Our tour will lead you to Kronstadt-town, located on Kotlin Island in the Gulf of Finland.
In 1703, on the southern part of the island, Peter the Great ordered the construction of a fort to protect the approaches to St. Petersburg from the Swedish navy. One of the main attractions here is the Kronstadt Naval Cathedral. The golden dome of this temple can be seen from almost anywhere in Kronstadt, while it is comparable with Istanbul’s Hagia Sophia in size.
The Petrovsky Dock is another must-see. This dock was built during Peter’s reign, with the active participation of the sovereign himself. Its lock system is especially remarkable, because with its help, the dock can be completely drained in just a few hours, something that used to make indelible impressions on visiting foreigners. Pumping out of the water in similar Western docks back then took weeks to achieve.
Your second adventure will be Submarine C-189.
Built at St. Petersburg's Baltic Factory and launched in 1954, the C-189 is a 613-class diesel-electric submarine that saw 35 years service in the Soviet fleet. Decommissioned in 1990, the C-189 eventually sank in the harbour at Kronshtadt, but was rescued in 2005 by a local businessman and former submariner, who decided to turn the vessel into a museum. The submarine has been fully restored, and guests are free to wander the length and breadth of the vessel, and to touch whatever they want. Entertaining guided tours (in Russian) are provided by former submariners.