Vyborg has always been a frontier city, an ancient Swedish boundary fortress – an identity that determined its destiny across the ages. The city has changed hands many times – from Kingdom of Sweden to Russian Empire, then to Republic of Finland, to Soviet Union, to Finland again, and finally to USSR and, finally, to Russia; it has always been an outpost of these countries. This volatility took its toll on the daily life of its citizens and on the image of the city. Architecture of Vyborg is remarkable and diverse, spanning from a medieval Romanesque fortress to residential buildings marked by Finnish Romanticism of the early XX century, as well as functionalist buildings of the famous Alvar Aalto and SOK industrial bakery.

Starting at: Vyborg railway station plaza
Finishing at: Old Town Hall square
Duration: 3.5 hours (+ commute from/to St Petersburg)

Petrogradskaya side is the oldest inhabited part of Saint Petersburg. Here stands the first residence of the future city – a simple wooden cabin that belonged to Peter the Great. Trinity church, the first one in the city, also once was there; working settlements of the builders of Peter-and-Paul Fortress have also been located here. However, the powerful current of Neva river separated Petrogradskaya side from the left bank on which the Admiralty has become the focal point of the portuary city; therefore, until the very beginning of XX century, Petrogradsky island remained largely peripheral.

Troitsky (Trinity) bridge, built in 1903, has opened a new chapter in the island’s life. Along its axis, a luxurious Kamennoostrovsky prospekt was laid down. In mere ten years, it has become one of the most fashionable avenues in Europe. Every building has its own story to tell, and their ensemble is a living memory of the “Silver age” of the city marked by the Nordic Art Nouveau architecture.

Starting at: Trinity bridge;
Finishing at: Leo Tolstoy square
Duration: 3 hours

Smolny Dvor (Pitch Town) was an industrial district founded in the early days of Saint Petersburg that produced pitch and tar for the Admiralty Shipyard. Since then, the name was related to the Novo-Devitchi Convent built by the famous architect Rastrelli, the Institute of Noble Maids designed by Quarenghi, and the Petrograd Soviet that replaced the “Smolny maidens” during the Revolution. Our architectural walk also includes the magnificent ensemble of Tavrichesky palace that combines the luxury of classical architecture with the romantic impression of Tavrichesky paysage garden. Adjacent streets bear a rich collection of buildings of early XX and XXI centuries.

Starting at: Tavrichesky garden
Finishing at: Propylaeum of the Smolny Institute
Duration: 3 hours

On the map of Petersburg, Nevsky prospect is one-third of the famous trident of avenues that all aim at the golden spire of the Admiralty. Nevsky is a perfect example of aesthetics of urban space. Thanks to the whole system of adjacent squares, Nevsky is distinctive for its diverse, colorful setting that has no stiffness or monotony. Various ensembles are all united by the golden thread of the avenue. A stroll along Nevsky can turn into an exciting reading of Russian history.

Starting point: Admiralty
Finishing point: Anitchkov bridge
Duration : 2.5 hours

Petersburg has grown out of Neva’s waters. The river, dressed in granite embankments, has become an articulated space in the very heart of the city, its biggest square. Petersburg’s embankments have been expressly designed as the official “face” of the city – and a stroll along them can shed a new light on urban planning in Russia.

Starting point: Trinity bridge
Finishing point: University embankment
Duration: 2.5 hours

Saint Petersburg is, by essence, an imperial city that lived by the rules set by the imperial court.

Unbreakable laws of the Imperial style have determined the look of classical ensembles that strictly fitted the predetermined proportions. Saint Isaac’s Cathedral is at the same time the dominant point of the whole city centre, and the monument that marks the end of Classicism. By the time of its completion in 1858, the classical image of the city has been finally formed.
Starting at: Senate square

Finishing at: Saint Petersburg Manege
Duration: 2.5 hours

This walk is dedicated to “official” ensembles of Saint Petersburg that transformed the entire city into a work of art.

We’ll see an open-air museum that occupies entire squares, with famous monuments of architecture exposed before the eyes of excited spectators. This theatrical side of Saint Petersburg is destined to commemorate the greatest triumphs of Russian history.

Starting at: Palace square
Finishing at: Rossi street
Duration: 3 hours

“The most abstract and premeditated city on Earth” – that’s how Dostoevsky described Saint Petersburg. However, we should ask ourselves: is that a praise?

Petersburg is the greatest experiment in urban planning, organized by Peter the Great in the beginning of XVIII century. The creation of its ensemble brings together all the expertise and experience of European urban planning and is itself the climax of the “Century of Change” in Russian architecture. Uniqueness of Saint Petersburg is in the synthesis of European influence and Russian traditional urban planning.

During the walk, we’ll uncover the phenomena of the city that embodied the architectural principles of united Europe – three centuries before it became really united.

Starting at: Peter and Paul fortress
Finishing at: Palace square
Duration: 2.5 hours