THE MUSEUM OF RAILWAY TRANSPORT

The Museum of Railway Transport is one of the oldest technical museums in the country. The displays at this museum include exhibits tracing the history of railway transport in Russia, which include several mechanisms and machines that are still in working order. In addition the museum holds a collection of model bridges, which includes models of the bridges of St. Petersburg.

Open: 11 a.m. - 5 p.m.Closed on FRI, SAT, and on the last THU of every month.
50, Sadovaya Str.

THE ST. PETERSBURG DOLL MUSEUM

The St. Petersburg doll museum is the first of its kind in Russia. The museum consists of an unusual display of dolls that are dressed in national and historical costumes from different time periods. The clothing was made by doll-makers in St. Petersburg, and is based on historical documents, works of art, and literature. The clothes are representative of many countries and peoples from around the world as well as from the different regions of Russia.

The first floor of the museum contains a workshop where skillful craftsmen produce dolls as souvenirs and play things to be sent all over the world. The dolls in the museum are familiar to Russians as they are reminiscent of traditional childhood toys. There are traditional Russian dolls, dolls depicting characters from Russian fairy tales and traditional wooden toys. The dolls range in size from being no larger than a man's palm to being life-size.

The display at the doll museum offers visitors a chance to learn about both Russian folk traditions and the different aspects of life in Russia in past centuries. The exhibitions are arranged according to theme or, as the museum staff say, "according to interests". In the first room, for example, one will see scenes depicting festivities, markets and the interiors of peasants' and merchants' houses. Other sections of the museum include theatrical puppets, characters from works of literature, depictions of the famous St. Petersburg sphinx, and groups of dolls arranged to represent scenes from urban life.

Open : 11 a.m. - 6 p.m.
32, Karpovka River Emb.