Steps Away: Places to Explore Near ITMO's Vyazemsky Dorm

• Anikushin Workshop – 2 minutes 

If you’ve ever had a PE class in Vyazemsky Garden, you might've spotted this building that, from a certain angle, looks like an old TV. This is the workshop and home of the Soviet sculptor Mikhail Anikushin, designed for creating large-scale monuments. Some of Anikushin’s most notable works include the statue of Alexander Pushkin on Arts Square and Lenin on Moskovsky Square. Today, it’s a branch of the city's Museum of Sculpture, where visitors can learn about how monuments are made, view exhibitions of modern art, or step into the shoes of a sculptor during a workshop.

• Lopukhinsky Garden – 8 minutes

For pensive dates with yourself and lively picnics with friends, there’s a charming garden nestled on the shore of the Malaya Nevka river. At its heart stands the wooden Gromov Country House, an early piece of eclecticism mixed with classical architecture. Recently renovated, the building adds to the aristocratic atmosphere created by the intricate landscape and cozy forged bridges.

• Moon Cats’ Street – 11 minutes

Step onto Kamenny Island to come across a quirky city landmark – a street that doesn’t exist, Moon Cats’ Street. There’s no official explanation for why the passage near the guardhouse building of the Kamennoostrovsky Palace has such an unusual name, but the fact is that it's now recognized by locals. At first, the name of the street appeared handwritten on the wall, until an official address plate was installed in 2015. 

If you're not keen on visiting the island just to see a gap between two buildings, complete it with a stroll around the large park across the road.

•  St. Petersburg Botanical Garden – 19 minutes 

Do you find park greenery too mundane? Exotic experiences await you at the oldest botanical garden in Russia. With three greenhouses and an expansive arboretum, you can take a round-the-world trip through the tropics and subtropics or find yourself among serene Japanese landscapes. Recently, the garden opened to the public its museum, which displays flora of different countries, as well as a special collection of the Leningrad Oblast. In addition to blooming flowers, prickly cacti, and centuries-old trees, you can feast your eyes on majestic glass greenhouses and wooden structures from the 19th century.

• Levashovsky Bread Factory – 22 minutes

After years of neglect, the constructivist bread factory on Levashovsky Prospect underwent extensive renovation. In 2023, it reopened its doors as a cultural space. Visitors can now explore it with an audio guide, visit the Siege of Leningrad memorial on the ground floor, and view the current exhibitions. While the factory's schedule is quite modest, we hope it will soon compete with Sevkabel Port or New Holland Island.