Optional Program Form (Word)
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St.Isaac’s Cathedral, St. Peter and Paul's Fortress | ||
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Date: Time: |
June 27(Saturday) 10.00-13.00 |
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Transfer with guide to the city center and return | ||
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Date: Time: |
June 27 (Saturday) 20.00-23.00 | |
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Pushkin (Tsarskoe Selo): Catherine Palace with Amber room and park | ||
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Date: Time: |
June 28 (Sunday) 11.00-16.00 |
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Hermitage Museum | ||
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Date: Time: |
June 28 (Sunday) 10.00-14.00 | |
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Peterhof (only park with fountains) | ||
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Date: Time: Time: |
June 28 (Sunday) 14.30-19.00 | |
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Transfer with guide to the city center and return | ||
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Date: Time: Time: |
June 28 (Sunday) 17.00-21.00 20.00-23.00 | |
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St. Petersburg by night (open drawbridges) | ||
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Date: Time: |
June 28 (Sunday) 23.30-2.30 | |
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Hermitage Museum | ||
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Time: Date: |
June 30 (Tuesday) 14.30-18.30 | |
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Boat trip | ||
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Date: Time: |
June 30 (Tuesday) 20.00-22-30 |
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St. Petersburg by night (open drawbridges) | ||
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Date: Time: |
June 30 (Tuesday) 23.30-2.30 |
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Hermitage Museum | ||
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Date: Time: |
July 2 (Thursday) 13.30-18.00 |
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Peterhof (Petrodvorets) with Grand Palace | ||
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Date: Time: |
July 3 (Friday) 09.00-15.00 |
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Mariinsky theatre (ballet, opera) | ||
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Date: Time: |
any day 19.00 |
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Hermitage theatre (ballet) | ||
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Date: Time: |
any day 20.00 |
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St. Petersburg was built on the delta of the River Neva and is spread out over numerous islands of varying sizes, frequently prompting the nickname the "City of 101 Islands". Over the centuries numerous bridges were built to connect these islands across the various tributaries of the Neva and the city's main canals (Moika, Fontanka, etc.). From water the city is perceived unusually: palaces, cathedrals, houses as if float towards, and granite quays make impression, that the city is lifted on a high pedestal. All quays of Petersburg have the special color. A surprising variety and charm give to city the prospects opening on crossing of city highways with waterways.
You will see Nevsky Prospect, the central avenue of St.Petersburg; Admiralty; St.Isaac's Cathedral; Decembrists Square with the Monument of Peter the Great; “Aurora” battle cruiser; Spit of St.Basil Island with the beautiful view of the city and other sights. During the summer months when the river is not frozen, the bridges across the Neva open at night to allow ships to pass up and down the river. Bridges open from May to late October according to a special schedule. During the excursion you can enjoy fascinating rivers and channels, historical fortresses and islands and appreciate the magic view of the city in the night. You will see the quays, the well-known architectural ensembles, opened bridges which for a long time already became symbols of our city.
The State Hermitage (Winter Palace) occupies six magnificent buildings situated along the embankment of the River Neva, right in the heart of St Petersburg. The leading role in this unique architectural ensemble is played by the Winter Palace, the residence of the Russian tsars that was built and designed by Francesco Bartolomeo Rastrelli in 1754-62. This ensemble, formed in the 18th and 19th centuries, is extended by the eastern wing of the General Staff building, the Menshikov Palace and the recently constructed Repository. Put together throughout two centuries and a half, the Hermitage collections of works of art (over 3,000,000 items) present the development of the world culture and art from the Stone Age up to the 20th century. The basic display areas of the State Hermitage occupy 365 rooms in the Main Museum Complex located in the historic centre of St Petersburg. It consists of six buildings constructed in the 18th and 19th centuries, among which the most important is the Winter Palace, the former imperial residence. The Winter Palace, the Small Hermitage, the Old Hermitage and the New Hermitage display the collections of monuments of culture and art of the ancient world, Western Europe, Russia and Oriental countries, as well as archeological and numismatic collections. The Hermitage Theatre and the Reserve House also form part of the Main Museum Complex.
Peterhof is Russia’s answer to Versailles. The place where you will find hundreds of fountains and statues – some people call it The Kingdom of fountain. Peterhof is located on the southern shore of the Finnish Gulf 14 miles (29 kilometers) away from St.Petersburg. It is a place to visit during the summer when the fountains are operating. In good weather it is well worth spending an entire day here, enjoying the various palaces, the parks, and the sea view.
There are 144 fountains, all operating without the use of pumps by a combination of naturally generated water pressure and magic. Each fountain is unique and once you step in the area of the kingdom of fountains you will be surprised by this splendid oasis, a reminder of the beauty that man can create.
