St. Petersburg Photos -- National Geographic's Ultimate City Guides

Mariinsky Theatre Dancer
Photograph by Sisse Brimberg & Cotton Coulson
A young Mariinsky Theatre dancer practices en pointe in the early morning.
Paintings at the Hermitage
Photograph by Sisse Brimberg & Cotton Coulson
Two women take a rest from viewing paintings at the Hermitage in St. Petersburg.
An Artist Sketches a Portrait
Photograph by Sisse Brimberg & Cotton Coulson
An artist sketches a portrait on Nevsky Prospect, St. Petersburg’s bustling main avenue.
Catherine Palace Gardens
Photograph by Sisse Brimberg & Cotton Coulson
A couple walks in the gardens of the Catherine Palace, the rococo summer residence of the Russian tsars located south of St. Petersburg.
Statue of Peter the Great
Photograph by Sisse Brimberg & Cotton Coulson
The Bronze Horseman statue of Peter the Great atop his steed was created by Etienne Maurice Falconet.
Iron Fence With Champagne Bottles
Photograph by Sisse Brimberg & Cotton Coulson
In St. Petersburg, newlywed couples decorate this wrought-iron fence with champagne bottles.
View From the Winter Palace
Photograph by Sisse Brimberg & Cotton Coulson
A view of Alexander Column in the center of Palace Square from a window in the Winter Palace.
Hermitage Museum
Photograph by Sisse Brimberg & Cotton Coulson
Portraits of war heroes of 1812 line the walls in the Winter Palace of the Hermitage Museum.
18th-Century Court Musicians
Photograph by Sisse Brimberg & Cotton Coulson
Two gentlemen dressed as 18th-century court musicians perform in the gardens of the Peterhof Grand Palace just outside St. Petersburg.
St. Isaac’s Cathedral
Photograph by Sisse Brimberg & Cotton Coulson
Light illuminates the gold-embellished interiors and large religious icons of St. Isaac’s Cathedral in St. Petersburg.