St Petersburg has been dubbed the Venice of the North for its palace-lined waterways. It managed to escape the architectural incursions of Stalinism and its grandiose relics of tsarist days are rather intact. Sculpted by islands and the sinuous Neva River, the city is a prospect of geometric elegance. Within this geometry are a dust-whirl of influences and styles and a fascinating maelstrom of life's extremes. It's breathtakingly gorgeous, it's ruefully falling apart; it's latently sensual, it's crude and vulgar; its very essence gets under your skin, but remains forever outside your grasp. At a glance you can find it all, see it all, and get it all. Even half an hour spent on its streets and squares gives you the full range of mixed emotions and gripping sights. Discover your own St. Petersburg – at one glance!

  20 /03 2009 – 28 /06 2009
 Boris Smelov

Retrospective

Famous Russian operas and ballets, theaters, exhibitions, concerts – we hope you will have enough time to see all that you want to! Use our list of the best shopping places, and various cafйs and restaurants – you can find out what Russian cuisine is like beyond caviar and vodka! See our recommendations for where to go for a good night out; a jazz concert, for example. St. Petersburg is truly a jazz city, with its fusion of styles and hedonistic atmosphere. You are welcome!

Unlike almost any other major European city, the physical centre of St Petersburg is inhabited, lived in, slept in, walked through day and night by its essential population. Live an exciting experience of getting involved into this strange and unknown life… Not to be an extraterrestrial, it is better to get prepared for that, find out some places where and when to go, and where to turn to in case of emergency. Our Need-to-know tips will help you not to be caught by suddenly drawn bridge or unexpected day-off in some museum. Forewarned is forearmed!