St. Petersburg has played a unique role in the history of Russian culture. It was here that Alexander Pushkin wrote his greatest poems, Mikhail Glinka composed his music, Ilja Repin painted his best pictures, Rudolf Nureyev electrified audience with his performances, and Josif Brodsky resisted the Soviet regime with his famous Nobel Prize-winning poems. St. Petersburg is often called a museum city, boasting over 100 museums, ranging from the Hermitage, the Russian Museum and the Peter and Paul Fortress, to the small apartment museums which celebrate some of Russia's greatest writers, and the special interest museums including the very first, the Kunstkamera. Thousands of art galleries sprang up during Soviet times, and the number has doubled since its collapse, ranging from the huge and official to the quirky, hidden in the labyrinth of St. Petersburg streets. Explore enchanting, bohemian St. Petersburg – one of the greatest artistic cities of the world. 

Download Wanderlust article about this tour with Go Russia (Wanderlust, July 2008)