St. Petersburg. Host Cities

Every year thousands of tourists come to Saint Petersburg, once former capital of the Russian Empire. This city is often called the Venice of the North. It was founded in 1703 by Tsar Peter the Great as a “window to Europe”. Its channels, bridges, marvelous facades and white nights make Saint Petersburg one of the most beautiful cities in the world.

Russia’s Northern Capital hosts a great number of cultural and business events. In 2016 Saint Petersburg was recognized as the World’s Leading Cultural City Destination and the city having a bright future on the international hospitality stage by World Travel Awards. Its streets, permeated with history, its museums, palaces and parks will leave deep impression on anyone who comes to visit Saint Petersburg.

*The Hermitage Museum

Saint Petersburg’s iconic Hermitage Museum has over 3 million works of art and world culture artefacts. The heart of the museum complex is the Winter Palace, the former royal residence of Russian stars.

Saint Isaac’s Cathedral

The cathedral’s main dome is 101,5 meters high and has a capacity of 12 hundred people. The cathedral’s construction lasted from the beginning of the 18th till the middle of the 19th century

Internal features of the cathedral are composed of marbles and gold-plated bronze, lazurite and malachite. The interior is decorated with mosaics, murals and statues of angels and saints. From the cathedral’s colonnade you can enjoy the panoramic view of Saint Petersburg.

Church of the Savior on Spilled Blood

Church of the Savior on Spilled Blood is located along the Griboedov Canal near the Russian Museum’s park and world famous Nevsky Prospect, at the very spot where Tsar Alexander II was murdered. This cathedral, embroidered with colorful mosaic, is one of the most famous architectural attractions of Saint Petersburg.

Kazan Cathedral

Kazan Cathedral was modelled on St. Peter's Cathedral in Rome. It was built to house the miracle-working Icon ‘Our Lady of Kazan’, one of the heavenly patrons of this city. The cathedral was built at the beginning of the 19th century. Kazan Cathedral facade features a semi-circular colonnade of 96 columns that encircles a verdant lawn with a central fountain.

Nevsky Prospect

Nevsky Prospect is the city’s main street having a long history. This 4 km long street crosses three canals. Walk along this street to hear the heartbeat of this city. The main sights include the Admiralty building, the neoclassical Kazan Cathedral, the Stroganov Palace which houses part of the collections of the Russian Museum, the Neo-Baroque Belozersky Palace, the catholic basilica of St. Catherine of Alexandria, the Alexandrinsky Theater, and the National Library of Russia, known as the Imperial Public Library founded by Catherine the Great in 1795.

The Peterhof Palace

Peterhof is a former summer residence of Russian Tzars near Saint Petersburg. It was designed by Tsar Peter the Great himself to fulfill his childhood dream. The residence consisted of parks, fountains, museums, small and big palaces, amusing and mysterious places.

St. Petersburg’s transport infrastructure makes it possible to travel all around the city using public transportation: trams, buses, trolleybuses, shared taxis, and subway. One trip on a tram, bus, or a trolleybus costs 40 rubles, a subway trip – 45 rubles.

90-minute passes are also available: they cost 70 rubles and can be used on any type of public transport. A one-day pass costs 180 rubles, two-day pass – 255 rubles. There are also other convenient rates that you can choose from.

During matches, fan buses will run connecting the stadium with the train station and the airport.

• St. Petersburg was dubbed the Venice of the North because almost 10% of its territory is occupied by rivers and canals.
• If you stop by every exhibit in the famous State Hermitage Museum for at least one minute, it will take you years to cover all the displays.
• The St. Petersburg subway system is the one the deepest in the world.
• Around two million people walk down Nevsky Avenue every day.
• For over 200 years, St. Petersburg has been the Russian capital.
• One of the main tourist attractions in St. Petersburg is its moveable bridges.
• The “white nights” season starts on May 25 and ends on July 18. On June 22, it is impossible to detect even the brightest stars in the sky.
• The city also boasts a famous brewery.
• The stadium in St. Petersburg is one of the most “expensive” arenas in the world.