St. Petersburg
Welcome to our beautiful city of white nights!
On May 27, 2003 St. Petersburg is going to celebrate its 300th anniversary.
Many events and summits are planned on this occasion, and an enormous amount
of tourists is expected. Please, buy your tickets and book the
accommodation much in advance, otherwise you will fall into serious
difficulties with your travel. For this reason it is very important to follow
the deadline (February 1, 2003) and instructions for the
visa information submission necessary for the
preparation of the invitation.
In June and July in St. Petersburg you can expect a good warm weather
and to experience the beauty of famous
white nights.
The temperature may vary between 15-30 degrees C. Rainy days may occur.
You may look the
weather forecast in the net.
Accommodation
The conference will be held in Repino, a suburb of St.Petersburg, on the base
of
"Baltiets" hotel.
It has two buildings (main building, european standard) and
"Burevestnik" building (Russian standard, 10 minutes walk from the main
building). The sessions will take place in the main building. The deadline
for accommodation reservation and payment is MAY 15, 2003. Please make
your reservations via our official congress service agency
Monomax Ltd, professional congress
organizer. If you have not received our
common information letter concerning accommodation and excursion offers,
details of reservation and bank transfer, please send us a void e-mail to the
conference address
apm@eng.abdn.ac.uk with the subject
line "information accommodation letter request", and we shall resend
you the information.
Please email or fax your reservation, giving full details of
(a) building and room requirements,
(b) date of check-in, date of check-out
to the address of our service agency
"Monomax".
Tel. +7(812)444-71-66
Fax: +7(812)324-73-22
Contact person for foreign participants:
Mrs. Karina Matveeva
E-mail: ata@monomax.org
Contact persons for Russian and NIS participants:
Mr. Alexander Simakov, Mrs. Natalia Rudenko
E-mail: abc@monomax.org
If you prefer to stay some days in the city, please e-mail to "Monomax", and
they will help you to reserve the hotel.
Excursion offer
Our service agency "Monomax" suggests
you a cultural program.
Please contact "Monomax" on questions of
prices and excursion reservation.
- 23.06.03 - Monday
#1. Sightseeing Tour "Magic of "white nights"
The city is often called "Northern Venice" North" for its numerous bridges and
canals.
The city is famous for its White Nights when during the summer night never
falls and the main Neva river bridges are open, some Petersburgers and the
guests stay out all night, enjoying miraculous twilight of the city from river
boats hovering between the water and sky along the Neva river and the canals.
From the best point of view at the arrow of Vasilievsky Island you can enjoy
by the architect ensembles of the historical city center.
23.00 - Start of the excursion (Departure from the conference venue Baltiets
hotel)
24.00 - sightseeing tour "Bridges and the embankments of Saint Petersburg"
01.35 - Neva river drawbridges
03.00 - Return to Baltiets hotel
-
24.06.03 -Tuesday
#2. THE STATE HERMITAGE AND PALACE OF GRAND DUKE VLADIMIR
Participating in this excursion you will visit the one of the greatest art
museum of the world The State Hermitage-situated in the 5 historical buildings
including Winter Palace- an official residence of Russian tsars. The
collections of the museum number over 3 million items from prehistoric
culture, Egyptian art, the art of Antiquity, and great collections of
West-European paintings and sculptures are displayed in 400 halls of the
museum.
Also you will visit one of the most precious palaces of the city, which was
owned by Grand Duke Vladimir, the cousin of the lust Russian tsar Nicholas II.
09.30 - Start of the excursion
10.30 - The State Hermitage
12.30 - Palace of Grand Duke Vladimir
14.30 - Return to Baltiets hotel
-
25.06.03 - Wednesday
#3. IMPERIAL SUMMER RESIDENCE "TSARSKOE SELO"
The favorite summer residence of the Russian Emperors and Empresses, where the
royal families spend a lot of time, Tsarskoe selo was the favorite palace of
the daughter of Peter the Great - Elizabeth as well as Catherine II.
Outstanding Russian and European architects created the exteriors and
interiors of this palace and pavilions of the wonderful regular park. Visiting
Catherine palace you will have a lucky ability to see the magnificent "Amber
room" newly restored after the Second World War and open to visitors a few
weeks ago.
