The best museums Route de la soie

It is also in Sixtus IV that the pavement should be paved. The study of the soil shows that the separation wall, called transenne, is not at its initial location since it is placed on one of six circles of the first part of the chapel. We must imagine the original position of the wall, a little closer to the choir. It is then better understood the ground of the paving: a walk from the main door to the choir, a square for this choir reserved for the priests. It can be interpreted as symbolizing a allée allée first, then as a break of the procession once the transenne has passed. It can also be seen as a labyrinth, which was used in the bogs of the cathedrals of the time.

According to the collective contract signed on 27 October 1481 between Sixtus IV and Giovannino di Dolci, it was known that a group of six painters had to perform for the Pope the decoration of the two side walls of the chapel, that is, twelve frescoes, of the drapes in the eye as well as a papal gallery. The benches were also of their design. That's how they delivered the two painted walls, 28 papal portraits, and a blue vault on which white wax balls were glued, giving the impression of a constellation of stars when the candles éclairaient the chapel.

Their contract was then completed with a decoration project of the two remaining walls, that of the choir and that of the main door. The same group of artists devoted themselves to it, but 2 frescoes, The Discovery of Moses and The Nativity of Jesus, and 4 papal portraits disappeared under the last judgment of Michelangelo.

The Dispute around the body of Moses. Painted by Matteo da Leccia. This stage was originally painted by Luca Signorelli, but it was destroyed, like the Resurrection of Christ, in 1532, by the fall of the marble architrave of the main door.

The Resurrection of Christ. Painted by Hendrick Van den Broeck. Domenico Ghirlandajo painted the original fresco. There is less force in this fresco than in the previous one, and both do not reach the level of other paintings in the chapel. Michel-Ange, who was to paint this part, was prevented from doing so when he devoted himself to Pauline Chapel.

For a logical reading, we're starting from the choir to return to the main door.

The Baptism of Jesus. Painted by Le Perugino. The main stage is represented at the centre: Jesus is baptized in the waters of the Jordan by his cousin, Jean the Precursor, clothed with beast skin. The Holy Spirit, symbolized by a dove, then descended on him, under the gaze of God the Father inserted into a circle representing perfection. On the right, Jesus is a little above a group that listens to him preaching. On the right, it is Jean Baptiste who says that it is not he to hear, but «The one who comes».

The Temptations of Jesus. Painted by Sandro Botticelli. Christ appears four times on this fresco and is symbolized by a fifth stage. At the top, on the left, Satan disguised as religious seeks to try Jesus. Having failed, he found himself in the middle, on the temple of Jerusalem represented in the form of a hospital that the Pope had just built. Having failed again, he takes Jesus to the top of the mountain, but his last attempt is a failure; He discovers and runs away. In his purity by the angels, Jesus now appears left. First, the representation of a ritual sacrifice, the figure of a great priest, probably Melchisédec, is a symbol of Christ who is priest, prophet and king.

The Vocation of the Apostles. Painted by Domenico Ghirlandajo. The painter represented Jesus, choosing twice the apostles. On the top left, he calls Pierre and his brother André, just fishermen. He gives them his blessing in the foreground, where we see the apostles on his knees. These are the same as he takes to his suite, and they are found all three on the right bank, talking to John and Jacob, who follow Christ by letting their father, Zébédée, escape his oars.

The Sermon on the Mountain. Painted by De Rosselli. Jesus, in the middle, surrounded by the twelve apostles, descends from the mountain. In the foreground, always accompanied by his disciples who, sitting or standing, listen to his speech on the mountain in which he sets out the Beatitudes. The crowd on the left is amazed. Likewise, another crowd, on the right, expresses admiration for the healing of a lepers that Jesus also achieved in descending a mountain.

