PALACE SQUARE

Palace Square is one of the reasons St. Petersburg is frequently dubbed an open-air museum. On the north side stands the Winter Palace, a pearl of Russian baroque architecture. The big yellow semicircular building opposite the Winter Palace, built for the General Staff, was designed by Carlo Rossi in the classical style. In the center of the square stands the Triumphal (or Alexander, as it is commonly known) Column. The 47.5 meter column was erected in 1834 in honor of the victory over Napoleon. The column is not secured to the ground and stands thanks to gravity alone, so if you're here during a really strong wind or an earthquake run for it.

The square has seen its fair share of important political events. In 1905 it was the site of the "Bloody Sunday" demonstration which marked the beginning of the first Russian revolution. The second and third revolutions also took place here, since the powers-that-be hung out in the Winter Palace. During the Bolsheviks' reign the square was a place for "peaceful demonstrations of solidarity" and military parades. Now, in the democracy era, Palace Square is home to all kinds of political demonstrations - democrats, communists, monarchists, anarchists, anti- Sionists and so on gather here when they feel the need to engage in some collective shouting. Metro: Nevsky Prospekt then a fifteen minute walk or two stops on trolleys 1, 7 or 10.