Ladozhsky Railway Station, on Zanevsky Prospekt in Krasnogvardeysky District, is the newest of the five main railway stations in Saint Petersburg. It opened in 2003, in time for the city’s 300th anniversary, and it is the only one that works as a through station: the other four are termini. The architect was Nikita Yavein of the Studio 44 bureau.
Most travellers come here for long-distance trains to the north and east, such as Petrozavodsk, Murmansk, Arkhangelsk and cities in the Urals and Siberia, and for some trains that run from Moscow through Saint Petersburg. The station is on the east side of the city, linked to the Ladozhskaya metro station on Line 4, and about half an hour from the centre by metro and a change.
Quick Facts
| Russian name | Ладожский вокзал |
|---|---|
| Type | Railway station |
| Built / opened | 2003 |
| Architect(s) | Nikita Yavein (Studio 44) |
| Address | Санкт-Петербург, Заневский проспект, 73 OpenStreetMap · Google Maps |
| District | Krasnogvardeysky District |
| Metro | Ladozhskaya (Line 4, the metro vestibule is part of the station complex, a short covered walk from the halls) |
| Opening hours | The station building serves passengers around the clock in line with the train timetable, but ticket offices, left luggage and the shops keep their own hours. Check your train and the services you need before an early or late journey (as of October 2026 – check the official site of Russian Railways). |
| Admission | Free to enter the public halls; you pay only for your train ticket and any extras such as left luggage. |
| Best time to visit | The station works in every season, and the long-distance trains run all year. For a calm look at the hall, choose midday. The evening, when the overnight trains to the north leave, is the busiest time, and winter snow can delay trains. |
| Recommended duration | 30 minutes to 1 hour, plus your train |
| Website | rzd.ru |
| Last updated | October 16, 2026 |
How to Get to and from Ladozhsky Railway Station, Saint Petersburg
| Option | Duration | Price | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Metro from Ladozhskaya | About 20 to 30 minutes to the centre, with a change | ₽ | Recommended. The Ladozhskaya station is part of the complex. Line 4 runs to Ploshchad Aleksandra Nevskogo, Dostoevskaya and Spasskaya, where you can change for the Nevsky Prospekt area. Check a map for the best change for your hotel. |
| Tram, bus or minibus | Varies | ₽ | Many city routes stop around the station and on Zanevsky Prospekt. Best for local destinations on the east side of the city; check a map for the route. |
| Official taxi or taxi app | About 25 to 40 minutes to the centre, depending on traffic | ₽₽ | The most comfortable option with luggage or at night. Use an official service or app, and ignore drivers who approach you in the hall. |
| Other stations by metro | 30 to 45 minutes | ₽ | Moskovsky, Vitebsky, Baltiysky and Finlyandsky stations are all reached by metro with a change. Check which station your train uses before you leave. |
₽ budget · ₽₽ moderate · ₽₽₽ upscale · ₽₽₽₽ splurge. Price levels are estimates compared with typical prices for visitors.
Why Visit Ladozhsky Railway Station, Saint Petersburg?
For most visitors this is simply the right station for a train to Karelia or the north, but it is also the most modern station building in the city, with big vaulted halls and a clear layout that is easier to read than the nineteenth-century termini.
It is also a useful lesson in how Saint Petersburg’s stations divide the work: Moskovsky takes the Moscow trains, Finlyandsky the northern suburbs, Vitebsky and Baltiysky the south and west, and Ladozhsky most of the long-distance traffic to the north and east. Knowing which station your train uses before you leave saves a lot of trouble, because the stations are far apart.
Highlights of Ladozhsky Railway Station, Saint Petersburg
The only through station
Ladozhsky is the only major station in Saint Petersburg where trains pass through instead of ending their journey. Some trains that start in Moscow and run on to other cities beyond Saint Petersburg also stop here.
That is why it is the main transit point for long-distance trains passing through the city.
Tip: Check the departure board for your train's station name; a train that passes through Saint Petersburg may stop at Ladozhsky, not at Moskovsky.
A station of the 2003 anniversary
Construction began in 2001, and the station opened in 2003 for the 300th anniversary of the founding of Saint Petersburg. It was designed to relieve Moskovsky and Finlyandsky stations, and it is one of the largest in Russia, with room for many commuter and long-distance departures.
Nikita Yavein's project goes back to the 1970s, and one of its models was an unbuilt neoclassical plan for Moskovsky station by Ivan Fomin in 1912.
Tip: Spend a minute in the main hall looking up at the vaults; the scale is the station's main feature.
Trains to Karelia, Murmansk and the Urals
From Ladozhsky you can travel to Petrozavodsk and the rest of Karelia, to Murmansk and Arkhangelsk in the north, and to cities such as Yekaterinburg, Chelyabinsk and Novosibirsk, as well as to the south. Most of these are overnight or long-distance services.