The Handing Over of keys to Pierre. Painted by Le Perugino and Luca Signorelli. The main stage is a representation that does not really exist in the Gospels. Indeed, if it is in Pierre that he claims to want to base his Church and to whom he gives the power to bind and surrender, no key has ever been exchanged in the Scriptures. On the left, we guess the scene that pits the pharisees to Jesus, in which he will reply: «Give unto Caesar what amounts to Caesar and God what comes to God. He therefore escapes what is represented on the right: stoning. On the right, the painter paid tribute to Giovanni de Dolci, architect of the Sistine Chapel, which saw him with a hand by hand, in conversation with Baccio Pontelli who holds a compass, and who built the chapel.

The Supper. Painted by De Rosselli and Biagio di Antonio Tucci. Sat, the twelve apostles share the bread and wine that Christ offers them, in the beginning of the sacrifice of his death that he will deal with a few hours later. The apostles are under discussion, probably evoke Easter and the agitation of Jerusalem. All are on the same side of the table, Jean on his left and Peter on his right, except Judas, who is in front of him. The nimbes are significant: Jesus wears a spring halo, the apostles a golden disc and Judas un unity under the action of Satan, which is represented in his neck. The three scenes in the background represent the prayer of Jesus to Gethsemane, the arrest of Christ and his crucifixion on Mount Golgotha, in the middle of the two oysters. John supports Mary, fainted.

For a logical reading, we're starting from the choir to return to the main door.

The Return of Moses to Egypt. Painted by Le Perugino. Three events in the life of Moses are represented here on one fresco. In the middle and background, we see Moses, dressed in yellow, farewell to his father-in-law Jéthro. In the first instance, Moses is arrested by an angel: he must not leave before he circumcised his son. On the right, under a beautiful palm tree, Moses attends the circumcision of his son who represents the consecration to God of his offspring.

The Statues of Moses. Painted by Sandro Botticelli. Moses is represented seven times on this fresco and is recognizable to the same yellow tunic. Reading is done from right to left. Moses kills an Egyptian and has to escape. On the way, he hunts a shepherd with his stick and helps the girls of Jéthro give to their rams. While he paître his flock, he defeated his shoes and found himself facing God who appeared to him in the ardent bush. Finally, he leads his family in Egypt, holding with one hand the stick given by God.

The Red Sea Passage. Painted by Biagio di Antonio Tucci. You can see Moses only once. It stands on the left and looks on the shore of the Egyptian army drowning in the red waters of the eponymous sea. On the right, hail and storm are raging on the capital of pharaoh, while it, sitting under a canopy, gets the council to chase the Hebrews into their flight. Left, the people continue their exodus through a parade in the mountains.

The Presentation of the Tables of the Act. Painted by De Rosselli. Moses appears four times in this scene. At the top, he received the Tables of the Act, while Joshua fell asleep. Income in the valley, it breaks the Tables of Rage, seeing the statue of the calf of gold and the cult that we are dedicated to. On the right, he orders the killing of those who have» against God. Left, it goes down with the new Tables and is transformed, as you can see from the unity that surrounds its head.

The Punishment of Korea, Datan and Abiram. Painted by Sandro Botticelli. Moses appears three times on this fresco. He is enjoyed with glory received after the Tables of the Act are handed over. On the right, the three rebels seek to stone Moses. He defends himself and a force throws them back. On the left, the ground opened under their feet and the land swallowed them, but Moses expresses his sorrow at this heavy punishment. In the background lies Constantine's bow, and it is noted that it is both the gesture of the baton of Moses and the rocking of Aaron's censer that put the rebels in failure.

The Last Acts of the life of Moses. Painted by Luca Signorelli and Bartolomeo della Gatta. Moses is represented five times on this stage. On the right, he reads his will to the twelve tribes of Israel and that of Levi is represented by the young naked man. The Tables of the Act are in the ark, at its feet. At the top, while it is on Mount Nébo, the angel of the Lord shows him the promised Earth; He then went back to help an invisible character. Left, he puts his baton of patriarch to Joshua who is standing in front of him. In the upper left, his shroud is not yellow but white, and even a unity li her head.

It brings together copies of 15th and 16th century manuscripts of the poet Alisher Navoi (1441-1501) and other Central Asian poets. There will also be beautiful antique miniatures, murals illustrating the life of the poet and the Timurids, as well as a complete representation of the Ulugh Begh Observatory. The museum deserves to be a little airy and renovated, but it is still interesting for some of the rooms and can be visited in the old-fashioned way, with the attendants checking the ticket in each room and then turning on the lights?

