1. Kunstkamera
The first museum to be established in St Petersburg was the Kunstkamera. Part ethnographic world tour and part freak show, this is a museum that few will easily forget. The main display is often disregarded by those seeking more gory thrills but is interesting in its own right. When Peter established the museum he was trying to combat a superstitious and pagan streak that ran through the Russian peasantry. As such he collected a grisly selection of preserved fetuses and bodies with abnormalities with the intention of proving that these were mere medical defects and not the work of devils or sprites. Small children especially will either love this exhibition or hate it, parents can make their own decisions as to whether it is suitable.
2. Dostoevsky museum
Literature enthusiasts will want to make sure that they see the Dostoevsky museum, which is set in a flat in which the famous author lived just before his death and includes the room in which he wrote The Brothers Karamazov. The museum is quite small but very interesting, perhaps more for aficionados of his work than the general visitor. A map in one of the rooms details locations throughout the city that are contained in the great man’s work, which can be useful for those on a real literary pilgrimage.
3. Cruiser Aurora
In 1917 the first shots of the Revolution were fired from the Cruiser Aurora which was moored in the Neva opposite the Winter Palace. Despite being sunk in the river during WWII, the Aurora is now preserved as a museum to all things revolutionary. The ship houses a large and fun collection of Soviet propaganda as well as restored sections of the ships interior. The Aurora is a must for anyone with an interest in Soviet or naval history and is also very popular with kids.
4. Museum of the Revolution
As the birthplace of several revolutions before the infamous Communist revolution of 1917, St Petersburg has a long and varied political history. This has its own dedicated museum which is set inside the former Bolshevik headquarters and contains Lenin’s study, as well as a balcony from which he frequently gave speeches. The museum itself is fascinating, especially so for anyone who has studied the revolutionary period, although the exhibits stretch right up the present day.
5. Blockade Museum
Anyone attempting to understand the process by which today’s St Petersburg came into being has to visit the Blockade Museum. Known as the 900 days, the blockade was the three year period in which St Petersburg, or Leningrad as it then was, suffered a devastating Nazi siege. Rather than take the city by force Hitler and his Generals decided to simply starve the city until it capitulated, although they had underestimated the sheer strength of will of the inhabitants. The death toll was appalling, with starvation and disease being the biggest killers, but the city never fell. The museum tells the story of those terrible times in an enthralling and moving way.
Photo of Kuntskamera, St Petersburg, Russia by Dominic Sayers
Topic: General Travel |
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Tags: culture, Russia, Saint Petersburg
About the author
Will Joce is a recent graduate from the London School of Economics who has a morbid fear of working in an office. As well as travelling and writing he has worked in the UK Parliament and as a press monitor. Refusing to follow advice and get a real job he will soon be beginning a Masters degree at St Petersburg State University
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