Bolshevik Revolution Walking Tour, St. Petersburg

Bolshevik Revolution Walking Tour (Self Guided), St. Petersburg

When thinking of the events that changed the course of history in the 20th century, one of the first places that comes to mind is St. Petersburg. The “cradle of three revolutions” waged against the Tsarist autocracy saw the country's most important revolutionary events unravel, sending shock waves across the entire globe. What started in February 1917, reached its climax in October when the Bolsheviks seized power, putting Russia – and indeed the rest of the world – beyond the point of no return. The old regime fell and gave rise to a new formation, the Soviet Union.

Places like the Smolny Institute (seat of the first Soviet government and Lenin's residence), Finland Station (where Lenin arrived from exile in 1917), the Aurora cruiser (whose gun fired a shot signaling the assault on the Winter Palace) and of course the Winter Palace itself (the storming of which on 25 October 1917 by the Red Guard soldiers and sailors marked the outset of the Socialist Revolution in Russia) recall the events of 100 years ago that left a tangible mark on St. Petersburg and the Russian culture.

If you're a history buff or simply wish to discover traces of the Russian revolutions that made the entire world a totally different place, take this self-guided walking tour of St. Petersburg.
Image Courtesy of Wikimedia and BezPRUzyn.
How it works: Download the app "GPSmyCity: Walks in 1K+ Cities" from Apple App Store or Google Play Store to your mobile phone or tablet. The app turns your mobile device into a personal tour guide and its built-in GPS navigation functions guide you from one tour stop to next. The app works offline, so no data plan is needed when traveling abroad.

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Bolshevik Revolution Walking Tour Map

Guide Name: Bolshevik Revolution Walking Tour
Guide Location: Russia » St. Petersburg (See other walking tours in St. Petersburg)
Guide Type: Self-guided Walking Tour (Sightseeing)
Tour Duration: 4 Hour(s)
Travel Distance: 9.8 Km or 6.1 Miles

Sights Featured in This Walk

Lenin Memorial Museum (Smolny Institute)
Finlyandsky Rail Terminal
Cruiser Aurora

3) Cruiser Aurora

Image Courtesy of Flickr and Andrey Korchagin.
Sight description based on Wikipedia.
Peter and Paul Fortress
Winter Palace and Hermitage Museum

5) Winter Palace and Hermitage Museum (must see)

Image Courtesy of Wikimedia and Sasha Petite.
Sight description based on Wikipedia.

WalkBuilder (customize this walk)


Use the WalkBuilder tool below to customize this walk to suit your interests. Instructions: click at the upper right corner in the map above to view other sights in the city. To learn more about a sight, click a map pin. Click the “+” or “–” to add or remove a sight from the walk. To reorder the selected sights, simply drag and move them up or down the list in the left column.
Click here to view route map
Enter a name for your custom walk, along with your email address, in the fields below. You will receive the instructions for retrieving your custom walk in the GPSmyCity app by email. The GPSmyCity app offers turn-by-turn travel directions to guide you from one attraction to the next.
Walk Name*:
Email*:

Frequently Asked Questions


1. How do I access my walking tour in St. Petersburg?
Save your walking tour on the website. Then download the GPSmyCity app from the Apple App Store or Google Play Store and sign in to your GPSmyCity account. Next, download “St. Petersburg Map and Walking Tours” within the app. Your walk will appear on the Walks screen.

2. How do I view other attractions in St. Petersburg?
At the upper-right corner of the map above, click the “Nearby Sights” button to show or hide other sights in the city. Click a map pin to view details about a sight. To add a sight to your walk, find it in the right column of the WalkBuilder tool above and click the “+” button next to it.

3. How do I re-arrange the sight order?
In the left column of the WalkBuilder tool, drag a sight to move it up or down the list. Then click “Click here to view route map”. Repeat this process until the route meets your needs.

4. Can I add my hotel to a walking tour?
Yes. You can add your hotel as the starting point, the ending point, or both (creating a loop route). This feature is currently available only in the GPSmyCity app.

5. Can I add my own sights to a walking tour?
Yes. You can add sightss that are not in our database and include them in your walk. To do so, sign in to your GPSmyCity account on the website or use the GPSmyCity app.

6. How many sights can be included in a walking tour?
For technical reasons, the number of sights in a walking tour is currently capped at 20. This limit may be increased over time.

Walking Tours in St. Petersburg, Russia

Create Your Own Walk in St. Petersburg

Create Your Own Walk in St. Petersburg

Creating your own self-guided walk in St. Petersburg is easy and fun. Choose the city attractions that you want to see and a walk route map will be created just for you. You can even set your hotel as the start point of the walk.
Vasilyevsky Island Walking Tour

Vasilyevsky Island Walking Tour

Situated just across the river from the Winter Palace, Vasilyevsky Island constitutes a large part of Saint Petersburg's historic center.

There are various versions of the origin of the island's name suggesting either Vasily-related etymology or perhaps just a corruption of the previous Swedish or Finnish name, e.g. Vasikkasaari (“Calf Island”). Legend has it, however, that some...  view more

Tour Duration: 2 Hour(s)
Travel Distance: 2.7 Km or 1.7 Miles
Russian Literary Heritage Walking Tour

Russian Literary Heritage Walking Tour

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Tour Duration: 3 Hour(s)
Travel Distance: 5.9 Km or 3.7 Miles
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Nevsky Prospekt Walking Tour

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Upon his founding of the city in 1703, Tsar Peter the Great planned the course of the street as the outset of...  view more

Tour Duration: 3 Hour(s)
Travel Distance: 3.1 Km or 1.9 Miles
St. Petersburg Introduction Walking Tour

St. Petersburg Introduction Walking Tour

Russia's northern capital, Saint Petersburg is the country's second largest city where nearly every stone breathes history. It is named after apostle Saint Peter and traditionally dubbed by the Russians as “the Window to Europe” “opened” by Peter the Great on 27 May 1703 on the site of a captured Swedish fortress amid the swamp and the Neva River.

The city is integral with...  view more

Tour Duration: 2 Hour(s)
Travel Distance: 4.3 Km or 2.7 Miles

Useful Travel Guides for Planning Your Trip

16 Unique Russian Things to Seek in St. Petersburg

16 Unique Russian Things to Seek in St. Petersburg
The "cradle of two revolutions", St. Petersburg bears cultural and historic significance for Russia that is hard to overestimate. Perhaps, nearly every stone in the downtown part of the city breathes history and can qualify as a memorable souvenir, although picking up them for such purpose...