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Features
- The Magnificent Mariinsky
- Volga Dream
- Spooks in the City
- Leningrad Symphony
- Peter the Great
- Russian superstitions
- Lenintown
- Great Russian Beer Test
- Bridges of St. Petersburg
- Hermitage - the Ultimate Guide
- How Russians Say I do
- Russian People: Horsegirls
- Russian People: Babushkas
- Heroes of Russian Folklore: meet these homegrown favourite lads
- Children of the Revolution
- Chizhik & those Sphinxes: Quirky tales behind even quirkier statues
- Poor, paranoid Paul
- The Russian Banya
- Revolution!
- Great Russian Women
- The secrets of Russian caviar
- Caucasian cuisine – A taste of the South
- The Russian Kitchen
More features:
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Caucasian cuisine – A taste of the South
One of the unquestionable pluses of St. Petersburg’s Soviet past is the sprinkling of restaurants serving cuisine from former USSR republics.... -
Revolution!
According to the old Russian style calendar, the revolution occurred in October, however with the new calendar, the Revolution date is celebrated on the 7th of November.... -
Great Russian Beer Test
Even the bears in Russia wander around swigging vodka, right? According to the stereotypes, in Russia it’s vodka straight up and nothing else.... -
Leningrad Symphony
The performance of Shostakovich’s Leningrad symphony on August 9th 1942 in the Grand Philharmonic hall was a definitive turning point for Leningraders during the years of the terrible siege.... -
Poor, paranoid Paul
Pushkin once called Paul the first, the Romantic Emperor, but readers may know of Paul (Pavel in Russian) as Poor Pavel.... -
How Russians Say I do
As a tourist in St. Petersburg, it is sometimes difficult to avoid falling over the brides hovering around the city’s tourist sights posing for photos.... -
Children of the Revolution
Revolutionary NamesEver met a Ninel, Revmark or a Tacklis? Young Soviet citizens can thank their overzealous parents for their ingenious names, created anew in honour of the revolution.... -
Bridges of St. Petersburg
When Peter the Great, that wonderful builder, founded the city, he envisaged a bridgeless city where everyone maneuvered around on boats in summer and in winter, cruising around on sleds.... -
Volga Dream
A romantic and memorable trip down the Volga river from Moscow to St. Petersburg is the dream of many a foreign visitor to Russia.... -
Russian People: Horsegirls
Russia must be one of the few countries in the world today where you can see young girls galloping around on horseback in the city centre.... -
Heroes of Russian Folklore: meet these homegrown favourite lads
Russians love their heroes. Whether they’re looking to name a new restaurant or just a bliny (pancake) such as the Ilya Muromets blini sold at Teremok stalls throughout the country.... -
Russian superstitions
Russians are a very superstitious folk, they do a whole host of strange or unusual things to ward off the bad luck and welcome in a bit of good luck.... -
The Magnificent Mariinsky
The historical MariinskyBack in the day, meaning the 1840s in this case, the first touring circus arrived in St.... -
Hermitage - the Ultimate Guide
The exquisite museum’s three million items spanning from the Stone Age to modern day make it one of the most highly esteemed and unmissable art galleries in the world....
50 Reasons to love St. Petersburg
3. The Neva Embankment – The massive granite embankments along the Dvortsovaya and the Angliskaya embankments, not only a great view but a glimpse of the city’s spirit.
4. Summer Gardens – Make your own leaf crowns in Autumn. An oasis in the city. Live music in summer, people reading books, people wandering.
6. St. Isaacs Colonnade – Another brilliant view – on a clear day, you can see forever.
8. Watching the Bridges – Come around ten minutes before to see the police block off the traffic and the desperate motorists racing to beat the bridge.
9. Mariinsky – Simply one of the best theatres in the world. Sublime performances and Maestro Gergiev is the man holding the baton.
10. Dvortsovaya Pl – Palace Square is the place where it all started. Soaked in blood, guts, history, myth and everything in between.
11. Taking a 'cab' – The St. Petersburg taxi, the chasnik, the gypsy cab are all names for sticking your hand, negotiating a fare and going on home. These drivers are such a source of random information and good cheer.
16. Russian Girls – A Russian copyrighted invention. They’ve got their inimical fashion; the heels, the skirts (or lack of), the essential two hours of make up application before leaving the house even to pick up some bread….Summer is a just a joy here for men.
17. Ride in a Marshrutka – Quintessentially Russian experience. The driver is watching the road and taking the fares? No traffic rules at all, no seatbelts; a hybrid between market, taxi and Soviet Communalka (communal apartment). Don’t forget when you want it to stop, Ostanavites Pazhalusta! (Or try remembering Hasta La Vista!)
18. Nevsky pr. – The grand pastel palaces, the bridges spanning the street, the crumbling hallways leading into the apartments behind. Here you can also save a cat from starvation and ponder the Russian world going by as you sit in a café.
19. The Backstreets – Check out the areas behind Sennaya between the Griboedova and Moika canals. Read up on your Dostoevsky beforehand. St. Petersburg’s beauty is never far from something uglier.
20. Tavrichesky Gardens – Ideal for a nap, a picnic, a skate or a walk.
23. SevenSkyBar – Stunning city views and great wine and food.
24. Pavlovsk – Humble and magnificient. Eat shaslik, have a beer and wander the glades. Understand why Russians love their countryside as much as they do.
25. Palace Bridge – Best city view
29. Teremok – the King of blinis! Eating inside in summer just seems insane so line up at a street kiosk and find out what your special favourite is.
30. Kazansky Cathedral – Quaint square in front is where you most often see grass growing before anywhere else in the city. The jubilation of Spring's arrival in the city is huge!
32. Dumskaya St. – The home of the one and only Dacha bar. The bohemian crowd spills out on the streets in search of lust, love and laughs.
33. Carl's Jnr – Taste for your stomach and value for your wallet. Fries are amazing, the burgers are juicy and there is unlimited cola.
35. The Postcard Views - Whether it’s watching the steam rise on the frozen Neva from Troitsky Most, or looking further down to the cranes at the ship yard, the city is full of views that make you stop, take stock and wonder.
36. Veterans on Victory Day – To see and hand out flowers to the veterans of the Second World War and the Leningrad Blockade is always moving.
37. Russian gentlemen – Being helped on with your coat or having your shopping carried is a rare pleasure in other parts of the world.
40. Kuznechy Market – Prices maybe a little higher and the sellers are known to lean on their scales but there is great produce here and their wonderful toothy smiles make shopping fun.
45. Marius Pub – The unpretentious pub on Marata hardly ever disappoints.
47. Griboedov – The club in the bunker is a literally underground essential.
48. Finnish Bay Bars – Take in the view with a drink or two.
49. Repino – Get out of the city on an electrichka suburban train. There’s no toilets but Russians seem to have their own solutions to that predicament. Wander along the beach, take a dip, enjoy a shaslik, get an authentic suntan (standing up!)
50. Café Cat – Their ways with khachipuri (cheese bread) and aubergine are mindblowing.
Catherine's Palace - nothing in the 21st century can yet live up to the Amber Room and style of the Wedgewood style dining room