Last updated: 17 January, 2023
Editor: despite Russia’s illegal and heinous invasion of Ukraine, we’ve left Russian content up on our site. There’s no reason you can’t add Russia to your travel bucket list for future visits. The war, and Putin, won’t last forever, and then we hope you go back. There are many innocent Russian people whose livelihoods depend on tourism, suffering greatly too from the actions of this evil dictator and his cronies.
Peter the Great’s exquisite maritime imperial capital has dazzled visitors since its founding in 1703; the city’s wide boulevards, spectacular churches and glittering palaces forming a backdrop to 400 years of Russia’s turbulent history.
Seismic events have left their mark on St. Petersburg, most particularly the revolutions of 1917, which took place in the city’s streets and squares, and World War II, in which the city survived a gruelling 900-day siege, resulting in the deaths of over one million of the inhabitants through starvation.
Originally designed as a ‘Window on the West’, St. Petersburg continues to fulfil that role today. This most European of Russian cities has always been characterized by dynamic change and a restless energy that inspired Russian intellectuals and politicians throughout its existence, as it still does today.
Russia’s vibrant cultural capital attracts creative minds of all kinds, and a programme of renovation in the city centre has seen world-class art galleries, restaurants and bars opening up, alongside super-stylish hotels.