St Petersburg, Russia
Created | Updated May 16, 2002
St Petersburg, formerly Lenningrad and before that Petrograd (and before that St Petersburg!) is a unique city in North-West Russia. Not many cities can boast such a history which has included Revolution and autocratic rule.
So from the start..a bit of history...
St Petersburg was founded by Tsar (Russian King) Peter 1st who wanted to create a city that could be 'a window on the west'. Because of this the city has more in resemblance to European cities such as Amsterdam (where Peter the first spent some time in the dockyards) and Brugge.
It started life as a fortress on the northern bank of the river Neva (pronounced nyeva) and spread over the hundreds of islands that make up modern day St Petersburg. After the death of Peter the first Catherine (the great) carried on building the city in a western style.
A major part of St Petersburg history is tied up with the ruling Romanov family who were the Tzars of Russia until 1917. After the first period of building was complete Peter the first made St Petersburg the capital of Russia and so much of the architecture has a grandness that is attributable to its royal occupants.
St Petersburg was also the location, in 1917, of the Russian revolution when the Bolsheviks (and Menshavik) socialist parties took over the ruling of the country. This was the start of 75 years of Soviet rule. Not long after this Moscow was made the capital and some of the importance in the city was devalued.
Sankt Petrburg (the Russian pronunciation of the city) is also known for its great heritage of the arts. Many famous composers lived and worked there such as Prokofiev, Rimsky-Korsakov, Glinka and Tchaikovsky. Along with this musical history the Marrinsky ballet company (known as the Bolshoy during Soviet times) is based in the city, with green and white building standing opposite the conservetoire of music. As if this wasn't enough , many famous writers and poets (such as Dostoyevsky and Pushkin) have lived and written about the city.
With the collapse of the Soviet Union St Petersburg is regaining much of its grandeur and is one of the few Russian cities that has encouraged tourism on any greater scale.
Fact...
Currency: Russian Rouble - about 35 to the pound although it changes more often then I change my socks. You can only get Roubles inside the country.
Modern St Petersburg...
Travelling to St Petersburg...
The easiest way to get to St Petersburg is probably flying direct but taking the train from Helsinki is a nicer alternative (not just because you get to visit Helsinki, another beautiful city). The train currently leaves twice a day to St Petersburg and crosses over into Russia through Vyborg. It takes about 5 - 10 hours (the time difference is due to how long the border guards want to search for. This will depend on the season you travel in). During that time you can watch the beautiful scenery of Finland and Russia flowing by and relax before you hit the city. You also have to complete a currency declaration form to say how much currency you are taking into the country. You then have to fill in another when you leave the country. The form also asks the usual questions (e.g. are you taking weapons into the country or antiques out, etc...).
Fact: The Russian alphabet is Cyrillic and without the aid of a Babel fish can be a tad difficult to pick up if you're not used to it. It's well worth trying to learn it before going there! It's especially useful for navigating your way around the city as some maps are in transliterated English which means you have to work out what it might say in Russian on the signs.
Getting around St Petersburg...
St petersburg is a large city so its wise to use a number of methods to get around. It has an amazing metro system which covers most parts of the city on five separate lines. As the city was built on marshy ground it's fairly far underground. To get to the platform you take escalators which appear to descend into hell! At one station it takes about two minutes to get to the platform!
It can be a bit daunting using the metro, especially if you can't read the language but it's one of those things that you really must try (even if its only the once!) whilst you're there.
Taxis are an option and they vary massively in quality. One I took had little in the way of breaks and required a tetanus jab before getting into it! They are useful though for getting around when you've got a bit of luggage, you don't want to use the metro or the metro doesn't go to a part of the city you want to get to.
The nicest way, probably, to get around is by foot. This way you get to examine the beautiful architecture more closely and see the street life.
Fact: Non-Russian citizens require a visa to be able to enter (and exit) the country. You can get these from the Russian Embassy in your country although you need an invitation from a Russian citizen or business to start the ball rolling. The visa rules can be confusing and take quite a long time to come through so it's often easier to employ a third party company to arrange it for you. More details can be found at the Russian embassy site or www.ryh.ru, the Russian Youth Hostel site.
Fitting in and what to ware...
It's fairly hard if not impossible to 'fit in' in St Petersburg and thats not just because of the language. A lot of people ware the stereotypical furry Russian hat and black leather jackets are very common as well.
In the winter the city can get very cold and summer can get quite hot. Read up before going about what the temperature is like at that time. The BBC weather site is especially good for this.