Some suburban trains also use the station.
Tip: Check your train number on the official timetable and arrive early; the station is large and the platforms are far from the entrance.
The metro link to Ladozhskaya
The Ladozhskaya metro station, opened on 30 December 1985 on Line 4, is built into the same complex, so passengers walk from the platforms to the trains under cover. The metro is the quickest way to the centre.
Line 4 runs west to Ploshchad Aleksandra Nevskogo, Dostoevskaya and Spasskaya, and east to Prospekt Bolshevikov and Ulitsa Dybenko.
Tip: Follow the metro signs inside the building; the entrance is not on the street side.
Fabergé Square
The station stands on Zanevsky Prospekt, on a square named after the jeweller Carl Fabergé. The name is a reminder that the eastern part of the city has a history of its own, far from the museums on the river.
The Fabergé Museum, which has its own article on this site, is in the centre, not here.
Tip: Do not look for the Fabergé Museum at this station; it is a separate place across the city.
A short chapter of Helsinki trains
From 2003 to 2006, the Repin and Sibelius trains to Helsinki left from Ladozhsky station. They were then moved back to Finlyandsky station, which is where trains to Finland and the northern suburbs run from.
It is a good example of how routes can move between the city's stations, which is why you should always check the station on your ticket.
Tip: If a guide mentions Helsinki trains from Ladozhsky, check the current situation; routes to Finland have changed since then.
Atmosphere
The halls are high and light, with big vaulted ceilings, glass and a lot of clean surfaces. The noise is announcements, suitcase wheels and the low rumble of long trains arriving on the platforms outside.
It is busiest in the evening, when the long-distance trains leave for the north and east, and in the early morning when they arrive. At other times it is calm and spacious. Outside, the station stands on a wide avenue on the east side of the city, with the metro entrance close by and tram and bus stops around the square.
History of Ladozhsky Railway Station, Saint Petersburg
The station takes its name from the Ladozhskaya district and from Lake Ladoga, east of Saint Petersburg. The area around Zanevsky Prospekt grew in the Soviet period as an industrial and residential part of the city, and in 1985 it received its metro station, Ladozhskaya, on the new Line 4, with the theme of the Road of Life across Lake Ladoga during the Siege of Leningrad.
Saint Petersburg’s four older stations were all termini, each serving a particular direction. Moskovsky took the Moscow trains, Finlyandsky the north, Vitebsky the south-west and Baltiysky the west. By the end of the twentieth century, the number of long-distance trains passing through the city was pushing the old stations to their limits, and a new through station was planned on the east side.
The architect was Nikita Yavein, of the Studio 44 bureau. His project was based on a design he had developed back in 1976, and it drew on an earlier idea, an unbuilt neoclassical reconstruction of Moskovsky station drawn by Ivan Fomin in 1912.
Construction began in 2001 and was completed in 2003, so that the station could open for the 300th anniversary of the city. It was one of the largest stations in Russia, with room for many commuter and long-distance departures every hour, and it was the first new main station in the city for a very long time.
From 2003 to 2006, the trains to Helsinki, the Repin and the Sibelius, left from Ladozhsky. They were then moved back to Finlyandsky station. Since then the station has been the city’s main transit point for long-distance trains passing through, with services to Karelia, Murmansk, Arkhangelsk and cities in the Urals and Siberia, and some trains that start in Moscow.
The Ladozhskaya metro station, opened in 1985, became the station’s entrance from the underground, and its vestibule is part of the station complex.
Today Ladozhsky is a working station rather than a sight, but it shows how Saint Petersburg adapted its railway network for the twenty-first century.
Tickets and Payment at Ladozhsky Railway Station, Saint Petersburg
Train tickets are sold by Russian Railways. Buy them online on the official site or in the mobile app, or at the ticket offices in the station. Long-distance tickets are tied to a passenger’s identity document, so use your passport details exactly as written in your passport.
- Online: the official site and app sell tickets for most trains; availability opens well in advance, and popular overnight trains sell out.
- At the station: ticket offices and machines work for same-day travel, but queues can be long in the evening.
- Payment: whether a foreign bank card works varies, and the sanctions rules of your own country may restrict the use of Russian payment services, so check this yourself before you travel.
- Taxis: use an official service or app, and ignore drivers who approach you in the hall; unofficial drivers have a record of overcharging foreign visitors.
Rates for Russian citizens and concession categories differ. The official ticket page is on rzd.ru.
Flights, Transfers and Planning
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How to Get to Ladozhsky Railway Station, Saint Petersburg
By metro: take Line 4, the orange line, to Ladozhskaya, between Novocherkasskaya and Prospekt Bolshevikov. The metro vestibule is part of the station complex, so you walk to the halls under cover. From the centre, change to Line 4 at Spasskaya, Dostoevskaya or Ploshchad Aleksandra Nevskogo.
