St. Petersburg did not have many pleasant memories after the Russian Revolution. First, after the February Revolution, there was a civil war for power. After the Bolsheviks won the civil war, the Russian capital was moved from St. Petersburg, which was near the northern border, to Moscow, so St. Petersburg's population was severely reduced, and all development plans in the city were suspended. Although many industrial reforms took place in St. Petersburg during Sergei Kirov's administration and the economic situation grew slightly, the people of the city were greatly saddened by the beginning of Stalin's "Great Purge" in Leningrad. After that, Leningrad had only a few years to prepare for one of the most horrific periods in its history. World War II marked the beginning of the "Siege of Leningrad" for the city, which was called one of the longest and most horrific military sieges in history. Shortly after the townspeople rejoiced at Leningrad's liberation, Stalin resumed his second phase of purge, fearing that the young and popular leaders of Leningrad would gain power in the Soviet Union. This time too, many ordinary citizens were imprisoned or executed. In general, the post-revolutionary period was not a good time for St. Petersburg until the mid-1950s. Of course, several of the most famous tourist attractions of the Russian tour were built in St. Petersburg during this period. Today, tourists who travel to St. Petersburg can enjoy these attractions.
Stalin's era in the Soviet Union is generally not a good one for St. Petersburg. Initially, in the events of the "Great Purge" and the "Leningrad Affairs," along with many political leaders from Leningrad who were exiled, imprisoned, or executed, many ordinary citizens were detained on various and mostly trumped-up charges, or were executed. In addition to these two cases, severe repression and censorship caused St. Petersburg, which was once considered the country's cultural capital, to experience a critical cultural and artistic decline. Many artists who were not imprisoned were banned from publishing their works. Many museums and cultural centers were also closed. Russian ballet and theater in St. Petersburg were severely censored, and many art companies went bankrupt. In fact, during Stalin's era, one of the main tourist attractions on the St. Petersburg tour was utterly paralyzed. However, at that time, not many tourists were traveling to this beautiful city, which was once one of Europe's three-largest capitals. Those were the main reasons for many people in Leningrad to hope for a better future after Stalin's death in March of 1953.
Although Georgy Malenkov took over the Soviet leadership for a short time after Stalin's death, a two-year power struggle ensued in which Nikita Khrushchev eventually emerged victoriously. Nikita Khrushchev's era is known as the Thaw. It is named after a novel of the same name by Ilya Ehrenburg. Nikita Khrushchev did his best to reduce censorship and repression that Russia experienced under the Stalin leadership. Khrushchev released many political prisoners in a concerted effort to de-Stalinize the Soviet Union. He also allowed artists who had been banned from working under Stalin to reactivate. He also called on many people who had been exiled from Russia during Stalin's era to return to the Soviet Union. In general, in this historical period, Russia and especially St. Petersburg (Leningrad) breathed new life. Many attractions of the Russia Tour were also built or restored during this period. To find more about this historical period in the Soviet Union, you can visit the Museum of Political History during your travel to Russia.
As noted, many artists were banned from working under Stalin. However, during the Khrushchev Thaw, many of them were once again allowed to publish their works. One of those artists was Anna Akhmatova, who, despite the hardships she endured during this period, began publishing her poems as soon as censorship eased. For more information on the personal and professional life of this great Soviet poet, visit The Literature and Memorial Museum of Anna Akhmatova during your tour to St. Petersburg. Another popular Leningrad artist was Dmitry Shostakovich, who created one of the most memorable scenes in the history of the world during the Siege of Leningrad. He was also banned from work in the post-war period and after the events of the "Leningrad affair." He was able to continue his work after the Khrushchev Thaw. You can visit the St. Petersburg's literary and cultural Museums during your trip to Russia to learn more about this artist and other artists of this historical period in St. Petersburg.
Although the St. Petersburg metro's construction began during the Stalin era, it was completed under Nikita Khrushchev. The St. Petersburg Metro, which, like the Moscow Metro, has artistic and magnificent features, is one of the city's tourist attractions on tour to Russia. Many tourists have plans to visit at least one St. Petersburg metro station during their St. Petersburg tour program. The St. Petersburg metro has been operating since 1955 and today has about 80 stations throughout the city. The St. Petersburg metro is one of the best ways for travelers and tourists to get around the city and visit the sights of the St. Petersburg tour. We at the Star Travel Group recommend our tourists visiting at least one of the stations during their trip to St. Petersburg.
One of St. Petersburg's most visible features was built during the era of Khrushchev in St. Petersburg. Constructed in 1963, the St. Petersburg Television Tower became the tallest structure in the city, the title that was held by the bell tower of the Ss. Peter and Paul Cathedral for years. This television tower, the first dedicated tower for radio broadcasting in the Soviet Union, is not as popular among travelers during the tour to Russia as the Ostankino Television tower in Moscow. However, tourists who travel to St. Petersburg will see this 326-meter-tall tower during their trip to St. Petersburg without a doubt. Unfortunately, The St. Petersburg Television Tower doesn't have many tourist attractions. Unlike Ostankino TV Tower, people can't visit the top of this tower to have a fantastic picturesque view of the entire city.
During the leadership of Nikita Khrushchev, St. Petersburg witnessed the opening or renovation of many museums and tourist attractions of the Russia tour in St. Petersburg. One of these museums is the Pushkin National Museum, which includes several branches in St. Petersburg. One of these branches is the Alexander Pushkin Memorial Apartment Museum. This apartment museum is where this famous poet spent the last years of his life, and those interested in Russian literature and this famous poet can visit it during their tour to St. Petersburg programs.
If you have any questions about the places or names mentioned in this article, you can find your answers on our weblog. We also provide lots of useful advice about how to travel to Russia, including sightseeing tips, the top shopping centers, and the best places to visit during your trip to Russia.