Places you must see before leaving the planet:
The Winter Palace - the palace of the Tzar that was stormed in 1917 at the start of the revolution.
The Hermitage - the art collection of the Tzars. The building, attached to the Winter palace, is as amazing as many of the paintings and sculptures found inside!
St Issacs - The building itself is great but the view from the top is even better. Even when it feels like there's a blizzard going on its well worth going up.
The Cruiser Aurora - This was the ship that fired the shot that signalled the start of the revolution. Very shiny and interesting to actually view a ship that is mentioned in so many accounts of the revolution.
Nyevsky Prospect - The longest street in St Petersburg, check out the patio pizza restaurant - very nice...
Church of the split blood - This church resembles St Basils in Moscow and was built in memory of Tzar Nicholas II at the location where Decemberist bombers attacked and mortally wounded him.
Marrinsky Ballet - It's just nice to put a picture to the name.
Puppet Theatre - There are a number of puppet theatres (Teatr) around St Petersburg. This Russian tradition art form is really worth visiting even if you can't understand exactly what's going on.
Where to stay...
St Petersburg Youth Hostel (3rd Sovyetskaya Ulista) - I can't recommend this place enough. The staff are so friendly and speak English and the rooms are clean. It's really close to Nevsky prospect and Ploschad Vosstania metro station so you can get around. They can also help to arrange the visa you need to get into the country. (After speaking to some Americans who were staying in a hotel our accommodation sounded a lot nicer.)
Grub...
The nicest restaurant Ive been to is the Bistro Gacon on Nyevsky Prospect. Other places vary in quality so its sometimes easier to stick to pizza places, especially if you are vegetarian.
Anything else...
It's a good idea to be fairly organised when you go compared to travelling around Europe for example. I found it useful to have a small notepad handy so I could write down place names that I couldn't easily pronounce. It is also a good idea to do a fair bit of research before you go and also read about the history. This can give you a greater insight into the city even if you’re not that good at the language.
Some people worry about possible security problems of going to Russia. I found the city safe apart from crossing the road where traffic lights dont mean much to most drivers! Like any other large city its a good idea to stay alert but I felt safer there than in Amsterdam or London.
It is interesting that with the collapse of the Soviet regime it is increasingly hard to see signs of communist rule. The Tzarist rule is much more in evidence although some buildings and monuments still bear witness to an important political movement passed.
It's a great and hugely fascinating place to visit, even if you haven't got that long. A truly beautiful and interesting place to be.
So from the start..a bit of history...
St Petersburg was founded by Tsar (Russian King) Peter 1st who wanted to create a city that could be 'a window on the west'. Because of this the city has more in resemblance to European cities such as Amsterdam (where Peter the first spent some time in the dockyards) and Brugge.
It started life as a fortress on the northern bank of the river Neva (pronounced nyeva) and spread over the hundreds of islands that make up modern day St Petersburg. After the death of Peter the first Catherine (the great) carried on building the city in a western style.
A major part of St Petersburg history is tied up with the ruling Romanov family who were the Tzars of Russia until 1917. After the first period of building was complete Peter the first made St Petersburg the capital of Russia and so much of the architecture has a grandness that is attributable to its royal occupants.
St Petersburg was also the location, in 1917, of the Russian revolution when the Bolsheviks (and Menshavik) socialist parties took over the ruling of the country. This was the start of 75 years of Soviet rule. Not long after this Moscow was made the capital and some of the importance in the city was devalued.
Sankt Petrburg (the Russian pronunciation of the city) is also known for its great heritage of the arts. Many famous composers lived and worked there such as Prokofiev, Rimsky-Korsakov, Glinka and Tchaikovsky. Along with this musical history the Marrinsky ballet company (known as the Bolshoy during Soviet times) is based in the city, with green and white building standing opposite the conservetoire of music. As if this wasn't enough , many famous writers and poets (such as Dostoyevsky and Pushkin) have lived and written about the city.
With the collapse of the Soviet Union St Petersburg is regaining much of its grandeur and is one of the few Russian cities that has encouraged tourism on any greater scale.
Fact...
Currency: Russian Rouble - about 35 to the pound although it changes more often then I change my socks. You can only get Roubles inside the country.
Modern St Petersburg...
Travelling to St Petersburg...
The easiest way to get to St Petersburg is probably flying direct but taking the train from Helsinki is a nicer alternative (not just because you get to visit Helsinki, another beautiful city). The train currently leaves twice a day to St Petersburg and crosses over into Russia through Vyborg. It takes about 5 - 10 hours (the time difference is due to how long the border guards want to search for. This will depend on the season you travel in). During that time you can watch the beautiful scenery of Finland and Russia flowing by and relax before you hit the city. You also have to complete a currency declaration form to say how much currency you are taking into the country. You then have to fill in another when you leave the country. The form also asks the usual questions (e.g. are you taking weapons into the country or antiques out, etc...).