09.30 - Start of the excursion
11.00 - Tsarskoye selo (Catherine's palace and Park)
14.30 - Return to Baltiets hotel
-
26.06.03 -Thursday
#4. SAINT PETERSBURG PALACES NECKLACE
During this tour you will visit the most luxurious palaces of the Russian
noble families.
Menshikov's palace-the first palace of the city, owned by the family of the
first general governor of Saint Petersburg. This palace is the rare example of
the 18 century Russian noble palaces.
Yousupov palace- one of the most beautiful and richly decorated palaces of the
city owned by the family of prince Yousupov the one of the organizers of the
murder of Grigoriy Rasputin the closest friend and adviser of the lust Russian
royal family. (The visit to this palace can be changed to another one:
Polovtsev mansion, Grand Duke Vladimir Palace, etc.)
09.30 - Start of the excursion
10.30 - Menshikov's palace
12.00 -Yousupov palace
15.00 - return to Baltiets hotel
-
27.06.03 - Friday
#5. "PETERHOF -CAPITAL OF RUSSIAN FOUNTAINS"
The magnificent palace was build on the coast of the Finnish Gulf for the Tsar Peter the Great and was the official imperial residence until 1917. Peterhof is known as "the capital of fountains" because of the mysterious fountains in the gardens of the palace.
Peterhof with its Grand palace and Lower park, fountains and cascades is a remarkable monument to Peter the Great victories and to the glory of Russian Empire.
09.30 - Start of the excursion
10.30 - Peterhof Grand Palace and Lower Park
14.30 - Return to Baltiets hotel
-
28.06.03 - Saturday
#6. "GLORY OF RUSSIAN ART"
The State Russian Museum is the world's largest museum of Russian Art. The
museum is located in the former palace built for Grand Duke Mikhail, the
junior son of Paul I in 1825. In 1895 it was transferred into possession of
the Treasury with the purpose of arranging a museum in it. In 1898 the
Imperial Museum of Russian Art was opened in the palace. At present the
Russian Museum possesses the largest collections of Russian fine arts:
paintings, sculptures, drawings and objects of applied and decorative art. The
museum contains nearly 400,000 exhibits representing ancient icons and
collections of Avant-garde school of XX century painting.
After the excursion to Russian Museum, you will visit the outstanding
church-monument " Church of Our Savior on the blood" build to commemorate
Russian emperor Alexander II at the spot where he was assassinated. This
church is a wonderful example of the "Russian style" and richly decorated out
side and in side with Russian mosaic.
09.30 - Start of the excursion
11.00 - Russian museum
12.30 - "Chirch of Our Savior on the blood"
14.30 - Return to Baltiets hotel
-
29.06.03 - Sunday
#7. CITY SIGHTSEEING TOUR "MAGNIFICENT SAINT PETERSBURG" AND #7A - BOAT TRIP "NORTH VENICE"
Saint Petersburg is the second largest city in Russia. UNESCO recognized Saint
Petersburg as one of the 10 most beautiful cities in the world. It impresses
one by a combination of magnificent architecture with strict planning of its
broad streets, squares, parks, gardens, canals and museums of great rarity. It
could be rightly called an open-air museum. During the sightseeing tour
you'll get acquainted with the past and present of the history and culture of
the city. You will also see its main architectural ensembles. Departure from
hotel Baltiets at 09.30.
The cost is covered by organizing committee (incl. into reg. fee) for foreign
participants. For Russian participants - please contact "Monomax".
#7A. Rivers and Canals boat trip "North Venice"
The city is often called "North Venice" for its numerous bridges and canals.
Saint Petersburg lies on 42 islands. 93 various rivers, canals flowing through
the city, make it similar to Venice and Amsterdam. Many bridges with iron
lacework of railing span the rivers and canals.
During this bout trip Russian beer and snakes will be offered to you.
-
30.06.03 - Monday
#8. GREAT CATHEDRALS OF SAINT PETERSBURG
Saint Petersburg is the city where the all major world religious are
represented. During this trip around the city you will listen an interesting
story about the main cities cathedrals and see the churches of a different
religious situated in the city.
Also you will visit magnificent St. Isaac cathedral -the principal cathedral
of the Imperial Russia. the largest cathedral of the city and the fourth
largest one dome cathedral in the world, which can hold about 10.000 people.