By road: the station is on Zanevsky Prospekt, on the east side of the city, and taxis drop you at the forecourt. Buses, trams and minibuses stop around the square.
From Moskovsky station: take the metro from Ploshchad Vosstaniya or Mayakovskaya to Ploshchad Aleksandra Nevskogo and change to Line 4 towards Ulitsa Dybenko.
Accessibility
A modern station of 2003 is expected to have ramps, lifts and assistance services for passengers with reduced mobility, but specific details were not confirmed for this article. Request assistance from Russian Railways before your journey, and ask the station staff on arrival. The metro link includes long escalators because Ladozhskaya is about 61 metres deep, so a taxi may be easier with a wheelchair.
Food Nearby
The station has cafes, bakeries and kiosks, but the names and tenants change, so look at the signs on the day. Outside, the streets around Zanevsky Prospekt have shopping centres and cafes. For more choice, ride to the centre before or after your train.
What to Bring
Your passport and ticket, a payment option for taxis and food, food and water for a long train journey and a warm layer in winter. Security checks apply at the entrance, so keep bags easy to open.
Photography Rules
Photography is generally tolerated in the public halls and outside, but filming security staff, police and technical areas is not allowed. Drones are not permitted near the station, and tripods and professional equipment usually need permission from the railway.
Family Suitability
Workable for families. The halls are large and easy to navigate, and the metro is part of the complex. Strollers need to be handled on the escalators unless a lift is available, which was not confirmed. For long overnight journeys, allow extra time for boarding and keep children close on the platforms.
Russia Vibes Tips
- Check which station your train leaves from; Ladozhsky is far from Moskovsky, and the two are easy to confuse.
- Take the metro from inside the complex; Ladozhskaya is about 61 metres deep, so allow time for the long escalator ride.
- Bring food and water for overnight trains; the options on the platform are limited.
- Do not look for the Fabergé Museum here; the square carries his name, but the museum is in the centre.
- If you arrive from Moscow on a through train, check whether it stops at Ladozhsky or at Moskovsky.
- Leave extra time in the evening, when the long-distance trains leave and the halls are busiest.
Explore Nearby Ladozhsky Railway Station, Saint Petersburg
Metro stations near Ladozhsky Railway Station, Saint Petersburg
Ladozhskaya Metro Station, Saint Petersburgabout 100 m away (~2 min walk)Main image: AI-generated illustration. It may not show the place exactly as it looks.
Ploshchad Aleksandra Nevskogo Metro Station, Saint Petersburgabout 3.2 km awayMain image: AI-generated illustration. It may not show the place exactly as it looks.
Train stations and river piers near Ladozhsky Railway Station, Saint Petersburg
Moskovsky Railway Station, Saint Petersburgabout 4.4 km awayMain image: AI-generated illustration. It may not show the place exactly as it looks.
Finlyandsky Railway Station, Saint Petersburgabout 5.4 km awayMain image: AI-generated illustration. It may not show the place exactly as it looks.
Pulkovo International Airport, Saint Petersburgabout 17.7 km awayMain image: AI-generated illustration. It may not show the place exactly as it looks.
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FAQ: Ladozhsky Railway Station, Saint Petersburg
Which trains leave from Ladozhsky Railway Station?
Long-distance trains to Petrozavodsk, Murmansk, Arkhangelsk and cities in the Urals and Siberia, plus some trains that start in Moscow and run on, and some suburban services. Check the official timetable on the day.
When did the station open?
In 2003, for the 300th anniversary of Saint Petersburg. Construction began in 2001.
Who designed it?
The architect Nikita Yavein of the Studio 44 bureau. His project goes back to 1976 and drew on an unbuilt 1912 plan by Ivan Fomin for Moskovsky station.
Is it the only through station in the city?
Yes. The other four main stations, Moskovsky, Finlyandsky, Vitebsky and Baltiysky, are termini.
Is there a metro station next to it?
Yes. Ladozhskaya on Line 4 is built into the same complex. See the options section for onward routes.
Do trains to Moscow leave from here?
The Sapsan and most trains to Moscow leave from Moskovsky station. Only some trains that run through Saint Petersburg use Ladozhsky, so check your ticket.
Is the station in the centre?
No. It is on the east side of the city, in Krasnogvardeysky District, about half an hour from the centre by metro and a change.
Do Helsinki trains leave from here?
Not at present. From 2003 to 2006 they did, but they were moved back to Finlyandsky station. Check the current situation before you plan a journey.
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Last updated: October 16, 2026. Found an error or something out of date? Report it and we will check and fix it.
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