The former Lenin Museum became the Museum of the History of the Peoples of Uzbekistan in 1995. The very Soviet structure hosts more than 2,000^m2 of a fascinating collection that will delight lovers of prehistory, but also of ancient, medieval or contemporary history.

The visit begins with the rooms devoted to the Stone Age, with the results of numerous excavations carried out throughout the country. One can in particular linger on the reconstituted face of a Neanderthal child, discovered in the 1940s in Teshik Tash, in Sourkhan Daria, by the Soviet archaeologist Gerasimov. This is followed by some reconstructions of scenes of life at that time, based on the excavations of the two oldest sites uncovered in Uzbekistan: Djarkutan (^19th century B.C.) and Sapalli Tepe (^17th century B.C.), both located in the province of Sourkhan Daria. Moving forward in time, we then move on to a reconstruction of the Zoroastrian temple of Qoy Qirilgan, particularly interesting for those who have visited its ruins in the Khorezm. It is estimated today that the region could have been the birthplace of this religion. A large space is then devoted to the conquests of Alexander the Great in Central Asia. The Greek emperor built no less than five Alexandria in the region, the last of which was at the extreme limit of his empire, in Khodjent, in present-day Tajikistan.

The results of the excavations at Kok Tepe, one of the largest archaeological sites in Uzbekistan and the second capital of Sogdiana after Samarkand, will also be detailed. In particular, the burial site of a Saka princess was found there, as well as a large quantity of ornaments and gold buttons. You will also see the treasures discovered in Kara Tepe and Fayaz Tepe, the Buddhist sites near Termez. The gold and ceramic Buddhas give an idea of the splendor that reigned in these sacred monasteries in the ^first century.

After the exhibition devoted to the Kushan period, the visitor cannot but be fascinated by the great fresco of Varakhsha, uncovered on the historical site of Samarkand, representing a Sogdian prince mounted on a white elephant, attacked by two leopards during a hunting party. The Afrosyab Museum in Samarkand has a copy of this piece, but it is the original.

Next are the departments devoted to the two golden ages of Uzbekistan: the Samanid period and the Timurid period. There are exhibits dedicated to the great scholars of the time: the poet Alisher Navoi, the mathematician Al-Khorezmi, the philosopher Al-Termezi, the astronomers Ulugh Begh and Al-Ferghani. The architecture is not left out with models presenting reconstructions of buildings like a splendid model of the Bibi Khanum mosque in Samarkand.

The second floor of the museum is devoted to the Russian invasion and Uzbekistan's war efforts to help its big brother Russia in its "great patriotic war", the name given to the Second World War.

The exhibition ends on the contemporary period, with some photos of the attacks perpetrated in Tashkent by the Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan in 1999-2000, and photographs of the main technical, industrial or political achievements of Uzbekistan since independence. It is the propaganda part, common to all the country's museums, that we pass quickly enough.

The Tashkent Museum of Fine Arts is the largest museum in the city, and certainly the most interesting. Entirely renovated between 2019 and 2021, it exhibits extraordinary collections, including the particularly rich collection of Grand Duke Nicholas Constantinovich Romanov who lived in Tashkent at the beginning of the last century. Exiled because of his less than exemplary conduct, the kleptomaniac cousin of the Tsar is said to have "borrowed" some pieces from the collection of his illustrious cousin, including crown jewels. It is one of the five largest art museums in the CIS and will delight all those who wish to learn or sharpen their knowledge of Uzbek, Central Asian and Russian art.

Five floors await you, each with dozens of pieces in chronological order. One goes from the first ancient potteries to contemporary Uzbek art, passing by nomadic craftsmanship or Soviet realism. Entire rooms are also devoted to pieces acquired by the museum, founded in 1918: Asian collections, particularly Japanese, Chinese and Korean, mainly composed of porcelain.

