Getting Around Petrogradka
Petrogradka (Petrogradskaya Storona) is the historic district on the Petrograd Side of Saint Petersburg, and it is one of the easier parts of the city to explore without a car. The district is served by the metro, an extensive bus network, trams, and ride-hailing, and many of its main sights sit within comfortable walking distance of one another. The notes below cover the practical options for a visitor.
How Tourists Move Around the City
Saint Petersburg's public transport system is run as an integrated network, so visitors can mix metro, bus, and tram trips and pay for them in the same way. For most short stays, the metro is the backbone of getting around, with buses and trams filling in the streets that the metro does not reach. Petrogradka is well connected on all of these modes, which makes it a convenient base as well as a destination.
Metro
The metro is the fastest and most straightforward way to reach Petrogradka from elsewhere in the city. The district is served by metro lines 2 and 5, which stop near the Leningrad Zoo in Alexander Park — one of Petrogradka's best-known attractions. The Petrogradskaya station is a local hub: bus line 46 connects it with Suvorovskaya Ploshchad, and bus line 191 also runs to Petrogradskaya metro station. If you are navigating by landmark, the zoo is a useful reference point, since several bus routes and both metro lines converge around it.
Trams and Light Rail
Trams still run through Petrogradka and are a pleasant way to cover ground above the streets. Tram lines 6 and 40 serve the area around the Leningrad Zoo. The nearest tram stop is on Dobrolyubov Avenue, a short walk from the zoo. Trams run from early morning until shortly after midnight — line 6, for example, starts at about 5:45 AM and its last tram is around 12:19 AM — so they are usable for both early starts and late returns.
Buses and Other Public Transport
Buses are the most widespread surface option in Petrogradka and reach places the metro and trams do not. A number of routes serve the streets around the Leningrad Zoo, including lines 10 and 14 (toward Krestovsky Island), 25, 128, 185 (toward Ladozhskaya metro station), 191 (toward Petrogradskaya metro station), 227, and several others that pass through the area. Bus line 46 links Suvorovskaya Ploshchad with Petrogradskaya metro station, a short hop of roughly ten minutes.
Buses run from early in the morning until after midnight; the first services start around 5:35 AM and the last run until roughly 1:04 AM. Note that some routes passing through the district do not pick up or drop off passengers at every stop, so check the route before relying on a particular line.
Useful bus stops near the zoo include Vvedenskaya Street, Dobrolyubov Avenue, and Voskova Street, all within a short walk of the zoo entrance.
Tickets and Payment
Fares on Petrogradka's buses can be paid with a Podorozhnik card or a contactless bank card, which makes it easy to travel without hunting for cash. The Podorozhnik card is the standard stored-value card for Saint Petersburg public transport and is the simplest option if you plan to make several journeys. Contactless bank cards are accepted on at least some bus services, so a tap-to-pay card is a reasonable backup.
Taxis and Ride-Hailing
Taxis and ride-hailing apps are widely used in Saint Petersburg and are a practical choice for late nights, heavy luggage, or trips that would otherwise require several changes. They are particularly handy for reaching Petrogradka's attractions when you are short on time, though for most cross-district journeys the metro will be quicker during busy periods.
Walking
Petrogradka is a compact, walkable district. Many of its landmarks sit close together — around the Leningrad Zoo you will find Zverinskaya Street, Blokhina Street, Mytninskaya Embankment, Dobrolyubov Avenue, the Museum of Artillery, Engineering Troops and Signal Corps, and St. Petersburg Classical Gymnasium No. 610, all within a pleasant stroll. The zoo itself is in Alexander Park on Kronverk Embankment, and the surrounding streets are easy to explore on foot between transit stops.
Getting from the Airport into the City
Pulkovo Airport is the main gateway to Saint Petersburg, and the usual ways into the city are by taxi or ride-hailing, by bus, or by a combination of bus and metro. Taxis and ride-hailing are the most direct option, especially with luggage, while buses are the cheaper choice and connect to the metro network for onward travel. Once you reach the metro, you can ride to Petrogradskaya station on lines 2 or 5 and continue on foot or by bus to your accommodation in the district.