A visit to St. Petersburg is full of exciting destinations for a literary tourist. The city, which has witnessed so many historical incidents, also holds an important place in the lives of many eminent Russian authors and poets.
The tourists, who travel to St. Petersburg frequently, cannot stop raving about the multitude of legendary treats offered by the city. Nestling apartments, houses and mansions of the venerated authors, St. Petersburg is the ultimate place for the travelers to explore.
Popular Stopovers for Literary Tourists
Alexander Pushkin Apartment Museum – Alexander Pushkin is as renowned in Russian literature as Shakespeare is in English literature. Pushkin is remembered by everyone for his heart-touching works. One of his greatest works is Eugene Onegin, where the protagonist is the victim of unreciprocated love. St. Petersburg is the place, where this greatest author of all times breathed his last.
Hence, a literary tour of St. Petersburg would remain incomplete if the tourists did not visit the Alexander Pushkin Apartment Museum. His apartment has been restored to give the tourists the feel of an upper middle class home of the 19th century.
In this house, Pushkin spent the last moments of his life after an unfortunate duel. The museum holds many of his actual belongings including the waistcoat in which he died. The tourists can also witness the sofa stained with the blood of the great author spilled.
Vladimir Nabokov House Museum – one of the most celebrated authors of the 20th century is Vladimir Nabokov. He is mostly remembered for his masterpiece named Lolita. The novel, which had been banned across several countries at the time of release, has become one of the most popular fictions.
St. Petersburg is the birthplace of Vladimir Nabokov and his mansion is now a museum. It is an endeavor to provide the visitor a peek into the early life of this exemplary writer, who was born in 1899.
The museum has preserved even now the original furniture, paintings, and books of the author. Some of the personal objects that can be seen are Nabokov's pince-nez and pencils, which he used for writing.
Anna Akhmatova Museum at the Fountain House – the Stalin era has had a strong impact on the history of the erstwhile Soviet Union. Anna Akhmatova is one of the few writers, who dared to document the atrocities of that era. Penned by her, a set of ten poems named Requiem brought to the world the sufferings of the Russian layperson. Revered by the literary enthusiasts, her residence, which is actually a palace, houses many exhibits related to this revolutionary author.
The Southern wing of the palace, where Akhmatova spent the last days of her life, is now one of the most famous museums in St. Petersburg. This wing also has the well-known backrooms where the revolutionaries used to read her poems while in hiding.
Here, the tourists will encounter many of the emotionally moving moments of her life. The museum chronologically displays the photographs of her family members, who had been persecuted, as well as other important incidents, which affected her life greatly.
Alexander Blok Apartment Museum – Honored for his myriad styles like mysticism, and lyrical poetry, Alexander Blok is a popular writer of Russia. His love for the former Soviet Union in his famous poem The Twelve was not approved by the Bolshevik authorities and the public at the time. This incident led to his bad health and eventually death due to an inflamed cardiac valve in 1921.
Tourists, who travel to St. Petersburg, can never ignore the apartment where Blok died amidst profound loneliness. The number 21 apartment still has the library, where the poet put his beautiful thoughts into words. The second floor of the apartment holds exhibitions regarding his journey as a poet.
Dostoevsky Memorial Museum – one of the most awe-inspiring Russian novelists is Fyodor Dostoevsky. His revolutionary ideas along with an eventful life have made him a sought-after author by the literary tourists.
The museum is a small apartment, which is divided into two parts. The center of the museum depicts the original house plan in which the author lived with his family until his death in 1881. The other part of the museum tells the story of his career while highlighting the important happenings of his life.