Saint Petersburg- the most enchanting, majestic city in the World!

In our tour to Russia in 2019, we covered two cities – Saint Petersburg and Moscow. I had an idea about Moscow but not much about Saint Petersburg except the internet knowledge which I had gained just before our travel.

Our first stop in Russia was Saint Petersburg. I was simply bowled over by its opulence, historical heritage, ambience and resplendency. What I saw and experienced, it was beyond my imagination. I was simply overwhelmed, stunned, speechless and left with only one feeling, how such a grand city could have been built, and its grandeur and vibrancy is still intact even after going through destruction and famine during World War II.

Before I describe my experience,  let me first share some information about Saint Petersburg. It is a Russian port city on the Baltic Sea, and formally was known as Leningrad. It was the imperial capital for two centuries, having been founded in 1703 by Peter the Great, and till date it is the cultural capital of Russia.

Saint Petersburg went through a great suffering during World War II. Nazi Germany had blocked the city know in history as ‘The siege of Leningrad’.  The siege began in September 1941 until 1944, for a total of 872 days.

The two-and-a-half-year siege caused the greatest destruction and the largest loss of lives ever known in a modern city. On Hitler’s direct orders, most of the imperial palaces, and other historic landmarks were looted and destroyed, with many art collections transported to Germany. A number civil infrastructure also were destroyed by air raids and long range artillery bombardment. The 872 days of the siege caused extreme famine in the Leningrad region through disruption of utilities, water, energy and food supplies.

St Petersburg is home to Russia’s best preserved and most elaborate constructions from the extravagant Tsarist era. Brimming with elaborate beautiful palaces, classical sculptures, royal gardens, and  cathedrals, one cannot simply miss to visit St Petersburg in its lifetime. Walking around the city is like wandering through history in time machine.

Although these architectural buildings were established hundreds of years ago, most were preserved and transformed into museums. One can feel the history and culture instilled in each and every part of the City.

Other than its historical heritage, the city exudes an ambience which only one can experience it when one is there. The magnificent palaces, beautiful cathedrals and churches, water canals, flock of tourists, the Russian music played on the roads, the culinary, beautiful shops – one only experiences happiness bubbling inside while roaming on the roads, everywhere there is a festivity in the air. Hard to explain !

We visited Russia in July which is Summers there. Summers is the best time to visit St. Petersburg, as one of the world’s most northern city, the streets are alive with people right through till morning, with boats cruises non-stop, and the city’s nightlife is at its most active.

To roam around the city, one can take hop on-hop off bus which is very easily available. The boat ride is another way. 

Some of the must to see are –

The Palace Square is an architectural masterpiece, where major historical Russian events took place including the Red October and the Bloody Sunday Massacre. Winter Palace is located on side of the square, while opposite to is the equally appealing neoclassical General Staff Building. On the centre of the Palace Square stands the Alexander Column which commemorates Russia’s victory over Napoleonic France and is named after Alexander I, the ruler during that era.

The Winter Palace, a green and white, is one of the most popular palaces in St Petersburg. It was the imperial residence of the Tsars. 

There are many museums in – the City, but the Hermitage museum, located in the Winter Palace, with over three million items, filled with artworks of Michelangelo, Rembrandt, Van Gogh, Monet, and other artists the Tsars have collected. One must plan time to buy tickets.. 
Water Canals and Boat Cruise – St Petersburg has a network of stunning canals and bridges just like Venice. Neva River is the main waterway of the city and almost all major attractions can be seen from a boat tour along the river. A boat tour gives you the opportunity to sail under photogenic bridges and see most of the city’s famous landmarks along the way.

The churches & cathedrals – Although many Orthodox churches were destroyed during the Russian Revolution, but these churches were reconstructed later. To name a few – The Church of the Savior of the Spilled Blood, Kazan cathedral with impressive bronze doors, and the richest Isaac’s Cathedral dome was illuminated with gold and twelve statues of angels.

Nevsky Prospekt is the main avenue of St. Petersburg. Walking down this street will definitely satisfy your eyes with breath-taking architectures of significant Russian historical buildings. Stroganov Palace, Winter Palace, and Vorontsov Palace are just some of the majestic places along the avenue.

Hotel Astoria – One must see to feel the history, where Hitler reportedly planned to hold a victory banquet in the hotel’s Winter Garden. He was so convinced Leningrad would fall quickly that invitations to the event were printed in advance.

Metro – A ride in metro is must.   It has many typical Soviet designs and features exquisite decorations and artwork making it one of the most attractive and elegant metros in the world. Due to the city’s unique geology, the Saint Petersburg Metro is also one of the deepest metro systems in the world and the deepest by the average depth of all the stations. 

Indian food – there are many good Indian restaurants, serving good, authentic Indian food.

It is impossible to cover the city in a few days visit, also impossible to bring the grandeur and mood of the city in a  blog post. Only I can say, it’s simply ‘WoW’.

As in Hindi we say, ‘Yeh nahin dehka toh kya dekha?’ (If you have not seen this than what  have you seen?’ )

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By Rakhi Sunil Kumar