St. Petersburg had been the capital of Russia for more than two centuries from 1703 when Peter the Great had decided to move the capital from Moscow. It’s also one of the top tourist destinations of Russia, which many tourists would like to visit during their travel to Russia. Because of its history and what had been through the years, St. Petersburg has seen some of the most pleasant and unpleasant events that shape the city, people, and culture of Russia in general. From when the lands of St. Petersburg were under the control of the Swedish Empire. Peter the Great had to fight multiple battles to take control of them to the point that Bolsheviks started one of the greatest revolutions of all time by taking power from the tsar and Russian royal family of Romanov, St. Petersburg has seen it all. It was also the front row of the second world war from the end of 1941 to the beginning of 1944, when the city of Leningrad was under the siege for about 900 days. When you look back at the history of St. Petersburg, you’ll notice multiple vital points, which shows the high power of Russian and the suffering they went under throughout the years. That’s why there’s no surprise when people who have decided to travel to Russia see many memorials and monuments all over the city on their tour to St. Petersburg. Not only can you find several memorials to the great people who have fought for Russia and the people in the second world war and October Revolution on your tour to Russia. You can also find many victory monuments to the times that Russia dominated its enemies, including the Grand French Army of Napoleon. We’re going to pick some of our top choices of those monuments and memorials that you will most likely see on your Russia tour.
The Alexander Column
The Alexander Column on the Palace Square is one of the monuments that you’ll see on your tour to St. Petersburg, mostly because it locates in front of the winter palace, and the Hermitage Museum is one of the most significant attractions of St. Petersburg during the tour to Russia. Alexander Column was a monument to Alexander I, ruler of Russia from 1801 to 1825, and remembered as the emperor who had fought the Napoleon War. Auguste de Montferrand, who designed the majestic St. Isaac’s Cathedral, also created this monument to his mentor Alexander I by order of emperor’s successor, Nicholas I of Russia. This monument is a significant work of art, engineering, and architecture altogether. One of the main features of the Alexander Column is the angel on top of it, which is said to be modeled from Alexander I’s face himself.
Rostral Columns
Although Rostral Columns are not a monument to any specific Russian naval victory, they were designed after Roman victory monuments, and have been identified as one of the well-known symbols of Russia. These columns are also likely to be included on your tour to Russia because of their location. If you visit Strelka on your trip to Russia, these two columns are the main features of the place. Jean-Francois Thomas de Thomon had designed the entire complex, including the old exchange building and the small park in front of it, which is one of the masterpieces of architectural complexes in St. Petersburg. The columns feature several naval ornaments, including allegorical figures of four major rivers in Russia, sculptures of anchors, and sea creatures. Since the Rostral Columns locate on Strelka, which is one of the major St. Petersburg attractive places, you will probably visit them during your tour to Russia.
Monument to the Fallen Fighters of the Revolution
The Field of Mars is one of the essential sites on tour to Russia, which many people will visit during their tour to the historical center of St. Petersburg. It also houses the Monument to the Fallen Fighters of the Revolution. The eternal fire and the granite block that honors the fallen revolutionaries are the monuments to the first wave of casualties of the February Revolution, in which hundreds of unnamed soldiers of Russia revolution had found their final resting place. If you have plans to visit Field of Mars during your St. Petersburg tour, make sure to visit the Marble Palace as well, which is only a few steps away from the Field of Mars.
Monument to the Heroic Defenders of Leningrad
The Monument to the Heroic Defenders of Leningrad is one of the most majestic monuments to the Second World War, Seige of Leningrad, the heroic acts of people of St. Petersburg during the war, and the suffering that people went through during those dark days. This complex locates on the Victory Square. At the same time, it’s most likely that you won’t visit this place during your tour to Russia because of its location and its distance to the tourist center of St. Petersburg; you may pass this monument if you enter St. Petersburg from the Pulkovo airport. The tall obelisk at the center of the complex is visible from far away. Still, the sculptures of people of St. Petersburg, including ordinary citizens, sailors, pilots, workers, soldiers, and snipers who had worked together to keep the city from the hands of the Nazi army for about 900 days, are the great features of this monument. We at the Star Travel Group recommend people who are interested in the history of Siege of Leningrad and also have enough free time on their tour to Russia, visit this monument because it’s one of the most significant features of the city that most tourists won’t visit during their Russia tour.
The Narva and Moscow Triumphal Arches
There are two famous triumphal arches inside the town of St. Petersburg that you may see on your tour to Russia. The Narva Triumphal Arch, which is a monument to the 1812 war, also known as Napoleon War, was specifically built to greet soldiers who had fought abroad and returned to St. Petersburg after defeating Napoleon in the 1812 war. The other one is The Moscow Triumphal Arch, which is a monument to the victory of Russia in the war of 1828, also known as the Russo-Turkish war. Both of these magnificent arches are monuments to previous successes of the Russian army over its enemies. However, since they are not as significant as other attractions in the Russia tour, you may only see them if you wander around the city during your tour to Russia.
Hero City Obelisk
The last monument on our list locates in front of one of the busiest places in St. Petersburg, the Moskovsky railway station. When the second world war ended, twelve cities in the Soviet Union were granted the title of Hero-City in honor of defeating the Nazi army during the great patriotic war. Leningrad (St. Petersburg) was one of them. The Hero City obelisks are monuments that had erected in those cities. The Hero City obelisk in St. Petersburg is one of the most visible war monuments as well.
If you’re interested in monuments and memorials, we at the Star Travel group recommend you read our picks on top monuments to the most prominent imperial leaders in St. Petersburg on our weblog. You can also learn more about Top Russia attractive places that you can visit on your travel to Russia.