The painting galleries are particularly rich, with paintings from the ^eighteenth, ^nineteenth and ^twentieth centuries from donations made by Moscow at the very beginning of the Soviet period in gratitude for the efforts made by Uzbekistan in the Aral Sea to save the USSR from famine.

There are three or four temporary exhibitions per year, of high quality, featuring the work of international artists.

Dedicated to the Timurid era and its historical legacy, the Amur Timur Museum opened its doors in 1996, on the occasion of the 660th anniversary of the birth of the great emperor. According to the curator, its architecture is inspired by the Gur Emir of Samarkand, but there is room for doubt... One would rather recognize Tamerlan's crown. The museum possesses some interesting pieces, such as a huge Koran dating from the 7th century, but it is mainly the replicas of Uzbekistan's monuments that attract attention. The Bibi Khanum Mosque and the Gur Emir are reproduced in their original state, which, when you visit the museum at the end of your stay, allows a good comparison with what you will have seen during your stay. A model of the Taj Mahal, built on the order of Babur's grandson, the last of the Timurids chased by the Uzbeks and left to create a new empire in India, by architects from Bukhara, also allows you to compare styles and make comparisons. As can be seen in the paintings exhibited on the second floor, the cult of Tamerlan doubles as that of Uzbekistan, glorified through its national hero and its inescapable president Islam Karimov. These paintings by contemporary artists are extremely poor in style but interesting because they show that the concept of Soviet-style propaganda is far from having disappeared with the collapse of the USSR, and that Uzbekistan under Karimov was certainly one of its best pupils!

The house of the Tajik alter ego of the poet Khamza, Sadriddin Aïni (1878-1954), dates back to 1937 and provides an insight into the work and daily life of the writer and poet who became president of Tajikistan (he is still highly honoured in this country today). He is notably the author of the novel The Slaves of Bukhara, a masterpiece that is still awaiting its translation into French, like his other novels unfortunately. In addition to period household furniture, the exhibition presents numerous photographs and reproductions of his poems. Very inspiring.

The must-see museum exhibits numerous photographs of the Registan in the 19th century, before its restoration, when it was a market. The exhibitions are located in the former house of a Jewish merchant. A whole part of the collection shows the life of the local Jewish community, numerous before the departures to Israel and the United States that followed independence. An interesting visit to see yet another facet of Samarkand's cultural and social richness.

Uvaysiy, whose real name was Jahon Otin, was a woman of letters and poetess born in Marguilan at the end of the 18th century. Her talent, noticed by the wife of the Khan of Kokand, earned her lodging in the palace where she taught letters to the Khan's daughters. It was only after the death of the khan that Uvaysiy was able to return to Marguilan, where she ended her days writing poetry. The reconstructed house-museum houses a few books and photos. The only witness of the period is a mulberry tree, several centuries old, standing between the entrance and the iwan on the façade.

The old Akhunbabaev museum has the merit of going beyond traditional patterns, including presentation of stuffed animals and some pictures of duelling. The exhibition presents the first traces of prehistoric habitation of the city before illustrating the history of the kingdom of Davan and then the "golden age" of Marguilan, obviously corresponding to the period of Soviet occupation. There will be a silk weaving machine, as well as traditional and ceramic clothing from the region.

A very classic regional museum, with an exhibition of regional objects from the 19th and 20th centuries, numerous reconstructions from the prehistoric era to cotton cultivation, some unavoidable stuffed animals in very poor condition, a three-dimensional map of the Ferghana valley... The most interesting pieces are old black and white photos of the Soviet conquest and the Andijan revolt. On the second floor, don't miss a room dedicated to handicrafts, especially Rishtan ceramics.

In the centre of Rishtan you can visit the workshop of Rustam Ousmanov. Roustam has paid a lot of attention to the decoration of the place and has nicely arranged a small museum of ceramics, actually his personal collection with some pieces from Afghanistan, Iran, and of course from all regions of Uzbekistan. Some of them are antiques. His work to preserve local crafts has been rewarded by Unesco, which has awarded him the label of excellence.

