In the 1820s and 1830s, Carlo Rossi designed Ploshchad Iskusstv (Arts Square), named after the cluster of museums and concert halls that surrounds it, and the lovely Mikhailovskaya ul, which joins the square to Nevsky pr. There is invariably a pigeon perched atop the statue of Pushkin, erected in 1957, which stands in the middle of the tree-lined square.
Lonely Planet's must-see attractions
0.66 MILES
The Hermitage fully lives up to its sterling reputation. You can be absorbed by its treasures for days and still come out wanting more. The enormous…
15.19 MILES
The Grand Palace is an imposing building, although with just 30-something rooms, it is not nearly as large as your typical tsarist palace. From the start…
0.49 MILES
The east wing of this magnificent building, wrapping around the south of Dvortsovaya pl and designed by Carlo Rossi in the 1820s, marries restored…
15.38 MILES
One of the greatest attractions outside of St Petersburg is the jaw-dropping collection of gilded fountains, statue-lined lanes and picturesque canals…
1.33 MILES
This spectacular palace on the Moyka River has some of the best 19th-century interiors in the city, in addition to a fascinating and gruesome history. The…
15.45 MILES
The centrepiece of Tsarskoe Selo, created under Empresses Elizabeth and Catherine the Great between 1744 and 1796, is the vast baroque Catherine Palace,…
1.5 MILES
The Mariinsky Theatre has played a pivotal role in Russian ballet ever since it was built in 1859 and remains one of Russia's most loved and respected…
15.56 MILES
Around the Catherine Palace extends the lovely Catherine Park. The main entrance is on Sadovaya ul, next to the Palace Chapel. The park extends around the…
Nearby St Petersburg attractions
0.02 MILES
There is invariably a pigeon perched atop the statue of Pushkin, erected in 1957, which stands in the middle of tree-lined Arts Sq.
0.09 MILES
This is the former home of Isaak Brodsky, Repin’s favourite student and one of the favoured artists of the revolution (not to be confused with Joseph…
3. Russian Museum of Ethnography
0.09 MILES
This excellent museum displays the traditional crafts, customs and beliefs of more than 150 cultures that make up Russia’s fragile ethnic mosaic. It’s a…
0.11 MILES
Focusing solely on Russian art, from ancient church icons to 20th-century paintings, the Russian Museum's collection is magnificent and can easily be…
5. Russian Museum (Benois Wing)
0.15 MILES
The Russian Museum's exhibitions of 20th-century works are held in this building's 1st floor, which is connected by stairs to the main collection in the…
0.15 MILES
Administered by the Russian Museum, these 8.7-hectare gardens are lovely and offer an impressive perspective of Mikhailovsky Castle. They are famous for…
7. Armenian Church of St Catherine
0.16 MILES
Continuing with a tradition of non-Orthodox churches being built on Nevsky pr, the Armenian merchant Ovanes Lazarian paid for the city’s first Armenian…
0.2 MILES
A landmark on the corner of Nevsky pr and Dumskaya ul is the clock tower of the former Town Duma (Town Parliament) which was the seat of the…