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Yelagin Island, St Petersburg

Aerial view of Yelagin Island: a green park ringed by Neva channels, with ponds and the palace at the eastern end
Photo: A.Savin, FAL, Wikimedia Commons

The essentials in 10 seconds

Entry
Free weekdays, 200 ₽ at weekends
Hours
Park daily 6:00–23:00; Yelagin Palace and Glass Museum 10:00–18:30, later on Wednesdays, closed Mondays
Time on site
A typical visit without queueing. In high season add 15–30 minutes.
1 h 30 min
With kids
Fine with kids
Weekdays
Free, 6:00–23:00
officialConfirmed by an official source: the venue, a ministry or the operator.
Weekends & holidays
Paid 10:00–19:59; free before 10:00 and from 20:00
officialConfirmed by an official source: the venue, a ministry or the operator.
Park ticket
200 ₽ adults; 50 ₽ for full-time students and schoolchildren with ID
officialConfirmed by an official source: the venue, a ministry or the operator.
Always free
Children under 7, pensioners, visitors with disabilities (with documents)
officialConfirmed by an official source: the venue, a ministry or the operator.
Yelagin Palace
State rooms 200 ₽ (concessions 150 ₽); upstairs exhibition 100 ₽
officialConfirmed by an official source: the venue, a ministry or the operator.
Museum of Art Glass
200 ₽, concessions 100 ₽
officialConfirmed by an official source: the venue, a ministry or the operator.
Museum hours
Tue–Sun 10:00–18:30, last tickets 18:00; Wednesdays 13:00–21:00 in summer, 12:00–20:00 in winter
officialConfirmed by an official source: the venue, a ministry or the operator.
Museums closed
Mondays; palace cleaning days 24 November and 31 December 2026
officialConfirmed by an official source: the venue, a ministry or the operator.
Metro
Krestovsky Ostrov or Staraya Derevnya, Line 5 (purple)
officialConfirmed by an official source: the venue, a ministry or the operator.
Not allowed
Dogs (except guide dogs), e-scooters, bikes on weekends (except kids under 10 with an adult), swimming
officialConfirmed by an official source: the venue, a ministry or the operator.
Rowing boats
Summer only: about 600–800 ₽ an hour plus a 2,000 ₽ cash deposit
verifyingFrom reliable travel sources; we are still checking it against an official one. Double-check before you go.
Address
Yelagin Island 4 (Elagin ostrov, 4)
Coordinates
59.97861, 30.25500YesGo MapGoogleAppleYandex

Key facts

1818–1822Carlo Rossi rebuilt Yelagin Palace as a summer home for Dowager Empress Maria Feodorovna
2 sourcesOfficial website of the Kirov Central ParkRussian Wikipedia, “Yelagin Island”
2.1 kmend to end, with no cars allowed
2 sourcesEnglish and Russian Wikipedia, “Yelagin Island”park visitor rules
3 bridgeslink it to Kamenny Island, Krestovsky Island and the Primorsky district
2 sourcesRussian Wikipedia, “Yelagin Island”official park website, “Getting there”
Ivan Yelagincourtier of Catherine the Great who owned the island from 1777 and gave it its name
SourceEnglish and Russian Wikipedia, “Yelagin Island”
350,000 rublespaid by the Imperial Cabinet to Count Orlov for the island in 1817
SourceEnglish and Russian Wikipedia, “Yelagin Island”
1934the park was named after Sergei Kirov
2 sourcesEncyclopaedia of St Petersburg (encspb)Russian Wikipedia
Lionson the granite terrace at the Strelka, brought from the Stroganov dacha
2 sourcesRussian Wikipedia, “Yelagin Island”T—Zh guide to the park
≈ 300 yearsthe age of the old oak standing among newer trees
SourceEnglish and Russian Wikipedia, “Yelagin Island”
2010the Museum of Art Glass opened in the Orangery; a glassblowing workshop followed in 2018
2 sourcesOfficial park websiteT—Zh guide to the park

Yelagin Island entrance fee: when is it free?

Monday to Friday, entry is free all day. On Saturdays, Sundays and public holidays you pay 200 ₽ between 10:00 and 19:59; full-time students and schoolchildren pay 50 ₽ with ID, and children under 7 go free. Arrive before 10:00 or after 20:00 and even a weekend visit costs nothing.

Tickets are sold at the gates and online on the park’s official website. Foreign Visa and Mastercard cards haven’t worked in Russia since March 2022, so on a weekend bring roubles in cash or come in the free hours.

