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If you are one of those whose interests include World War II, a visit to the Victory Park in Moscow is a must. This massive Museum is as impressive on the inside as it is on the outside.

One is immediately put on notice as to the size and importance of this museum when you approach it after exiting the subway.

Statues, monuments and various Soviet military hardware can be found in front of and on all sides of this impressive museum. Inside there are many very creative displays, exhibits of real Soviet artifacts and presentations which depict the state of cities like St. Petersburg during various phases of the war with Nazi Germany.

We always suggest that you visit Russia with the help of a licensed guide but in the case of Victory Park we can also enlist the services of an English speaking veteran who will add extra detail and commentary to those things which can be seen in and around the museum.

Be sure to allot at least three hours for your visit to victory Park and if you are a student of military history or, interested in the plight of a nation and its people after having been attacked by the Nazis, this will be a visit you will not soon forget.

On my recent visit to St. Petersburg I was able to take a private canal boat tour of the city.

One might say “so what”? Well the “So What” is that St. Petersburg is a very intense city to visit. There are just so many things to see and do that there is never enough time. That causes one to want to put in long days to “SQUEEZE” as much out of each day as possible. When we tour in that fashion, fatigue becomes an issue.

Well, one solution is to view the city from the relaxing surface of the canals and the Neva river.

Since there is no way to see everything in St. Petersburg , no matter how many days you have to do it, seeing the highlights from one of the comfortable canal cruisers is an ideal way to relax and enjoy the view.

Our private tour was conducted by Andrei Artyushin. He owns a beautiful Capri Bayliner which was purchased in the USA.
We brought a bottle of wine and totally enjoyed this method of touring.

For those who really want a different experience and are not afraid of being pampered, you can engage the boat all day and your guide and Andrei will take you on the city tour and also take you to the Grand Palace at Peterhof and make a stop at the Peter and Paul Fortress. This would be a fantastic day and you would be the envy of all the people lurching about on the roads to see the same sites.

Something to think about when you are planning your visit to St. Petersburg.

The Church on Spilled Blood was built in the late 19th century on the assassination site of Tsar Alexander II, who was killed by a terrorist’s bomb. The church’s fascinating, colorful appearance is the result of the numerous materials used in its construction. Much like the Sagrada Familia in Barcelona, the church is a challenge to the visual senses–there is so much to see. For example, the bell tower is covered in 144 mosaic coats of arms, representing the regions and towns of Russia. The five domes are covered in jeweler’s enamel, and glazed ceramic tiles cover much of the exterior.The intricate design and detail of the church are an interesting contrast to the simplicity of most of the rest of the buildings in St. Petersburg.

For those who have been to Moscow, the resemblance to St. Basil’s Cathedral in Red Square is no coincidence. The architect, Alfred Parland, was trying to copy St. Basil’s, and most would say the two churches do look much alike, although their environs are certainly different.

When one observes the skyline of St. Petersburg the spire of the Peter and Paul Cathedral is predominant. The Peter and Paul Fortress was the first structure Peter the Great built in Saint Petersburg, Russia in 1703. Today it marks the founding of the city, but the fortress was used as a political prison for centuries and the cathedral holds the tombs of the Romanov Tsars. The Peter and Paul Fortress sits on the northern banks of the Neva River, and the tall golden spire of Peter and Paul Cathedral marks the location. This spire was the tallest point in Saint Petersburg until a television tower was built in the mid-1960s. Many famous persons have been incarcerated in the Prison. Feodor Dostoevsky was imprisoned here for his part in the attempt on the Czar’s life. While standing to be executed, the czar commuted his death sentence and sentenced him to many years in Siberia. This episode in his life is assumed to be the motivation for his novel Crime and Punishment. It is remarkable to see the semi precious stone tombs of the likes of Peter the Great and Catherine the Great.  All of the Romanov Czars’ remains are in the Peter and Paul Cathedral with the exception of Peter the III.

The remains of the last Czar , Nicholas II, and his murdered family are in the Cathedral in a special room. They were placed there in the last few years after the remains were discovered in the Urals near where they were murdered.

Many children will recognize the name of one of Nicholas’ children, Grand Duchess Anastasia from the Disney movie of the same name.

If you would like to take a tour to this location please search in google “russian tour guide” and you will find our site at the top.

OR go to:

https://russiantourguide.com/st-petersburg/st-petersburg-day-tours/peterhof-st-petersburg-day-tour/

to see a tour with this location.