{"title":"Saint Petersburg","description":"\u003cp\u003eSaint Petersburg\u003c\/p\u003e","products":[{"product_id":"kazan-cathedral-kazanzkiy-82346","title":"Kazan Cathedral (Kazanzkiy)","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eKazan Cathedral Russian: Казанский собор, also known as the \"Cathedral of Our Lady of Kazan\", is a Russian Orthodox church located on the northeast corner of Red Square in Moscow, Russia. The current building is a reconstruction of the original church, which was destroyed at the direction of then General Secretary of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union, Joseph Stalin, in 1936.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eThe original cathedral[edit]\u003cbr\u003eUpon recovering Moscow from the armies of the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth in 1612 at the close of the Time of Troubles, Prince Dmitry Pozharsky attributed his success to the divine help of the icon Theotokos of Kazan, to whom he had prayed on several occasions. From his private funds, he financed construction of a wooden church to the Virgin of Kazan on Red Square in Moscow, which was first mentioned in historical records in 1625. After the diminutive shrine was destroyed by a fire in 1632, Tsar Michael I, ordered it replaced with a brick church. The one-domed edifice, featuring several tiers of kokoshniki, a wide gallery, and a tented belfry, was consecrated in October 1636.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eKazan Cathedral was considered one of the most important churches in Moscow. Annually on the anniversary of the liberation of Moscow from Poland-Lithuania, a solemn parade led by the Patriarch and the Tsar carried a processional cross from the Kremlin. By the end of the 17th century, the church building was expanded and received a bell tower and a redesigned entrance. Numerous other renovations of the cathedral were undertaken during the imperial period, notably during 1801, 1805, and 1865, and much of the original design was lost behind later additions.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eThe history of the cathedral was tempestuous, as evidenced by the fact that its archpriest Avvakum led the party of religious dissenters, or Old Believers.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eThe distinguished Russian restorer Peter Baranovsky supervised a complete reconstruction of the church's exterior to its original design in 1929–1932. Some specialists, however, criticised the accuracy of this reconstruction.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eIn 1936, when Red Square was being prepared for holding the military parades of the Soviet Union, Joseph Stalin ordered the square cleared of churches[citation needed]. Although efforts were made by Baranovsky to save it, he could not prevent the Kazan Cathedral from being demolished (though Baranovsky did manage to save another of Red Square's cathedrals, Saint Basil's Cathedral, from destruction). In its place, initially a temporary building housing offices for the Communist International was erected. It was later used as a summer café.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eThe rebuilding:\u003cbr\u003eAfter the fall of the Soviet Union, the Kazan Cathedral was the first church to be completely rebuilt after having been destroyed by the Communists. The cathedral's restoration (1990–1993) was sponsored by the Moscow city branch of the All-Russian Society for Historic Preservation and Cultural Organization, and was based on the detailed measurements and photographs of the original church. However, the icon of the Kazan Virgin in the restored cathedral is a copy; the original is now in the Yelokhovo Cathedral.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"WETU","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":43761671766075,"sku":null,"price":0.0,"currency_code":"ZAR","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0582\/6776\/2747\/files\/82346_2Fanna_01.jpg?v=1783584835"},{"product_id":"cathedral-savior-on-the-spilled-blood-82353","title":"Cathedral Savior on the Spilled Blood","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eThe Church of the Savior on Spilled Blood (Russian: Церковь Спаса на Крови, Tserkovʹ Spasa na Krovi) is one of the main sights of St. Petersburg, Russia. Other names include the Church on Spilled Blood (Russian: Церковь на Крови, Tserkov’ na Krovi), the Temple of the Savior on Spilled Blood (Russian: Храм Спаса на Крови, Khram Spasa na Krovi), and the Cathedral of the Resurrection of Christ (Russian: Собор Воскресения Христова, Sobor Voskreseniya Khristova).\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eThis Church was built on the site where Emperor Alexander II was fatally wounded in March 1881.The church was built between 1883 and 1907. The construction was funded by the imperial family.