Street impressions of St. Petersburg

Both of us have been to St. Petersburg before, about 8-10 years ago and were anxious to see how the city has changed since. As according to Wikipedia it is permitted to shorten city name to simply Peter we will use it here too

In Russian literature and informal documents the "Saint" (Санкт-) is usually omitted, leaving Petersburg (Петербург, Peterburg). In common parlance Russians may drop "-burg" (-бург) as well, leaving only Peter (Питер, pronounced as "Piter").

Well, first of all, we were pleasantly surprised to see how much the level of service went up. It might come us a surprise for people born and raised in a market economy but 10 years ago one would not hear much of "hello", "thank you" and so on. I am not talking about people in public transport who would step and your foot and keep walking but about people from customer service sphere, those who were supposed to make money by keeping customers happy.
Well, this time we saw a lot of smiles, heard a lot of "thank you, come again" and so on. If they did not have something they always offered a substitute.
All and all it was a pleasure to deal with waiters, sales assistants, pharmacists and so on, this was a great change!


What else did we notice?


Like any other big city (and Petersburg is the northernmost city with over million people) there is a lack of parking spots. However probably due to the fact that the city was planned, not grew chaotically and the streets and avenues are mostly wide this problem is not so acute, like, for example, in Napoli.
Yet one can still witness scenes of this kind:

Parking. Peter style.

Unfortunately modern life has its needs and often beautiful architecture is misused or simply ruined by modern signage. This richly ornate Art Nouveau entrance is covered with a maze of cables, the arch is blocked with ugly metal door. Looks like the carved door on the right is not being used with people sneaking in through the little metal door.

To top it up "Do not park" is painted on the metal gate 

Signboards of St. Petersburg are another story. From the city that rightfully carries the name of Russian cultural capital we would expect to see more taste in advertising.
Instead there were all visual "effects" that were used 10 years ago when PC became more accessible and therefore a lot of visual design was created by people without proper education. White outlines, shadows, cutouts, "funny" fonts were all here.

Samples of Peter visual advertising

Another feature of modern Peter is the abundance of Sushi bars. Feels like sushi is their new national dish as at some streets it is impossible to walk a hundred meters without stumbling upon at least one sushi bar. Apparently all the kebab stalls from 10 years ago were now replaced with sushi bars.

This really looked more than just fashion, kind of obsession. And even restaurants that were not initially geared towards sushi rushed to include them in their menus. We were surprised to see sushi on the menu even in Elki-Palki restaurant (unfortunately their site is only in Russian) that specializes in traditional Russian cuisine. The interior is decorated in Russian style, waiters are wearing traditional clothing etc. Sushi really was dissonance with atmosphere. Russian cuisine however was good: blini (thin Russian pancakes) with different stuffings - caviar, mushrooms, ham and cheese and others, famous soups Borshsh and Solyanka, wild mushroom soup, they offered home-made kvas and cranberry drink. It is a franchise with over 50 restaurants all over Russia and quite a few in Petersburg so you will be likely to see them a lot. If you want you want to try traditional Russian cuisine at a reasonable price with quick and efficient service Elki-Palki is a good choice.
It is a shame as there are many cuisines worth exposure. The more so because people of different nationalities call Peter their home so during the visit it is possible to taste dishes from different countries cooked by countrymen themselves. We appreciate it much better than sushi cooked by guys who have never even been to Japan.
For example we visited Uzbek restaurant. Place was by no means intended for any passer-byes and we won't recommend it to those who look for a glamorous place or simply do not speak Russian. But if you are adventurous, want to try something real and interior design (though important) matters less then authentic dishes do not ignore these "holes in the wall". We were the only "walk-ins" as the place was more like club or gathering spot for locals, many of them knew the menu so well that did not even ask for one! TV was on showing some Uzbek movie which was looked us with a lot of interest. We ordered two staples of Uzbek cuisine shurpa and plov.

shurpa (shurva or shorva), a soup made of large pieces of fatty meat (usually mutton) and fresh vegetables; ©Wikipedia

Palov (plov or osh), rice pilaf - is the flagship of Uzbek cookery. It consists mainly of meat, onions, carrots and rice cooked in a special cauldron (deghi or qazan) over an open fire; chickpeas, raisins, barberries, or fruit may be added for variation. Although often prepared at home for family and guests by the head of household or the housewife, palov is made on special occasions by the oshpaz, or the osh master chef, who cooks the national dish over an open flame, sometimes serving up to 1,000 people from a single cauldron on holidays or occasions such as weddings. ©Wikipedia

Both dishes were excellent. We were explained that all the dishes here are prepared according to Islamic laws as the notion of "halal" - food prepared accordingly - is very important for Uzbeks. All the ingredients are delivered from Uzbekistan to make sure all laws are being followed.


