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Regular version of the site

Local Information


About St. Petersburg

St. Petersburg is Russia's second-largest city after Moscow and the third largest city (after Moscow and London) in Europe. Situated at the junction of the Baltic sea, the Neva river and land routes, St. Petersburg is the Russia’s gateway to Europe, its strategic center and the closest city to the European Union countries. Inland waters cover about 10% of the city.

St. Petersburg is the administrative center of the North-West Federal District, which has significant natural resource potential, highly developed industry and dense transportation network, providing links of the Russian Federation with the outside world through sea ports in the Baltic and the Arctic Ocean.


The city was founded by Tsar Peter the Great on May 27, 1703. Between 1713–1728 and 1732–1918, Saint Petersburg was the imperial capital of Russia. In 1918, the central government bodies moved to Moscow. St. Petersburg is inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage list as an area with 36 historical architectural complexes and around 4000 outstanding individual monuments of architecture, history and culture. It is home to the Hermitage, one of the largest art museums in the world, and the world-famous Mariinsky Theatre.

 

St. Petersburg Official City Guide:http://www.visit-petersburg.ru/en/
Travel tips and articles:https://www.lonelyplanet.com/russia/st-petersburg


FOUnded

May 27, 1703

Currency

Russian rouble

POPULATion

5, 123.6 million people
(as of 1 December 2013)

time zone

GMT +3

area

1,439 sq. km

CLIMATE

humid continental climate. Average temperature in winter: -10C to -8C; spring: 0C to 10C; summer: 18C to 20C; autumn: 0C to 10C

 

White Nights

A period from mid-May to mid-July when twilight may last all night has become a common symbol of St Petersburg. White nights are celebrated with cultural events known as the White Nights Festival.





Getting to St. Petersburg

Pulkovo airport is situated on the south border of St. Petersburg.

Information service:
+7-812-337-38-22
+7-812-337-34-44

customerservice@pulkovo-airport.com

www.pulkovoairport.ru  

 

By bus

City buses number 39, 39Ex and Minivan Taxi number K39 run between the airport and the nearest Moskovskaya metro station. All bus stops are in front of the Arrivals Hall exit. 

Express city bus 39Ex (from 5:25 to 0:20, every 25–30 min) 

City bus number 39 (from 5:30 to 1:30, every 12–20 min) 

Minivan Taxi K39 (from 7:00 to 23:30, every 5–10 min) 

 

By taxi

Getting a taxi from the airport is easy and safe and relatively cheap. Please be careful to avoid illegal taxis. You will clearly identify them as they are offering their service in the arrivals hall. It is recommended to take an official airport taxi, which you have the chance to order before passing into the arrivals hall, immediately after exiting customs. You can also use Gett or Uber in St. Petersburg, but we recommend the official airport taxis if it is your first time. 

Getting around

St. Petersburg is a city with developed infrastructure. There is a public transport network and a wide range of commercial transport and taxis in the city.


Underground (View map)

The high speed underground transport system consists of 5 lines and 67 stations. Ticket price is 45 rubles and it doesn't depend on the amount of line changing or length of trip. You insert your token or swipe your travel card as you enter (there is no swipe necessary on exit). Working time: from around 5:30 a.m. till approx. 0:30 a.m.

Bus

There are commercial and municipal routes in the city. Ticket price in municipal transport is 40 rubles and it doesn't depend on length of trip. You may purchase your ticket right from the driver or ticket collector.

Buses and particularly minibuses (marshrutki) are a very handy way to get around the city and they tend to cover routes that the metro doesn’t, making them essential for certain parts of town. Minibusescosts vary: some charge flat fares, while others will charge you according to how far you want to go on their route. You always pay the driver directly.

Trolleybus

The trolleybus network of St. Petersburg is extensive and consists of 45 routes. Ticket price is 40 rubles and it doesn't depend on length of trip. You may purchase your ticket right from the ticket collector.