The palace and the glass museum charge separately — 200 ₽ each for adults — and you can visit them on a weekday without paying for the park at all.

How to get to Yelagin Island

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on footdestinationStreet view

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On foot

More tips

  1. From Palace Square, walk about 10 minutes to Admiralteyskaya metro station — it’s on Line 5 (purple), the line you need.
  2. Ride three stops north to Krestovsky Ostrov, roughly 10 minutes.
  3. Walk up Ryukhina Street to the Martynova embankment; the 2nd Yelagin Bridge, the main entrance, is straight ahead. Allow 10–15 minutes.
  4. Alternatively, stay on one more stop to Staraya Derevnya, walk down Lipovaya Alley to Primorsky Prospekt and cross the 3rd Yelagin Bridge — about 15 minutes, handy for the northern boating ponds.
  5. Buses 32 and 93 and trams 2, 21 and 48 also run to the entrances.
  6. No cars on the island — taxis drop you at the bridges.
  7. From the 2nd Bridge to the Strelka is a 20–25-minute walk; give yourself the same to get back before the 23:00 closing.

Is Yelagin Island worth visiting?

Yes — if you have a free afternoon or evening and want a break from museums and crowds. It is the greenest, quietest place within metro reach of the centre: no traffic, water on every side, a neoclassical palace and the best sunset spot in the city. On the YesGo score it beats most city parks for that mix.

It isn’t worth it on a two-day first trip, when the Hermitage and the centre come first, or on a cold, windy winter day, when the Strelka is bleak. In summer and early autumn, though, it’s one of the easiest good evenings St Petersburg offers.

Things to do on Yelagin Island

  • Watch the sunset at the Strelka — the western tip, with granite steps, lions and the open Gulf of Finland; the Lakhta Center rises on the horizon.
  • Tour Yelagin Palace — Rossi’s state rooms on the ground floor, rotating exhibitions upstairs, and a granite landing on the pond outside.
  • See glass being blown at the Museum of Art Glass in the Orangery: 700-plus pieces of glass and crystal and a hot-glass workshop.
  • Rent a rowing boat or pedalo on the ponds in summer.
  • Lie on the Butter Meadow (Masleny Lug), the big lawn in the middle where festivals and concerts are held — including a tulip festival in spring.
  • Check the Stable Block for its monthly art exhibitions.
  • Skate in winter on the Big Rink — the ponds themselves are off-limits.

Yelagin Palace: hours and tickets

The palace opens Tuesday to Sunday, 10:00–18:30, with the last tickets at 18:00. Wednesdays run late: 13:00–21:00 in summer and 12:00–20:00 in winter. It is closed on Mondays and on cleaning days — 24 November and 31 December for the rest of 2026.

The state rooms cost 200 ₽ (150 ₽ concessions) and take 30–40 minutes. The upstairs exhibition is another 100 ₽. Carlo Rossi rebuilt the palace in 1818–1822 for the widow of Paul I, and it is a compact, crowd-free way to see his interiors — the same architect behind the General Staff arch on Palace Square.

The Museum of Art Glass, a short walk away in the Orangery, keeps the same hours and costs 200 ₽. Glassblowing classes are extra and need booking.

When to catch the sunset at the Strelka

The Strelka is the one spot near the centre where the sun sets straight into open sea. During the White Nights in June it goes down after 22:00 and the sky never fully darkens — you still make it before the 23:00 closing.

September and October are the sweet spot: the sun sets between 18:30 and 20:30 in September and between 16:30 and 18:30 in October, the lime avenues turn gold, and on a weekday entry is free and the paths are quiet. Bring a jacket — it is always windier at the tip than in the city.

Before you go: checklist

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Yelagin Island vs Krestovsky Island vs Summer Garden

Yelagin Islandyou are hereIsland park with Rossi’s palace, ponds and the StrelkaFree weekdays, 200 ₽ weekend daytimeThree metro stops from AdmiralteyskayaYes, at the Strelka1.5–3 h
Krestovsky IslandNeighbouring island: sports, avenues, the stadiumFreeOne bridge away from YelaginPartly1–2 h
Summer GardenPeter the Great’s formal garden with statuesFreeCity centre, on the NevaNo40–60 min

Pick Yelagin for water, nature and the sunset. The Summer Garden fits better into a day in the centre, and Krestovsky Island is the walk from the metro to Yelagin anyway.

