The Electric Transportation Museum is located in St. Petersburg. This city is associated with ancient trams that ran around the city. Retrotransport takes part in various celebrations and parades. Old trams in the city run every weekend. Local residents and guests of the Northern capital of the Russian Federation have the opportunity to ride them around the city.
Those travelers who want to learn more about the evolution of electric vehicles are advised to visit the Museum of urban electric vehicles in St. Petersburg.
A little help
Not all travelers include the St. Petersburg unitary enterprise Gorelektrotrans in their travel itinerary and do it in vain. The Museum of Electric Transport of St. Petersburg is located on the territory of the Vasileostrovsky Tram Park. Its exposition is located in two of the three depot buildings. The Museum of Electric Transport is proud that it was from here in 1907 that the first tram in the city on the Neva came out.
Depot was built in 1906-1908. designed by engineers F. Teichmann, A. Kogan, L. Gorenberg. The depot building was created in 1906-1907. Art Nouveau, and later modified by the engineer A. A. Lamagin.
Pages of history
The Electric Transportation Museum was opened in 1967 in Leningrad on the occasion of the 60th anniversary of the launch of the first city tram. At first, he did not have an official status, but photographs were used as exhibits.
Much later, the restoration of equipment began, which honestly "worked out its service." At the end of the 20th century, the idea of locating real technology in the depot was promoted. After winning the All-Russian competition of professional skill, a tram driver Andrei Ananyev and a team of like-minded people began to assemble a collection of the Museum of Electric Transport.
By 1982, not only Soviet, but also foreign trams were in the depot. Of course, these were analogues of foreign cars that were produced in Russia.
Important facts
The history of the creation of the Museum of Electric Transport is presented in modern exhibitions. Among the exhibits that cause genuine interest among tourists, we highlight an old tram such as Brush. It was launched on routes in 1907, that is, more than a hundred years ago. The model has repeatedly participated in the filming of Soviet films.
In the fall of 2014, Sredny Prospekt Vasilievsky Island acquired a new cultural heritage site. The collection presented at the Museum has trolleybuses and trams from ancient exhibits to modern designs.
What to see?
There is a horse carriage in the Museum, which was the progenitor of the usual tram.
Among the exhibits there is also a “festival bus” that once transported Soviet pop stars: Edith Piekha, Lyudmila Gurchenko, Leonid Kostritsa.
Many exhibits of the museum are preserved in only one copy. What types of transport does the museum offer visitors to see?
Tours involve acquaintance with 22 tram cars, 7 trolley buses, one bus. An interesting fact is that all the vehicles presented in the museum are in good condition.
He is being systematically cared for, which is why museum exhibits are involved in the shooting of historical films and participating in retro-exhibitions. Periodically, a tram parade is held, in which many exhibits take an active part.
Curious facts
The middle avenue of Vasilyevsky Island, which houses a unique depot, has repeatedly participated in the filming of feature films and documentaries. Filmmakers did not disregard this beautiful avenue. Carriage 1028, which is currently on display at the museum, is featured in the movie Dog Heart. The museum exhibits were the heroes of the following films: “Lenin in October”, “Brother”, “Master and Margarita”.
In addition to historical transport, the museum also has various photographs, illustrations, brochures, drawings, tickets of various years, itineraries, posters, cash registers, clothing of conductors, composters, service certificates.
In some rooms, small models, paintings, and movie clips featuring museum exhibits are presented.
The furniture of 1907, which was used by the first director of the museum, is also presented.
Schedule
When can I get to the electric transport museum? Opening hours: Wednesday-Sunday from 10:00 to 18:00. The entrance to the museum closes at 17:00, until that time the ticket office also works. Excursion service is offered to visitors on Saturdays and Sundays 4 times a day: 10:00, 11:30, 14:00, 16:00.
The cost of admission is 300 rubles. (preferential can be bought for 100 rubles.) A guide is provided for free. During the tour for an additional fee (160 rubles), you can ride on a retro tram.
