Saint Petersburg Travel Forum

Dear Friends:
I am going to St Petesburg in August, and I would like to know if someone could tell me if I can enter the Hermitage, Tsarskoye Selo (Pushkin), and the Petrodvorets Palace with my camera tripod or not...
Some dear friends from virtualtourist have already told me I cannot do it at the Moscow's Kremlin...
If someone could please reply to me. Thank you very much....

The Kremlin and around the Kremlin to withdraw a camera tripod is not allowed. And also, the camera is forbidden to withdraw more in size than DSLR Canon30D(New rules photo-imaging in government facilities)
In Petersburg think can be used tropod everywhere, but except Hermitage. but it is better to use a monopod.

Hi, I don't know if this will help but when I was at the Hermitage 2 years ago I did not use a tripod but it did say no photography, however this made absolutely no difference there were cameras everywhere being used including mine.

In many museums they differ "amateur" shots from "professional" ones. Usually it costs more money (e.g. 500...1000 r against 10...40 r). Sometimes last one is prohibited et al.
How do they differ amateur from professional? Tripod - is the main thing! This makes sense if you consider that flash is forbidden in 80% of cases by default.

P.

A general policy maintained by most museums here forbids tripods for several reasons, safety for others in the crowded museums and risk of using a large metal frame to smash display cases to steal priceless artifacts.
The Hermitage has had that rule since valuable paintings, a Rembrant for one, were damaged. Professional photographers can apply for non-public hours photography sessions which are negotiated for fees in advance.
Flash is not allowed in most art museums due to bright light tends to fast fragile pigments and from the old days when exploding flash bulbs often damaged artifacts and bystanders alike. Each museum assess the risk individually to set strobe intensity, number and duration of flash etc for professionals. The use of the images are also controlled by license or contract. This is how the stunning calendars and photo books are produced.
Some churches allow tripods by consent, however.
My advice for visitors is to take snapshots after getting camera tickets and deal with the low lighting levels as best you can without flash in galleries or with the builtin flash in areas it is allowed, but for serious imaging, buy the reasonably priced photo books that are available for each museum or general collections of the city's major museums and palaces in single volumes. They are cheap and very beautiful.
Pay attention to the signs for photo prohibited rooms, some exhibits are on loan from other museums which usually limit imaging their collection while out of their control. This usually pertains to the Russian Museum side wings which are temporary exhibits and the Hermitage.
Stanj- St Petersburg

When you are inside museums it is difficult to setup a tripod, it is in the way of the people walking by and you really would need to make arrangements and pay a big fee for some special professional access.
Better to find some ways to get a sharp picture with other availalbel light techiniques like holding camera against an architectural element.

A person with a tripod really draws attention to themselves in these days of digital photography. While you are concentrating through the viewfinder a pickpocket may be concettrating on your valuables.

I find the little pocket tripods handy sometimes, especially for self-timer shots. On word of warning, don't wander far fromyour camera with the self-timer set, as you walk back to position you may find your camera no longer there!