Rear of Alexandrinsky Theatre.

Alexandrinsky Theatre

Top choice in St Petersburg

LoginSave

This magnificent venue is just one part of an immaculate architectural ensemble designed by Carlo Rossi. The theatre’s interior oozes 19th-century elegance and style, and it’s worth taking a peek even if you don’t see a production here.

This is where Anton Chekhov premiered The Seagull in 1896; the play was so badly received on opening that the playwright fled to wander anonymously among the crowds on Nevsky pr. Chekhov is now a beloved part of the theatre's huge repertoire, ranging from Russian folktales to Shakespearean tragedies.

Head through the archway in the southwest corner of the square to find the Alexandrinsky's New Stage.

Lonely Planet's must-see attractions

  • Jordan Staircase Of Hermitage Museum

    State Hermitage Museum

    1 MILES

    The Hermitage fully lives up to its sterling reputation. You can be absorbed by its treasures for days and still come out wanting more. The enormous…

  • Grand Palace

    Grand Palace

    15.25 MILES

    The Grand Palace is an imposing building, although with just 30-something rooms, it is not nearly as large as your typical tsarist palace. From the start…

  • General Staff Building

    General Staff Building

    0.79 MILES

    The east wing of this magnificent building, wrapping around the south of Dvortsovaya pl and designed by Carlo Rossi in the 1820s, marries restored…

  • Lower Park

    Lower Park

    15.45 MILES

    One of the greatest attractions outside of St Petersburg is the jaw-dropping collection of gilded fountains, statue-lined lanes and picturesque canals…

  • Yusupov palace on the Moyka river.

    Yusupov Palace

    1.37 MILES

    This spectacular palace on the Moyka River has some of the best 19th-century interiors in the city, in addition to a fascinating and gruesome history. The…

  • Katherine's Palace hall in Tsarskoe Selo (Pushkin).

    Catherine Palace

    15.05 MILES

    The centrepiece of Tsarskoe Selo, created under Empresses Elizabeth and Catherine the Great between 1744 and 1796, is the vast baroque Catherine Palace,…

  • Mariinsky theater in Saint Petersburg, Russia.

    Mariinsky Theatre

    1.48 MILES

    The Mariinsky Theatre has played a pivotal role in Russian ballet ever since it was built in 1859 and remains one of Russia's most loved and respected…

  • The Marble Bridge of the Catherine Park, Tsarskoe Selo, Pushkin.

    Catherine Park

    15.16 MILES

    Around the Catherine Palace extends the lovely Catherine Park. The main entrance is on Sadovaya ul, next to the Palace Chapel. The park extends around the…

View more attractions

Nearby St Petersburg attractions

2. Ploshchad Ostrovskogo

0.09 MILES

Created by Carlo Rossi in the 1820s and 1830s, this square is named for Alexander Ostrovsky (1823–86), a celebrated 19th-century playwright. An enormous…

3. Vaganova School of Choreography

0.09 MILES

The Mariinsky Ballet’s training school, where Pavlova, Nijinsky, Nureyev and others learned their art. It's not open to the public.

4. Statue of Catherine the Great

0.11 MILES

This enormous statue of Catherine the Great (1873) stands amid the chess, backgammon and mah-jong players who crowd the benches in Ostrovsky Sq. At the…

5. National Library of Russia

0.13 MILES

Russia's oldest and biggest public library was founded in 1795. It has some 31 million items, nearly a sixth of which are in foreign languages. Its main…

6. Karl Bulla Photography Studio

0.17 MILES

Karl Bulla (1853–1929) was one of the city's most famous photographers and is immortalised in a life-sized statue on Malaya Sadovaya ul. Around the corner…

7. Vorontsov Palace

0.17 MILES

Opposite Gostiny Dvor, this palace (1749–57) is another noble town house by Rastrelli. From 1810 it was the most elite military school in the empire and…

8. Nevsky Prospekt

0.18 MILES

Nevsky Prospekt is Russia’s most famous street, running 4km from the Admiralty to Alexander Nevsky Monastery, from which it takes its name. The inner 2…