Location and service
The Museum of Urban Electric Transport is located at: Sredny Prospekt, V.O., house 77 (15 minutes from Vasileostrovskaya metro station). The duration of the tour is 1.5-2 hours. With a group of 8-10 people, you can additionally book a trip through the park on a trolley bus or tram. Visitors note the originality and effectiveness of the tour. The group gets into a tram or trolley, where it listens to the fascinating story of a professional guide.
Then visitors move to the next exhibit, the tour continues. From the guide’s story you can find amazing facts about transport in the city on the Neva. For example, first trams were launched in the city on the ice of the Neva, and only then they began to walk on rails.
What is allowed for visitors?
Free in the museum you can take photos and shoot videos, visit the besieged tram, sit on the ground for passengers. If the cabin is open during the tour, visitors are allowed to feel like a tram driver. You can press any buttons, ring the bell.
There is a ban on climbing stairs that lead up to the electrical network, since the wires are under high voltage. There are no restrictions on self-study of exhibits, visitors can continue to explore the museum after the tour. For example, in the cinema you can see the parade of trolleybuses.
Once in this amazing museum of St. Petersburg, you can feel like a car driver or conductor, to realize the complexity and responsibility of these professions.
Wedding ceremonies
Some Petersburgers, having seen the tram parade, are so imbued with the romance of this electric vehicle that they order a wedding photo session in the museum.
Pictures taken in old wagons turn out to be so beautiful that the full impression of the realism of the newlyweds being in the 19-20 centuries is created. Some guests believe that the lighting in the museum is not bright enough, but looking at the photos of the newlyweds in a trolleybus or tram, it is quite difficult to agree with this point of view.
Excursions for children
The St. Petersburg Museum of Electric Transport offers special tours for students. The guide (depending on age) tells interesting facts from the history of electric transport in St. Petersburg.
Children are also offered quests, within which they can independently get acquainted with the exhibits they like, learn the features of their creation. In cold weather, children come here in warm clothes, since some of the exhibits are in the depot at the same temperature as on the street.
The guide’s stories will be interesting for preschoolers as well, therefore groups of kids from nearby kindergartens in St. Petersburg are brought here. The guys are completely delighted when the guide, taking the place of a tram driver, invites them to travel around the museum.
Visitors reviews
Tourists who are fortunate enough to be in the Museum of Electric Transport are happy to listen to the guide, take pictures against the backdrop of historic cars.
What do visitors mark? It would seem that, despite the fact that the exhibits are located in the former hangars of the Vasileostrovsky tram park, built in the last century, hundreds of electric vehicle fans are eager to get here.
Visitors note the interesting work of the guides, their desire to increase the intellectual and cultural level of tourists. What attracts citizens and visitors of St. Petersburg here? The opportunity to touch the history of your country, ride on vehicles that were once used by the inhabitants of besieged Leningrad.
What other impressions do visitors of this unusual museum share? Some note that for the first time they learned that trams ran around the city during the blockade of Leningrad. Thanks to local volunteers who take an active part in the repair and restoration work, they manage to deliver old trams and trolleybuses to a presentable appearance. What else do visitors to this unusual Petersburg museum say?
For example, only during the tour, many citizens learned that already at the beginning of the last century there was a relationship between the cost of travel and the distance of the route. Such a measure significantly complicated the work of the conductor, but allowed to prevent attempts of vandalism and hooliganism.
Some first saw self-checkout counters, learned that in order to tear off a ticket, you had to lower 3 kopecks into a special hole, then tear off the ticket.
Unfortunately, part of dishonest people to whom the passengers handed over money lowered fewer coins to the cash register, leaving some of the money to themselves. For this reason, self-service checkouts were removed, and instead of them, composters were installed in the trams. The fare in the trolley bus was 4 kopecks.
Among the positive qualities of the museum, visitors note affordable ticket prices, free video and photography, as well as its convenient location.
In a few minuses, visitors in their reviews of the electric transport museum consider the need to dress warmly in cold weather, since the museum is just as cold as it is on the street. Some visitors complain about poor lighting, so the pictures are obtained of poor quality.
