Culture in St. Petersburg

To simply walk down the grandiose streets and amble by the beautiful waterways of St. Petersburg could easily be considered a cultural experience in itself. St. Petersburg’s centre is a UNESCO-listed site, and indeed the architectural splendour of the city has seen it labelled ‘an outdoor museum to Neoclassism’. Founded in 1703 by Peter the Great, St. Petersburg was constructed to rival the beauty of any European city and to be the new capital of Imperial Russia. Whereas much of the splendour of the buildings has faded in the ravages of time, the city’s reputation as a centre of the arts remains undiminished. The home of so many great thinkers during its time as Russia’s capital, St. Petersburg is an important place of pilgrimage for young musicians and artists keen to immerse themselves in the creative scene.

Arguably the most famous of all the cultural legacies gifted to us by St. Petersburg are the inspirational Mariinsky Ballet and Opera companies (formerly known as the Kirov Ballet and Opera); indeed to see them perform is to catch a glimpse of Russia’s glorious past! The Mariinsky Theatre itself is due to close soon for renovations, however the companies will continue to perform at some of the city’s other forty theatres – ask at your hotel or at the tourist information office.

Fittingly for the city that spawned the composers Tchaikovsky, Mussorgsky, Stravinksy and Shostakovich (who dedicated his “Seventh Symphony”, composed during the three year Siege of Leningrad, to the city), St. Petersburg boasts an excellent Philharmonic Orchestra. Formed in 1882 it is the oldest such ensemble in Russia and has toured in over twenty countries around the world, attracting universal acclaim. Every year the Philharmonic and many more musicians besides perform in the renowned Stars of the White Nights Festival, which runs from May to July.

As well as its reputation as a hotspot for the performing arts, St. Petersburg is also known as 'the City of Museums – it can boast over one hundred treasure hives, from the Artic and Antartic Museum to the Zoological Museum. Of course the daddy of them all is the Hermitage and no trip to St. Petersburg can be considered complete without a perusal of the Winter Palace’s three million treasures.

Above: There's a Frenchman loose in St. Petersburg!

Left: Uncle Vanya contemplates murder

Below: Fresh from the wedding cake