Saint Petersburg Comedy Theatre

In 1904, on the corner of Nevsky Prospekt and Little Sadovaya Street an architect Gabriel V. Baranovsky built the famous Art Nouveau building - the House of the Trade Association "Eliseev Brothers." The first floor of the house was given over to the shop, on the second there was a theater, which was opened with staging of Shakespeare's "Hamlet." For any one now the theater on Nevsky means only the Comedy Theatre.

The Mariinsky Theatre is a historic theatre of opera and ballet in Saint Petersburg, Russia

The Mariinsky Theatre is a historic theatre of opera and ballet in Saint Petersburg, Russia. Opened in 1860, it became the preeminent music theatre of late 19th century Russia, where many of the stage masterpieces of Tchaikovsky, Mussorgsky, and Rimsky-Korsakov received their premieres. Through most of the Soviet era, it was known as the Kirov Theatre. Today, the Mariinsky Theatre is home to the Mariinsky Ballet, Mariinsky Opera and Mariinsky Orchestra. Since Yuri Temirkanov's retirement in 1988, the conductor Valery Gergiev has served as the theatre's general director.The theatre is named after Empress Maria Alexandrovna, wife of Tsar Alexander II. There is a bust of the Empress in the main entrance foyer.

Suvorov Monument, St. Petersburg, Russia

Located on Suvorovskaya Ploshchad (Suvorov Square), this monument was erected in 1818 on the approach to the Troitsky bridge. The heroic figure of the general carved to resemble Mars, the Roman god of war, is the handwork of the sculptor M. Kozlovsky. F. Gordeyev designed the bas-relief on the base, which represents the spirits of Glory and Peace.
Suvorov is one of the few generals in history who never lost a battle, being undefeated in over 60 large battles while always having numerical disadvantage.

Russian cruiser Aurora today in St. Petersburg

Aurora is a 1900 Russian protected cruiser, currently preserved as a museum ship in St. Petersburg. Aurora was one of three Pallada-class cruisers, built in St. Petersburg for service in the Pacific Far East. All three ships of this class served during the Russo-Japanese War. The Aurora survived the Battle of Tsushima and was interned under U.S. protection in the Philippines, eventually returned to the Baltic Fleet. The second ship, Pallada, was sunk by the Japanese at Port Arthur in 1904. The third ship, Diana, was interned in Saigon after the Battle of the Yellow Sea. One of the first incidents of the October Revolution in Russia took place on the cruiser Aurora.

The legendary cruiser Aurora has left its St Petersburg mooring and is on its way to a repair dock!

Narva Triumphal Arch, Saint Petersburg, Russia

The Narva Triumphal Arch was erected in the vast Narva Square (known as the Stachek Square in Soviet years), Saint Petersburg, in 1814 to commemorate the Russian victory over Napoleon. The wooden structure was constructed on the Narva highway with the purpose of greeting the soldiers who were returning from abroad after their victory over Napoleon. The architect of the original Narva Arch was Giacomo Quarenghi. The program was meant to respond to the Arc de Triomphe du Carrousel in Paris, originally erected to celebrate Napoleon's victory over the Allies at Austerlitz, but the material used was a weather-resistant plaster that was never intended to be permanent.

Between 1827 and 1834 Vasily Stasov redesigned and rebuilt the gate in stone. A similar gate, also by Stasov, was erected on the road leading to Moscow. A sculptor Vasily Demut-Malinovsky was responsible for the arch's sculptural decor. As has been conventional since Imperial Roman times, sculptures of Fame offering laurel wreaths fill the spandrels of the central arch. The main entablature breaks boldly forward over paired Composite columns that flank the opening and support colossal sculptures. Nike, the Goddess of Victory surmounts the arch, in a triumphal car drawn by six horses, sculpted by Peter Clodt von Jürgensburg, instead of the traditional Quadriga.

Neither the arch nor the Russian Admiralty were protected from artillery bombardments during the Siege of Leningrad. A small military museum was opened in the upper part of the arch in 1989. At the beginning of 21st century the gate was capitally restored and according to experts, is in a fine condition.

Rostral Columns

The two monumental red-painted columns in front of the Naval Museum symbolized the naval power of the Russian empire. The columns were built in the early nineteenth century as beacons.

The Rostral Columns are situated on Strelka, the eastern tip of Vasilievsky island. In 1733 the port of St. Petersburg was set up here. The port grew quickly as trade with Western Europe increased. The columns were built as beacons to guide the constantly growing number of ships during St. Petersburg's long dark nights.

The columns were erected in front of the neoclassical facade of the stock exchange building - now a naval museum. After sunset, oil lamps at the top of the columns guided ships to the port. The seven meter (23 ft.) high oil lamps were later replaced by gas lit lamps.

In 1885 the port moved to the Gulf of Finland to accommodate larger vessels and increased traffic and the beacons were decommissioned. The lamps are still lit on public holidays and during ceremonies.

Trinity Bridge across the Neva in Saint Petersburg, Russia

Trinity Bridge is a bascule bridge across the Neva in Saint Petersburg, Russia. It connects Kamennoostrovsky Prospect with Suvorovskaya Square. It was the third permanent bridge across the Neva, built between 1897 and 1903 by the French firm Société de Construction des Batignolles. It is 582 meters (1,909 ft) long and 23.6 meters (77 ft) wide.

The bridge takes its name from the Old Trinity Cathedral which used to stand at its northern end. In the 20th century it was known as Equality Bridge  and Kirovsky Bridge.