The history of Petrodvorets (called Peterhof until 1944) begins in 1704 when Peter I built a wooden house on the Gulf while overseeing the construction of the nearby Kronstadt Fortress. In 1713 he began transforming the area into an imperial residence. The palace was inaugurated in 1723 and later expanded by Empress Elizabeth.
The Grand Palace dominates the estate. Similar in scale to Catherine's Palace in Pushkin, it is filled with lavish rooms and galleries. The rooms are standard palace material: gilt and mirrors, "Chinese" rooms, thematic rooms (like the Chesma Hall with its endless artistic renditions of the Russian victory over the Turks at Chesma Bay in 1770), a room filled with portraits of little girls, fancy drawing rooms and bedrooms, and so on.
During the excursion you will see the main fountains of Peterhof and visit the Grand Palace.
The foundation of the Peter and Paul Fortress in May 1703 is considered to be the birthday of city of St. Petersburg. The fortress was built in wood and was later replaced in stone by the Swiss architect Trezini. Originally the fortress served to protect the newly established Russian capital from imminent attacks of the Swedish Fleet, and was later turned into a prison. Many political prisoners were kept or executed on its territory, including Peter the Great's son Alexis, members of the 1812 Decembrists' uprising, Russian thinker Chernyshevsky, Lenin's brother Dmitry, and many others. Nowadays, the fortress serves as a museum of Russian history, as well as houses the Mint of St. Petersburg.
Peter and Paul Cathedral The Peter and Paul Cathedral was the first stone building of St. Petersburg. It was the city's main cathedral until St. Isaac's Cathedral was built over 150 years later. The Cathedral is the official burial place of the Romanov Royal family with monarchs starting from Peter the Great to Nicholas II and his family resting in peace under its naves. The adjacent Grand Dukes' Burial Place houses tombs of the Romanovs of the lower rank. The Boat House located next to the Peter and Paul Cathedral is a modern replica of the original boat house of Peter the Great where his first sailboat nicknamed "The Grandfather of the Russian Fleet" was kept.
The dome of St. Isaac’s Cathedral dominates the skyline of St. Petersburg and its gilded cupola can be seen glistening from all over the city. The church itself is an architectural marvel. Built by the French-born architect August Montferrand to be the main church of the Russian Empire, the cathedral was under construction for 40 years (1818-1858), and was decorated in the most elaborate way possible. When you enter the cathedral you pass through one of the porticos - note that the columns are made of single pieces of red granite and weight 80 tons (about 177,770 pounds) each. Inside the church many of the icons were created using mosaic techniques and the iconostasis (the icon wall that separates the altar from the rest of the church) is decorated with 8 malachite and 2 lapis lazuli columns. The cathedral, which can accommodate 14,000 worshipers, now serves as a museum and services are held only on significant ecclesiastical holidays.
Catherine Palace and Amber room
Catherine Palace (also called Tsarskoye Selo or the Tsar's Village) is located in the small town of Pushkin, about 17 miles south of St. Petersburg. The palace's ornate, baroque design is breathtaking, and its 740 meter (2427 feet) length is massive. Like many St. Petersburg structures, the Catherine Palace is brightly painted. The exterior is a brilliant robin's egg blue, trimmed in white and gilted with over 200 pounds of gold. Peter the Great presented the palace's estate to his wife Catherine in 1710, and it served as the imperial family's summer residence until the time of the last Tsar in 1917. During the reign of Peter's daughter, Empress Elizabeth, the size of the palace was significantly increased during the mid-1700's by the famous architect Bartolomeo Francesco Rastrelli, and it was Rastrelli who gave the palace its baroque style. The Baroque interior design of the palace was changed during the reign of Catherine the Great (Catherine II) to suit her more neo-Classical taste. The amber room is probably the most famous room in Catherine Palace, and it was used as a study. King Frederick William of Prussia gave Peter the Great the original inlaid amber panels after Peter admired them in a room in Frederick's palace. The 16-foot jigsaw-looking panels were constructed of over 100,000 perfectly fitted pieces of amber. The Nazis dismantled the amber panels and shipped them to Germany during World War II, and they have never been found. Much mystery surrounds the fate of the amber room panels, and many Russians believe that they still exist somewhere in Germany. Russian artists began recreating the amber panels using the old techniques in the early 1980's, and the room was opened to the public in 2003.
Besides, if you want to book any individual excursion with transport and private guide, you can book it in advance. See detailed information at www.favorit-travel.com, www.favorit-travel.ru.
Contact persons: Yulia Lavrova, Olga Kuznetsova.
10, Marata Str.
St.Petersburg, 191025, Russia,
tel./fax: +7 (812) 327 71 63
Moscow tel./fax:
+7 (495) 739 10 62
E-mail: conference@favorit.spb.ru
www.favorit-travel.ru
www.favorit-travel.com