Today the first snow fell. Over the past few days everyone’s been discussing the rumour that this winter will be a really cold one. I for one hope it will be, I love the crisp feeling of winter in the air. Give me a clear day, some snow and ice and I’m happy. Icy winters always remind me of my childhood. In December I wouldn’t be waiting for Santa, but for the rivers and canals to be frozen so I could go skating all day long and finish off the day with a nice hot cocoa. In Friesland, the Dutch province that I’m from, skating is our local tradition. It was in our province that the 11 cities speed and leisure skating tour was first held. If you’re not familiar with it, it’s a 200km long tour connecting 11 Frisian cities by frozen canals, rivers and lakes. My dream when I came to Russia was to skate on natural ice. Most of us live in the city centre. Now just imagine walking from your front door to the Fontanka, putting on your skates and whizzing around the city in a big circle, just like you do in summer by boat. It would really put the city into a new perspective. For now it remains a dream. St. Petersburg’s canals don’t seem to be suitable for skating on and so we have to stick to one of the many skating rinks in the city instead. However, many Russian painting from days gone by do show how the Tsars organised skating festivals on the frozen Neva in front of the winter palace, so who knows? Maybe one day… And as for Russian skating traditions. I’ve been told that in Russia skates have been found that date back to almost 3000 years BC. Who knows, maybe in the future skating will be considered a better means of transport than sitting around in a probka (traffic jam)! We wish all of you a white Christmas and a serious Russian winter! Bonnie van der Velde, publisher In Your Pocket, russia@inyourpocket.com
A dazzling journey from thirteenth century icons to the cream of Russian avant-garde, the Russian Museum is housed in various buildings and palaces. With a maze of beautifully decorated rooms, t
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This is a clean and pretty hotel with an ideal location. Considering its standards, it is also great value for money. Occupying one floor of a mid 19th century building, there is a large, modern caf&
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This Moscow-style church with richly coloured onion domes looks a bit out of place in the European centre of St. Petersburg, but it’s one of the city’s most beautiful and memorable l
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With numerous rooms filled with comfortable and cosy antique furniture, eclectic titbits and reading material in English and Russian, Idiot is worth visiting just for a look. The Russian vegetarian c
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Named after the St. Petersburg born American writer Ayn Rand, B&B Randhouse has a network of three mini-hotels in the centre of the city. Rooms are modern and comfortable, and a fully equipp
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The Tribunal is a hit with Russians and foreigners alike, and it is also situated in an accessible central location. There are separate rooms offering different entertainment, including the successfu
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Morskoy Vokzal Please note that the In Your Pocket Comments box is for your reviews and comments. Contact the venue directly for information or reservations requests. Sincerely, St. Petersburg In Your Pocket.[...]
Latest St. Petersburg Comments
Absolutely a great mexican restaurant. Best in town and maybe in a whole wide world :D[...]
i went there last night and it was really nice. to get in you had to pay 250rur but i hadnt been to any reggae ckub for sooooooooo lond that i decided to pay. but the music wasnt really reggae, it was dancehall. i presume its because it was hallowee[...]
What a great great place!! Absolutely fantastic...[...]
This place turned out to be safe and cosy. Yes, there were hookers there, but we didn't feel unsecure or threatened at any moment. Also, the hookers weren't that pushy as you can see in some other places.[...]
Please note that the In Your Pocket Comments box is for your reviews and comments. Contact the venue directly for information or reservations requests. Sincerely, St. Petersburg In Your Pocket.[...]