5 HIDDEN attractions in St. Petersburg (PHOTOS)
The northern capital isn't just the Hermitage, the Summer Garden and the ‘Kunstkamera’. The city has many hidden treasures worth exploring.
1 Mosaic Courtyard
Tchaikovsky Street, 2/7
This open-air museum by artist Vladimir Lubenko and his students has been in existence since 1984. The first impression upon seeing the mosaic panels and figures is like stepping into Barcelona's ‘Park Güell’. Tiny angels are wandering about, painted Atlanteans support the walls and builders are hard at work – all of it shimmering with bright, vibrant colors of summer.
2 Cathedral Mosque
Kronverksky Prospekt, 7
The main mosque of the Russian Empire was built with public donations: the Emir of Bukhara was among the benefactors. Its foundation stone was laid in 1910 and it opened to worshippers in 1913, marking the 300th anniversary of the Romanov dynasty, though finishing work continued until 1920. The decorations were inspired by the ornamentation of the Shah-i-Zindeh and Gur-e-Emir mosques in Samarkand. During World War II, the mosque was used as a warehouse and it was not returned to the faithful until 1956.
3 Grotto in the St. Petersburg Opera
Galernaya Street, 33
The mansion on Galernaya Street belonged to philanthropist Sergei von Derviz. Having decided to settle there with his family in 1883, he asked architect Peter Schreiber to remodel the existing house so that it would resemble the Villa Valrose in Nice, where he spent his childhood. This is how an intimate paradise emerged, featuring an auditorium and a concert hall, along with an adjoining Winter Garden. The latter is designed as a grotto, the walls of which are adorned with stalactites and seashells. Since 1998, the mansion has housed a chamber music theater. You can admire the magnificent interiors both during performances and on guided tours.
4 John Lennon Street
Pushkinskaya Street, 10
You won't find this street on a city map. But, if you ask for directions, people will point you in the right direction: duck through the archway from Ligovsky Prospekt onto Pushkinskaya Street and you're there. In the courtyard is a veritable Beatles kingdom, conceived by Kolya Vasin, a fan of the band and the creator of the ‘Beatles Museum’. There are bas-reliefs of Ringo, John, Paul and George – created by sculptor Stepan Mokrousov – along with the famous photograph of the Beatles crossing Abbey Road covering an entire wall, an image of the yellow submarine and, of course, a street sign reading ‘John Lennon Street’. Vasin made it himself, having grown tired of trying to convince officials of the need for an official street renaming.
5 Datsan Gunzechoinei
Primorsky Prospekt, 91
The first Buddhist temple in Europe. It is also the most expensive: its walls are clad in reddish-purple Gagut granite, which is why it is also called the ‘Amethyst’ Datsan. It was Emperor Nicholas II who first granted permission for the construction of the datsan. In 1915, the temple opened to worshippers. The second floor is decorated with stained-glass windows based on sketches by Nicholas Roerich, depicting sacred symbols of Buddhism. It was built according to a design by the architect Gavriil Baranovsky, who combined the traditions of classical Tibetan and Buryat temples with Northern Art Nouveau. The site chosen was near the Bolshaya Nevka River – its proximity to the water encouraged meditative thinking and enlightenment. Incidentally, the name of the datsan translates as "source of the holy teachings of the All-Compassionate One".
