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This cathedral (1811) (see Cathedral of Our Lady of Kazan ) was inspired by St Peter’s Basilica in Rome. It was used as a museum of atheism during the Soviet period – religious services made a return only in 1992.

Dating from the years of the WWII siege of the city, the plaque reads, “Citizens! This side of the street is more dangerous during an artillery bombardment!”

This pretty blue and white church (1780) was designed by Catherine the Great’s court architect, Yuriy Velten. A crumbling, forgotten ruin during the Soviet period, the “Blue Pearl of Nevskiy prospekt” has recently been returned to St Petersburg’s Armenian community.

This striking arcade has been the focal point of the city’s shopping since the mid-18th century. It houses a vast array of shops as well as a number of cafés.

This palace (1847–8), now a waxworks museum, was once home to one of Rasputin’s murderers . It later served as the Soviet-era headquarters of the Communist Party.

Catherine the Great was a German princess who came to power in Russia after an imperial coup in 1762, during which her husband, Peter III was murdered. This is the only statue of her in the city.

This is the oldest Roman Catholic church in Russia. An 18th-century mixture of Baroque and Neo-Classical styles, it can hold up to 2,500 people.

This Baroque-style palace once had an exhibition devoted to the evils of the aristocracy. The building now belongs to the Russian Museum .

Many of Nikolai Gogol’s stories are set among the city’s streets. This statue (1997), created by Mikhail Belov, is a fitting tribute to his troubled genius.

This is Russia’s oldest state library. Housing around 33 million items, it also boasts the oldest handwritten book in the Russian language, dating from 1057.