Our Team

 MARINA WILSON

I am, Marina Wilson, a native of what is recognized as one of the most unique cities of the world –ST-Petersburg.

I was born in a small town about 60 kilometers from ST-Petersburg (Leningrad at that time). Since my childhood, my parents kept me involved into cultural life of the second Russian capital. The visits to the museums and Palaces, concerts and theatres compensated for the lack of McDonalds and game zones during the Soviet era.

The start of perestroika coincided with my University years. As a 4th year student of the Russian State Pedagogical University, I made my first overseas trip to UK where I finished the course “Teaching English as a Foreign Language” in the South Devon College of Arts and Technology. What a difference to my children who are world travelers! Read more

 

SOPHIA FROST

?Hola! Mi nombre es Sofia, soy guia de San-Petersburgo, es mi ciudad natal. Cada mayo, con las noches blancas comienza una temporada magnifica, de la vida mas tensa y mas interesante: vienen mis turistas. Vamos descubriendo las riquezas de la epoca zarista, admirando el brillo de oro en los palacios, viendo una cantidad enorme de las obras famos?simas en Ermitage. Hablamos de las relaciones entre Pedro el Grande y Catalina la Grande, de los secretos de Nicolas II y Rasputin. Recordamos los horrores de las guerras, de la revolucion socialista, de la epoca comunista. Bajamos al metro, navegamos por los rios y canales, comemos borsh, nos mojamos en las fuentes-bromas en nuestro Versailles ruso – Petergof.

Me encanta mi trabajo. Claro que me encanta historia y arte. Me gusta aprender idiomas. Hablo ingles e italiano, algun tiempo he estudiado frances y aleman. Me gusta estudiar en general. Y tambien ensenar. En invierno, cuando no hay turistas, doy lecciones de espanol. Y un alumno estudia conmigo todas las ciencias – es mi hijo. Tengo un hijo de 3 anos, ya vamos estudiando espanol y a veces paseamos por Ermitage. ?Quiere ser gu?a tambien!

No imagino mi vida sin hablar espanol. Y asi es desde mis 7 anos, cuando ingrese en el colegio Cervantes. Es la lengua mas rica y bella, que me permite transmitir el amor hacia mi ciudad a la gente espanola. ?Bienvenidos a San-Petersburgo!

ALEXANDER SHMIDKE

Alexander (Sasha, for short in Russian) Shmidke, graduated from the St. Petersburg State University, Faculty of Philosophy and Political Science with a Specialist degree in 2008. His main focus of research is 20th century Russian and Soviet history, Revolution and revolutionary movements, Soviet politics in 1920s-1980s, WW2, the Siege of Leningrad and the Winter War.

In 2005 Sasha launched his own site http://www.histours.ru offering a range of tours dedicated to Leningrad Siege and political history of Russia to the guests of our city. Sasha has done a tremendous amount of archive work on the subject. He regularly travels around the country and Europe to research on the subject, participate in the reconstruction of the military battles of WWII.

Now he offers a unique walking tour of Nevsky Prospect where he gives our clients a chance to see how the Nevsky Prospect of the besieged city looked like in 1941-1944.

Sasha is a fluent English-speaker and also runs the tours of all the main sights of St. Petersburg in English.

ALEXANDER SERGAEV

My dear friends,
I’d be happy to show our guests the major attractions of our beautiful city and its Imperial suburbs, such as the Hermitage, the Peter and Paul Fortress, St. Isaac’s Cathedral, Catherine Palace, Peterhof, and many more sights as well as non-touristy places and less known museums. I will tell you about St. Petersburg’s legendary past and its present day life.

I’m an easy-going person and can mix well with people from different walks of life. I’m interested in Russian and Soviet history, literature, art, photography, music and sport. Being a big fan of Dostoyevsky, I can be your guide and show you around the places which became the setting for his novel ‘Crime and Punishment’.

Sasha graduated from Omsk State Pedagogical University, English-German Language Department in 1990. In 2002 he joined Saint Petersburg Association of Professional Guides and Interpreters.

SERGEY SHISHKIN

Sergey graduated from two famous musical institutions of ST-Petersburg: the musical school and the State Conservatoire of ST-Petersburg, both schools named after the Russian composer Nicolay Rimsky-Korsakov.

Since 1989 Sergey has been working a choirmaster and the conductor of different musical companies. In 1997 he started his own musical band, “Nevsky Style” (www.nevskyst.ru).

Sergey has various hobbies: tennis, jazz-rock, driving. He drove his band across Europe from Russia to France, giving concerts along the way.

Another passionate hobby of Sergey is a history of ST-Petersburg. He has been behind many projects and tours of Marina Wilson Private Tours and is responsible for running company shore tour operations.

Marianna Tovmasyan

I graduated from Leningrad State University by A. S. Pushkin as a specialist in service and tourism, finished Professional Guide courses in 2008 and I’m going to enter French college at Saint-Petersburg State University.
I work as a guide and I adore my job. I enjoy being with tourists, sharing interesting information about Russian history, our fascinating city and gorgeous palaces, monuments, cathedrals.  I’m interested in Russian history, world art and culture. My second home is the Hermitage museum. 
 At free time I’m fond of guitar, chess, Latin-American dances and carving. As a person, I’m friendly, active, communicative and responsible. I try to do my best to make tourists’ holidays unforgettable and the most enjoyable.
Hope, you’ll love Saint-Petersburg !  

 

Irina Kazantseva

My name is Irina Kazantseva.
Saint-Petersburg is my native city and I am in love with it. It's my pleasure to show its beauty and uniqueness to the guests of the Northern Capital of Russia.
My main education is connected with the theory and history of classical music. I studied English at the St.Petersburg Herzen University.  I love Art, languages and meeting people.
I have been a licensed guide since 2000 and I have licenses for all museums in St.Petersburg and its suburbs.
I work mostly with small tourist groups and individuals and for me that is the best way to show to my guests what they are really interested in and as much as they are ready to see and to know.
I can also be your guide and driver in one. My new water world blue Opel Astra J is wonderful!
And I hope you’ll enjoy   soft careful and safe style of my driving (driving experience since 1999).

Anastassia Kosovoskaya

I was always thinking about Saint-Petersburg and its attractions.
I was born   in a small village, located in Eastern Siberia, and spent my first 5 years there. Then my family moved to Caucasus where I had got my compulsory education. Meanwhile I visited my grandparents in Saint-Petersburg. I was keen on this luxurious city and tried to get any information about that one. When the time to choose the university came I knew where I wanted to go. I took special classes in tourism and at the first year in the university I had already began my career in the traveling industry. I earned a degree in English and French. I became an English teacher in the State University of civil aviation. But still I’m in this deal as well.
So, guiding foreign guests around the major attractions of Saint-Petersburg is not just hobby, it`s my passion.