One of the main aspects of St. Petersburg tourism is visiting the city itself. The architecture of St. Petersburg is so attractive that it can become a major part of a Russia tour program. That is why many tourists during their trip to St. Petersburg spend at least part of their time walking around the city and visiting various buildings. Study the architectural history of St. Petersburg. You will find that in each historical period in this city, a different style of architecture has been prevalent, and there are magnificent examples of different architectural styles in the city and even in the suburbs that can be of particular interest to tourists. One of the best times to visit St. Petersburg is undoubted during the White Night Festival. The sun does not set completely during the festival, which has led St. Petersburg residents to hold street parties and use various facilities to party alongside millions of tourists. Although the various programs of these nights are attractive enough to make tourists walk around the city until the early morning, the presence of many tourists and the residents of St. Petersburg limits most of these recreational activities to walking around the city and enjoy the excitement. That is also an excellent opportunity to visit the architecture of the city. Suppose you are unfamiliar with the White Nights celebration. In that case, you can visit our blog to learn about the history of the celebration and the popular events during this period in St. Petersburg. As mentioned, in different periods of history in St. Petersburg, different architectural styles have ruled this city. The first architectural style to be used in St. Petersburg was the Petrine Baroque style. Later, during the reign of Empress Elizabeth, Elizabethan Baroque architecture became highly regarded by architects and the court.
Elizabethan Baroque is the style of architecture common in St. Petersburg during the reign of Empress Elizabeth of Russia between 1741 and 1762. This style of architecture is a subset of the Baroque style, which, unlike the Petrine Baroque style, is more committed to the Muscovite Baroque architecture and uses more traditional Russian elements in its design, such as the use of five onion shape domes which can be easily seen in Moscow architecture. This style of architecture is also known as Rococo. Another name of this architectural style is Rastrelli Baroque architecture, which was due to this famous architect's active and extensive presence in St. Petersburg. One of Elizabethan Baroque architecture's main goals was to show the greatness of the Russian Empire by architecture. That is why many of the magnificent buildings in St. Petersburg that you visit during your tour to Russia belong to this period of architectural history and style, such as the Winter Palace, which was a masterpiece of Francesco Rastrelli. One of the main features of this style is to use as many details as possible and using gold or golden color in designing the façade of the building. Although many magnificent buildings were designed and built during the reign of Empress Elizabeth in the Elizabethan Baroque style and many examples of which can be seen during the St. Petersburg tour program, after the death of Empress Elizabeth, this architectural style was replaced with new styles.
Although many architects in different parts of Russia, including Moscow, have used the Elizabethan Baroque style of architecture in St. Petersburg, the two architects have been the most active and have left various buildings for tourists of Russia tour. One of these architects was Francesco Rastrelli, who built many buildings during his career in St. Petersburg, including the Winter Palace and the Smolny Cathedral. Of course, the French architect could never complete his architectural masterpiece, the Smolny Cathedral, and was dismissed by Empress Catherine the Great before the project was completed. Other famous Russian architects who studied at the Baroque School and considered one of the main architects of this architectural style was Savva Chevakinsky, who designed and built the St. Nicholas Cathedral and the Fountain House or Shuvalov Palace. You can visit our blog to get acquainted with these buildings.
Undoubtedly the most famous building of Elizabethan Baroque architecture is the Winter Palace in Palace Square. Of course, this palace can not be completely described as a Rocco style. However, Francesco Rastrelli designed this building in the style of Elizabethan Baroque, and tourists visit it during their tour to St. Petersburg program will see the elements of this architectural style in its design. Since the Winter Palace is located on the Palace Square, which is the central square of St. Petersburg and the city's main square, it is likely to be visited in your Russia tour plans, especially the Winter Palace, which has housed the famous Hermitage Museum.
Another structure that tourists can visit during their tour to St. Petersburg is the Peterhof Grand Palace. The building was renovated and expanded by Francesco Rastrelli in the style of Elizabethan Baroque architecture and is one of the main tourist attractions of St. Petersburg. Peterhof is undoubtedly one of the main tourist destinations in the suburbs of St. Petersburg, which tourists should not miss the opportunity to visit.
Other popular tourist destinations in the suburbs of St. Petersburg would be Pushkin or Tsarskoye Selo, which is quite popular among tourists and travel agencies. Tourists interested in Elizabethan Baroque architecture can visit the Catherine Palace in Pushkin and enjoy its magnificent architecture. If you visit the Tsarskoye Selo during your trip to Russia, do not forget that one of the main tourist attractions is the Amber Room, which is located in Catherine Palace and has a special splendor.
As mentioned, Savva Chevakinsky was another famous architect who was active during the Elizabethan Baroque era. He designed many buildings in St. Petersburg, one of which is St. Nicholas Cathedral, also known as the Central Naval Cathedral. This cathedral, which is one of the regimental churches in Russia, has played a significant role in the rise to power of Empress Elizabeth in the Russian Empire, which is why it is of historical importance. For information about the history of this church, you can visit our blog. Visiting this church can also be one of the main programs of the tour to St. Petersburg.
The masterpiece of Elizabethan Baroque architecture in St. Petersburg is undoubtedly the Smolny Cathedral, designed by the famous French architect Francesco Rastrelli on the direct orders of Empress Elizabeth. Although Rastrelli never completed the project, he finished the church's construction before his departure from St. Petersburg to at least leave part of his legacy alive in St. Petersburg. You can visit our blog to find out the fate of this great complex, which was neglected during the reign of Empress Catherine the Great.
Although the Elizabethan Baroque style, like the Petrine Baroque style, was a subset of the Baroque style of architecture, when you look at their examples in St. Petersburg, you will notice the difference between them. Those interested in the architecture of St. Petersburg can visit various examples of architecture in the city during their travel to Russia and get acquainted with different historical periods of the former Russian capital.
