St Petersburg is one of the capitals of Russian street art. Seven works worth tracking down.
🎨 1. Dovlatov, Rubinstein Street
A black-and-white portrait of the writer Sergei Dovlatov on the gable at Rubinstein 23, by Viktor Fanto.
🎨 2. Viktor Tsoi on the Petrograd Side
Tsoi's portrait on a building wall on the Petrograd Side — probably the city's most recognisable graffiti. Pushkinskaya 10.
🎨 3. Mars frescoes on Vasilievsky
A series by the anonymous Mars across Vasilievsky Island — Peter I, fishermen, old St Petersburg scenes.
🎨 4. "The Wizard", Marata Street
A large piece on a gable: a wizard tosses a card with a city skyline. Photogenic.
🎨 5. Cosmos, Petrograd Side, Zhdanovskaya
A 2010s space-themed series, partially surviving.
🎨 6. "I'm drawing you", Kolomna
A romantic series on doors and entrances in Kolomna — a resident-maintained project.
🎨 7. Street Art Museum (Shosse Revolyutsii 84)
Dedicated museum since 2012: ten large murals on the grounds of a former plastics plant. Separate tour.
🚕 Routing
Dovlatov + Tsoi + Kolomna makes a 90-minute central walk. For the Street Art Museum, RideClu — it is on the outskirts.
🛏 Where to stay
Apartments near Rubinstein and in Kolomna are bookable on Tutkakdoma.
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: Mika Stetsovski, CC BY 2.0, Викисклад