In the purest Soviet tradition, this house where the poet Khamza, whose real name was Hamza Hakimzade Niyazi, was born and grew up, was transformed into a museum in 1959. Traditional house of old Kokand, it is the occasion to discover the alleys of the old town and the habitat of the beginning of the 20th century. The courtyard shelters a hundred-year-old mulberry tree while the living rooms are divided between a space for men and a space for women. We discover the house which saw the beginnings of the emblematic poet of Uzbek social realism and is still considered the father of modern poetry in Uzbekistan, having broken with Arab and Persian legends and integrated Russian and Western rules into themes that remain oriental. An early supporter of the Bolsheviks, he was transformed into a national hero by Soviet power, alongside Tamara Khanum, one of the first dancers to remove her veil in public, with whom he led a small travelling theatre troupe. Yet many still consider him a traitor to the Uzbek nation and to Islam. He was stoned to death by clerics during his stay at Chakhimardan, a tragic death in 1929, the year he turned 40. The same year as Nurkhon Youlacheva, another dancer who had removed her veil and also died by stoning. The town of Chakhimardan, a small Uzbek enclave in Kyrgyz territory, is home to one of the few statues in the country dedicated to the memory of the poet, enthroned in the place where the poet was executed by the rabble.

On two floors, classic presentation of the history and specialities of Andijan. On the ^first floor: stuffed animals, fruits, seismic measuring devices used during the earthquake, drilling equipment... The second floor is a little more interesting, with some archaeological finds from various sites in the area: Kurgan Tepa, Erchi, Kuva... At the back of the room, a 3D model and a trompe l'oeil painting present the city of Andijan in the 14th and 15th centuries: its gigantic walls and monumental entrance.

Dedicated to the often overlooked face of the founder of the Mughal Empire, the emperor writer and poet, this museum does not, however, offer any particularly interesting pieces, apart from a few biographies in Russian devoted to the last Timurid in Uzbekistan. On the other hand, it is located in a madrasa built in the 18th century on the very site of the royal residence of Babur. It's a quiet place with the charm of yesteryear, which is good for the modern city that Andijan has become. You will be able to spend a pleasant moment in the inner courtyard, in the coolness.

The great Russian baritone Fedor Shalyapin (1873-1938) lived in this building in a residential area north of the Peter and Paul Fortress before the revolution forced him into exile in Paris. In 1922, he took advantage of a tour of Europe and France to disappear and settle in France where he lived until the end of his days. During the latter, he also fell in love with the Basque Country, spending much of his time in a beautiful villa on the hill of Sainte-Barbe, in Saint-Jean-de-Luz (the neighbouring Biarritz welcomed many exiled Russians in the early years of the Revolution). However, he had not taken everything with him to France. As proof, the museum, which was set up in 1975 in the artist's former apartment, to the sound of Boris Godounov's brilliant interpretation, has done so much to promote Russian lyric art. His interpretation of Salieri in Mozart and Rimsky-Korsakov's Salieri will remain forever engraved in opera history. Visitors will evolve in the environment of the great singer before his Parisian exile, accompanied by his sound recordings, among his furniture, his personal belongings, photos, scores and other objects dear to his heart. Fascinating and particularly touching for those interested in lyric art. It is not uncommon to attend performances, readings, and other performances. Consult the website for programming.

Set up in 1709, by special decree of Peter the Great, under the high golden spire of the Admiralty (which cannot be visited), the Musée de la Marine has since moved into the neoclassical building of the former Stock Exchange, dating from the early 19th century, as have the famous rostral columns erected in front of the building. Already more than 300 years old, it is nevertheless the world's first museum complex devoted to the navy, and one of the largest on the planet. This is yet another example of the Tsar's deep curiosity about the maritime issue and the extremely proactive policy pursued by Peter the Great to ensure that Russia catches up with the rest of the world in this area. The museum has a rich collection of some 2,000 model ships (including the famous grandfather of the Russian Navy, the small ship built by Peter the Great), as well as 5,000 marine paintings, 7,000 pieces of armament and more than 3,000 flags and standards, all related to the maritime history of St. Petersburg and Russia. After the first grasp of the technical prowess of building the models, one will get tired of the endless parade of portraits of admirals, all engrossed in their costumes... The explanations, untranslated, will only suit Russian speakers and especially connoisseurs of naval history. Not to be missed, however: the majestic (and truly impressive) bows adorning the wide staircase leading to the upper floor.