We got a glimpse of another cuisine - Georgian (country, not state :)) at "Khachapurnaya-khinkal'naya" on pr. Dobrolyubova. Khachapuri - or "cheese bread" - is a staple of Georgian cuisine.

Khachapuri (Georgian: ხაჭაპური - xač’ap’uri or "cheese bread") is a filled bread dish from Georgia. The bread is leavened and allowed to rise, and is shaped in various ways. The filling contains cheese (fresh or aged, most commonly suluguni), eggs and other ingredients.  ©Wikipedia

We did not realize there were many sorts of khachapuri from different regions: I took Megruli Khachapuri (filled with cheese and topped with cheese) and Erkki - not a big fan of meatless dishes - took khachapuri with pork. We also took an appetizer made of string beans and walnut. All dishes were freshly made to order and tasted excellent. Khinkali - another popular Georgian dish - will be something to taste next time.

Khinkali (Georgian: ხინკალი) are Caucasian dumplings filled with various fillings such as mushrooms or cheese, but mostly with spiced meat (usually beef and pork, sometimes mutton) with greens, onions and garlic. ©Wikipedia

The only downslide to otherwise excellent food was the presence of cigarette smoke. 

By all means is it specific to this place only. Just the opposite. Smoking is allowed in the vast majority of Peter bars and restaurants and it is difficult to find a non-smoking place. Most places offer smoking and non-smoking rooms, but quite often there is no real separation or stronger conditioning in these areas so even though nobody smokes next to you the smell is still there. After having spent in the US and the EU where the smoking in public places is prohibited it was a shock.


This is another reason why we really appreciated restaurant of Lithuanian cuisine - Gintaras. Again, unfortunately we could not find there site. It is located on Vasilievsky Island, metro Vasileostrovskaya, pr. Sredny 5. The absence of smoke is not the only reason we came there 3 times during 4 days in Peter! Cozy interior with thorough intention to detail (all tables labelled with their symbol - letter "G", watercolors in the bathroom, photos of old Vilnius on the walls), fresh newspapers, books about Lithuania and albums by famous photographer on the side to read while waiting. Every meal starts with a carafe of water with lemon and fresh mint - so tasty even during cold autumn so we could only imagine how much the guests enjoy it during hot summers. The menu has two parts: Lithuanian and European cuisines. The first 2 times we took split pea soup with smoked ribs and zeppelins - national Lithuanian dish. They come with meat or cottage cheese and can be either fried or boiled. First time we took both kinds and agreed that even though both were excellent the fried one is a little heavier so the second time we took boiled ones. It is possible to choose one or two so light eaters, take one! They are very filling. The soup was to die for so Erkki took it all three times. As I like to try new things the third time I took Saltibarsciai, the traditional Lithuanian cold beet soup that comes with hot baked potatoes. For the main course I switched to the European menu and tried the dish that had been recently added and was not even printed but hand-written on the menu: veal kidney and thymus gland. Despite a pretty "anatomic" name the dish was excellent too. We also convinced Kaspar to take home-made ice-cream. Not only was it delicious it was also artfully presented:filled into emptied lemon skin. Highly recommend!



Let us return to symbols of St. Petersburg circa 2011.
Another fashion-becoming-obsession is hookah also known as a waterpipe or narghile

It is a single or multi-stemmed (often glass-based) instrument for smoking in which the smoke is cooled by water. 

For some reason it is offered not only in oriental-theme restaurants but pretty much everywhere. Almost every coffee shop has "hookah menu" on the last page. To tell the truth we never ended up in such cafe. But it always worried us as non-smokers that the next customer might ask for hookah and we will have to enjoy our coffee in tobacco smell. If you are concerned about it look closer at the café  and beware of the signs below:

Water pipes on display and sign saying кальян - hookah in Russian

Of course, like any tourist city Saint Petersburg offers a variety of t-shirts. Unfortunately for foreign tourists most inscription are in Russian so many guests of the city cannot appreciate the creators' sense of humor.
Here is the translation of some T-shirt slogans: "I love St. Petersburg", "Alcoholics against the drugs", "Peter is a stylish bitch", "Kill a beaver - save a tree".

One of the few t-shirts sellers who stayed despite the cold. There are many more during summer season.

Another problem of all big cities - graffiti. And we mean not graffiti as a form of art but its ugly younger brother  - graffiti "just because".

