The Peter and Paul Fortress (Petropavlovskaya Krepost")
The Peter and Paul Fortress in St. Petersburg is one of St. Petersburg’s most popular tourist attractions. It lies conveniently within the city center, on the bank of the Neva River, and offers many opportunities for exploring exhibitions – or just walking around and enjoying the experience.
Originally built during the Northern War as St. Petersburg’s first citadel meant to protect the city from the Swedes, it was the first structure officially built in St.
Petersburg and can thus be considered the birthplace of the city. For a long time, it housed one of Russia’s most feared prisons, designated for the most high-profile political prisoners. Naturally, it also housed the headquarters of the Tsar’s secret police. During the Russian Revolution it was inhabited by the Bolsheviks who fired shells at the Winter Palace from within its walls. In 1924 it was transformed into a museum. In the 1920s and early 30s, some of the building were used as a Gas Dynamics Laboratory, home to some of the Soviet Union’s most important military rocket research. In 1931 the fortress suffered heavy damage at the hands of the Germans but was restored to its original state and continues to be a museum and historical site today.
Walk around the fortress to visit the beach, which is extremely popular in the summer. Although quite small, it’s a great place to go with kids, and several festivals and events take place there during the summer months. During the colder months, you will still find there a group of “walruses” – people swimming in cold water or even in ice holes.
You can continue walking all the way around the wall to the entrance of the fortress.
The most notable site within the fortress is the Peter and Paul Cathedral, which houses the remains of most of the Russian tsars and even the remains of the last Romanov family (the same ones that lived in the Alexander Palace) The Grand Ducal Mausoleum, connected to the cathedral, houses some of the lesser (non-ruling) royals. There is also a mint building within the grounds that functions to this day- the only building inside the fortress that is still being used for its original purpose. A cannon is fired every day at noon.
You can also see the old stables, the commandant house (where the right-hand man of the tsar would reside along with his family), and the Artillery Museum (started by Peter I in 1704). You can also tour the old prison building – alone or with a tour guide. The old Gas Dynamics Laboratory is now a Museum of Cosmonautics and Rocket Technology – a must-visit for anyone interested in the history of the Communist-Capitalist space race. Both the prison and the museum cost a small fee to visit.
Since the Fortress is owned by the state Russian museum, and has a lot of free space, many seemingly irrelevant exhibitions are typically held there. For example, a Da Vinci art & life exhibition and a torture device exhibit have been shown there before. You usually have to pay separate admission prices for these exhibits.
Take the metro to Gorkovskaya or Sportivnaya stations and walk towards the Neva river. Once you see lots of tourists and/or wedding parties, you know you’re in the right place (the rest of this island is pretty quiet and local).The fortress itself is connected to the island by a small bridge, lying on its own little island, called Zayachny Ostrov (“Hare Island”). It closes quite early, so be sure to check the opening hours on their website before heading over. Note that smoking is prohibited on the entire island!
History
Originally built during the Northern War as St. Petersburg’s first citadel meant to protect the city from the Swedes, it was the first structure officially built in St.
Petersburg and can thus be considered the birthplace of the city. For a long time, it housed one of Russia’s most feared prisons, designated for the most high-profile political prisoners. Naturally, it also housed the headquarters of the Tsar’s secret police. During the Russian Revolution it was inhabited by the Bolsheviks who fired shells at the Winter Palace from within its walls. In 1924 it was transformed into a museum. In the 1920s and early 30s, some of the building were used as a Gas Dynamics Laboratory, home to some of the Soviet Union’s most important military rocket research. In 1931 the fortress suffered heavy damage at the hands of the Germans but was restored to its original state and continues to be a museum and historical site today.
Beach
Walk around the fortress to visit the beach, which is extremely popular in the summer. Although quite small, it’s a great place to go with kids, and several festivals and events take place there during the summer months. During the colder months, you will still find there a group of “walruses” – people swimming in cold water or even in ice holes.
You can continue walking all the way around the wall to the entrance of the fortress.
Permanent Sights
The most notable site within the fortress is the Peter and Paul Cathedral, which houses the remains of most of the Russian tsars and even the remains of the last Romanov family (the same ones that lived in the Alexander Palace) The Grand Ducal Mausoleum, connected to the cathedral, houses some of the lesser (non-ruling) royals. There is also a mint building within the grounds that functions to this day- the only building inside the fortress that is still being used for its original purpose. A cannon is fired every day at noon.
You can also see the old stables, the commandant house (where the right-hand man of the tsar would reside along with his family), and the Artillery Museum (started by Peter I in 1704). You can also tour the old prison building – alone or with a tour guide. The old Gas Dynamics Laboratory is now a Museum of Cosmonautics and Rocket Technology – a must-visit for anyone interested in the history of the Communist-Capitalist space race. Both the prison and the museum cost a small fee to visit.
Temporary Exhibitions
Since the Fortress is owned by the state Russian museum, and has a lot of free space, many seemingly irrelevant exhibitions are typically held there. For example, a Da Vinci art & life exhibition and a torture device exhibit have been shown there before. You usually have to pay separate admission prices for these exhibits.
Getting There
Take the metro to Gorkovskaya or Sportivnaya stations and walk towards the Neva river. Once you see lots of tourists and/or wedding parties, you know you’re in the right place (the rest of this island is pretty quiet and local).The fortress itself is connected to the island by a small bridge, lying on its own little island, called Zayachny Ostrov (“Hare Island”). It closes quite early, so be sure to check the opening hours on their website before heading over. Note that smoking is prohibited on the entire island!
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