The Krukov Canal is a short waterway (1.1 km) in the southern centre, linking the Moyka to the Fontanka. Along it stretches Kolomna, the quiet district of classical St Petersburg — Yusupov Palace, Mariinsky II, the Nicholas Naval Cathedral, and the homes of Pushkin, Dostoevsky and Blok.
🏛 From the Potseluev to the Krukov Bridge
Start at the Potseluev (Kissing) Bridge on the Moyka beside the Yusupov Palace. 200 metres on is the Krukov Bridge at Trud Square (the former Blagoveshchenskoe parade ground). Kolomna runs south from here.
🎭 Mariinsky and Mariinsky II
Both Mariinsky theatres face the Krukov Canal: the historic building and the New Stage (Mariinsky II, a 2013 glass cube). Fifty metres of water separate them — a bridge connects.
⛪ Nicholas Naval Cathedral
Between the canals rises the Nicholas (St Nicholas Naval) Cathedral by Savva Chevakinsky, 1762 — one of the city's finest churches, in Elizabethan baroque. Inside, a memorial to lost sailors.
📚 Pushkin, Dostoevsky, Blok
Nearby streets hold Pushkin's last flat (Moyka 12, a museum), the Blok apartment museum (Dekabristov 57) and the Dostoevsky Museum (Kuznechny Lane 5/2). A walking Kolomna loop takes in all three.
🚕 Getting there
Sadovaya metro, ten minutes on foot. Return by RideClu, especially after the Mariinsky.
🛏 Where to stay
Apartments in Kolomna are bookable on Tutkakdoma. Convenient for Mariinsky nights.
If this is your first time in St Petersburg, bear two things in mind. Distances between the main sights are short, but autumn daylight is brief and rain arrives on no schedule. Plan your route around the lit half of the day, allow half an hour of buffer between stops, and bring a thermos and gloves for the evening. Carry a thermos of tea, an offline map and a charger; mobile internet in the centre is steady but can drop along the embankments.
On the ground, walking is easiest between adjacent blocks, with short taxi hops when it gets dark or wet. If you are travelling as a group or with children, arrange the evening transfer back to your flat ahead of time — late-night fares spike. Flats in the centre go fast at weekends: book a week ahead for Nevsky, the Petrograd Side or Vasilievsky.
St Petersburg rewards half-day visits rather than one long marathon. Pick a theme — a single museum, a district, a walk — and give it time. After the active part, a warm cafe, a bookshop or a swimming pool is as much part of the ritual as the sights themselves, especially in November.
Verified on 22 October 2026.
Cover photo: MBH, CC BY 4.0, Викисклад