Garages in one of the yards on Petrogradskaya Storona

And some more creative displays and shop signs.
Below is a sign incorporated into beautiful Art Nouveau window. The translation of the sign is also remarkable: The shop of LenOblPotrebSoyuza - abbreviation for Union of Consumers of Leningradskaya Oblast'. By the way, even though the city itself was renamed from Leningrad to Saint Petersburg back in 1991 the district surrounding the city is still named Leningradskaya oblast' - Leningrad District. What is the Union of Consumers - I do not know.

The official shop of Union of Consumers

Another element that is used for decoration is balloons. Look how beautifully they ornate the entry to Vasilievsky market!

Entrance to Vaslievsky Market

Apparently there is a law in Russia that forces all companies to have signs in Cyrillic alphabet so do not be surprised to see Louis Vuitton written as Луи Вьюиттон. Below is a similar example from Mollie's Mews pub.

Mollie's Mews and Моллис Мьюз

Design aside, this sign is much funnier when you actually understand what it says. Well, let us help you. Along with standard (and respectively illustrated) "fruits-vegetables" there is smaller sign stating: "We are open. Come on in, the prices do not bite".
Definitely there is humor in Peter air.

The shop where the prices do not bite

Another sign created with sense of humor: "Self-service store in pedestrian accessibility". No jokes, it is important as there are a lot of walkers in Saint Petersburg.

Accessible store

Some sign though can be understood without words:

Full assortment

Something modern:

Creative traffic light

Yet next to modern signs and symbols there are always traces of past centuries such as this "Lion's Gate" in one Nevski passages...

Tikhvin Cemetery

As we had been to Saint Petersburg many times before we decided to visit some spots off the beaten path. Erkki remembered once he had been to a beautiful cemetery and wanted to re-visit it. So one of the mornings we headed to Ploshchad Aleksandra Nevskogo metro station.

Tikhvin Cemetery (Тихвинское кладбище) is located at the Alexander Nevsky Monastery. It was established in 1823, some of the notables buried here are: Fyodor Dostoyevsky, Pyotr Il'yich Tchaikovsky

It was an early morning and the cemeteries were not yet open (keep in mind, they are open from 9:30am every day except Thursday) and we walked around the monastery.

Alexander Nevsky Monastery

Alexander Nevsky Monastery

There were not many people as the next service at the monastery church starts at 10am on most weekdays. The absence of people was compensated by numerous birds.

Alexander Nevsky Monastery

On one side if the road there is so called "Master's Cemetery where famous writers, actors and composers are buried. The monuments were beautiful but a little too formal.

Some details from Master's Necropolis

On the other side of the road lays 18th century necropolis where rich and noble but not famous people are buried. The monuments there were to  our mind less formal, more symbolic and more creative.

General view of necropolis with monastery background

Some monuments were complete multi-figured sculptures using different materials.

One of the complex monuments

This monument uses different colors of marble

Some were high reliefs with complex poses, emotions and symbols: the person buried here was among others founder of the science academy and supporter of arts which is represented by a globe and lyre in the bottom left corner.

A very sad monument: look at the depth of emotions!

Some mid-reliefs were made of bronze and represented complex heraldic compositions including coat of arms, armor, flags, scull and bones... In the 18th century it could be read as a book as every element made sense.

Bronze heraldic composition

There were more transparent symbols: crying figures...

Crying figures

...some demonstrated what "laid to rest" means

Laid to rest

It was a surprise for us to see on many tombstones skull and bones. For a while we were sure it was pirate symbol. Up until we visited Camp Hill cemetery in Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada. We were surprised to see skull and bones as a repeated motive on many tombstones. 

The skull and cross bones are know as a Memento Mori, a reminder of our own mortality if you will, the hour glass also serves as a reminder that the sands of time are running out.

Information board explained that this motive was used in earlier burials and was later on replaced by winged heads. We were surprised to find out that

It is estimated that up to 1750 at least 90% of the gravestones displayed winged skulls. The oldest stones have grim images suggesting pessimism about the soul ascending to heaven. Note the use of symbols such as bones, hourglass or flames of hell. 

So skull and cross bones not only are used in Jolly Roger but also in tombstones that can be found in Europe, America and now Russia:

Scull symbols: the bottom sculls look happy even though the souls represented by bees are obviously leaving them... 

There were many more symbols: anchor apparently symbolizing a seaman, cut down tree with its crown next to it, hooped snake symbolizes eternal life - no beginning, no end, hourglass - passage of time, phoenix bird - rebirth, rose symbolizes beauty... There was even a masonic  eye within a sunburst.

Other symbols

St. Peter & Paul fortress

The sun does shine in St Petersburg, even in November! On the 4th day of our trip we were rewarded with sunny weather combined with dramatic skies.
On our last day we decided to visit the Peter and Paul Fortress. It is the first and oldest landmark in St. Petersburg, built between 1712 and 1733 on Zayachy Island (Rabbit Island) along the Neva River. Both the cathedral and the fortress were originally built under Peter the Great.

