Exploring St. Petersburg's Landmarks and History Along Neva River

After exploring Peterhof in the morning of 16.09.2026, we had lunch on our own at a nearby shopping complex. Before the final event of the day - the "Feel Yourself Russian" folk dance show at the Nikolaevsky Palace - we took a walking tour along the Neva River, enjoying views of some of the city’s most famous landmarks.

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We walked passed Saint Isaac’s Cathedral, another impressive landmarks in St. Petersburg. Built between 1818 and 1858, it was designed by the French architect Auguste de Montferrand and took forty years to complete. The cathedral was dedicated to Saint Isaac of Dalmatia, the patron saint of Peter the Great, the founder of the city.

The building is famous for its massive golden dome, which rises more than 100m above the ground and can be seen from many parts of the city. Its exterior is decorated with giant granite columns, bronze statues, and detailed reliefs, giving it a grand appearance. 

Saint Isaac’s Cathedral could hold up to 14,000 worshippers and was once the main cathedral of imperial Russia. During the Soviet period, it was turned into a museum of atheism, reflecting the changing political climate. Today, it functions mainly as a museum, with occasional religious services.

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Directly in front of St. Isaac's Cathedral is the Monument to Nicholas I which is an equestrian statue located on St. Isaac’s Square. Unveiled in 1859, the monument honors Emperor Nicholas I, who ruled Russia from 1825 to 1855 and he was known for his strong, centralized leadership.

The statue shows the emperor calmly seated on a horse. Notably, the horse is balanced on just its two hind legs, a rare achievement at the time. The richly decorated pedestal features four allegorical female figures representing Strength, Wisdom, Justice and Faith, as well as bronze reliefs illustrating major events from Nicholas’s reign. Together, these elements make the monument both a technical masterpiece and a symbol of imperial Russia.

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After visiting another iconic attraction - the Church of the Savior on Spilled Blood (Read here) - we were guided along the bank of the Neva River for a quick glimpse of the Cruiser Aurora. The Aurora is one of Russia’s most famous historic warships and a lasting symbol of the 1917 Russian Revolution. Built in the early 1900s, it served in the Imperial Navy and later gained renown for firing a blank shot that signaled the start of the Bolshevik takeover of the Winter Palace. Today, the Aurora is permanently moored on the Neva River in St. Petersburg as a museum ship, preserving Russia’s naval heritage and revolutionary history.

The modern Russian Navy remains one of the world’s major maritime forces. Its capabilities include a formidable submarine fleet, particularly nuclear-powered ballistic missile and attack submarines, as well as frigates, corvettes, and an aircraft carrier. Amid global competition for naval supremacy, the Russian Navy continues to play a critical role in national defense, nuclear deterrence, and regional power projection.