4 Days in St. Petersburg – Russia’s Cultural Capital

St. Petersburg had been on my travel wishlist for so long; I had been itching to see the opulent, glittery palaces where the Tzars lived and its golden onion dome cathedrals.

Often referred to as  “Venice of the North” thanks to its numerous canals, St. Petersburg was founded in 1703 by Peter the Great. Even though the city has had a checkered past with the siege of Leningrad and an authoritative communist regime, it is now a fascinating, buzzing place to look around. Packed with Instagrammable cafes, luxury hotels, beautiful art galleries and a vibrant cultural scene at the Mariinsky theatres, it’s well worth a look.

When to visit

The best time to visit St. Petersburg is in summer, between June and September.

Visa

The Russian consulate in London has outsourced its visa services to VFS. You do not need a prior appointment if you are applying for a tourist visa (as of May 2019). The standard processing time for a Russian visa is around 20 business days unless you apply for the express service which takes 3 business days. Please see the links below for detailed list of requirements, online visa application form, photo specifications and visa fees.

http://ru.vfsglobal.co.uk/Proceed_To_Online_Application_Form.html

http://ru.vfsglobal.co.uk/tourist.html

Getting around

With a good network of buses, trams and the metro, it’s very easy to get around St. Petersburg.

Taking the local bus was a real experience. The conductors issuing tickets are a reminder of the Soviet Era. If you are like me and don’t like carrying cash, there is a contactless card machine available in all buses. I try using the public transport at least once wherever I go. You feel you are part of the city and it helps you to get an insight into the day to day lives of the locals. The buses here are cheap and a one way ride costs 40 roubles (less than 50p).

Taxis

Download Yandex app (Russian Uber!) It’s super cheap – an average journey costs less than £3 (thanks to their abundant oil reserves). Taxis are usually available in less than 5 minutes. You can set the payment type in the app to cash or card depending on which you prefer.

Where to stay

I generally like to stay somewhere central whenever I travel. I stayed in an Airbnb apartment near Nevsky Prospect (The Oxford Street of St. Petersburg). The location was perfect to get around and is within walking distance to many of the city’s attractions. Airbnb is a great option here, given the city lacks good hotels in the mid price range. You can get a good spacious one bedroom apartment on Airbnb for less than £75 per night around Nevsky Prospect.

Day 1

St. Isaac’s cathedral

Topped with a gold plated dome, St. Isaac’s cathedral is a must do if you are ever in St. Petersburg. The cathedral was constructed in the mid-19^th century by the French architect Auguste de Montferrand. The inside of the monument is full of beautiful mosaics, paintings, icons and doors. You can even climb up the stairs to see beautiful panaromic views of the city for an extra fee.

Ticket entry: The adult price for admission is 350 roubles. 

Church of the Savior on Blood

I have seen some magnificent churches and cathedrals in my travels but nothing is as unique and ornate as the Church of the Savior on Blood. The exterior is truly magnificent with multi-coloured onion-shaped domes. The interiors are covered with 7,000 mosaics, Italian coloured marbles, ornamental stones and beautiful gold work. The church was built in memory of Tzar Alexander II, who was assassinated at this spot in 1881. The Tzar’s son swore to build a cathedral on the site of his father’s spilled blood and hence the church was built.

Ticket entry: The adult price for admission is 250 roubles. 

Yusopov palace

Yes this is the place where Rasputin, Tzar’s controversial spiritual advisor was claimed to be murdered in 1916. The palaces belonged to the Yusupov family who were once one of the most influential aristocrats before the Russian Revolution, given their closeness to the Romanovs. The reception rooms are grand and have been restored well. My favourite room was the theatre! Do visit the palace if you are interested in knowing more about Rasputin, the conspirancies surrounding his murder and the Yusopov family. Don’t expect the level of opulence as the Hermitage or Catherine Palace though.

Ticket entry: The adult price for admission is 350 roubles. 

St. Nicholas Cathedral

This blue and white church was built in the 18^th century in a quarter mainly dominated by sailors. Given St. Nicholas is the patron saint of sailors, this is how the cathedral got its name. The architecture reminded me of the St. Michael golden domed monastery I visited in Kiev, Ukraine.

Ticket entry: Admission is free of charge.

Dinner: I had dinner at Lindfors restaurant before the concert, a small café near the theatre. The restaurant is well decorated, reasonably priced and offers good standard food.

Piano and Violin at Mariinsky II

I ended my day with the piano and violin performance “Elgar – Kiprsky – Profokiev” at Mariinsky II theatre which was a perfect end to the day! Mariinsky I and II host several performances and concerts almost every evening.

