The Naval Museums
Today we write the 18th of May and by doing so we also mark a day filled with Russian history. First of all it’s the birthday of the last Russian Tsar, Nicholas II. Secondly, it’s been 200 years since the death of the famous Russian general and national hero Alexander Suvorov. Lastly, it is the day of the Baltic Fleet. Today, we will use this naval holiday as a pretext to give you some tips on naval-related museums and sights in town. Saint Petersburg is, after all, one of the most (if not the most) important harbours of Russia. Besides, today also happens to be the international day of museums!
The Naval Museum of Russia actually consists of several different museums, or branches of the main museum. The main branch, as well as the museum-ship Aurora and the museum dedicated to the Baltic fleet are located in Saint Petersburg.
The Central Naval Museum
This museum recently moved to a new location and can now boast 19 rooms of expositions. The expositions will take you through Russian Naval history starting from as early as the 900th century. The museum follows a chronological path through this history, and among other things, you will be able to learn more about the Russo-Japanese War of 1904-5, the role of the navy during the First World War, the Second World War as well as the Soviet era and today. One of the most treasured exhibits is the small sailing yacht of Peter the Great. Not only the boat in which he learned to sail, but also the symbolic start of the modern Russian Navy.
Getting there:
M5 (purple line) to Admiralteyskaya / Адмиралтейская.
Adress: 5, Ploschad Tryda / Плошадь Труда.
Open from 11 – 17, Wednesday-Sunday.
Submarine “Narodovolets” / Народоволец
Not the place to be if you happen to be claustrophobic since this is a submarine turned museum. The Narodovolets together with her two sister ships were the first soviet-produced submarines and took part in training and research as far north as the Arctic Sea and Novaya Zemlya / Новая Земля. During the Second World War, or Great Patriotic War the submarine served in the Baltic Sea. It found itself outdated after the war and only served as a training platform until it was mounted at its current location. Today the submarine looks as it did during the 1940s and serves both as a museum and monument.
Getting there:
M3 (green line) to Primorskaya / Приморская.
Adress: 10, Shkiperskiy Protok / Шкиперский Проток.
Open from 11 – 17, Wednesday-Sunday.
There we are, two ways of celebrating the Baltic Fleet whilst learning something on the way. Make sure to check the website of the Central Navy Museum every now and then on upcoming exhibitions. Also, one of the more impressive museum-ships, the Battle Cruiser Aurora is a part of the Museum. The Aurora, however, is being renovated at this moment. Check the website for the status on the Aurora as well.
Photo by Steven Pavlov under CC-BY-SA 3.0