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eHistory:\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eConstruction began in 1883 during the reign of Alexander III. The church was dedicated to be a memorial to his father, Alexander II. Estimates suggest that the construction cost 4.5 million rubles. The construction was completed during the reign of Nicholas II in 1907. Funding was provided by the Imperial family with the support of many private donors.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eThe Church is prominently situated along the Griboedov Canal; paved roads run along both sides of the canal. On March 13, 1881 (Julian date: March 1), as Tsar Alexander's carriage passed along the embankment, a grenade thrown by an anarchist conspirator exploded. The tsar, shaken but unhurt, got out of the carriage and started to remonstrate with the presumed culprit. A second conspirator took the chance to throw another bomb, killing himself and mortally wounding the tsar. The tsar, bleeding heavily, was taken back to the Winter Palace where he died a few hours later.\u003cbr\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eDetail of the richly decorated façade and onion domes:\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eA temporary shrine was erected on the site of the attack while plans and fundraising for a more permanent memorial were undertaken. In order to build a permanent shrine on the exact spot where the assassination took place, it was decided to narrow the canal so that the section of road on which the tsar had been driving could be included within the walls of the church. An elaborate shrine was constructed at the end of the church opposite the altar, on the exact place of Alexander's death. It is embellished with topaz, lazurite and other semi-precious stones, making a striking contrast with the simple cobblestones of the old road, which are exposed in the floor of the shrine\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eThe Church of the Savior on Spilled Blood (Russian: Церковь Спаса на Крови, Tserkovʹ Spasa na Krovi) is one of the main sights of St. Petersburg, Russia. Other names include the Church on Spilled Blood (Russian: Церковь на Крови, Tserkov’ na Krovi), the Temple of the Savior on Spilled Blood (Russian: Храм Спаса на Крови, Khram Spasa na Krovi), and the Cathedral of the Resurrection of Christ (Russian: Собор Воскресения Христова, Sobor Voskreseniya Khristova).\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eThis Church was built on the site where Emperor Alexander II was fatally wounded in March 1881.The church was built between 1883 and 1907. The construction was funded by the imperial family.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eHistory:\u003cbr\u003eConstruction began in 1883 during the reign of Alexander III. The church was dedicated to be a memorial to his father, Alexander II. Estimates suggest that the construction cost 4.5 million rubles. The construction was completed during the reign of Nicholas II in 1907. Funding was provided by the Imperial family with the support of many private donors.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eThe Church is prominently situated along the Griboedov Canal; paved roads run along both sides of the canal. On March 13, 1881 (Julian date: March 1), as Tsar Alexander's carriage passed along the embankment, a grenade thrown by an anarchist conspirator exploded. The tsar, shaken but unhurt, got out of the carriage and started to remonstrate with the presumed culprit. A second conspirator took the chance to throw another bomb, killing himself and mortally wounding the tsar. The tsar, bleeding heavily, was taken back to the Winter Palace where he died a few hours later.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cbr\u003eDetail of the richly decorated façade and onion domes:\u003cbr\u003eA temporary shrine was erected on the site of the attack while plans and fundraising for a more permanent memorial were undertaken. In order to build a permanent shrine on the exact spot where the assassination took place, it was decided to narrow the canal so that the section of road on which the tsar had been driving could be included within the walls of the church. An elaborate shrine was constructed at the end of the church opposite the altar, on the exact place of Alexander's death. It is embellished with topaz, lazurite and other semi-precious stones, making a striking contrast with the simple cobblestones of the old road, which are exposed in the floor of the shrine\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"WETU","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":43761672388667,"sku":null,"price":0.0,"currency_code":"ZAR","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0582\/6776\/2747\/files\/82353_2Fanna_01.jpg?v=1783584837"},{"product_id":"nevsky-prospekt-82523","title":"Nevsky Prospekt","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eNevsky Prospect (Russian: Не́вский проспе́кт, tr. Nevsky Prospekt; IPA: [ˈnʲɛfskʲɪj prɐˈspʲɛkt]) is the main street in the city of St. Petersburg, Russia. Planned by Peter the Great as beginning of the road to Novgorod and Moscow, the avenue runs from the Admiralty to the Moscow Railway Station and, after making a turn at Vosstaniya Square, to the Alexander Nevsky Lavra.