St Petersburg has five writers' apartment museums that are genuinely worth an afternoon, and each one has its own trap at the door. Here is what they cost, when they close, and what you actually see inside.
Dostoevsky, Kuznechny Lane 5/2
Dostoevsky moved in with his family in early October 1878 and died here on 28 January 1881. The flat was rebuilt as communal housing in Soviet times and restored from archive plans; the museum opened on 11 November 1971. Entry is 400 roubles (200 for students, schoolchildren and pensioners). Open Tuesday, Thursday to Sunday 11:00–18:00 and Wednesday 13:00–20:00, closed Monday. The ticket desk and the entrance both shut 30 minutes before closing time. An audio guide is available in eight languages, including English; the full version runs two hours.
Pushkin, Moika Embankment 12
The only surviving Pushkin apartment in the city, where the poet died on 29 January 1837 after his duel. The catch: tickets are sold only at the museum desk on the day of the visit — there is no advance online option — and the museum's own booking site advises coming in the morning because numbers are limited. Visits run as timed tours, and the time of the last tour changes month by month, so check the schedule the same morning. A separate museum, "Pushkin. Life and Work", operates at the same address and does sell tickets online; do not confuse the two.
