Sunday, August 30, 2026

Russia 2019 Day 11-1: St. Petersburg Cycling

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Russia 2019 Day 11-1: St. Petersburg Cycling

Russia 2019 Day 11-1: 19th May (Sunday)
Small Group (Non-cycling) Tour of Russia (Moscow, St. Petersburg & the Golden Ring Cities).
Day 11 - St. Petersburg Cycling Tour:
Cycling Route: Berthold center>St. Isaac's Cathedral>Optina Church>Quay With Sphinx>Rostral Columns>Peter & Paul Fortress>Trinity Bridge>Church of Saviour on Spilled Blood>Kazan Cathedral>Berthold center.

This is page 11 of a 15-page blog. Click Here To Go To Title Page
< D10: St. Petersburg Walking     |    Go to Other Days    |    D11-2: St. Petersburg Cruise >

?Route recommendations: Here are some tips on travelling to and around Russia:
1. Traffic Directions!
    Driving in Russia is left-hand drive, and driving is on the right-hand side of the road. Do look to the correct side when crossing roads.
    Speed limits are between 60 km/h within urban areas, 110 km/h along expressways, and 120 km/h on highways.

2. Getting to & around Russia.
    Since Russia's "special military operation" into Ukraine, accessibility to Russia by air has been limited. But several airlines (including Emirates, Qatar Airways, Etihad, and Turkish Airlines) still operate flights to Moscow and St. Petersburg.
     We flew return with Thai Airways from Kuala_Lumpur (KLIA) to Moscow (Domodedovo Airport) with short transits at Bangkok (Suvarnabhumi Airport). Presently, Thai Airways still flies from Bangkok to Moscow but now lands at Vnukovo Airport.
     We booked hotels, train tickets, and several meals via the internet. Ground arrangements (and airport transfers) in Moscow were made through Alexander of Angel Tour, who can be contacted through WhatsApp at this phone number: +7926-435-86-87.
      Ground arrangements (and train station transfers) in St. Petersburg were made through Tayna (contact no.: +7921-923-12-27), a local agent in St. Petersburg.
    Travelling around the cities was in a 16-seater van. Travelling between Moscow and St. Petersburg was by the Red Arrow Sleeper Train and the Sapsan High Speed Train. Within Moscow, we got around using the Moscow Metro.
    For out-of-pocket spending, we exchanged some Russian Rubles before leaving. We also brought along our Big Pay debit cards, as these can be used to withdraw Russian Rubles at ATMs. Debit and credit cards can also be used, but many smaller shops or market stalls only accept cash transactions. Click here for exchange rates to Rubles (presently 1MYR = 18.67 RUR, i.e. Russian Rubles).

3. Immigration & Customs Requirements
    Tourists entering Russia will need a tourist visa, which can only be obtained via a TOURIST CONFIRMATION VOUCHER issued by a Russian travel agency or a Russian hotel that has the license to invite foreign tourists. This can be done through a local travel agency affiliated with a Russian travel agency to obtain this invitation letter. The following is a list of countries that are visa-exempt to enter Russia.
    For Malaysians, leaving and returning to Malaysia, getting through immigration is easier now. Just install and register MyBorderPass, and getting through will be a breeze. A QR code will be generated; have this scanned, and you're through.
 
