St Petersburg Through the Eyes of a Foreigner
St Petersburg, a city recognised for its picturesque buildings and imperial history, once served as the capital of Russia. It is now Russia’s second-largest city and its unofficial cultural capital. To make the most of your time in St Petersburg, Owen John Havercroft Reyes, a first-year master’s student, has shared some of the city’s highlights and his experiences living here as a foreigner.
Culture
Upon arriving in St Petersburg, one of the first landmarks you will encounter is St Isaac's Cathedral, the largest cathedral in Russia with its huge golden dome standing out over the city. Another cathedral worth visiting is the Church of the Savior on Blood, situated on the Griboedov Canal (the same canal as one of HSE's campuses). It has an incredible interior and the classic colourful onion domes foreigners often associate with Russian churches. The name commemorates the spot where Alexander II was fatally wounded.
Peter and Paul Fortress is another unique landmark you will see along St Petersburg’s main river, the Neva. This fortress houses a cathedral where the remains of Russia's rulers are buried: from Peter the Great, the founder of the city, to Nicholas II, the last tsar of Russia. It was a military tradition to fire the cannon from the fortress. This tradition continues now daily at noon, something to keep in mind if you are visiting during this time.
Visiting such landmarks as a foreigner truly immerses you in the past and the important events that occurred here. If you're looking for a museum to visit, the first stop is undoubtedly the Hermitage Museum. It is renowned not only for its great art—from paintings to the famous peacock clock acquired by Catherine the Great—but also because it is housed inside the Winter Palace, the official residence of the royal family. Exploring this museum will take a whole day or even more. When you're ready to visit other museums, you can head to the Russian State Museum, the Faberge Museum, the Kunstkamera, and many others. The choice is yours.
Entertainment
The city offers plenty of opportunities to immerse yourself in its history, but after you settle in, you will likely not visit the museums and cathedrals daily. This is where the city’s other activities come in handy to help you spend your time. St Petersburg has many options for you to choose from.
Following up on culture, one of the classic Russian activities is ballet. While St Petersburg has many theatres with many plays, these are often in Russian and can be a challenge if you do not yet speak Russian. However, ballet can be fully appreciated without language, and the performances here are world-class.
St Petersburg has over a hundred theatres and theatre companies, the most renowned of which is the Mariinsky. This resulted in the opening of Mariinsky II, which features more modern facilities. The two venues also have distinct performances. For instance, I attended The Nutcracker at both venues, and the choreography and set design differed greatly. The original Mariinsky has a traditional approach with classic costumes and choreography, whereas Mariinsky II offers an entirely new interpretation of the story as well as more colourful and interesting set designs. This truly makes both plays almost entirely different and worth watching at both theatres.
Witnessing a ballet performance in Russia is one of those moments you won’t forget. The historical buildings, the talent of the dancers, and the feeling of being in the same place where composers like Tchaikovsky held the premiere of The Nutcracker in 1892 are unmatched and one of the great benefits of living in a historical city like this.
If you are looking for something more casual, the city has plenty of activities, ranging from escape rooms (done in English as well) to quizzes. I personally attended a quiz at the Blagodat Frigate, and while the questions were in Russian, attending with my friends from HSE University made the experience very fun and still enjoyable.
I also attended a thrift market event at Sevkabel, where all sorts of clothes were sold cheaply. It is an easy way to get some clothes for the long winter while enjoying a relaxed area with music, food, and a nice view. If you are looking for a place to do some shopping at brand-name shops, there are plenty of malls in the city, the biggest of which is Galeria.
Cafés are another major highlight of St Petersburg, offering perfect spots for reading, studying, or enjoying a cup of coffee. A personal favourite for me is the café inside the Singer House, also known as the House of Books, which provides a stunning view of Kazan Cathedral. For book lovers, Podpisnye Izdaniya café combines a two-story bookstore with a variety of books with cosy seating for food and drinks. New Holland is another popular spot, which has plenty of activities such as restaurants, chess clubs and an affordable co-working area to catch up on your work. Beyond these, the city is filled with a variety of bars and restaurants to visit.
St Petersburg through the Seasons
Summer is the perfect time to explore and walk around the city and across its many rivers and bridges. Another way of exploring is by boat ride along the canals of the city (which is not possible once winter arrives). It gives you a unique view of the city that you can’t see daily. You can hire a private boat or go on an organised tour, which is cheaper.
The summer weather also allows you to explore the botanical gardens and the summer gardens, which are full of fountains and statues. The most impressive gardens are those in the Peterhof Palace, the summer residence of the tsars. Now a museum worth exploring, the gardens are the highlight and have been called ‘the Russian Versailles’ for their direct inspiration from Peter the Great’s visit to France.
If you are in the city during the summer, you will also witness the ‘White Nights’, a phenomenon where the skies never fully darken and stay at twilight. This is not only interesting to experience, but is also accompanied by various activities such as ‘Stars of the White Nights’ performances and the ‘Scarlet Sails’ celebration.
Once winter arrives, many of these activities are either not possible or not enjoyable to the same extent. Despite the cold, St Petersburg looks the most picturesque during winter, and it also offers a range of different activities.
One of these is skiing. St Petersburg has a range of skiing areas and resorts to visit, depending on how far you want to travel from the city and what your budget is.
Ice skating is another popular winter activity. A good spot to go is New Holland, where an ice-skating rink is set up from November until late March. If you are looking for a larger ice-skating area, the Flagshtock rink near the Gazprom arena provides this with a nice view over the Gulf of Finland.
Winter also brings Christmas, when the decorations transform the city into an even more beautiful place. The huge tree in front of the Winter Palace at Palace Square is a must-see. The city is also filled with Christmas markets where you can try mulled wine and other warm snacks while enjoying the city’s architecture.
Food
St Petersburg has all the classic food options such as sushi, pizza, and hamburgers. However, living in Russia introduces you to foods that may be new, especially if you arrive from abroad. Georgian cuisine is particularly popular here, especially dishes such as khachapuri—a cheese-filled bread that is a national favourite—and khinkali, dumplings stuffed with a variety of meats and vegetables. Borscht, a beet and meat soup topped with sour cream, is a very common dish in Russia and is perfect for the wintertime.
For those with a sweet tooth, the pyshka, or pyshki, is Russia's traditional donut covered in powdered sugar and served warm. Pyshechka is a popular spot for enjoying them because it not only sells them at an affordable price, but also has a Soviet-themed atmosphere, which makes your experience a lot more memorable.
These are just a few highlights, but St Petersburg has a lot more food to offer and you will likely discover new dishes that you never knew of before.
Living in St Petersburg is a unique experience that allows you to explore and discover a side of the world that many foreigners do not see. I know that for me, living in this city has been a memorable experience that I will constantly tell others about in the future, and I hope I get to visit this city again once my time at HSE University has concluded.
Written by Owen Havercroft, 1st-year student of the Master’s programme ‘Data Analytics for Business and Economics’