Treasures of the Hermitage
Staying in a choice of hotels in central St. Petersburg including sightseeing
4 nights from £577
This most beautiful of Russian cities was the vision of Peter the Great who in 1703 ordered its construction beginning with the Fortress of Peter and Paul, a stronghold guarding the mouth of the Neva River; later bringing the finest European architects to create an elegant ensemble of palatial buildings. Built on a hundred islands and criss-crossed by canals and innumerable bridges it is a city of infinite charm with palaces, churches and cathedrals.
The magnificent collection of European art in the Hermitage was founded by Catherine the Great with many old masters and a fine collection of French impressionists now enhanced by works removed from Germany during the Second World War.
The shot fired by the cruiser Aurora in October 1917 signalled the start of the October Revolution and the storming of the Winter Palace initiating, in stark contrast to the imperial rule of the Romanovs, more than 70 years under Soviet commissars. The common denominator is perhaps that in both periods there was little personal freedom with the Russian people subjected to authoritarian rule. Since the fall of communism, St. Petersburg has been restored to its former glory.
The Political Museum gives fascinating insight into life under communism – located in the house from whose balcony Lenin spoke in 1917, it also has exhibits of a former owner, the prima ballerina Matilda Kshesinskaya, mistress of the last Tsar, Nicholas II as revealed in her memoirs ‘Dancing in St. Petersburg’. The elegant Yusupov Palace was where the mystic Rasputin was murdered by Prince Yusopov in 1916. The beautifully decorated and furnished Peterhof is connected by a canal and a multitude of fountains to the Gulf of Finland. In the Russian countryside at Tsarskoye Selo (Pushkin) lies the great blue and gold rococo Catherine Palace reflecting the contrasting styles of the Italian, Rastrelli, and the Scot, Cameron. The nearby Pavlovsk Imperial Palace is an elegant Palladian mansion by Cameron with landscaped park and pavilions.
Exclusive VJV Event - Private Ballet Performance
On dates indicated † Voyages Jules Verne has arranged exclusively for its guests a gala ballet performance featuring artistes from the Mariinskiy (Kirov), Mussorgsky or other leading companies. Russian champagne and caviar is served during the interval.
