Museums of Science and Technology

St. Petersburg is not only Russia's cultural capital, it also a major industrial center with some of the finest universities and research institutes in the country. Peter the Great, the city's founder, was himself fascinated by engineering, technology, and all branches of science, and founded the first 'scientific' museum in the city, the bizarrely fascinating Kunstkammer. Nowadays, St. Petersburg has a wealth of museums dedicated to a wide range of scientific and technological disciplines, many of which are well worth checking out.

Arctic and Antarctic Museum Devoted to the history of Russian and Soviet polar exploration, this centrally located museum is traditional in style, but has a huge number of unique exhibits, including ethnographical materials on the people's of the polar regions, and lots of historic equipment from polar expeditions. ›››

Museum of Artillery, Engineers and Signals Located right next to the Peter and Paul Fortress, this historic museum features a wealth of military hardware, making it perennially popular with children. The second floor of the museum is devoted to memorabilia from the Second World War. ›››

Beer Museum There are beer museums in a number of the world's major cities. Saint Petersburg's has the advantage of being located in the Stepan Razin Brewery, the oldest in Russia. Beer enthusiasts can learn about the history of brewing in Russia and, of course, sample the factory's products. ›››

Museum of Cosmonautics and Rocket Technology In the walls of the Peter and Paul Fortress, in a space that was used for groundbreaking rocket research in the 1930s, this small but captivating museum charts the history of Soviet and Russian rocket technology and space exploration. ›››

Central Railway Museum Containing a huge number of documents and models that tell the story of Russian and Soviet railways from the first Russian steam-train to conceptual "bullet" trains that are still in the pipeline, this is Russia's finest and largest railway museum. ›››

Kunstkammer (Museum of Anthropology and Ethnography) The Kunstkammer was the first state museum of history and the natural sciences in Russia. Its original collection became the basis for eight separate academic museums, including the Museum of Anthropology and Ethnography, which the building now houses. ›››

Museum of Hygiene Saint Petersburg's Museum of Hygiene is the only one of its kind in Russia, with a collection of approximately 11,000 exhibits collected from public demonstrations about hygiene in Russia and abroad in the 19th and 20th Centuries. ›››

Icebreaker "Krasin" This historic ship, moored off the embankment of Vasilievsky Island, was one of the longest serving in the Soviet Navy, particularly revered for its role in the Arctic Convoys of the Second World War. Visitors can walk over the ship and examine its equipment. ›››

Museum of Water The city's first water tower has been transformed into a hi-tech museum that examines every aspect of water provision, historically and in the present day, with a series of exciting interactive exhibits. ›››

Russian Ethnography Museum Next to the State Russian Museum, this superb collection charts the history of all the different ethnicities of the Soviet Union and the Russian Empire, from shamanistic tribes in Siberia to the Finno-Ugraic peoples of the Russian north. ›››

Zoological Museum St. Petersburg's Zoological Museum is a classic of its kind, with over 40,000 exhibits including a mammoth skeleton, stuffed animals from all over the world, and a particularly fine collection of Lepidoptera. ›››