Vitebsky Railway Station in Saint Petersburg: Architecture and Getting Around

• Russia’s first railway ran from Saint Petersburg to Tsarskoye Selo in 1837.
• The present station building was constructed in the Art Nouveau style in 1904.
• The elevated tracks lead to platforms on the second floor.
• The address is 52 Zagorodny Avenue; Pushkinskaya metro station is close to the railway station.
• Suburban trains connect the station with destinations including Pushkin and Pavlovsk.

The route from Saint Petersburg to Tsarskoye Selo opened Russia’s railway service in 1837. The first station was a single-storey wooden building near the intersection of Zagorodny Prospect and Vvedensky Canal. The line led to the imperial summer residence of the time and established the historical role of today’s Vitebsky Railway Station.

The present building was constructed in 1904 to designs by Stanislav Brzhozovsky and Sima Minash in the Art Nouveau style. Curving staircases, halls and glazed elements define the interiors; the tracks are elevated, allowing trains to reach the platforms on the second floor. This unusual layout distinguishes the building from a ground-level terminus. The first station, the route opened in 1837 and the present building belong to different phases of the same railway connection.

The station is located at 52 Zagorodny Avenue. Pushkinskaya station on the red metro line is close to the railway complex and connects the train terminal with the city’s transport network. The railway stations in Saint Petersburg are located in different parts of the city and serve different routes. Suburban services from Vitebsky Railway Station run to destinations including Pushkin and Pavlovsk; historical and current connections vary depending on the destination.

The Moskovsky Railway Station, Ladozhsky Railway Station and Finlyandsky Railway Station are in other parts of the city and serve other routes. Your ticket specifies the departure station. During a stay in Saint Petersburg, trips to Nevsky Prospekt and the city’s museums are separate itinerary items from a visit to the railway station.

When choosing accommodation, consider your departure station, where your planned city activities are located, and how you’ll get around with your luggage. You can choose accommodation in Saint Petersburg to suit the metro station and the first or last leg of your train journey. If you need to transfer to another station, allow time for both the journey across the city and departure from the second terminal. Extra time is especially helpful when you have separate tickets.

Include your train journey, luggage and transfer in your travel checklist and schedule; as a precaution in case of delays, prepare a backup plan with contacts you can reach. It’s useful to save the address, metro station and next departure station as text in case your route changes.

According to the authorities, German Visa and Mastercard cards, payment apps, cash withdrawals using German cards, and transfers to Russia are unavailable. These restrictions also affect payment for travel and stays between railway stations.

How long did the first train journey to Tsarskoye Selo take?

The first train reached Tsarskoye Selo in 1837 after 35 minutes. The return journey took 27 minutes; these figures refer to the historic inaugural run.

Which metro station is near Vitebsky Railway Station?

The nearby metro station is called Pushkinskaya and is on the red line.