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eThe chief sights include the Rastrelliesque Stroganov Palace, the huge neoclassical Kazan Cathedral, the Art Nouveau Bookhouse, Elisseeff Emporium, half a dozen 18th-century churches, a monument to Catherine the Great, an enormous 18th-century shopping mall, a mid-19th-century department store, the Russian National Library, the Anichkov Bridge with its horse statues, and the Singer House. The feverish life of the avenue was described by Nikolai Gogol in his story \"Nevsky Prospekt\". Fyodor Dostoevsky often employed the Nevksy Prospekt as a setting within his works, such as Crime and Punishment and The Double: A Petersburg Poem.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eDuring the early Soviet years (1918–44) the name of Nevsky Prospect was changed, first to \"Proletkult Street\" (Ulitsa Proletkul'ta) in honor of that Soviet artistic organization.[1] Following the demise of Proletkult the name was changed again, this time to \"Avenue of the 25th of October,\" alluding to the day of the October Revolution.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eThe Nevsky today functions as the main thoroughfare in Saint Petersburg. The majority of the city's shopping and nightlife are located on or right off of the Nevsky Prospekt.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eThe street is served by the stations Admiralteyskaya, Nevsky Prospekt, Gostiny Dvor, Mayakovskaya, Ploshchad Vosstaniya and Ploshchad Alexandra Nevskogo I of Saint Petersburg Metro.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"WETU","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":43761672912955,"sku":null,"price":0.0,"currency_code":"ZAR","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0582\/6776\/2747\/files\/82523_2Fanna_01.jpg?v=1783584837"},{"product_id":"kempinski-hotel-moika-22-82793","title":"Kempinski Hotel Moika 22","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eSituated in the heart of the city on the Moika River, in the aristocratic mansion built in 1853, Kempinski Hotel Moika 22 is flanked by Palace Square and the Hermitage museum. The hotel is just five minutes’ walk from the Nevsky Prospect and close to all major sights and shopping.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eThe more than 200 rooms and suites feature warm, marine-style decor and offer free Wi-Fi, flat-screen TVs, and mini fridges.  Sitting areas and river views are added in upgraded rooms. In the suites, you will find antiques, original artwork, and living rooms. Room service is available around the clock for all room types.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eGuests are spoilt for choice with five restaurants to choose from and exquisite dishes of French cuisine, high-end afternoon tea ceremonies, world-famous cocktails and vintage wines will ensure that your gourmet experience is unforgettable.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"kempinski","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":43762000789563,"sku":null,"price":0.0,"currency_code":"ZAR","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0582\/6776\/2747\/files\/82793_2Fprint_atrium.jpg?v=1783585478"},{"product_id":"corinthia-st-petersburg-83127","title":"Corinthia St Petersburg","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eOnce called a ‘Window to the West’, St Petersburg is a melting pot of authentic Russian heritage, striking architecture and world-famous art \u0026amp; cultural museums. Situated in the heart of the city on the bustling Nevsky Prospekt, Corinthia Hotel St Petersburg offers easy, direct access to major sites of cultural, artistic and economic interest for both leisure and business guests.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eOffering every conceivable modern luxury for the discerning international traveller, Corinthia Hotel St Petersburg creates an unforgettable guest experience. Encapsulated in a venue of rare distinction overflowing with art and beauty every guest can be assured of unparalleled luxury and world-class hospitality.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eCorinthia offers luxurious accommodation located in St Petersburg, Russia. Guests can choose from a variety of accommodation types ranging from Superior Rooms to Signature Suites and Royal Suites. Every last detail is designed with guests' comfort in mind, from the feel of the fresh cotton sheets to the softly muted lighting. Dining options at the hotel include the Imperial Restaurant, Cafe Vienna, and there is a lobby bar.