We also knew that the fortress had served a sort of Russian "Bastille" being the prison for numerous aristocratic (such as "Decembrists" - aristocratic movement trying to establish constitution in the eraly 19th century) or simply dangerous prisoners such as Tadeusz Kościuszko fighting for independence of so-called "North-Western district" containing parts of nowadays Belarus, Ukraine, Poland & Lithuania, Tsarevich Alexis - Peter I son and even Marshal Josip Broz Tito - statesman of Republic of Yugoslavia, to name more resent characters.


Despite all these facts we never visited it during our previous visits to St. Petersburg so this time we decided to catch up.

Dramatic skies. Spit of Vasilyevsky Island and "Flying Dutchman" sailboat.

View from Kronverk bridge

Kids on Kronverk bridge

View to the spit of Vasilyevsky Island from Zayachi Island

From the Kronverk bridge you can see the Bell tower (with spire). It is the dominant feature of this cathedral and the fortress. Not only is it an architectural symbol, it is also a lightning rod protecting the cathedral.

General view of Zayachy island with bell tower

We walked around the fortress walls. There is a nice walkway and at this time of the year instead of hords there was barely a young mother with a stroller or a jogger.

The fortress wharf

Inside the walls there are numerous museums: wax figure exhibition, exhibition of armor, panoptikum... You can also rent replicas of historical costumes and take photos.

The cathedral's bell tower is the world's tallest Orthodox bell tower. Since the belfry is not standalone, but an integral part of the main building, the cathedral is sometimes considered the highest Orthodox Church in the world. ©Wikipedia

Within the fortress walls

The sun came out and we walked along the lanes towards the cathedral.





The Peter and Paul Cathedral

The cathedral houses the remains of almost all the Russian Emperors and Empresses from Peter the Great to Nicholas II and his family who were finally laid to rest in July 1998. ©Wikipedia



 Even though according to Wikipedia...

The cathedral's architecture also features a unique iconostasis (the screen which separates the nave of the church from the sanctuary). ©Wikipedia

...we were not able to see it. The cathedral was locked and the only people who were let in were the ladies wearing working clothes who were obviously involved in the reconstruction work. Speaking of reconstruction, we were surprised to find out that...

When renovators were working to clean the angel upon the spire in 1997, they found a note bottle left in one of the folds of the angel's gown. In the note, renovators from 1953 apologized for what they felt was rushed and shoddy work (Soviet premier Nikita Khrushchev wanted the angel refurbished for the 250th anniversary of the city that year).   ©Wikipedia

We really felt respect o those unknown renovators who felt sorry for doing a lousy job. 

The cathedral seen across the main square

Walking along the fortress streets we found ourselves facing quite an unusual angle...

Saint Petersburg

Some cities, they say, are beautiful at any time of the year.
Well... This time we were to check out the beauty of Saint Petersburg in the month of November. Of course we would not recommend this time of the year for St. Petersburg visits but if you happen to be there do not hide in the warm vicinity of your hotel but still explore the city.
Of course you can still visit suburban palaces (Peterhof, Tsarskoe Selo, Oranienbaum (Lomonosov), Pavlovsk, Gatchina) and admire their interiors, for example, beautifully restored Amber Room (or Amber Chamber). But we believe that the surrounding parks constitute a huge part of their charm. As most sculptures are boarded up for the winter do not ruin your first impression, come back when it is warmer.
Do not get disappointed though. The city still has a lot to offer, even in November. Let us invite for a walk!

Winter Palace seen from Palace Embankment

Neva river offers a lot of views, too.

Masts of a sailboat

Spit of Vasilyevsky Island is a popular spot for picture-taking among the newlyweds. They will be here any time of the year.

Newlyweds are taking pictures at a distance. In the background - tower of The Peter and Paul Cathedral  Zayachy Island with the world's tallest Orthodox bell tower

The Peter and Paul Cathedral

Newlyweds. Looks like white wedding gowns are no longer popular.

View to the Winter Palace across Neva from Vasilyevsky Island

Another group of people that will be here rain or shine are fishermen. Or is it a fisherwoman?

Winter Palace with fisherman in the foreground

Horses from The Blagoveshchensky (Annunciation) Bridge with golden dome of Saint Isaac's Cathedral (or Isaakievskiy Sobor) in the background. At the time (mid 19th century) , it was the longest bridge in Europe.

Palace Embankment with a view to one of the canals

Bridges of Saint-Petersburg:

Some sculptures were still open:

Hercules in Alexandrovsky Gardens

Panoramas of Saint-Petersburg: