Selo will become the ideological successor of the famous Lyceum of antiquity. In different times, among the students of the school were many famous russians, but the first graduates of the school became a real pride of Russia: a famous poet Alexander Pushkin, the poet and journalist - Anton Delvig, the poet and member of the Decembrist uprising - Wilhelm Kuchelbecker, Rear-Admiral Matyushkin, the Commander of the Caucasian Staff - V. Volhovsky, the minister of foreign affairs of the State - Gorchakov. This High School, was raised for the training of officials responsible for public affairs. Due to the extensive educational program and the broad field of education, the students contributed to the development of whole Russia, making discoveries in various areas - public, academic, cultural, artistic and social.

• Duration - 4 hrs.
• Entrance ticket(s) included.
• This excursion is not available on Mondays and Tuesdays.
• Tour includes roundtrip transfer and english-speaking guide assistance.

The Museum-Estate "Penates" of Iliya Repin is located at 45 kilometers from St. Petersburg, on the coast of the Gulf of Finland. The world famous russian artist Ilya Repin (1844 - 1930) had spent here the last 30 years of his lie and wished to be buried here. The estate has become one of the country's first memorial museums under the patronage of the Russian Academy of Arts. The "Penates" suffered hard, during the WWII, and were later restored from the ruines. Here, you can see the personal belongings of the artist, his paintings and drawings, works of his son - Yuriy, and also the works of other Russian artists. Penates keep nearly six hundreds of paintings and graphic works. The house keeps the memorial image of the rooms, which bears the imprint of tastes and habits of it's owner: a workshop, dining room, patio. The excursion to the museum includes an internal visit to the exposition, viewing the old cinema chronicles, that show Repin in his house, walk to the memorial park and the surrounding area, which inspired many Russian artists and writers. Due to the fact, that the owners of the Penates were fond of vegetarianism, the museum preserved some recipes for those dishes that were served at the famous round table.