# Palace Square, St Petersburg

> St Petersburg’s main square, framed by the Winter Palace and the curved General Staff Building, with the 47.5-metre Alexander Column in the middle. It’s free, pedestrian-only and open 24/7 — allow 30 minutes. The nearest metro is Admiralteyskaya, about five minutes away. Come at night or in the white nights; parades and concerts sometimes close it.

Web page: https://yesgo.io/russia/saint-petersburg/palace-square

- City: [St Petersburg](https://yesgo.io/russia/saint-petersburg), Russia
- YesGo score: 71/100 (Yes, go)
- Time on site: 30 min
- Opening hours: Open 24/7, every day — it’s a public square; closed or behind security gates during parades, rehearsals and big concerts
- With kids: Fine with kids
- Entry: Free
- Open: 24/7; no cars on the square
- Metro: Admiralteyskaya (Line 5, purple) — about 5 min on foot; Nevsky Prospekt (Line 2) and Gostiny Dvor (Line 3) — 12–15 min
- Time needed: 30 minutes for the square; half a day with the Hermitage
- Hermitage: 2 Palace Square — the Winter Palace, entrance through the Great Courtyard arch
- General Staff Building (Hermitage wing): 6/8 Palace Square
- Closures: 9 May Victory Parade and rehearsals, Scarlet Sails (school-leavers only), big concerts and stage building
- Coordinates: 59.93903, 30.31578
- Facts checked: 29.10.2026

## Key facts

- **47.5 m** — the Alexander Column, including pedestal and angel (source: English and Russian Wikipedia, “Alexander Column”; official St Petersburg tourism portal)
- **No fixings** — the column stands on its pedestal by its own weight alone (source: English and Russian Wikipedia, “Alexander Column”)
- **1834** — the column was unveiled to mark the victory over Napoleon; architect Auguste de Montferrand (source: English and Russian Wikipedia; Encyclopedia of St Petersburg)
- **≈ 600 t** — the single granite shaft, quarried near Vyborg (source: English Wikipedia, “Alexander Column” (c. 600 t); Russian Wikipedia (612 t))
- **1819–1829** — Carlo Rossi’s General Staff Building and triumphal arch (source: English Wikipedia, “Palace Square”; Encyclopedia of St Petersburg; official St Petersburg tourism portal)
- **580 m** — length of the General Staff Building’s curved façade (source: Russian Wikipedia, “Palace Square”; Encyclopedia of St Petersburg)
- **1754–1762** — Rastrelli’s Winter Palace, now the Hermitage (source: English and Russian Wikipedia, “Palace Square”)
- **1837–1843** — Alexander Brullov’s Guards Corps Headquarters on the east side (source: English and Russian Wikipedia; Encyclopedia of St Petersburg)
- **1905** — Bloody Sunday: troops fired on a workers’ march here on 9 (22) January (source: Russian Wikipedia, “Palace Square”; Encyclopedia of St Petersburg)
- **Until 1944** — the square was called Uritsky Square; the old name returned in January 1944 (source: English and Russian Wikipedia; official St Petersburg tourism portal)
- **1990** — part of the UNESCO site “Historic Centre of Saint Petersburg” (No. 540) (source: UNESCO World Heritage List; Russian Wikipedia)

## Is Palace Square free, and when is it open?

**Yes, it’s free, and it never closes.** Palace Square is a public pedestrian square, so there’s no ticket, no gate and no opening time. You only pay for what’s around it — mainly the [Hermitage](https://yesgo.io/russia/saint-petersburg/hermitage) in the Winter Palace and its General Staff wing across the square.

The one exception is big events. The square is fenced off for the 9 May Victory Parade and its night-time rehearsals, for the Scarlet Sails school-leavers’ party in late June (invitation only) and for large open-air concerts. Stages go up a few days ahead, so even before an event part of the square may be behind barriers.