4. Places & Things of Interest  
    The route follows the guided Weekend Cycling Tour offered by Peters Walk for 3,150 rubles, starting from the Berthold Center (Бертгольд центр) (GPS: 59.92823, 30.31236). There were many scenic and interesting places along the way, but one should not miss the following (Note: click on GPS coordinates for directional map to respective places):
1. Mariinskyi Palace (Мариинcкий дворец) (GPS: 59.93077, 30.30959).
2. Saint Isaac’s Square (Исаа́киевская пло́щадь, Isaakiyevskaya Ploshchad) (GPS: 59.93313, 30.30730); known as Vorovsky Square (Площадь Воровского).
3. St. Isaac's Cathedral (Исаа́киевский Собо́р, Isaakievskiy Sobor) (GPS: 59.9339, 30.30648).
5. The Bronze Horseman (Медный всадник, literally "copper horseman") (GPS: 59.93637, 30.30223) - Statue of Peter the Great (Пётр Вели́кий, Pyotr Velikiy).
8. Historical quarters of & riverfront views from Vasilyevsky Island (Васи́льевский о́стров) (GPS: 59.94287, 30.25177).
19. Petrogradsky Island (Петроградский остров, Okrug Petrovskiy) (GPS: 59.9625, 30.30222), viewed from the Petrograd side, and its many hidden wonders.
22. Trinity Bridge (Тро́ицкий мост, Troitskiy Most) (Website Link) (GPS: 59.94863, 30.32736), and the views from it of the Neva River (Нева́) and Malaya Neva River (Ма́лая Нева́, Little Neva).
25. The Atlanty Statues (Атланты) (GPS: 59.94118, 30.31759), where people touch the bronze statues for good luck.
26. Kazan Cathedral (Казанский собор, Kazanskiy Kafedralniy Sobor), also known as the Cathedral of Our Lady of Kazan (GPS: 59.93420, 30.32452).
27. Dom Knigi (Дом книги) (GPS: 59.93574, 30.32577), also renown as the Singer Co. Building.

5. Food
    a. Breakfast
        Inclusive Russian & Western Breakfast buffet at Tchaikovsky House (Дом Чайковского) (GPS: 59.93567, 30.31245).
    b. Lunch
        Oldham Pub & Steak House (Website Link) (GPS: 59.93256, 30.31506):
        Russian draft beer (Ukranian Chernihivske Beer), Solyanka (Russian mixed meat soup), Duck Leg Confit with stewed Cabbage and baked potatoes.     c. Afternoon Tea:
        Snacks on board cruise: Deep-fried Smelt fish, Mojito & ice-cream,
    c. Dinner
        Georgian & Uzbek Food at Kazan-Mangal (Website Link) (GPS: 59.93549, 30.31185).

6. Accommodations
    Third of four nights at Tchaikovsky House (Дом Чайковского) (GPS: 59.93567, 30.31245) in St. Petersburg.

7. Communicating with Each Other
     When travelling in a group, it's important to be able to communicate with each other, especially if one gets lost from the rest. Back then, it was not easy to buy Russian Sim cards, and our Moscow guide got the Beeline physical SIM cards (with 14 days unlimited data) at 700 RUR (MYR 37.50) for us before we arrived.
    Even now, it is not easy to purchase a SIM card. However, it is possible to buy Russian Sim cards online; just be aware of the restrictions posted earlier.

8. Communicating with Locals
    At hotels and tourist spots, locals speak fairly good English. In the smaller towns, most locals speak only Russian. As such, it would be good to know some basic Russian.

9. Dressing
    When entering churches and monasteries, it is advisable to wear long pants, especially for women. Ladies will also have to wear headscarves or veils. Caps and hats should be taken off when in churches and monasteries.
    
10. Weather
      Daytime and nighttime temperatures in St. Petersburg were 18°C and 9°C, respectively.
      A useful weather forecast site for Russia is AccuWeather. For more detailed weather, including cloud cover and wind speed, use Weatherspark and Ventusky.

11. Navigation
      I used MapMyRide to track our routes and stops. Geo-tagging of places of interest was via FaceBook or Google Maps.
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PRELUDE
The day earlier Tanya, our local guide, took us on a walking tour today of St. Petersburg, covering several key attractions in the city centre, including parks, canals and stately museum buildings.
Today I joined a guided cycling tour and later rejoined my traveling companions for a river cruise (covered in another blog).
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DAY 11-1: ST. PETERSBURG CYCLING TOUR
Day 11 Cycling Route: Berthold center>St. Isaac's Cathedral>Optina Church>Quay With Sphinx>Rostral Columns>Peter & Paul Fortress>Trinity Bridge>Church of Saviour on Spilled Blood>Kazan Cathedral>Berthold center.
Cycling Distance: 18km.     |     Level: Easy
(Note the route plotted is a close estimation of the actual route using Google Maps Directions)
The route covers some of the renowned places of St. Petersburg, but it will also go to the outlying areas of the city, crossing over to adjacent islands via bridges over the Neva River (Нева́) and Malaya Neva River (Ма́лая Нева́, Little Neva). At the busy city centre, cycling was on the wide pavements or through parks; whilst at the outskirts it was along quieter side roads, alleys, and even through courtyards and gardens of public housing. The route is rather flat and easy, and the only climbs were over bridges.
(Click here for Google route map link)

