Introducing St. Petersburg

It’s hard to believe that St. Petersburg was built upon a swamp in the Baltic Sea delta. But Peter the Great, with his eyes cast westward towards Paris and Amsterdam, had a grand (and his subjects thought insane) vision. The result would captivate the Russian people, indeed the world, for centuries. St. Petersburg’s genesis is telling. The city’s European aura, with its tree-lined canals, Baroque palaces, and Neoclassical homes painted in a fairytale palette of red, pink, and ochre, was designed by Italian architect Rastrelli. The people of St. Petersburg have always had a penchant for philosophical and political debate. It’s Russia’s Ohio, where the Russian people, and the world, look to capture the Russian zeitgeist. It was St. Petersburg that gave birth to the ideas that culminated with the Russian Revolution and it was St Petersburg that encouraged democracy when the tide began to turn against communism. From the Winter Palace to the monumental art cachet at the Hermitage Museum, and the turreted castles laced with mist that erupt from mystical forests, St. Petersburg’s history, beauty and quiet intelligence is visible at every turn. For all its traditional grandeur, St. Petersburg does not rest on its laurels. The city’s bohemian spirit and inventiveness is adding new pages to the city’s colorful narrative. While travelers may think of Tchaikovsky, it’s the punk bands that make the headlines these days. Alongside fusty, classic dining halls, an eclectic new wave of sleek restaurants serve gourmet dishes. St. Petersburg may not have the economic stature of Moscow, but is has a beauty, an openness, and a wholehearted belief in individualism that attracts the ears and eyes of the world.

Airport within a 15-mile radius of St. Petersburg:

  • Pulkovo Airport (LED, 12 miles from St. Petersburg centre)

Popular aircraft charters* in the area of St. Petersburg include:

  • Citation Excel (super light)
  • Learjet 45 XR (super light)
  • Citation CJ3 (light)
  • Learjet 31ER 400A (light)
  • Learjet 60 XR (midsize)
  • Citation III (midsize)
  • Gulfstream G200 (super midsize)
  • Citation Sovereign (super midsize)

*This is just a sample. Zephyr provides access to aircraft at every end of the spectrum, from luxurious VIP airliners, to ultra long range business jet, helicopters, and economical turboprops.