## How to get to Palace Square

1. The closest metro is **Admiralteyskaya** (Line 5, purple). Exit onto Malaya Morskaya Street, turn towards Nevsky and walk under the General Staff arch — about 5 minutes.
2. From **Nevsky Prospekt** (Line 2, blue) or **Gostiny Dvor** (Line 3, green), walk west along Nevsky towards the Admiralty spire — 12–15 minutes, past [Kazan Cathedral](https://yesgo.io/russia/saint-petersburg/kazan-cathedral).
3. From **Moskovsky railway station** it’s 3 km straight down Nevsky — about 40 minutes on foot. Faster: Mayakovskaya to Gostiny Dvor (one stop on Line 3), then walk.
4. From **Pulkovo Airport**, take the airport bus to Moskovskaya metro, then Line 2 to Nevsky Prospekt and walk 15 minutes.
5. Cars can’t drive onto the square. Ask a taxi to drop you at the Admiralty or on Palace Embankment.

## Is Palace Square worth visiting?

Yes — but think of it as a starting point rather than a destination. On its own the square takes half an hour: walk in through the arch, look up at the column, cross to the Winter Palace and out to the river. What makes it essential is location. The Hermitage, [Nevsky Prospekt](https://yesgo.io/russia/saint-petersburg/nevsky-prospect), the Neva and [Palace Bridge](https://yesgo.io/russia/saint-petersburg/palace-bridge) are all within a few minutes’ walk.

YesGo’s take: put it on day one, ideally early in the morning before the tour groups or late in the evening when the façades are lit. In the middle of the day in summer it is busy, hot and full of people selling boat trips — still impressive, just not at its best.

## What to see on Palace Square

- **The Alexander Column** — stand at the base and you’ll see it’s one solid piece of red granite, not stacked drums.
- **The General Staff arch** — a double triumphal arch crowned by the Chariot of Glory. Walk through it from Bolshaya Morskaya Street and the square opens up all at once; Rossi designed it that way.
- **The Winter Palace** — the turquoise-and-white Baroque façade that runs the length of the square; the Hermitage is inside.
- **The General Staff Building’s east wing** — the Hermitage’s Impressionists and Matisse, entered straight from the arch (separate ticket).
- **Guards Corps Headquarters** — the plain building on the east side; it’s still military, so no entry.
- **The Atlantes of the New Hermitage** — ten granite giants holding up a portico at 35 Millionnaya Street, a three-minute walk round the corner.
- **Palace Embankment** behind the Winter Palace — views of Palace Bridge, the Strelka of Vasilyevsky Island and the [Peter and Paul Fortress](https://yesgo.io/russia/saint-petersburg/peter-and-paul-fortress).

## The Alexander Column: why doesn’t it fall?

The column went up in 1832 and was unveiled in **1834** to commemorate Alexander I’s victory over Napoleon. It was designed by Auguste de Montferrand, the architect of [St Isaac’s Cathedral](https://yesgo.io/russia/saint-petersburg/st-isaacs-cathedral), and stands **47.5 m** tall with its pedestal and the angel on top.

The shaft is a single granite monolith from a quarry near Vyborg, weighing roughly 600 tonnes. It is **not anchored at all** — it stays upright purely through its own weight and precise engineering.

That fact gave rise to a well-known story: nervous locals supposedly avoided walking past it in case it toppled, and Montferrand took a daily stroll around the base to prove it was safe. Treat it as legend rather than record — but it’s a good one to tell while you’re standing underneath.

## A short history of Palace Square

In the early 1700s this was an open meadow beside the Admiralty fortress. Rastrelli’s Winter Palace (1754–1762) gave it a northern edge, and between 1819 and 1829 Carlo Rossi rebuilt the south side as one long, curved General Staff Building, with the arch as a monument to the war of 1812.

On **Bloody Sunday** in January 1905, troops opened fire on a peaceful workers’ march here. In October 1917 Bolshevik forces crossed the square to take the Winter Palace, seat of the Provisional Government.

After the revolution it was renamed Uritsky Square, after the head of the city’s secret police, assassinated in 1918. The historic name came back in January 1944, and since 1990 the square has been part of the UNESCO-listed historic centre of St Petersburg.