An eager beaver I was, arrived early at Berthold Center, didn't see any other patrons at the centre court, so I popped into the tour-bike office/store which was tucked at one corner of the centre. There I saw Pasha (their bike mechanic and later our sweeper) who was getting the bikes ready. The bikes they used were Shulz folding bikes with wheel diameters ranging from 22", 20" and 16". I opted for the 20"; deciding to leave the two or three available 22" for other taller patrons. The Shulz bikes are made in St. Petersburg and although relatively heavy, they are solidly strong and stable too.

Our route would take us along some of the wider roads at the outskirts, which surprisingly were light in traffic; perhaps it was because it's a Sunday. Along the way, we often stopped at several places of interest where our guide Zhenya revealed interesting facts about these places.

But more often than not, we were cycling on wide and deserted pavements; and like all things Russian, these are big. By big of course, I mean wide! We even rode through the grand portal of an old palace, on the way to the Academy of Arts Building (far in the distance).
(Note: many of the descriptions here are courtesy of "St. Petersburg Bike Tours" annotations of photos that I had posted earlier).

Riding across the Blagoveschensky Bridge for some of the best city views. The bridge takes one across the Neva River to Vasilivesky Island.
We rode across bridges spanning the Neva River (Нева́) and Malaya Neva River (Ма́лая Нева́, Little Neva). I was most happy to see the word "Malaya" being repeatedly used in many road signs and other names.... until I found out that "Malaya" did not refer to the Peninsula Malaya of my beloved country Malaysia. It actually the Russian word малая, which means "small". There goes my ego; but come to think about it, Malaya when compared to Russia is a small place. But don't get me wrong, although comparatively a small country, Malaysia is a colourul country of diversified people and cultures, a country that is Truly Asia; and many Russians have come visiting.

Then we were onto pathways running along the waterfront on Vasilievsky Island. Fabulous views all along the way, the best in the city. This was along the Lieutenant Schmidt Embankment, viewing eastwards towards St. Isaac's Cathedral (the building with the golden dome across the river).

Not only did we cycle across parks like Saint Isaac’s Square and the Senate Square, we also rode along the shady central walkway of the pedestrian street between 6th and 7th Liniya, a busy commercial centre of Vasilievsky Island.

We went past several majestic buildings such as the Prince Menshikov Palace .

But it's not the wide main roads and boulevards that draw me; it's the eerily quiet side lanes and back alleys that interest me. Often it's these that reveal the heart of a city.
We rode on cobblestones here, but the sturdy Shulz bikes took them on easily and comfortably.

And these alleys led on to more surprises: beautiful archways leading into backyards that reveal a fascinating inner soul of old St. Petersburg. Some of these were gated but not locked.

These slowly reveal to us the narrow lanes running through the courtyards of buildings.....

..... and even into the gardens of these apartments. Herein lies the fascinating inner secret world of the old city - the hidden courtyards, many of which are actually courtyards of public housing.

We stopped at one of these courtyards. Here Zhenya explained to us that the city is slowly evolving. Many of these public apartments have now been bought up by the owners, while others are still tenanted public housing. The above photo shows private and public apartments side by side; the ones on the left with the better windows and paintwork are the private apartments.

