St. Petersburg is one of the main tourist destinations in Russia, which attracts millions of tourists every year. Many of St. Petersburg's tourist attractions are also related to the country's history and culture. Art museums, cultural centers, and historical landmarks are among the tourist attractions of St. Petersburg, which many tourists visit. One of the highlights of the St. Petersburg tour, of course, is a large number of war and military museums in the city, some of which should not be missed by tourists on the St. Petersburg tour. Although the number of these military museums is enormous, we intend to introduce the top five St. Petersburg war and military museums.
Artillery Museum
One of the most important tourist attractions of St. Petersburg on tour to Russia is Peter and Paul Fortress, which no tourist should miss the opportunity to visit, but a little further from Peter and Paul Fortress is another significant attraction on St. Petersburg tour, which is an ideal destination for those interested in war and military museums. The Artillery Museum, officially known as the Military Historical Museum of Artillery, Engineers and Signal Corps, is located directly opposite Peter and Paul Fortress on the southern shore of Petrogradsky Island. This museum is one of the places of interest for those interested in museums of military history. The museum's exhibits include an extensive collection of equipment, uniforms, memorial, and decorations related to the Russian army, covering the Middle Ages to the present day. This museum consists of two main parts. One is the open-air museum, where tourists can view heavy military equipment such as tanks, rocket launchers, historic and modern cannons. The other is the museum's main building, which includes military uniforms, various memorials, Russian emblems and flags, war trophies, and exhibitions related to the history of the development of the Russian army throughout history. The Russian Ministry of Defense currently runs the museum. Among the museum's most famous exhibits are the military cannons made by Andrei Chokhov, nicknamed Czar Cannon, the legendary Katyusha rocket launcher used in World War II, a room dedicated to the famous Kalashnikov Ak-47 and its creator, the Cold War-related section as well as the famous war trophies.
Central Naval Museum
One of Russia's military honours is its Navy. Peter the Great dreamed of launching one of the most powerful navies in the world after he acceded to the throne and the establishment of the Russian Empire, which to a large extent made this dream come true. Examining the history of the Russian Navy on the St. Petersburg tour, you will quickly notice the efforts of Peter the Great and his successors for the advancement of the Russian Navy. One of the best war and military museums in St. Petersburg is the Central Naval Museum, where tourists can see some of the first ships built in St. Petersburg and many more and visit exhibits related to the Russian Navy and get acquainted with the history of the Russian Navy. The Central Naval Museum has several branches throughout St. Petersburg and in other parts of Russia, the most important of which is the headquarter of the museum in Ploschad Truda. The Central Naval Museum has more than 800,000 exhibits, including fascinating marine relics, naval equipment, various ship models, naval weapons, paintings and other works of art by naval artists, and uniforms and personal items belonged to famous Russian navy commanders. You can get acquainted with other branches of this museum by visiting our blog, as well as what you should expect when visiting the Central Naval Museum.
The Alexander Suvorov Memorial Museum
Another famous military museum on tour to Russia is the Alexander Suvorov Memorial Museum. Alexander Suvorov was a Russian military commander who lived between 1729 and 1800 and commanded some of the most critical campaigns of the Russian Imperial Army. The emperor issued the order to build a memorial museum on the 171st anniversary of his death. Four years later, the museum was inaugurated on the 175th anniversary of his birth in the attendance of Nicholas II. During their Russia tour program, tourists visiting the museum can learn about Alexander Suvorov's personal life, and the military expeditions carried out under his command. The museum building is also of particular architectural importance and is designed in the style of medieval Moscow structures and military castles. Upon entering the museum, tourists can see two large mosaic paintings on the museum's wings, one depicting "Suvorov leaving Russia to Italy in 1799" and the other "Suvorov crossing the Alps." This large museum has a valuable collection of personal belongings, valuable flags and various works of art and military-related to Alexander Suvorov, including his cabin, reconstructed inside the museum. You can get more information about this museum by visiting our blog.
Museum of the Defense and Siege of Leningrad
One of the darkest and bitterest periods in Russia and St. Petersburg dates back to World War II when Leningrad (modern-day St. Petersburg) was besieged for 900 days by the Nazi German army. Although basic raw supplies were delivered to the city during the winter via the Road of Life on the icy Ladoga Lake, Soviet citizens in Leningrad continued to suffer from the severe famine of essential supplies, sanitary supplies, food, ammunition, and fuel. Nevertheless, the citizens of Leningrad, along with soldiers, workers, and military commanders, did not give up their resistance to the Nazi army bombings and never surrendered. This terrifying period is depicted in a small but rich museum in the heart of St. Petersburg called the Museum of Siege and Defense of Leningrad. Though once the museum was completely closed and many of its exhibits were destroyed under the leadership of Joseph Stalin and after the events of Leningrad Affairs, today tourists on tour to St. Petersburg can visit the museum while travelling to Russia and get acquainted with the bitter but essential historical events in this period.
Ship Museum Cruiser Aurora
Another St. Petersburg war and military museum that no tourist should miss is the Aurora Cruiser Ship Museum. This museum, one of the first ship museums of St. Petersburg and Russia, has a remarkable history and attracts the attention of many tourists during their travel to Russia. The cruise ship Aurora joined the Navy of the Russian Empire in 1900 and officially retired in 1948. The warship became the first Russian ship museum in history in 1956 after a complete reconstruction. One of the most important historical events related to the cruise ship Aurora occurred at the beginning of the October Revolution when Bolsheviks used the ship's artillery to inform the revolutionary and Bolshevik forces to start the revolution and attack the Winter Palace. Of course, the history of this ship's battles is also fascinating that tourists can learn about while visiting this museum.