## Palace Square at night and in the white nights

At night the square is at its most beautiful. The Winter Palace and the General Staff Building are floodlit, the crowds thin out and you can photograph the column with almost nobody in shot. During the white nights, roughly late May to mid-July, the sky never gets properly dark and the square stays lively until two or three in the morning.

From here it’s a three-minute walk to the Neva to watch Palace Bridge open for river traffic. Plan your way back first: the metro closes at night, and once the bridges are up you can’t cross to Vasilyevsky Island or the Petrograd Side until they come down again.

## Before you go: checklist

- [ ] No parade, rehearsal or concert on the square today
- [ ] Arrive from Admiralteyskaya and walk in through the arch
- [ ] Hermitage plans: it isn’t Monday
- [ ] Roubles in cash or a Russian bank card for tours, museums and cafés — Visa and Mastercard issued abroad don’t work in Russia
- [ ] A windproof layer — it gets breezy off the Neva
- [ ] At night: I know when the bridges open and how I’m getting back

## Palace Square vs Senate Square vs Red Square

|  | Palace Square | Senate Square | Red Square |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| City | St Petersburg | St Petersburg, 10 min walk away | Moscow |
| Highlights | Winter Palace, column, arch | The Bronze Horseman | Kremlin walls, St Basil’s |
| Size | 5.4–8 ha, depending on the source | Smaller, with lawns | About 2.5 ha |
| Entry | Free, 24/7 | Free, 24/7 | Free, sometimes closed for events |
| Time needed | 30 minutes | 15–20 minutes | 30–60 minutes |

Palace Square and Senate Square with the [Bronze Horseman](https://yesgo.io/russia/saint-petersburg/bronze-horseman) make an easy hour’s walk past the Admiralty. Red Square is about half the size of Palace Square but has more to go inside.

## St Petersburg’s historic sights compared

Every historic place in St Petersburg rated by YesGo.

