Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
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Museum of Musical Instruments (in the Sheremetev Palace) If you play a
musical instrument and have a free hour or so, this museum is a fun opportunity to
discover inventive ways Russians and others have made music over the centuries. If you're
lucky, one of the museum guides will let you use the computer program that reproduces
the sounds of the museum's instruments. One of Tchaikovsky's pianos stands in a second-
floor hall packed with harpsichords, early mechanical pianos, and spinets. Note the ele-
gant display of the evolution of harp design from the 16th to the 20th century, and the
Arctic tribal instruments. Children with some knowledge of music will enjoy the quirkier
exhibits, such as the glass harmonica on the first floor, a piano-size contraption of glass
cups stacked horizontally and played with wet hands to produce an airy, wind instrument
sound. The museum's setting, the resplendent 18th-century Sheremetev Palace by archi-
tect Savva Chevakinsky, is part of the reason to visit.
34 Naberezhnaya Fontanka. & 812/272-4441. Admission 200 rubles adults, 100 rubles students and
children 8 and over. Wed-Sun noon-6pm; closed last Wed of each month. Metro: Mayakovskaya.
Pushkinskaya 10 Anyone interested in modern art, experimental performance,
or alternative music should visit this art complex. It calls itself a “non-museum;” its gal-
leries showcase artists who use a wide variety of media, and its performance spaces host
lectures, “sound experiments,” and other hard-to-define modern cultural events. See the
website for listings. The alley leading up to it is covered in graffiti, mostly of questionable
artistic merit, but past the dodgy courtyard, the art center is a haven of creativity. The
gift shop is a good source of unusual gifts.
10 Pushkinskaya Ulitsa (entrance from 53 Ligovsky Prospekt, through the arch). & 812/764-5371. www.
p10.nonmuseum.ru. Admission varies with exhibit or performance. Galleries and museum Wed-Sun
3-7pm. Metro: Ploschad Vosstaniya.
Russian Museum (Russky Muzei) This museum should be on every visitor's
itinerary, even those who know or care little about Russian art, despite its hefty admission
fee. It's as much an introduction to Russian history, attitudes, and vision as it is a display
of artistic styles. Housing 32,000 artworks from the 12th to the 20th century, the
museum is best viewed with a tour guide or by using the English-language audioguide to
ensure that you get the most out of its collection before you drop from exhaustion. The
most popular rooms are in the Benois Wing, where works by Avante-Garde artists Mal-
evich and Kandinsky attract international crowds. Chronologically, they're at the end of
the exhibit, so save time and energy if you want to see them. The Old Russian Wing
deserves a good look, too, offering perspective on the evolution of Orthodox icon paint-
ing that helps you better appreciate any cathedrals you visit later. The rural scenes of
Russian village life by Alexei Venetsianov and the soothing forestscapes of Ivan Shishkin,
both on the ground floor, are often unfairly overlooked. Note the Art Nouveau paintings
and sketches of set designs for Diaghilev's Ballet Russe. Take a few moments to appreciate
the museum's exterior before you go in. It was built in the 1820s for the brother of Czar
Alexander I and Czar Nicholas I, Grand Duke Mikhail. The museum owes many of its
riches to private collections seized by the Soviets, or “volunteered” by wealthy collectors
hoping to avoid persecution. Allow at least 2 hours, more if you have an enthusiastic
guide.
4/2 Inzhenernaya Ulitsa. & 812/595-4248. www.rusmuseum.ru. Admission 300 rubles adults, 150
rubles students with ID, free for children 6 and under. English-language tour for up to 5 with official
museum guide 1,500 rubles plus entrance fee. Mon 10am-5pm; Wed-Sun 10am-6pm (closed Tues).
Metro: Gostiny Dvor or Nevsky Prospekt.
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