The golden dome of St. Isaac's Cathedral just ahead.
Of course, a cycling tour would not be complete without visits to a city's interesting spots, spots that would tell us the history and culture of a place. We visited several tourist spots, most of which we viewed from outside; this would be just a teaser for us, dangling a sweet bait for us to come later and spend more time at any particular place that caters to the individual's preferences.
We started off with a ride into Saint Isaac’s Square to catch the beautiful blooms that were brightly coming out on this sunny spring morning. The flowers included tulips of different colours: yes, tulips can be seen in many places other than Holland. In fact, tulips originated from Turkey and easily migrated north to Russia.
Then it was a quick pass of St. Isaac's Cathedral, which currently functions as a museum. It is dedicated to Saint Isaac of Dalmatia, a patron saint of Peter the Great. The neoclassical exterior expresses the traditional Russian-Byzantine formula of a Greek-cross ground plan with a large central dome and four subsidiary domes. During World War II, the dome was painted over in gray to avoid attracting attention from enemy aircraft.

Next was the The Bronze Horseman. How humble of them to describe one of their greatest rulers as just a horseman. This horseman is none other than Peter the Great, who expanded the Tsardom into a much larger empire that became a major European power. He led a cultural revolution that replaced some of the traditionalist and medieval social and political systems with ones that were modern, scientific, Westernised, and based on the Enlightenment. Peter's reforms made a lasting impact on Russia, and many institutions of the Russian government trace their origins to his reign.

At the Quay With Sphinx - is a quay at the Universitetskaya Embankment, fronting the Imperial Academy of Arts. It is remarkable for the two ancient sphinxes that were brought from Egypt to Russia at the height of Egyptomaniain in 1832. The quay was completed in 1834. These sphinxes are about 3500 years old. They were made from syenite and initially were in front of a magnificent temple, which was built in Egypt near Thebes (Luxor) for the 18th dynasty pharaoh Amenhotep III.
Dang, these are very old indeed, and suddenly this AhPek old man felt younger.

Further along was one of the most beautiful churches in the city - the Optina Church of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin. The best thing is that it's off the tourist radar and very few tourists make it here. We went in for a quick look but, out of courtesy, did not take any photos inside as a Sunday mass was ongoing.

Unlike its more famous sister church, the Church of Saviour on Spilled Blood, this Optina Church is an active one. This time there was a massive religious procession outside the church and we stopped to see it.

While the procession was going on, our bikes were happily tucked against one of the beautiful old walls of the church.

The first city tram was a horsecar (called a Conca). Its monument is still standing on Vasilyevsky Island as seen above. In 1860, horse-drawn trams began running in St. Petersburg, and horse-railroads were extended all over the city, and citizens liked them, despite their relatively low speed, which didn’t exceed 8 km/h.

While the rest of the riders were admiring a plaque paying tribute to Dr Mendeleev at the front of the University of St Petersburg. I was more taken in by this statue of a vibrant, swooping young angel holding up the torch of knowledge. The good doctor was renowned for creating the Perioidic Table of Elements whilst working at the premises of this school.

The Old Saint Petersburg Stock Exchange  - "The original St. Petersburg Stock Exchange, built in the 1730s, was wooden. Work began in 1783 on a new stone building by renowned architect Giacomo Quarenghi, but his oval design proved unpopular. In 1804, soon after the building was finished, it was demolished to make way for the present building, designed by Frenchman Thomas de Thomon, who is said to have modeled his designs on the Temple of Hera at Paestum".

Nearby were the Rostral Columns, standing on the Strelka ("spit") of Vasilyevsky Island. "For over two centuries, they have formed an integral part of the city's central panorama over the River Neva, and are particularly impressive on major public holidays, when torches are lit on top of them. St. Petersburg's main port was once located at this point where the River Neva (Нева́) splits in two - the bigger Bolshaya Neva (Больша́я Нева́) and smaller Malaya Neva (Ма́лая Нева́). During the planning of Birzhevaya Ploshchad in 1810, the decision was taken to install two beacons indicating the two channels. Jean-Francois Thomas de Thomon, the architect, decided to build the towers in the style of Roman rostral columns - victory columns on which the prows ("rostra") of captured enemy ships were mounted."

Riding across the Kronverkskiy Most (Кронверкский мост), a bridge with an interesting timber structure that spans over the Kronverksky Strait (Кронверкский пролив), a narrow channel separating Petrogradsky and Zayachy islands. Zayachy island is where the Peter & Paul Fortress stands. On the other side of the fort is the Ioannovskiy Most, another similar wooden bridge but one with nice old steel railings.

