THE PUSHKIN MUSEUM

Sparkling, severe, austere and radiant - this is how St. Petersburg appeared to Alexander Pushkin. He wrote this description sitting at his desk in his flat located at 12 Moika Embankment. At that time he had no idea that within a short time, in January 1837, he would be brought to his beloved study mortally wounded. While he lay wounded his friends, acquaintances and ordinary local residents kept vigil in the pantry, concerned for the health of Russia's greatest poet.
Pushkin's working chair, his bureau, and several of the canes used by the author are on display at the museum. The atmosphere and arrangement of Pushkin's home has been virtually reproduced according to the memories of his contemporaries as well as according to plans that described the former setup of the house during the time that Pushkin lived there. The many visitors to the museum are not merely  curious tourists, but guests of the home. Visitors will experience the amazing opportunity of walking through the rooms where Pushkin once walked, viewing many objects that Pushkin once touched and imagining that tragic evening when he passed away. Then, descending the narrow staircase, visitors can attempt to unravel the secret of Pushkin's love for life.

Open: 11 a.m. - 7 p.m. Closed on TUE and on the last FRI of every month. 12 Moyka River Emb.

DOSTOYEVSKY LITERARY MEMORIAL MUSEUM

It was difficult for Dostoevsky to remain in the same residence for any extended period of time. During the time that he lived in St. Petersburg he changed his address about 20 times, most often renting flats in corner houses. The house on the corner of Kuznechny Pereulok and what is now Dostoyevsky Street was his last port of call. When his widow Anna left St. Petersburg in 1917,  she put his belongings in storage but they subsequently disappeared.

In 1971 it was decided to restore the flat on Kuznechny Pereulok for the 150th anniversary of the author's birth. His descendants assisted with the project: Andrey Dostoyevsky presented the museum with a priceless collection dedicated to his grandfather's memory, while the writer's great-niece Maria donated several family heirlooms which formed the basis for the display. To this day additions are still being made including graphic art, photographs, theatre posters and programs. In addition the museum has its own cinema where films and shows based on Dostoyevsky's works are shown.

Open: 11 a.m - 5 a.m Closed on MON and on the last WED of every month.  5/2 Kuznechny Alley

ALEXANDER BLOK FLAT-MUSEUM

The museum consists of two flats, both former residences of Alexander Blok, which are located in the same building and share a single front door. Blok resided in the third floor flat for seven and a half years and in the second floor flat (owned by his mother) during the last year and a half of his life.
The room where Blok died holds three exhibits - his death mask, the notification of his death (plastered all around the city by shocked students), and Bruni's drawing entitled, "Blok on his Deathbed". The latter is all the more valuable, because it was drawn with the poet's own blue pencil on the cover of a notepad taken from his desk.

The next room holds a literary display which traces the writer's career. There is also a section devoted to Blok's work after the revolution located on the third floor. However, visitors are often more interested in the memorial flat where the decor and arrangement of the flat have been recreated to resemble its former setup during the poet's lifetime.

Open: 11a.m - 5 p.m, TUE till 4 p.m.
Closed on WED and on the last TUE of every month.
57 Dekabristov Str.

NABOKOV MUSEUM

Nabokov's "Lolita" was one of the most shoking novels written in the 20th century. Some rejected it, some were enthralled by it, but all recognised the author's undoubted talent. For this reason, strange as it may seem, the Nabokov Museum is visited by both fans and critics of the author. Many visitors will have the opportunity to see a new programme entitled "Nabokov and France", part of a series of programmes entitled "Nabokov and Foreign Countries". The programme casts light on the influence of French language and culture on Vladimir Nabokov's work. Those who wish to, can take part in a seminar and listen to literature and music prepared specially for the event, or they can visit a photographic exhibition by Katya Golitsyn called "Paris Cafes" and "Paris-Citroen".

Open: 11 a.m. - 5 p.m. Closed on MON, TUE.
47 Bolshaya Morskaya Str.

ANNA AKHMATOVA MUSEUM, FONTANNY DOM (HOUSE) MUSEUM "THE SILVER AGE"

The country's first, and for a long time the only, museum dedicated to Anna Akhmatova - an enigmatic woman who is known as one of the most amazing female poets in Russia. In addition to information on the life of Akhmatova, due to the connections to her work, the museum consists of an evergrowing display of fragments from the life and work of the great poet Nikolay Gurnilev.

The display is arranged in chronological order. The ten rooms represent ten eras: "Imperial", "Slepnevo", "The Stray Dog", "Gumilev", "St. Petersburg 1", "St. Petersburg 2", "Requiem", "Komarovo - Abroad", "Poem Without a Hero" and "The Memory Room".

Open: 10 a.m. - 5 p.m. Closed on MON and on the last WED of every month.  34 Fontanka River Emb. (a wing of the Sheremetevsky Palace).