Petrograd Side and the islands, ending at sunset

Spend the day at the Peter and Paul Fortress and the cruiser Aurora, take the metro to Krestovsky Island and finish with Yelagin Palace and the Strelka. Add them to your route in one tap — YesGo fits in the timing and transfers.

  1. Peter and Paul Fortress2 h · Grounds free, cathedral 1,000 ₽
  2. 23 min walk from the previous stopCruiser Aurora1 h · 1,000 ₽ for foreign visitors
  3. 88 min walk from the previous stopKrestovsky Island1 h 30 min · Free
  4. 13 min walk from the previous stopYelagin Islandyou are here1 h 30 min · Free weekdays, 200 ₽ at weekends

4 places · about 8 h 4 min with walks · 124 min on foot in total

Go · my route

Nearby — add to your day

Krestovsky Island

St Petersburg, Russia

1 h 30 min · Free · 13 min walk

How to do it right

  • 90-minute loop: 2nd Yelagin Bridge → Butter Meadow → Strelka → back along the southern ponds.
  • Three hours: start at the palace on the eastern end, add the glass museum, then walk the length of the island to the Strelka for sunset.
  • Free weekend visit: come after 20:00 in summer — it’s still light and the sunset is ahead.
  • With kids: the boats, the mini zoo and the glassblowing workshop are the hits.
  • Card trouble: foreign cards don’t work in Russia, so keep some roubles for weekend tickets and cafés.

Questions

Is Yelagin Island free?

On weekdays, yes — all day. On weekends and public holidays you pay 200 ₽ between 10:00 and 19:59; before 10:00 and after 20:00 it is free.

How much is the entrance fee to Yelagin Island?

200 ₽ for adults at weekend daytimes, 50 ₽ for full-time students and schoolchildren with ID. Children under 7 and pensioners go free.

What are Yelagin Island opening hours?

The park is open every day from 6:00 to 23:00, all year. Yelagin Palace and the glass museum open 10:00–18:30, later on Wednesdays, and close on Mondays.

How do I get to Yelagin Island by metro?

Take Line 5 (purple) to Krestovsky Ostrov — three stops from Admiralteyskaya — and walk 10–15 minutes to the 2nd Yelagin Bridge. Staraya Derevnya, one stop further, leads to the 3rd Bridge.

How long do you need on Yelagin Island?

1.5–2 hours for a walk from the bridge to the Strelka and back; around 3 hours if you add the palace and stay for sunset.

Can you see the sunset from Yelagin Island?

Yes — from the Strelka, the western tip, the sun sets straight into the Gulf of Finland. In June that is after 22:00, still before the park closes at 23:00.

Can I bring my dog to Yelagin Island?

No. Park rules ban dogs of any size; only guide dogs with documents are allowed.

Can you rent boats on Yelagin Island?

Yes, in summer: rowing boats and pedalos on the ponds, roughly 600–800 ₽ an hour with a 2,000 ₽ cash deposit. The park doesn’t publish prices, so treat these as a guide.

Who is Yelagin Island named after?

Ivan Yelagin, a courtier of Catherine the Great and a leading Russian Freemason, who owned the island from 1777.

Have you been? Was it worth your time?

1 — no, 5 — absolutely

Your vote counts towards the YesGo score.

Sources and fact-check

  • Official website of the Kirov Central Park of Culture and Leisure: prices, getting there, visitor rules, Yelagin Palace Museum, Museum of Art Glass, rentals, 29.10.2026
  • Delovoy Peterburg and Mail.ru, 1 October 2025: park ticket rises to 200 rubles, citing the park’s press office
  • English and Russian Wikipedia: Yelagin Island; Wikidata Q4174533
  • Encyclopaedia of St Petersburg (encspb): Kirov Central Park of Culture and Leisure
  • T—Zh guide to the park on Yelagin Island (boat rental, the Strelka, glass museum)
  • Visa and Mastercard statements on suspending operations in Russia, March 2022
YesGo editorial team · facts checked 29.10.2026 ·
How we checkedPrices, park and museum hours, concessions, rules and transport come from the park’s official website; the rise to 200 ₽ is confirmed by news reports citing the park’s press office. The park doesn’t publish boat-rental prices, so that row comes from the T—Zh guide and is marked “verifying”. Sources disagree on when the Kirov park opened (1931 in the Encyclopaedia of St Petersburg, 1932 in Russian Wikipedia) and on the island’s area (96.8 ha in Russian Wikipedia, 94 ha in English), so we give neither and use the 2.1 km length both agree on. Walking times and sunset times are our own estimate from the map and the calendar.

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