Day 2

Catherine Palace

Catherine Palace is a living testimony to the extraordinary wealth and power of the Tzars. Built in the 19^th century by Elizabeth I in memory of her mother Catherine, the palace served as the summer residence for the Romanov family. The palace is located in a small town called Pushkin, around one hour from St. Petersburg. You need at least 5 hours including transfer from St. Petersburg to visit here.

This palace is huge! You are required to wear special slippers over your shoes to preserve the floors. The interiors of the palace feature intricate gold work, mirrors, sculptures, paintings and beautiful painted ceilings. My favourite was the recently restored Amber room (the only room where you can’t take pictures).

Ticket entry: It is difficult to find individual tickets on the palace website given tour operators book bulk tickets in advance. I booked a guided tour of “Catherine Palace and Amber Room tour” on “Get Your Guide” which gives you fast track access to the palace and its gardens (£75 per person). The shuttle transfer was comfortable and the tour guide was friendly and informative. The big downside I find about guided tours is that they are generally very rushed, which means that I couldn’t spend the time I ideally wanted to appreciate the grandeur and opulence of this place.

La Sylphide ballet at the Mariinsky I

After seeing the Russian Ballet “Swan Lake” in London last year, I was really keen to go for a ballet performance at the grand old Mariinsky theatre which was built on the order of the Romanovs in 1860. Mariinsky I is an attraction in its own right – beautifully designed with excellent acoustics.

La Sylphide was simply magical. The ballet dancers were brilliant and the orchestra was terrific! I really admire their attention to detail and coordination with which they bring together the story line. I would advise to be there a bit earlier so that you can soak in the interiors of the concert hall. There is a 30 minute interval between the performances – don’t miss the delicious honey cake in the café upstairs!

Dinner

I had a late dinner at the Von Witte bar at the Kempinsky Moika after the concert. I really liked the classical interiors of the bar with its wooden decor, leather armchairs, fireplace and a library. Both the food and the service are top notch. You get great views of the Moika river from the bar too. They had live jazz as well which further added to the experience.

Day 3

Subway tour

The metro stations here are another world when compared to the stations in London or New York. Each station is spotless and adorned with sculptures, mosaics, chandeliers and marble columns.

Suggested tour: I highly recommend booking the tour Metro tour with delicious bonus on Airbnb experiences (with Irina). She is very knowledgeable, professional and sociable. The tour ends with delicious “pyshki” (local donuts) at Pyshechnaya, one of the few places still continuing from the Soviet era. Although I am not a big fan of the usual American glazed sugary donuts, I actually quite enjoyed these as the sugar content was perfect and they were nice and hot! The tour costs £24 per person. Airbnb experiences are great, given the groups are much smaller and the tours tend to be more personal and engaging unlike traditional guided tours which can be overwhelming at times. Facts, figures and dates can overwhelm you and generally they are quite rushed (at least in my experience).

The Hermitage Museum (Winter Palace)

If you have time to see only one thing in St. Petersburg, you should do the Hermitage. The Hermitage is the most beautiful palace I have ever seen followed by Catherine Palace in Pushkin (Versailles ranks number 3 in my opinion). Winter palace is a remarkable attraction; breathtaking opulence showing just how the Tzars of Russia once lived. The palace is filled with beautiful paintings, sculptures and guilded chandeliers. If you had this as a residence, months would pass by and no one would find you. The palace was the home of the Tzars until the Russian revolution in 1917.

Ticket entry: The admission for adults is 700 roubles. Unlike Catherine Palace, you don’t have to book a ticket in advance, you can just walk in and purchase a ticket at the self service machine or the ticket counter on the day. I decided against booking a guided tour as I didn’t want to be rushed and really wanted to take my time admiring the interiors and opulence of this magnificent palace. I purchased an audio guide which helped in getting background information about the rooms I was visiting.

Canal tour

The majority of people tend to go for the opening bridges canal tour which is after midnight. Given that would have been past my bedtime, I decided to do the earlier tour which starts at 9pm. There was live jazz and a bar on the boat. I booked my tour in advance and the jazz musician was good but the bar and food service weren’t the best (which I guess is typical of canal tours in many big cities). We were unfortunate with the weather too as it was raining but that’s typical of St. Peteresburg given the weather is quite unpredictable, in some ways quite similar to London.

Day 4

Tour of Rasputin’s house  

I have always been intrigued by Russian history and had been keen to know more about Rasputin, how he became close to the Romanovs and the conspiracies surrounding his murder. For those of you who don’t know about Rasputin, he was a controversial spiritual advisor to Tzar Nicholas II and his family. He had been hired by the Tzar and the Tzarina Alexandra to treat their haemophiliac son, Alexei. From humble beginnings, Rasputin soon became part of the Tzar’s inner circle. Rasputin was disliked by many in the nobility given his increased influence in the royal household and alleged intervention in royal affairs.

