St Petersburg in Winter
Written: May 03 '00
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Product Rating:
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Pros: it is a fascinating place
Cons: I wanted to stay longer
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| azielinski's Full Review: St Petersburg |
A friend and I went to Russia in February of this year. Being practical women we went then for several reasons: 1) it was the only time she could get away from work 2) the airfares are much lower in the winter because most people do not even think of going (but we had lived in Mongolia and knew just how cold it could get) 3)we figured that there would be very few tourists (meaning few lines) in February. We were right.
We flew from New York to Moscow and after spending the night on the train, went to the International Youth Hostel in St. Petersburg. I mention that because it fulfills my housing requirements of clean and safe while only costing $21 per night and we were able to arrange a tour through them.
Our first day was spent in the Russian Art Museum, just off the Nevsky Prospect. The Hermitage needs more than an afternoon so we waited for that. We then went to the box office of the Marinsky Theatre (Kirov) and got tickets for that night's performance of Aida. The performance was wonderful and during one of the intermissions we had a look inside at the tsar's box, which has been restored. It is beautiful.
***An aside: there are pricing structures in Russia. There is once price for Russians, one for foreigners living in country for long terms, one for children and pensioners and one of those of us visiting. We are going to pay more than anyone else. The fact is that we have more than anyone else and this is a chance for the museums, theaters, etc. to make more money and keep their institutions standing. While it isn't "fair" the fact is that you are still paying less than you would just about anywhere else and if you want the Marinsky to stand they have to pay for light and heat. We paid about $40 for first circle seats.
The next day we took a walking tour of St. Petersburg. Normally that might not have worked but that week was unseasonably warm in St. Petersburg and it was just above or below freezing all week. We took the Metro a bit but mostly we walked with our guide. We went into several churches, which are enjoying a revival now that things are more open, walked along the Neva, got to see parts of the inside of the University, the Peter & Paul Fortress, the palace where Rasputain was killed (I am not going to try to spell that) and spent a couple of hours talking with our guide. It was a fabulous experience.
The following day was spent at the Hermitage. This is going a little long so I will go into that in another epinion.
We also went to see Les Sylphidies at the Mussogorsky Theatre (about $12) and went to the cemetary at the Nevsky Monastary. Several artists, composers and writers are buried there and it is quite beautiful. We also went to Dostoyevsky's flat.
My friend is a vegetarian so we stuck to ethnic cuisine for the most part, Georgian and Uzbek were our favorite but there is a mushroom in sour cream thing the Russians do that is wonderful.
After spending an afternoon more on the Nevsky Prospect, we took the night train to Moscow. I only regret that we didn't have more time in St. Petersburg.
Recommended:
Yes
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azielinski
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Location: Boston, MA
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