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| 25 September, 2005 14:00 - 17:00 THE STATE HERMITAGE |
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| 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. The Hermitage is also home for the art pieces from the Saint Petersburg imperial palaces, collections of Russian Emperors dating to XVIII-XIX centuries, as well as numerous art pieces created on the orders of the Tsars by famous artists of Europe. |
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| Duration 2 hours Price RUR 800 per person |
| 26 September, 2005 18:00 - 20:00 SIGHT-SEEING TOUR |
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| The tour is an excellent introduction to St.Petersburg - the second largest and most beautiful city of Russia. Over almost 300 years of its history St. Petersburg accumulated all the grandeur of the Russian Imperial Court and became one of the largest centers of culture and science. |    |
| Duration 2 hours Price RUR 450 per person |
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| 27 September, 2005 10:00 - 15:00 The Tematic tour "Temples of Saint-Petersburg" including the visit of Cazan Cathedral, St. Isaac's Cathedral and the Church of the Savior on Spilled Blood |
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| Built from 1818-1858, St. Isaac's 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. |
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| The Cathedral of the Resurrection, 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. During the 1930s the church was closed due to the destruction taking place nationwide as the Bolsheviks stormed and ruined many churches. The Cathedral of the Resurrection was reopened in August of 1997 after almost 3 decades of careful restoration. Today the Cathedral is fully restored and remains open to visitors. |
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| Duration 5 hours Price RUR 1600 per person |
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| 28 September, 2005 10:00 - 16:00 The Excursion to Pushkin |
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Tsarskoe Selo (Royal Village), located 25 km south of St. Petersburg, first appeared in the 18C as the summer residence of the Russian tsars. In 1918 the town was renamed into Detskoe Selo (Children's Village). In 1937 the name was changed into Pushkin, to commemorate the centenary of the great Russian poet's tragic death. 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. |
| 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. During the reign of Catherine the Great further significant alterations were made to the palace and park. The Catherine Park was extended with the layout of the garden landscaped in the English style. In the palace itself part of baroque interiors with abundance of gilded moldings and sculptures were completely altered by the Scottish architect Charles Cameron in the spirit of increasingly fashionable Classical style. |
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| Duration 5 hours Price RUR 1500 per person |
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