Fact: The Russian alphabet is Cyrillic and without the aid of a Babel fish can be a tad difficult to pick up if you're not used to it. It's well worth trying to learn it before going there! It's especially useful for navigating your way around the city as some maps are in transliterated English which means you have to work out what it might say in Russian on the signs.
Getting around St Petersburg...
St petersburg is a large city so its wise to use a number of methods to get around. It has an amazing metro system which covers most parts of the city on five separate lines. As the city was built on marshy ground it's fairly far underground. To get to the platform you take escalators which appear to descend into hell! At one station it takes about two minutes to get to the platform!
It can be a bit daunting using the metro, especially if you can't read the language but it's one of those things that you really must try (even if its only the once!) whilst you're there.
Taxis are an option and they vary massively in quality. One I took had little in the way of breaks and required a tetanus jab before getting into it! They are useful though for getting around when you've got a bit of luggage, you don't want to use the metro or the metro doesn't go to a part of the city you want to get to.
The nicest way, probably, to get around is by foot. This way you get to examine the beautiful architecture more closely and see the street life.
Fact: Non-Russian citizens require a visa to be able to enter (and exit) the country. You can get these from the Russian Embassy in your country although you need an invitation from a Russian citizen or business to start the ball rolling. The visa rules can be confusing and take quite a long time to come through so it's often easier to employ a third party company to arrange it for you. More details can be found at the Russian embassy site or www.ryh.ru, the Russian Youth Hostel site.
Fitting in and what to ware...
It's fairly hard if not impossible to 'fit in' in St Petersburg and thats not just because of the language. A lot of people ware the stereotypical furry Russian hat and black leather jackets are very common as well.
In the winter the city can get very cold and summer can get quite hot. Read up before going about what the temperature is like at that time. The BBC weather site is especially good for this.
Places you must see before leaving the planet:
The Winter Palace - the palace of the Tzar that was stormed in 1917 at the start of the revolution.
The Hermitage - the art collection of the Tzars. The building, attached to the Winter palace, is as amazing as many of the paintings and sculptures found inside!
St Issacs - The building itself is great but the view from the top is even better. Even when it feels like there's a blizzard going on its well worth going up.
The Cruiser Aurora - This was the ship that fired the shot that signalled the start of the revolution. Very shiny and interesting to actually view a ship that is mentioned in so many accounts of the revolution.
Nyevsky Prospect - The longest street in St Petersburg, check out the patio pizza restaurant - very nice...
Church of the split blood - This church resembles St Basils in Moscow and was built in memory of Tzar Nicholas II at the location where Decemberist bombers attacked and mortally wounded him.
Marrinsky Ballet - It's just nice to put a picture to the name.
Puppet Theatre - There are a number of puppet theatres (Teatr) around St Petersburg. This Russian tradition art form is really worth visiting even if you can't understand exactly what's going on.
Where to stay...
St Petersburg Youth Hostel (3rd Sovyetskaya Ulista) - I can't recommend this place enough. The staff are so friendly and speak English and the rooms are clean. It's really close to Nevsky prospect and Ploschad Vosstania metro station so you can get around. They can also help to arrange the visa you need to get into the country. (After speaking to some Americans who were staying in a hotel our accommodation sounded a lot nicer.)
Grub...
The nicest restaurant Ive been to is the Bistro Gacon on Nyevsky Prospect. Other places vary in quality so its sometimes easier to stick to pizza places, especially if you are vegetarian.
Anything else...
It's a good idea to be fairly organised when you go compared to travelling around Europe for example. I found it useful to have a small notepad handy so I could write down place names that I couldn't easily pronounce. It is also a good idea to do a fair bit of research before you go and also read about the history. This can give you a greater insight into the city even if you’re not that good at the language.
Some people worry about possible security problems of going to Russia. I found the city safe apart from crossing the road where traffic lights dont mean much to most drivers! Like any other large city its a good idea to stay alert but I felt safer there than in Amsterdam or London.
It is interesting that with the collapse of the Soviet regime it is increasingly hard to see signs of communist rule. The Tzarist rule is much more in evidence although some buildings and monuments still bear witness to an important political movement passed.
It's a great and hugely fascinating place to visit, even if you haven't got that long. A truly beautiful and interesting place to be.
