St Petersburg 2
Russia

Smolny Cathedral (photo centre), a part of Smolny Convent and also known as The Church of the Resurrection, St Petersburg.

Smolny Convent's magnificent collection of structures, originally intended as a convent and finished in 1835 after 200 years of building, is now used mainly for concerts, local government offices and university faculties. It's surrounded by dense traffic and not exactly convenient to reach, being out of the city centre.

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St Isaac's Cathedral.

Saint Isaac's, near the Admiralty, right in the centre of Saint Petersberg, encloses a spectacularly ornate interior (photo below) of fantastic frescos, statues, engraving and lashings of gold. It's open daily except Wednesdays offers and fantastic views over the city from the 400 step observation deck that costs extra.

St Isaac's Cathedral elaborate interior.

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The Church on Spilled Blood, housing the Museum of Mosaic.

Also known as the Church on Spilled Blood after Tsar Alexander II was assassinated on this spot in 1881, the church now functions mainly as a very popular Museum of Mosaic, with 7,500 sq m of dazzling panels inside.

St Petersburg canal boat tours.

St Petersberg canal tours are interesting and relaxing but usually conducted in Russian.
However, English-speaking boats are run by Anglotourismo Boat Tours from Anichkov bridge, beside Nevsky Prospekt and Fontanka from May to September inclusive and last one hour. Booking is not necessary, just show up 15 minutes before launch at 11am; 1pm; 3pm; 5pm; 7pm; 9pm.

A typical canal view with St Isaac's dome on the left.

A superb bridge over the Griboedov Canal. Next, more St Petersburg Pictures or Moscow Pictures.

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