«Scientia potentia est» is translated from Latin as “the knowledge is the power”. So here is your source of power – a lot of interesting historical, geographical, social and other facts about St Petersburg, its places, people and attractions. Read about Russian traditions, prejudices and stereotypes that foreigners might have, as well as about city events and sights. Ask questions if you have any, and let’s explore Saint Petersburg together during a private tour.
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Get gifts from Russia that your friends or relatives will love. That’s easy, as there are so many options! What’s the first souvenir that comes to your mind? Matreshka Doll Might be cliché, but still a nice souvenir, especially if you buy a nice set of dolls made in Russia. Those are more expensive than […]
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Saint Petersburg has many unofficial names, such as the Northern Capital of Russia, North Venice, North Palmyra, open air museum. There’s one more name – the City of Three Revolutions. Here is the story behind this calling. Totally, there were three major revolutions in St Petersburg: The Russian Revolution of 1905-1907, the February Bourgeois Democratic […]
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Scarlet Sails, or as it is called in Russian “Alye Parusa”, is one of the most popular European festivals that takes place in Saint Petersburg every June. Initially created as a celebration for Russian school graduates, over the time Scarlet Sails have become a tremendous event awaited by millions of people worldwide. Tourists from all […]
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The 6th of June is a special day in Russian literature, as it is the birthday of Alexander Sergeevich Pushkin (1799 – 1837) who is considered as the creator of the modern Russian language. Have you heard of Pushkin? Most likely you read one of his masterpieces, like Eugene Onegin, The Captain’s Daughter, Boris Godunov […]
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Embankments with palaces’ facades, bridges with graceful fences reflected in the river smooth surface … These paintings, like gems in a kaleidoscope, make up a portrait of the beautiful and mysterious Northern capital. Water gives a special charm to urban landscapes – the rivers and canals of St. Petersburg wash its islands and draw an […]
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The New Year is one of the calendar Russian holidays, celebrated on the night of December 31 to January 1 of each year. Until the XV century (perhaps also before the adoption of Christianity) in Russia, the new year began on March 1, according to the Julian calendar. From the XV century, the new year […]
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Is there any fast food traditional Russian cuisine? Frequent question from foreign guests. And what is the traditional Russian cuisine. I would single out three types in accordance with the historical period: primordially Russian, Russian and Soviet. At the moment, in cafes, bistros and fast food restaurants you can find dishes that correspond to all […]
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Historical background The history of St Petersburg on the Neva banks begins approximately from the VIII century, when around 750 years in the lower Volkhov river was founded the settlement of Ladoga (now Staraya Ladoga). Quite quickly, it became a major, if not the largest, trade point in this region, since it was on the […]
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Artistic images surround us everywhere. After all, most writers find inspiration in nature and the outside world! Anna Akhmatova versified, “…I wish you knew the kind of garbage heap. Wild verses grow on, paying shame no heed”. And she was absolutely right! The Petersburg that Pushkin, Lermontov, Dostoevsky, Gogol, Goncharov, Turgenev, Bely, Akhmatova, Brodsky, Blok, […]
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Generally, Russian people have three meals a day: breakfast, lunch, and dinner. In Russia, it doesn’t take much time to cook breakfast or to eat it. As a matter of fact, Russians aren’t used to eating a lot in the morning. An average breakfast consists of an omelet, sandwiches, corn flakes or something like that. […]
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