This aperitif-friendly museum, located in a historic building close to the Saint-Isaac cathedral, offers to educate you about invention, manufacturing secrets, history, traditional consumption patterns and the great producers of the national beverage. Imperial tasting services and bottles from the 19th century to the present day are on display. Guided tours are organized in English but you can opt for the audioguide in French.

The crates close one hour beforehand. Closed every last Monday of the month, January ¹, 2 and 7 and May 9.

The revolution did not wait two years to set up a museum. As early as 1919, the Museum of the Revolution set up its quarters in the Winter Palace, symbolizing the victory over the imperial regime. It was only with the de-Stalinisation in 1957 that it moved to a more anonymous but nevertheless aristocratic residence, the private mansion of the great ballerina Mathilde Kschessinska (1872-1971), built in 1904-1906 by the architect Alexandre Hohen and known as the "ballet star's castle". A place to see for people nostalgic for the red flags and the International sung in all languages. Otherwise the interest is still very limited. Since the fall of the Soviet regime, however, the museum has broadened the horizons of political culture and debate. It is a beautiful, modern and interactive museum with many, sometimes unexpected pieces, such as the famous cap of a great director Andrei Tarkovsky or the shirt of Andrei Sakharov, a famous nuclear physicist and one of the creators of the first Soviet hydrogen bomb.

Kshessinska Mansion: part of the museum is dedicated to the former owner of the building, the famous dancer who had to go into exile in 1920 in Paris and spent the rest of her life there until her death. She is buried in the Russian cemetery of Sainte-Geneviève-des-Bois.

The visit to the apartments of the great prince Constantin Constantinovich (the poet K. R.) is subject to a charge and can only be done in a group. Situated in a street parallel to the Palace Quay, a majestic backyard lined with Baroque palaces where the Petersburg aristocracy resided, the Marble Palace was built for Count Orlov from 1768 to 1785 by the architect A. Rinaldi, on a commission from the very generous Catherine II. It bears his name well, if it is declined in the plural, since its facade is covered with 30 kinds of marble. The Soviet regime will make a marble sarcophagus for Lenin, whose palace will house the local museum from 1937. In 1991, the building will also be assigned to the Russian Museum and, on the occasion of the exhibition devoted to official Russian portraits, will return to its past of luxury and pomp. A sculptural foretaste is given with the monument to Alexander III, by P. Troubetskoy, which stands in the square adjoining the palace. The emperor's disproportionate size compared to that of his horse made the sculptor himself (who had only conformed to the tsar's expectations) laugh. In 1937, the Soviets took the statue down into the basement of the palace, and it did not come out again until 1994. Architecturally, the palace is a mixture of the Baroque style favoured by Catherine II and the neoclassicism that Alexander I loved

Built in the mid-18th century, the Sheremetiev Palace stretches its baroque façade along the Fontanka canal. The museum will delight music lovers of all stripes. It is indeed dedicated to musical instruments (some 3,000 pieces on display!) and retraces the musical culture of Saint Petersburg from the 18th to the beginning of the 20th century. Concerts are regularly given in the restored rooms.

On the ground floor, a large part of the instruments are on display. Dating back several centuries, they are often strange and amusing, to say the least. Glass harmonica, pocket violins, lyre-shaped guitars... you sometimes observe some of them for a long time before understanding how they work. You will notice the set of 18th century horns, each of which produces only one sound, audible at more than 7 km !

Upstairs, you will pass through a string of beautifully restored rooms decorated with musical instruments. At the end of the row are a few pianos, "working tools" and personal effects that belonged to great composers such as Shostakovich, Glinka, Rimsky-Korsakov and Rubinstein. Some rooms display the magnificent stage costumes, which belonged to the legendary Fedor Shalyapin, the most famous Russian opera singer, and photos of famous Russian female singers. There are also works on the theme of music and the performing arts by great names in the pictorial arts such as Casimir Malevich and Ilia Repin.

