The City of Peter the Great festival 

A historic festival and a carnival will take over the Peter and Paul Fortress for the weekend. Using archives from the times of Russia’s first emperor, Peter the Great, the organizers will attempt to recreate the atmosphere of an 18th-century feast. After a parade of historical characters at the start of the festival, you will be able to visit interactive exhibits, watch music and dance shows, and explore a themed souvenir market. This might not be the most accurate 18th-century feel, but it will definitely be an exciting event to visit.

Archaeology in St. Petersburg exhibition 

  • Until May 27, 2024; 11 am - 7 pm daily; 11 am - 6 pm (Tue); Wednesdays are days off
  • Peter and Paul Fortress (Nevskaya curtain wall)
  • 200 rubles

A unique exhibition, Archaeology in St. Petersburg. The Beginning (link in Russian), outlines the story of the first excavations in the city. It’s hard to believe now, but before 1952, the year when the first archaeological site in the city was opened, the scientific community in Russia believed that the lifestyle of the 18-19th-century St. Petersburg was to be studied only historiographically – that is, using documents or journals of the time. That first excavation caused a small revolution, opening the eyes of academicians and regular city dwellers to the treasures hidden beneath their feet. On display at the exhibition, you will see objects unearthed during that first excavation in 1952, as well as many others that followed. Among other things, this is your chance to treat your inner child, who’s probably still wishing for a career as a tomb raider. NB! On June 11, the museums in the fortress are open until 6 pm.

Yelagin Rally festival

  • June 10, 12 pm - 6 pm
  • Yelagin Island
  • Free entrance (you will need to get an entrance ticket to the park, 100 rubles – 30 rubles for students) 

This is definitely a must-visit for any ITMO student – a festival bringing together programming, robotics, and engineering in an exciting display of model cars, boats, and all sorts of aircraft. Come to witness races on the ground, on the water, or in the air, hang out with passionate developers at workshops, and learn a thing or two about making your own model. 

OTMA and Alexei. The Children of the Last Russian Emperor 

  • May 19 - September 10, 11 am - 6 pm (Wed, Thu, Sun), 11 am - 8 pm (Tue, Fri, Sat)
  • Manege of the Small Hermitage (State Hermitage Museum)
  • 500 rubles (300 rubles for students) – you’ll need the tickets for the Main Museum Complex

If you ever wanted to learn more about the life of a royal, then this is an exhibition just for you: peruse a collection of household items that used to belong to the children of Nicholas II, the last Russian monarch. Nicholas II had four daughters who were so close they signed letters to their parents with their initials put together: OTMA – Olga, Tatiana, Maria, and Anastasia. On display, you will see their dresses and dolls. The only boy and the youngest child in the family was Alexei, whose toys and uniforms you will see at the exhibition. All items predate WWI (which was followed by a revolution and the demise of the family), bearing no markings of the troubled years to come and yet making the exhibition feel like “a dreadful omen,” in the words of Mikhail Piotrovsky, the museum’s General Director. 

Muse – an orchestral concert

Whether you love orchestral music, rock, or Muse specifically, you are bound to enjoy this show – if only as a chance to see worlds collide as alternative hits acquire multilayered orchestral interpretations. You can get your ticket here.