I am Anna Zhukova from Saint-Petersburg in Russia; I am a free-lance tour-guide with licenses for all museums in St.Petersburg and its suburbs

I have worked as a tour-guide since 1994 for the best travel companies of the world! A career tour-guide, I worked for Royal Caribbean Cruise Line, Renaissance Cruises, Crystal Cruises, Silver Sea Cruise, Maritz Travel Company and among my clients were different organizations: Save Venice Foundation, Art of Faberge Foundation, Pension 2000 and many others. I, therefore, know something about my subject!

I love this city, full of charm and magic!

Enchanting Russian winter with snowflakes and Festival of Russian Ballet!

Quiet and empty rooms of the Hermitage Museum in the winter time! So full of rush and hustle during hot summer days. Afternoon tea to the sound of a piano at "Old Cafe"; dinner by candlelight nearby mantelpiece at "Restoran"; evening with a book or chess at "Idiot" restaurant. It fills your memory with alive images of Dostoevsky, Pushkin, Tchaikovsky and Glinka. To show you the city like Saint-Petersburg, makes me proud of the heritage my country gave me!

My favorite tour among all is Yusupov Palace Tour. You can see Yusupov's family nest. Although, not as glories as at the time of Felix and Zinaida Yusupov but still a very impressive mention with fantastic decor! It is listed in the catalogue of the best palaces of the world! In spite of all the wonders and treasures of the Hermitage museum, Yusupov Palace can strike you with its beauty! My devotion and interest in my job taught me to be able to match the tours virtually to any budget!

You can ask my clients who wrote their testimonials and who can give you first hand information. If you have any more 'whys', if you have made up your mind about your trip to St.Petersburg just send me an e-mail!

Shopping

Vodka, Matryoshka and Caviar is far from the whole story about Russian Shopping!

Long traditions and talented craftsman made Russian shopping quite an event during your visit to Russia! Even those, who are not keen on spending entire time on shop hunting, find fascinating things in the local stores.

Lomonosov Porcelain factory of St.Petersburg is very well known all over the world! The quality of porcelain is the same like Berlin factory and prices are just striking low! Especially, Cobalt Net Porcelain Set! Designed for the luxurious dinners at the Winter Palace!

Russian lacquer miniatures have turned into the symbol of artistic creation. You can find them in St.Petersburg and they will match any taste. But to be able to appreciate the art, you would probably need to know a little bit about the history of four villages where the most of lacquer miniatures are created. The miniature lacquer paintings have been manufactured in four villages namely Fedoskino, Palekh, Kholui and Mstera since 1795.

Several generations of artists have created unique technique of making paper-mache shape coated with black vanish. Mother-of-pearl plaque metal foil and preparations powered with metal dust are used to highlight the background. The complicated ornament and elaborate shape wonderfully emphasize the pure beauty of the painting. The most splendid of Russian traditional art forms has been improved by contemporary talents in recent times and constitutes a major source of delight and admiration for Russian and foreign collectors.