St.Petersburg through Jewish eyes tour - uVisitRussia
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St.Petersburg through Jewish eyes tour

This tour passes in St. Petersburg. During this tour, a professional guide will tell you about the history of the Jewish community in Russia, show the places connected with the most prominent representatives the community, you will visit the Grand Choral Synagogue, the Museum of Ethnography, Jewish Cemetery and YESOD Jewish Cultural Center.

«Jewish Heritage of St. Petersburg Tour» lasts 4 hours. During this tour you will learn about the life of the Jewish community in St. Petersburg, from the 18th century to the present day. You will go to the Kolomna district, one of the oldest districts of St. Petersburg and the center of Jewish life in St. Petersburg in the 19th century. You'll visit the Grand Choral Synagogue, the second largest synagogue in Europe, you will be amazed the beauty of this magnificent building, designed in Moorish style, quite rare for St Petersburg. The professional guide will show you some of the city's famous sights, such as Conservatoire founded by Anton Rubinstein, the outstanding pianist. You'll drive along the Neva River to see palaces that belonged to the wealthiest representatives of the Jewish Community. Then you will visit the Museum of Ethnography to see the permanent exhibition, 'History and Culture of the Jewish People of Russia'. This exhibition is considered the first step towards the creation of an independent Jewish museum in St. Petersburg. You will definitely enjoy the amazing collection of the ethnographic museum which consists of more than 2500 items, including utensils, costumes, home decor items, amulets and charms, decoration of the Torah storages and unique photos.

«Visit to Jewish Cemetery and YESOD Jewish Cultural Center» lasts 4 hours. During this tour you will visit Preobrazhenskoye (Transfiguration) Jewish Cemetery, which exists since 1875. In addition to Jewish burials —  magnificent family crypts and tombstones, which themselves are of artistic value, you will see a beautiful fence with a front gate, the house of Rabbi, the monumental stone bathing house in the Moorish style and mass graves of Baltic Sailors killed in WWII. Also, you'll see YESOD (which means 'foundation' in Hebrew), the home of many Jewish organizations in St. Petersburg. YESOD offers a number of cultural, educational, social and community programs and also is the source of many projects aimed at the revival of Jewish self-identity and the values and traditions of Judaism in Russia.

Type: Private Tour
Duration: 3 days

Itinerary Hide all details

Day 1: Jewish Heritage of St. Petersburg Tour Duration: 3,5 hours

This tour offers a detailed look into the history and present-day life of the Jewish community in St. Petersburg. You will be taken to the Kolomna district, one of the oldest areas of St. Petersburg and the center of St. Petersburg's Jewish life in the 19th century.

You will visit the Grand Choral Synagogue which was built in Kolomna at the end of the 19th century. The building is richly decorated in the Moorish style, and is the second largest synagogue in Europe. Your guide will take you to famous sights, such as Conservatoire founded by Anton Rubinstein, the outstanding pianist, composer and conductor; The tour includes a drive along the Neva River to see palaces that belonged to the wealthiest representatives of the Jewish Community.

At the end of the tour, you will visit the Museum of Ethnography to see the permanent exhibition, 'History and Culture of the Jewish People of Russia' . This exhibition is considered the first step to the formation of an independent Jewish museum in St. Petersburg.

Day 2: Visit to Jewish Cemetery and YESOD Jewish Cultural Center Duraion: 4 hours

Preobrazhenskoye (Transfiguration) Jewish Cemetery was created in 1875. It started as a separate burial place for adherents on non-Christian religions. On the territory of the cemetery, one can see impressive tombs (many of them designed by famous architects) of prominent representatives of the St. Petersburg Jewish community as well as mass graves of Baltic Sailors killed in WWII.

YESOD (which means 'foundation' in Hebrew) occupies an impressive contemporary building which was constructed in 2005 and since has become home of many Jewish organizations in Saint Petersburg. YESOD offers a number of cultural, educational, social and community programs and also is the source of many projects aimed at the revival of Jewish self-identity, and the values and traditions of Judaism in Russia.