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"WETU","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":43762001477691,"sku":null,"price":0.0,"currency_code":"ZAR","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0582\/6776\/2747\/files\/83127_2F1.jpg?v=1783585480"},{"product_id":"alexander-nevsky-monastery-102058","title":"Alexander Nevsky Monastery","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eThe Alexander Nevsky Monastery, named after the patron saint of St Petersburg, is the city's most ancient and eminent monastery. On 5 April 1713  in the presence of Peter I, the wooden Church of the Annunciation was consecrated. Monks from monasteries in almost all dioceses were moved within the walls of Alexander Nevsky. Today the monastery grounds contain two baroque churches from the 1700's, a majestic Neoclassical cathedral built in 1778–1790 and numerous other structures. Various ornate tombs of famous Russians are also preserved within the monastery walls. This spiritual centre welcomes visitors and pilgrims to its cathedrals and church services on a daily basis.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"WETU","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":43762136154171,"sku":null,"price":0.0,"currency_code":"ZAR","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0582\/6776\/2747\/files\/102058_2Fholy_trinity_cathedral_2011_july_10.jpg?v=1783585686"},{"product_id":"menshikov-palace-102062","title":"Menshikov Palace","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eThe Menshikov Palace of the first governor of St. Petersburg, Alexander Menshikov, an associate of Peter the Great, is located on Vasilevsky Island. Built in 1710, Menshikov Palace was the first large stone building erected in St. Petersburg and is also the only private city structure to have survived from the beginning of the 18th century. As part of the State Hermitage, it is now used to display some of the museum's vast collection of European and Russian applied art from the early 18th century, as well as contemporaneous sculptures and paintings, all of which blend in with the beautifully restored interiors. The exhibition halls of the Menshikov Palace are a harmonious recreation of the interior decoration and design attributed to the first quarter of 18th century Russia.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"WETU","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":43762136645691,"sku":null,"price":0.0,"currency_code":"ZAR","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0582\/6776\/2747\/files\/102062_2Fi6_1f.jpg?v=1783585754"},{"product_id":"azimut-hotel-saint-petersburg-160129","title":"AZIMUT Hotel Saint Petersburg","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eAZIMUT Hotel Saint Petersburg is situated in the historical centre of the city. The hotel is in close proximity to the Fontanka River, Nevsky Prospect, Mariinsky Theatre, St. Isaac’s Cathedral and Pulkovo Airport. Due to the hotel being the highest building in the city, the rooms have picturesque views of Saint Petersburg. All rooms include a private bathroom, free Wi-Fi, TV and air-conditioning. Additionally, the hotel provides laundry, dry cleaning and ironing services. There is a panoramic sky bar which provides guests with drinks while the restaurant offers local flavours and international cuisine. The summer terrace offers guests with street-style food. Guests who wish to remain active can do so at the hotel’s fitness centre.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"WETU","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":43762139136059,"sku":null,"price":0.0,"currency_code":"ZAR","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0582\/6776\/2747\/files\/160129_2F4.jpg?v=1783585685"},{"product_id":"lotte-hotel-st-petersburg-160186","title":"Lotte Hotel St. Petersburg","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eLotte Hotel St. Petersburg is located in a mansion in downtown Saint Petersburg. Within walking distance of the hotel are many cultural attractions such as St. Isaac’s Square, the State Hermitage Museum, Nevsky Prospect and Mariinsky Theatre. The accommodation at the hotel combines contemporary and traditional design in its 150 rooms and suites. Rooms and suites have free Wi-Fi, a TV, telephone and a bathroom. Guests can enjoy the Mandara Spa which includes saunas and a relaxing pool. There is also a fitness centre for guests who wish to remain active. Guests can also choose to dine at either The Lounge restaurant which provides a selection of dishes and wines, MEGUmi which offers Japanese cuisine and L Terrasa which serves drinks.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"lotte","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":43762139627579,"sku":null,"price":0.0,"currency_code":"ZAR","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0582\/6776\/2747\/files\/160186_2F3.jpg?v=1783585751"}],"url":"https:\/\/plekify.com\/collections\/region-saint-petersburg.oembed","provider":"Plekify","version":"1.0","type":"link"}