The interior of this outstanding monument of the Russian XIX c. architecture
is richly decorated with Russian mosaics, marble, semiprecious stone and
paintings.
09.00 - Start of the excursion
Visit to the churches of different religion confesses, including active Orthodox Church
St. Isaac cathedral museum
15.00 - Return to Baltiets hotel
Additional enquiries
If you need any help, questions or enquiries concerning the hotels, transfer
from and to the airport, additional excursions, theatre tickets, advices on
practical subjects
on your stay in Russia, please contact
"Monomax"
(ata@monomax.org)
for help. In case if the
invitation from Russian Academy of Sciences has not reached you due to post
problems, "Monomax" may make for you a tourist invitation (if you have
reserved already your flight and hotel).
Some practical advices
In St. Petersburg some (usually expensive) shops and restaurants accept
payment by a credit card. You can also find a lot of bankomat machines in the
city. Normally, you can pay only by cash in rubles. In particular, in a suburb
(where it is planned to hold the conference)
you can pay anywhere only by cash in rubles, and there are no bankomat
machines. It is advised to take with you some cash in US dollars and credit cards
and to take the cash and change dollars
into rubles in St. Petersburg. Travellers cheques are also accepted in
banks. There are a lot of exchange offices (in the
airport, also in the centre of the city, e.g. at Nevsky prospect). Exchange
rates do not differ a lot, but usually the best rate is at exchange office at
the corner of Liteiniy and Nevsky prospects (Nevsky 78). You can also change
at Nevsky 78 any kind of currency, but usually you lose more on difference
in rates for European currencies than for US dollars. USD and EURO are accepted at
any exchange office of the city.
St. Petersburg is a relatively safe city, for instance, more safe than Paris
or some other capitals. However, you should be aware of pickpockets. Please
keep in mind that you, as a foreigner, will be considered by them as a "rich
person". If you walk after midnight in the city, it is better to be in the
company of another participant. However, please remember that the subway
is closed after midnight, and ask in your hotel when if it is open during the
night.
The simplest way to travel in St. Petersburg is to take the subway. The price
for one ride is 6 rubles ($1 is approx. 31 rubles). Please find here
map of the subway
and the
map of the city.
For more practical information, please visit
this site
(we are sorry for numerous misprints there) or
contact the Organizing Committee.
Images of St. Petersburg
St. Petersburg is called Venice of the North,
and in fact it is "cultural capital" of Russia. The magnificent
Hermitage
and
Russian Museum
can give a flavour of the cultural image of the city, where
you can find a numerous theatres and the famous Russian ballet.
You can look
here
some news about cultural life of the city.
For someone
more inclined towards nature, the Russian czars residences, for example
Pavlovsk, Peterhoff, and Pushkin, can offer a pleasant hostage; or
alternatively one can take an unforgettable boat trip through river Neva and
the city channels.
Here you can see some images, which give
a shadow
of St. Petersburg's beauty.
Photos
(Neva river; Nikolsky cathedral; St. Peter and St. Paul church; Smolny
cathedral; St. Isaac cathedral; Troitsky cathedral; cathedral of St.
Alexander Nevsky Abbey):
More photos of St. Petersburg at
"Wandering Camera"
More photos of St. Petersburg at
"Photoline":
1
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Paintings (by Rudolf Yakhnin, 1938-1997):
Russian ballet:
"Gizelle" and "Swan Lake" in
Mariinsky
Theatre
Some other photos of
ballet in Mariinsky Theatre
Here is a small part of one of numerous collections of
Hermitage:
Titian. Danae. 1446-1453.
Leonardo da Vinci. Madonna Litta. 1490.
Raphael. Madonna Conestabile. 1503.
In
Russian Museum
you can see Russian art from antique icons to the modern
paintings:
Unknown author. The Mother of God of Tenderness of Belozersk. First Half of the 13th Century.
Repin. Cossacks Write an Answer to the Turkish Sultan. 1880-1891.
Aivazovsky. The Ninth Wave. 1850.
Vrubel. A Six-winged Seraph. 1904.
More paintings from the Russian Museum
If you have any questions or comments please write to
apm@eng.abdn.ac.uk
Last update: June 10, 2003
