Cultural Programme

St. Petersburg is one of the most beautiful cities in the world. The majestic appearance of St. Petersburg is achieved through a variety of architectural details including long, straight boulevards, vast spaces, gardens and parks, decorative wrought-iron fences, monuments and sculptures.

An attractive cultural program is offered to participants of the Workshop and accompanying persons to experience the history, culture and modern life of Saint-Petersburg.

Date	Time	Excursion	Price for 1 person, EUR (group 10-14 persons)	Price for 2 persons, EURO (by car)
02.06	09.30-13.30	Catherine Palace (Tsar's Village)	30	150
	15.00-18.00	Hermitage on foot from the Workshop Venue	17	70
03.06	15.00-18.00	Cathedrals of Saint-Petersburg	35	150
04.06	16.00-19.00	City tour	Included in the fee	-
05.06	15.00-18.00	Yusupov Palace	35	145

All group tours (except city tour) will take place only in case not less than 10 participants gather.
You are welcome to book the tour from your personal registration page.
Workshop service agent Monomax Meetings&Incentives recommends you to book tours in advance before May 15.

Catherine Palace. Tsarskoye Selo

The unique architectural ensemble of Tsarskoye selo in the town of Pushkin is famous for its elegant palaces and pavilions, landscape parks and ponds, 18-century marble statues and historic obelisks. The famous Russian poet, Alexander Pushkin (1799-1837), lived and studied here for some time and wrote a lot of beautiful poems.

Tsarskoe Selo (Royal Village), located 25 km south of St. Petersburg, first appeared in the 18C as the summer residence of the Russian tsars.

Created for two centuries by many prominent architects, the unique architectural ensemble of Pushkin is world famed for its elegant palaces and pavilions, landscape parks and ponds, 18-century marble statues and historic obelisks.

In 1752-1756 a remarkable Bolshoy Catherine Palace - the striking example of baroque architecture - was built by architect Rastrelli, and numerous entertainment pavilions were erected in the park.

The splendor of new architectural ensemble immediately caused everybody's admiration and delight. Tsarskoe Selo became the place for official receptions of Russian nobility and representatives of foreign states, who were visiting Russia with diplomatic missions.

The State Hermitage

Located in the heart of Saint Petersburg the Hermitage occupies five historic buildings, which are the architecture monuments, including the Winter Palace, former residence of the Russian Tsars.

The State Hermitage is one of the oldest and largest museums in the world. State Hermitage (Saint Petersburg) is famous for its numerous collections, which encompass world culture from prehistoric times to the present day.

In 240 years of its existence the museum accumulated a collection of almost three million exhibits, including significant art collections of Ancient East, Ancient Greece and Rome, Islamic arts, Italian Renaissance, XIX-XX centuries paintings, etc.

Cathedrals of St. Petersburg

Built from 1818-1858, St. Isaac' Cathedral is the largest Orthodox church is St. Petersburg. The gilded cupola of the Cathedral, which dominates the skyline of the city, stands 101.5 meters in the air making it the fifth highest cathedral in Europe. The collonade offers visitors the option of climbing the 300 stairs to the observation deck to see the breathtaking view of the city. The facades of the building are decorated with 112 monolithic columns made from Karelian granite. The outside of the building is covered in beautiful sculptures inculding 24 monumental bronze angels.

Today, in addition to being open to the public as a museum, the cathedral continues to offer festive services.

The Cathedral of the Resurrection of Christ, which is also known as the Church of the Savior on Spilled Blood, was erected in memory of Tsar Alexander II. On March 1, 1881, the Tsar was assasinated by a terrorist (I. Grinevitskij) on the exact spot of the church's current location.

The church was designed by Alfred Parland and was built from 1883-1907 with money donated by the royal family as well as private donors. Both the inside and outside of the building are decorated with ornate mosaics designed by a group of prominent Russian artists.

Kazan Cathedral named after the supposedly miraculous icon of Our Lady of Kazan. It is the main Cathedral of St. Petersburg, one of the largest cathedrals of Russia and the most magnificent temples of St. Petersburg (architect A. Voronihin). The main facade of the Cathedral is overlooking the Nevsky prospect. The remains of field-marshal M. Kutuzov, the great Russian general are buried inside the cathedral.

City tour (included in registration fee)

Description: While touring around the city you will enjoy magical splendor of the architecture of the former capital of Imperial Russia, listening the history of the Romanov's dynasty and present day life of people. Among the sights you will see overwhelming Palace Square with the Winter Palace, Russian museum, the famous Nevsky Avenue, the classical ensemble of Senate Square with its famous "Bronze Horseman", the powerful St. Isaac's Cathedral, the spit of Basil's island, the first structure of Petersburg and burial place of all emperors - Peter and Paul's Fortress, the spire of the Admiralty, and many other architectural monuments, bridges and embankments.

The most exciting time of St. Petersburg is summer - it is allegorically called the White Nights. The White Nights last for about a month from the end of May till the end of June. During this period the streets are not artificially lit at nights, because it does not get dark at all! On the longest day the daylight is for 19 hours, but even when the sun goes down there is enough light for reading.

Yusupov palace

The Yusupov Palace, a unique historical landmark of federal importance showcasing architectural trends from the 18th through 20th centuries, has been rightfully acclaimed as the "encyclopedia" of St. Petersburg aristocratic interior design.

The palace went down in Russian history as the place where the mysterious monk Grigory Rasputin was assassinated, a Siberian peasant who became the spiritual mentor and friend of Nicholas II and the Royal Family in the early 20th century. The tragedy took place the night of December 17, 1916 in the private annex of the young Prince Felix Yusupov, now housing a historical exhibit recreating the assassination scene.

The Yusupov Palace is one of the few aristocratic mansions still in existence in St. Petersburg that have retained both their bold facade suites, and their less glamorous premises: an art gallery, private mini-theater, and luxurious private chambers of the Yusupovs, where the warmth and charm of their erstwhile owners still glows.