- [State Hermitage Museum](https://yesgo.io/russia/saint-petersburg/hermitage) — YesGo score 76/100 (Yes, go) · 3 h · 500–1,200 ₽
- [Church of the Savior on Spilled Blood](https://yesgo.io/russia/saint-petersburg/church-of-the-savior-on-spilled-blood) — YesGo score 75/100 (Yes, go) · 45 min · 700 ₽, under 7 free
- [Peter and Paul Fortress](https://yesgo.io/russia/saint-petersburg/peter-and-paul-fortress) — YesGo score 74/100 (Yes, go) · 2 h · Grounds free, cathedral 1,000 ₽
- [Kazan Cathedral](https://yesgo.io/russia/saint-petersburg/kazan-cathedral) — YesGo score 72/100 (Yes, go) · 30 min · Free
- [Bronze Horseman](https://yesgo.io/russia/saint-petersburg/bronze-horseman) — YesGo score 72/100 (Yes, go) · 20 min · Free
- [Palace Square](https://yesgo.io/russia/saint-petersburg/palace-square) — YesGo score 71/100 (Yes, go) · 30 min · Free
- [St Isaac's Cathedral](https://yesgo.io/russia/saint-petersburg/st-isaacs-cathedral) — YesGo score 69/100 (Yes, go) · 1 h · 700 ₽, colonnade 700 ₽
- [Cruiser Aurora](https://yesgo.io/russia/saint-petersburg/cruiser-aurora) — YesGo score 67/100 (Yes, go) · 1 h · 1,000 ₽ for foreign visitors
- [Nevsky Prospekt](https://yesgo.io/russia/saint-petersburg/nevsky-prospect) — YesGo score 65/100 (Yes, go) · 1 h 30 min · Free
- [Mikhailovsky Castle](https://yesgo.io/russia/saint-petersburg/mikhailovsky-castle) — YesGo score 54/100 (Yes, go) · 1 h 30 min · ≈ 700 ₽
- [Kunstkamera](https://yesgo.io/russia/saint-petersburg/kunstkamera) — YesGo score 50/100 (Yes, go) · 1 h 30 min · 500 ₽
- [Peterhof](https://yesgo.io/russia/saint-petersburg/peterhof) — YesGo score 50/100 (Yes, go) · 4 h · Lower Park from 2,000 ₽ for foreign visitors
- [Kronstadt](https://yesgo.io/russia/saint-petersburg/kronstadt) — YesGo score 49/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 4 h · Free, museums extra
- [New Holland Island](https://yesgo.io/russia/saint-petersburg/new-holland) — YesGo score 48/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 1 h · Free
- [Alexander Nevsky Lavra](https://yesgo.io/russia/saint-petersburg/alexander-nevsky-lavra) — YesGo score 48/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 1 h · Free, necropolises 200–400 ₽
- [Griboyedov Canal](https://yesgo.io/russia/saint-petersburg/griboyedov-canal) — YesGo score 48/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 30 min · Free
- [Yusupov Palace on the Moika](https://yesgo.io/russia/saint-petersburg/yusupov-palace) — YesGo score 47/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 1 h 30 min · from 950 ₽
- [Mariinsky Theatre](https://yesgo.io/russia/saint-petersburg/mariinsky-theatre) — YesGo score 46/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 3 h · Price depends on the show
- [Summer Garden](https://yesgo.io/russia/saint-petersburg/summer-garden) — YesGo score 46/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 1 h · Free
- [State Russian Museum](https://yesgo.io/russia/saint-petersburg/russian-museum) — YesGo score 44/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 2 h 30 min · from 700 ₽
- [Catherine Palace](https://yesgo.io/russia/saint-petersburg/catherine-palace) — YesGo score 37/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 3 h · 2,200 ₽ for foreign visitors
- [Fabergé Museum](https://yesgo.io/russia/saint-petersburg/faberge-museum) — YesGo score 36/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 1 h 30 min · 700 ₽
- [Zoological Museum](https://yesgo.io/russia/saint-petersburg/zoological-museum) — YesGo score 36/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 1 h 30 min · 700 ₽
- [Oranienbaum](https://yesgo.io/russia/saint-petersburg/oranienbaum) — YesGo score 28/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 3 h · Park 1,100 ₽, palace 1,800 ₽
- [Pavlovsk Palace and Park](https://yesgo.io/russia/saint-petersburg/pavlovsk-palace) — YesGo score 20/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 3 h · Palace 800 ₽, park 300 ₽

## From St Isaac’s to Kazan Cathedral on foot

Start at St Isaac’s Cathedral, walk to the Bronze Horseman, follow the Admiralty to Palace Square, then head along the Moika to the Church of the Savior on Spilled Blood and down the canal to Kazan Cathedral. Add them to your route — YesGo fits in the timing and transfers.

1. [St Isaac's Cathedral](https://yesgo.io/russia/saint-petersburg/st-isaacs-cathedral) — YesGo score 69/100 (Yes, go) · 1 h · 700 ₽, colonnade 700 ₽
2. [Bronze Horseman](https://yesgo.io/russia/saint-petersburg/bronze-horseman) — YesGo score 72/100 (Yes, go) · 20 min · Free
3. [Palace Square](https://yesgo.io/russia/saint-petersburg/palace-square) — YesGo score 71/100 (Yes, go) · 30 min · Free
4. [Church of the Savior on Spilled Blood](https://yesgo.io/russia/saint-petersburg/church-of-the-savior-on-spilled-blood) — YesGo score 75/100 (Yes, go) · 45 min · 700 ₽, under 7 free
5. [Kazan Cathedral](https://yesgo.io/russia/saint-petersburg/kazan-cathedral) — YesGo score 72/100 (Yes, go) · 30 min · Free

> **Enter through the arch, not from Nevsky** The best first view is from the General Staff arch. Walk down narrow Bolshaya Morskaya Street, pass under the arch, and the column and the Winter Palace appear in one frame. Arriving from Nevsky or the embankment, you miss that reveal.

## Good to know

In Russian it’s Dvortsovaya Ploshchad — handy for signs and taxi drivers. “2 Palace Square” is the Hermitage’s address in the Winter Palace; “6/8” is the General Staff Building. The Atlantes aren’t on the square itself but round the corner on Millionnaya Street. There’s no cathedral on the square: Kazan Cathedral and St Isaac’s are each about 10 minutes away.

## Tips

- Get your first photo from inside the General Staff arch — column and palace in one shot.
- Before 10:00 there are hardly any tour groups.
- The Hermitage Impressionists are in the General Staff Building, entered from the arch — separate ticket.
- It’s 10 minutes on foot to the Bronze Horseman and 15 to the [Church of the Savior on Spilled Blood](https://yesgo.io/russia/saint-petersburg/church-of-the-savior-on-spilled-blood).
- Late at night, walk out to Palace Bridge — but be back on your side of the river before it opens.
- The Alexander Garden by the Admiralty has benches for a break before the Hermitage.

## Questions

### Is Palace Square free to visit?

Yes. It’s a public pedestrian square with no ticket or gate. You pay only for museums around it, such as the Hermitage.

### Is Palace Square open 24 hours?

Yes, it’s open around the clock. It is closed or fenced off only during big events: the 9 May parade and rehearsals, Scarlet Sails in late June and large concerts.

### What is the nearest metro station to Palace Square?

Admiralteyskaya on Line 5 (purple), about five minutes’ walk through the General Staff arch. Nevsky Prospekt and Gostiny Dvor are 12–15 minutes away along Nevsky.

### How tall is the Alexander Column?

47.5 metres including the pedestal and the angel. The granite shaft alone weighs around 600 tonnes.

### Why doesn’t the Alexander Column fall?

It’s perfectly balanced: the column isn’t fixed to its pedestal at all and stays up through its own weight and precise engineering.

### What happened on Palace Square?

Bloody Sunday in January 1905, when troops fired on a workers’ march, and the October Revolution of 1917, when Bolshevik forces stormed the Winter Palace across the square.

### How long do you need at Palace Square?

About 30 minutes for the square itself. With the Hermitage, plan half a day.

### Is Palace Square the same as the Hermitage?

No. The square is the open space; the Hermitage is the museum in the Winter Palace on its north side, with a second wing in the General Staff Building opposite.

### When is the best time to visit Palace Square?

Early morning for empty photos, after dark when the façades are lit, or during the white nights from late May to mid-July.

## How we checked

Palace Square is a public pedestrian space with no fees or opening times. Event closures are announced separately each year, so that row is marked “verifying” and we don’t publish a listings calendar. Sources disagree on the square’s area — 5.4 ha in Russian Wikipedia, 4.6 ha in one city guide, 8 ha in the Encyclopedia of St Petersburg — so we give a range; it is about twice the size of Red Square (about 2.5 ha) whichever figure you take. The column’s weight also varies: 612 t for the shaft in Russian Wikipedia, about 600 t in the English article on the column, about 500 t in the English article on the square, 704 t for “the whole structure” elsewhere — we say about 600 t for the shaft. The year of the renaming to Uritsky Square differs (1918 or 1923), so we give only the year the old name returned, 1944. The “6/8” address of the General Staff Building comes from directories, not the official Hermitage site, so it is marked “verifying”. The story about people fearing the column comes from memoirs and guidebooks, and we present it as a legend. Walking times are our estimate from the map.

## Sources

- English Wikipedia: “Palace Square”, “Alexander Column”; Wikidata Q1132624
- Russian Wikipedia: “Palace Square”, “Alexander Column”, “Red Square”
- Encyclopedia of St Petersburg: “Palace Square”
- Official St Petersburg tourism portal: “Palace Square”, 29.10.2026
- Official website of the State Hermitage Museum: visiting information, Main Museum Complex, 29.10.2026
- UNESCO World Heritage List: Historic Centre of Saint Petersburg and Related Groups of Monuments, No. 540, 1990
- Visa and Mastercard statements on suspending operations in Russia, March 2022

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