Saint-Petersburg > Palaces

Palaces of Saint-Petersburg

Arts State Hermitage Museum

Worldwide-recognized museum, it occupies five histori-cal buildings, including Winter Palace (architect-B. Ras- trelli) - the residence of Russian tsars, and keeps about 3,000,000 artefacts: chef d’oeuvres of old maitres, col-lection of impressionists and post-impressionists, fam-ous items of Scythian gold. Magnificent royal interiors. Open: 10:30-17:00, Sun till 16:00. Closed on Mon.

2 Dvortsovaya pi. Tel. 710-9625 © Nevskiy Prospekt

The Menshikov's Palace

The palace of city's first General Governor, A. Menshikov, the first masoned building in StPetersburg (architects F. Fontana and J. Schaedel) where the fragments of the original interiors of the XVIII century have survived, including the famous Dutch stove-tiles. The exhibition is devoted to Russian culture in the era of Peter the Great.

Open: 10:30-16:30. Closed on Mon.

15 Universitetskaya nab. [map F-5[. Tel. 323-1112 Vasileostrovskaya

Palace-And-Park Ensemble Oranienbaum

Summer residence of the future emperor Peter III (ar-chitects D. Fontana and J. Schaedel). Charming land-scape parks of the mid-XIX century, ensemble of fortress Peterstadt with a petite palace, Chinese Palace, Sliding Hill Pavilion (architect A.Rinaldi). Available to visit are the palace of Peter III and the Stone Hall Pavilion.

Open: 11:00-17:00, Mon 11:00-16:00. Closed on Tue and on the last Mon of every month, Tel. 422-8016.

Access: Suburban trains from Baltiyskiy railway terminal to the Oranienbaum station (40 km from St.Petersburg; travel time - about a hour): alternatively, bus route ¹ 431 or charter taxi from © Avtovo or Prospekt Veteranov. (Map dd-6]

The Constantine palace

Governmental Complex «Congress Palace», historical and cultural monument, and modem business center. Peter I planned to outshine the famous Versailles with this residence, which then became a grand-ducal estate. Permanent exhibition: «Collection of Constantine Palace (gift of G. Vishnevskaya and M. Rostropovich)». Touts around the state rooms are run. Wine-testing is offered (a cellar of 13,000 bottles).

Open: 10:00-17:00. Closed on Wed and on the days of the state events. Village Strelna, 3 Berezovaya Alleya Access: Suburban train from Baltiyskiy railway terminal to Strelna.