Anna Akhmatova lived in this outbuilding of the Sheremetyev Palace between 1924 and 1952. It was a princely setting that she would not abandon until the Second World War. This beautiful apartment became a communal one during the Soviet era, and Akhmatova was relegated to a small room. Hunted by microphones, watched over by guards posted every morning under her windows, she nevertheless continues to write. When she receives her friends, she gives them her poems while conducting a most harmless conversation. As soon as they have learned them by heart, she burns her verses in an ashtray that you can still see, so that there is no trace of them. She lived in this apartment with two of her three husbands, the poet Shileiko and the painter Pounin.

In 1989, this museum-apartment opened, and today you can visit the poetess' bedroom and study, which have been completely reconstructed. Numerous objects from her daily life, family albums, portraits are on display, as well as a collection of rare books gathered by the bibliophile M. Lesman, and the poet Brodski's library. One room contains photographs of Russian intellectuals who were victims of the Stalinist period. Exile or death often form their tragic destiny.

Don't miss the documentary on the ground floor. Even if you don't understand Russian, you will remember the very inspired reading of her poems and the moving images of her funeral, attended by thousands of people.

The "Junost" Sports Center is a museum located in Saint Petersburg.

It was in the greenery of the small island of Yelagin, then isolated in the far north of St. Petersburg, that the imperial family liked to retreat, in this neoclassical-style palace whose construction was entrusted to Carlo Rossi, one of the great architects of St. Petersburg, in the first third of the 19th century. Both near and far from the centre of the new capital, Yelagin Island was the ideal location for imperial receptions. They were held in the luxurious halls on the ground floor where you can admire today furniture and works of art dating from the first half of the 19th century. The museum's collections are also rich in porcelain, glassware, furniture, fabrics, goldsmith's and woodwork from the late 18th to early 20th centuries. Unfortunately today the aсcès in the Palace is impossible due to renovation work, but the whole park, which is listed as a UNESCO cultural heritage site, is still worth a detour. The Glass Museum (more than 700 glass and crystal works of art) as well as temporary exhibitions in the former stable hall do welcome visitors. As for the park itself, it is impeccably maintained. It is adorned with sublime golden colours in autumn. On sunny days, it is a spot that lends itself particularly well to small family or couple picnics, as well as walks with a taste for time travel.

In 1971, on the occasion of the 150th anniversary of his birth, this museum dedicated to the great Russian writer was opened in the last of the many apartments where he lived in St. Petersburg. From 1878 until his death in 1881, Fedor Dostoyevsky lived at No. 5 of this alleyway, not far from the beautiful Church of the Icon of Vladimir, in the heart of a district where he set the scene for many of his novels. It was here that he wrote his Diary of a Writer and finished The Brothers Karamazov, amidst the few personal objects, books, manuscripts, trinkets collected in part by his descendants, which made it possible to reconstruct the modest and austere environment of the brilliant writer. The museum exhibits the writer's complete works, published during his lifetime, as well as books and photos bearing his dedications. It organizes international symposia and seminars dedicated to Dostoyevsky's work.

Yet it is not in this apartment that you will be able to find the most revealing clues to Dostoyevsky's personality; the author could not allow himself to be locked up in a museum, just as he could not allow himself to be locked up in the walls of an apartment during his lifetime. It is true that it is at this address that he ended his days, but isn't the only Dostoyevskian place, his real museum, rather the city of Saint Petersburg itself, whose hidden side he has worked hard to explore, far from the carelessness and splendour of the palaces?

Welcome to the paradise of grown-ups, geeks and nostalgic for the USSR! This playful museum is an Ali Baba's cave dedicated to Soviet arcade games created between 1974 and 1991. Some 50 different games are gathered together and made available to the visitors-players. The idea is that the visitor becomes a gamer and can therefore switch from one machine to another as in a large games room. Love at first sight guaranteed!