In the compound of the the Peter & Paul Fortress (Петропавловский собор), the very tall and needle-like spire of the Peter and Paul Cathedral makes the place very distinct and easily recognisable.
The cathedral is the burial place of all Russian tsars from Peter I to Alexander III, with the exception of Peter II and Ivan VI. The remains of Nicholas II and his family and entourage were re-interred there, in the side chapel of St. Catherine.

We cross back to Petrogradsky via the Ioannovskiy Most, it overlooked narrow sandy beaches that have become among the most popular in St. Petersburg. And often on sunny days many can be seen sunbathing on the green lawn next to the beaches.

With a quick turn, we were onto the Trinity Bridge, which takes us across the Neva back to the mainland. The bridge is one of nine drawbridges that are raised every night (actually during the wee hours of the morning) to let river traffic through. Many tourists gather to see the raising of these bridges. For the schedule of the time the bridges are raised, click here.

At the Field of Mars, like attentive students, we formed an arc to listen to Zhenya's insights on the place:
"The field was a former military drill ground until the February Revolution of 1917, after which it became a memorial area, used to bury the revolution's honoured dead. On 6 November 1957, an eternal flame was lit in the centre of the park, in memory of the victims of various wars and revolutions. The flame was the first in Russia. From here, the flame was delivered to Moscow in 1967 and was placed near the Kremlin wall at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier. The flame from the Field of Mars also burns at the Piskaryovskoye Memorial Cemetery and at other memorials in St. Petersburg".

A visit to St. Petersburg is incomplete without a visit to the Church of Saviour on Spilled Blood. It is an odd name for a church, but spilled blood was actually the reason why this church was built. See, the church was erected on the site where political nihilists fatally wounded Emperor Alexander II in March 1881.

As we rolled through the entrance porch of the Atlanty Statues; people could be seen touching the feet of the statues to bring them luck and have their wishes come true.
Guess what I wished for? To win a lottery and be rich, or at least win a bicycle in a lucky draw? No.... I wished that I could come visit Russia more often in the future.
By the way, the green building in front is a side annex of the Winter Palace.

We looped back to the historcal core of the city, riding onto the large compound of the Kazan Cathedral, which is dedicated to Our Lady of Kazan, one of the most venerated icons of the country.

We were almost at the end of our tour; ahead was the Dom Knigi, also known as the Singer Company Building, as it was built by that company. They wanted a building similar to the skyscraper that was then being constructed for them in New York. However, St. Petersburg's strict building codes dictated that no building could be higher than 23.5 meters at the cornice. Despite these limitations, the architect Pavel Syuzor managed to create a supremely elegant building that captured the spirit of the age, and featured a number of technological innovations. It was the first building in the city to use a metal frame, which made possible the huge windows on the ground floor. Another first was the glass-roofed atrium, and the building was equipped with the latest lifts, heating and air-conditioning, and an automatic system for clearing snow from the roof. It is now a bookstore.

On the road that led back to the Berthold Center. A fierce-looking modern-day mural jolted me from the revelry of the city's past back to the present; it had been a wonderful tour, an eye-opening one that revealed much more of the city.

Many thanks to Pasha, for patiently taking care of this old man who had stopped all too often to take many photos. Many thanks too to Zhenya for guiding us onwards, and for all the interesting talks at the various spots.

I not only left one of my stickers on the Shulz bike .... I had left a part of my soul in St. Petersburg.


Russian Rendezvous 2019: Daily Log Day 11 (19th May Sunday):
Cycling @ St. Petersburg & Neva River Cruise.
(Later in the evening we went for a River Cruise)
До свидания
(that's "Do svidaniya", Goodbye, until we meet again!)

(For more photos of Day 11, Click Here)
This is page 11 of a 15-page blog. Click Here To Go To Title Page
< D10: St. Petersburg Walking     |    Go to Other Days    |    D11-2: St. Petersburg Cruise >
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