Petrograd & Vyborg Sides - St Petersburg - page 300

The circular Alexandrovsky Park surrounds Zayachy Island on three sides,
so you'll have to pass through it on your way. It contains a small amusement
park, a zoo, a planetarium and plenty of other fun for people of all ages.

Hawks flock to the massive Artillery Museum , appropriately placed along
the moat opposite the fortress. Its enormous exhibition features weapons
through the ages, as well as plenty of tanks and bombers to climb on in the
courtyard.

The central square of Peter's early city, Troitskaya pl (Trinity Sq) formerly
had as its centrepiece the enormous Trinity Cathedral, where Peter attended
Mass. The cathedral was destroyed and now the square's most striking building
is the Mosque . The palace of ballerina Mathilda Kshesinskaya now houses

the Museum of Political History .

Petrovskaya nab is home to two historic landmarks. Peter's Cabin is
considered the oldest structure in the city and the city's soul. Off the island's
eastern tip, the Cruiser Aurora is a legendary battleship, surviving since the
Russo- Japanese War.

Stroll up the stylish Kamennoostrovsky pr to get a sense of Petrograd's
ever-growing vibrancy. It is packed with shops ( CLICK HERE ), theatres and res-
taurants ( CLICK HERE ), not to mention the ever-popular

Kirov Museum .

Kirovsky Islands

This is the collective name for the three outer delta islands of the Petrograd Side -
Kamenny, Yelagin and Krestovsky. Once marshy forests, the islands were granted to
18th- and 19th-century court favourites and developed into elegant playgrounds. Still
mostly parkland, they are leafy venues for picnics, river sports and White Nights' ca-
vorting, as well as home to St Petersburg's super rich.