Day 3:

Monument to the Victims of Holocaust and the execution grounds near the Alexander Palace in Pushkin
This monument commemorates the 10,000 Jews killed in the town of Pushkin during WWII. The Jewish ghetto was only 3 km away from the frontline and 20 km away from the besieged city of Leningrad, today St. Petersburg. The monument was designed in 1972 and erected only in 1991 because mention of the holocaust was taboo in the USSR.

Anton Rubinstein monument in Peterhof
Anton Rubinstein was a famous 19th-century Russian composer of Jewish origin. He was also an outstanding pianist, conductor, and the founder of Russia's first musical Conservatoire in St. Petersburg. The composer spent many years in Peterhof giving charity concerts here. His Peterhof dacha turned into a center of local cultural life and he was even given the title of 'Honorable Citizen of Peterhof' for his many achievements. It is only fair that the composer's statue was erected here in 2005!

What's included

  • Tickets to all museums
  • Transportation to museums and for excursions
  • English-speaking Guide service (other languages upon request)
  • Jewish Heritage of St. Petersburg city tour with visit to the Grand Choral Synagogue
  • Tour of the Ethnography Museum, exhibition 'History and culture of the Jewish people on the territory of Russia'
  • Visit to Preobrazhenskoye (Transfiguration) Jewish Cemetery
  • Trip to YESOD Jewish Cultural Center
Not included in the price
  • Hotel accommodation
  • Meals
  • Visa processing costs. For US, UK and Canadian citizens, our company offers Full Visa Support. This is where you send us your passport and other documentation and we obtain the Russian visa for you. 
  • International airfare. Our Russian tours are offered as land only where you arrange your own airfare and we meet you at the airport and handle everything else.
  • Optional services as well as theater tickets
  • Travel insurance
Additional info
  • This specialty extension package can be added on or mixed and matched with any of our standard tours or to any customized tour. You can even build your own tour around this package, adding on hotels and other services. 
  • Package dates are flexible. It can be customized to your taste. We can include additional excursions or performances as well as hotel accommodation on your request. We can also mix and match this package with our St.Petersburg tours.
  • If you take a general St. Petersburg tour with us that includes both Pushkin and Peterhof, we will include at no extra charge the Monument to the Victims of Holocaust in Pushkin and the Anton Rubinstein monument in Peterhof.

Visa

Russian visa support (Russian visa invitation letter) is included.

Sights included in program

The city of Saint Petersburg is one of the most breathtakingly beautiful places on earth, and virtually any building in the large historic center, threaded with canals dotted with baroque bridges, can be considered an attraction—and indeed, it is a UNESCO World Heritage site. This is a magical city, with a long list of major attractions. Its Hermitage Museum, housed in the Winter Palace of the Romanov Dynasty, is both one of the world's gr... Read more
US$ 105
per person, based on 2-people group
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1 person - US$ 172 (US$ 172 per person)
2 person - US$ 210 (US$ 105 per person)
3 person - US$ 255 (US$ 85 per person)
4 person - US$ 260 (US$ 65 per person)
5 person - US$ 325 (US$ 65 per person)
6 person - US$ 390 (US$ 65 per person)
Price for persons: 1 - 6

Our flexible payment options allow you to pay 20% of a deposit first and the remaining 80% in 14 days prior to your tour date - payment can be done both online or over the phone. This gives you the peace of mind knowing your spaces are booked on the tours and that you do not miss out on making the most of your time in Russia.

Also you get the best, top-rated and most experienced and knowledgeable hand-picked tour guide appointed on a priority basis.
In our experience, exceptional travel experiences are almost always delivered by exceptional people. With that in mind, we utilize a comprehensive approach to select and employ the best tour guides only. Multilingual and well travelled, each possesses deep insight into the diverse attractions and cultural patterns throughout the region. With us guides undergo a rigorous selection process, achieving outstanding knowledge of local culture and language. Rest assured that the best tour guides only will be working on the tours to give you excellent opportunity to explore the best of the sights during both short and long-term stay in Russia.

Speak to an expert
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+1 (888) 845-8877

Speak to an expert
Call us now

+1 (888) 845-8877

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