The cruiser Aurora is one of the symbols of the city. It is famous for a blank shot it fired as signal to storm the Winter palace where Provisional government sat, and it was a crucial event during the October revolution of 1917. Today the cruiser is preserved as a museum and you can easily come to see it as it is docked not far from Peter and Paul fortress you’ll surely visit.
History of the Aurora cruiser
Aurora cruiser was built between 1897-1900 by New Admiralty shipyards in St Petersburg. It participated in Russian-Japanese war and was lucky to survive the Tsushima battle when Russian squadron was almost totally destroyed. After its return to Russia Aurora became a cadet training ship and later participated in First World War. In 1916 the ship was sent to Petrograd how St Petersburg was called then and the part of the crew became involved in the revolutionary movement. On October 25 1917 the famous blank shot was made. Aurora is docked in the center of St Petersburg, although not on the place where it stood during the storm of the Winter palace.
Visiting information
For many years the entrance on its deck was free, but now access is restricted and it’s open for group tours only. But, in any case, you can walk there to toke picture of it 24 hours a day. The cruiser Aurora is docked near Petrogradskaya embankment, it’s about 15 minutes on foot from the Peter and Paul fortress.