Museums and Theaters

Museums and theaters hold a key place in the cultural life of Saint Petersburg. The city is home to the country's largest art and historical collections, and its theatrical tradition has been shaped over several centuries.

Вид на Корпус Бенуа Русский музей

The Benois Wing of the Russian Museum – a tour through the art of change

The Benois Wing in St. Petersburg: from a printing house to the Palace of Arts, neoclassical architecture, Malevich, Kandinsky, Chagall, 'Red Square', 'The Demon Flying', and the 20th-century collection

Вид на Старый эрмитаж

The Large Hermitage in St. Petersburg – the building where Catherine 2's private collections became a great museum

The Old Hermitage in St. Petersburg: history of construction under Catherine 2, architecture of Yuri Felten, halls of Leonardo da Vinci and Titian, the Soviet Staircase, and world-class collections.

Вид на Новый Эрмитаж

The New Hermitage – the first public museum of St. Petersburg

The New Hermitage in St. Petersburg is the first building in Russia constructed as a public art museum: history of creation, atlantes, architecture, halls, and main exhibits.

Вид на Эрмитажный театр со стороны Дворцовой набережной

The Hermitage Theatre in St. Petersburg: architecture of Ancient Greece

The Hermitage Theatre in St. Petersburg – the oldest court stage of Catherine II, built on the foundation of Peter I's palace

Эрмитажные коты на территории Зимнего дворца

Hermitage cats: the fluffy guard of the Winter Palace

Hermitage cats are the living guardians of the Winter Palace. Learn the history of the Hermitage cats, their service in the Hermitage, their feats during the siege, and the modern life of the tailed staff of the St. Pet…

Крейсер Аврора у Петроградской набережной в Санкт-Петербурге

The Aurora cruiser – a walk across the decks of great history

Cruiser Aurora – a legendary museum ship in St. Petersburg. History, structure, combat path, and a tour of the decks and halls.

Кунсткамера в Санкт-Петербурге — здание первого музея России на Университетской набережной

The Kunstkamera — the museum where science in Russia began

The Kunstkamera — Russia's first museum, founded by Peter I. History, collections, rare exhibits, and reasons to visit the museum in person.

Центральный военно-морской музей в Санкт-Петербурге, вид с набережной Мойки

Central Naval Museum in St. Petersburg - history of the Russian fleet

The Central Naval Museum named after Emperor Peter the Great is a place where you get a feeling of a real journey through time. Here you can see how the maritime power was born, with what ships it defended its borders a…

The Hermitage, the Russian Museum, specialized historical exhibitions, private galleries, and temporary shows create a rich museum environment. Theaters are represented both by historical stages with academic repertoires and by modern venues with experimental productions.

The city's cultural infrastructure allows combining visits to museums and theaters within a single route, opening up different directions of art – from classics to contemporary projects.