Tram

Total length of street railway in Saint-Petersburg is 500 km, there are 43 routes. Ticket price is 40 rubles and it doesn't depend on length of trip. You may purchase your ticket right from the ticket collector.

 Taxi

 

We arranged a 10% discount from June 14 till June 18. Please use the word “Congress” when ordering. 


One of St. Petersburg's oldest taxi companies with a large fleet of mostly imported sedans. Payment per km, or hourly rental. Designated driver service and transfers to Finland also available. Online orders. Credit cards accepted.

Phone: 068, +7-800-550-0-068, +7-812-324-77-77

 

Large company operating in Moscow and Sochi as well as St. Petersburg, with a fleet of Ford Focus station wagons. Inexpensive metered service or rental by the hour. Executive-class service available with Ford Mondeo sedans (free Wi-Fi in-car). Online orders.

 

Phone: +7(812)600-8888

Company offering standard prices per km and car rental by the hour. Online orders.

Phone: +7-812-777-1-777


Bridges Timetable

From mid-April until late November all bridges across the Neva rise at the following times nightly to allow ships to pass through the city, meaning you cannot cross the river during these times. Therefore, if you’re staying on Vasilyevsky Island, the Petrograd Side or the Vyborg Side and go out late in the city centre, you’ll need to time your trip home well, or wait until dawn. All times are am. Note that the Grenadersky, Kantemirovsky and Sampsonievsky Bridges over the Bolshaya Nevka River (connecting the Vyborg and Petrograd Sides) only go up rarely, and two days' notice is given beforehand. You can check the full, up-to-date timetable at https://en.mostotrest-spb.ru/ . Note also that that the M5 metro line shuttles back and forth between Admiralteyskaya and Sportivnaya stations between 1am and 3am, creating an easy way to get between the islands and the city centre.

Bridge

Schedule

 

Blagoveschensky bridge

 

From 1:25 a.m. to 2:45 a.m.

From 3:10 a.m. to 5:00 a.m. 

Palace bridge

From 1:10 a.m. to 2:50 a.m.

From 3:10 a.m. to 4:55 a.m. 

Troitsky bridge 

From 1:20 a.m. to 4:50 a.m. 

Liteyny bridge

From 1:40 a.m. to 4:45 a.m. 

Bolsheokhtinsky bridge 

From 2:00 a.m. to 5:00 a.m

Alexander Nevsky bridge 

From 2:20 a.m. to 5:10 a.m

Volodarsky bridge 

From 2:00 a.m. to 3:45 a.m.

From 4:15 a.m. to 5:45 a.m. 

Birzhevoy bridge 

From 2:00 a.m. to 4:55 a.m

Tuchkov bridge

From 2:00 a.m. to 2:55 a.m

 

Money

ATMs are everywhere in St Petersburg, and generally accept all major credit and debit cards. You may save on fees by bringing cash in US dollars or euro with you and changing them at any bank or exchange office (обмен валют), where you'll often get a better rate than that offered by credit cards.

You can pay by debit and credit cards in most restaurants and shops, but it's never a good idea to rely on being able to do so: always carry some cash. Visa and MasterCard are most widely accepted, and AmEx and Diner's Club are not as useful.

Safety

Generally, St. Petersburg is a safe city. However, just like everywhere else, you should take care when you are out and about. Avoid secluded areas at night, such as back streets and parks. Be careful of pickpockets in public transport. It is always advisable to keep an eye on your belongings and do not carry too much money with you. Please be sure to have your ID or its copy with you whenever you are out in the city. You may want to find our your St. Petersburg consulate’s phone number in case you have to contact them.

You can call 112 from fixed and mobile phones to contact any emergency service: an ambulance, the fire brigade or the police.

Emergency Contacts

Olga Karpenok, Logistics Manager

Cell phone: +7-911-227-61-19

Nikita Zubarev, Visa Office manager

Cell phone: +7-999-512-92-14 (Please contact Nikita, If you have any trouble while passing customs or passport control) 

WCCE2017StPetersburg@hse.ru