The house where Rasputin lived until his murder in 1916 was inaccessible until 2019. The residents living here were never allowed access nor the communists who ruled USSR until 1991, as they did not want to give any importance to anyone close to the Romanovs. The house is currently occupied and is not a museum. Access to the house has only recently become possible through an Airbnb experience as the Airbnb guide Oksana has collaboration with the current resident Dimitry. So I was the first person to have had this experience on Airbnb, plus I was the only one who had booked the tour on that that day!

The tour started off with me meeting Oksana at Vitebsky railway station. It was the first railway station to be opened in the Russian Empire in 1837. The station as built by Tzar Nicholas to link St. Petersburg with his summer palace in Pushkin. You do feel you’re in a period movie when you are here (leaving aside the dresses).

We made our way to Rasputin’s house, which was located less than 5 minutes from the station. We were greeted by Dimitry, the current resident, at the building gates. Dimitry gave me some background about the house and Rasputin’s time there in Russian, while Oksana translated everything into English for me.

Dimitry showed me the entrance where Felix Yusopov knocked just after midnight on 30th December. We climbed up the siairs and made our way to the 2^nd floor apartment where Rasputin lived. It was like a journey back into the past! The building, stairs and doors all looked like they were from the early 20^th century and were in need of repair.

We spent most of our time in the room where Rasputin would meet his visitors. Although we have learnt how evil the Tzars and Rasputin were, this view isn’t shared by everyone in modern day Russia. Some believers of the Russian Orthodox church do tend to view them in a positive light. Tzar Nicholas II and his entire family were given sainthood by the Russian Orthodox church in the year 2000.

Dimitry and Oksana had arranged for some delicious cakes and tea for me which we relished in Rasputins house.

Tour: As of now, you can only book the tour via Airbnb experience Unveil Rasputins secrets in his room. The tour costs £44 and includes tea and cakes at the residence where Rasputin lived.

Dinner in an old time apartment

People fascinate me, especially people from different cultures and backgrounds which kind of explains my wanderlust! I wanted an authentic experience of meeting a local family in St. Petersburg. I saw a dining experience on Airbnb experiences where you can have dinner in an old apartment, and I immediately booked it given the great reviews. Elena, the hostess, messaged me while I was on my Rasputin tour asking whether I wanted to have wine or vodka with my meal. Given I don’t drink, I replied “Juice or water would be fine”. In their sixties now, Elena and her husband Sasha live in the posh residential leafy neighbourhood of Tavricheskaya in St. Petersburg. Elena was at the building’s gate to receive me. After the exchange of initial greetings, she said “Let’s go to the local supermarket to get some juice”. I told her not to worry and I would be happy with just water. With a warm smile, she said “Don’t worry, I need some juice for myself!” While we were walking to the nearby supermarket, Elena immediately made me feel comfortable and asked how my trip had been so far and told me more about the area they lived in. Going to the local supermarket was an experience in itself.

Elena’s grandparents moved to this neighbourhood in 1924 while Russia was still under Communist rule. Elena introduced me to her husband Sasha, an author, and her two adorable cats – Mr. Darcy and Fiona! Mr. Darcy was a real character who entertained us throughout the evening! Elena shared pictures of her parents and grandparents in the living room. Her father, who was a member of the Communist party had also served as an officer in the Soviet army in the Second World War. Elena’s apartment had a lot of character, with a vintage study desk, sewing machine and a portrait painting of her grandmother on the wall.

Elena and Sasha talked about life and times in the Soviet Union. “Life wasn’t easy back then! We had to live in a “Communalka” and people had to share their apartments with others they didn’t know. There were people from all walks of life in one flat living together – teachers, industry workers and chefs. Sharing the kitchen and bathroom with multiple people meant things weren’t always pleasant!” said Elena.

I felt as if I had known Elena and Sasha for a long time, as if my uncle or aunt had invited me for dinner. They are warm, hospitable people and perfect hosts. The food preparations were delightful! Being a lover of Mediterranean food, I never realised how good Russian cuisine could be. Food preparations included Russian salad, salted herring on rye bread, pie of flaky dough with the filling of cabbage and boiled eggs for the starters. For the mains we had sautéed mushrooms with potatoes, onions and sour cream.

Elena had prepared some delicious desserts – Mazourkas (made of resins and walnuts), sponge shells and Zefir. “We really enjoy cooking, it’s part of the reason why we started hosting dining experiences on Airbnb” she explained. Sasha prepared coffee in a traditional coffee pot! Nice and strong – just how I like my coffee to be. It was soon time to say goodbye and Elena and Sasha gave me a warm hug. We then exchanged contact details. It was the perfect completion to my time in St. Petersburg.

How to book
You can book this experience Dinner in an Old Time Apartment for £42 on Airbnb experiences in St. Petersburg.