Hotels Restaurants Cafés Nightlife Sightseeing Events Maps ST. pETERSbuRg February - March 2014 The Olympics Sochi is ready! Celebrations! Valentine's Day, Maslenitsa, Women's Day and more New Horizons Discover the best panoramic view in the city February - March 2014 No93 st-petersburg.inyourpocket.com CONTENTS 3 Restaurants 26 Rubinshteina street 34 ESSENTIAL CITY GUIDES Nightlife 38 Bars, pubs and clubs Contents Sightseeing 42 A treasure trove at the Hermitage 46 Foreword 4 Further afield 47 A word from our editor Shopping 49 News 5 What to buy and where What’s new in the city Expat and Lifestyle 51 Basics and Language 6 Expat experience, religious services and more Some useful information Getting around Culture and Events 8 Transport, tickets and more 53 Concerts and exhibitions 11 Maps 54 Features Russia 58 The Olympics 2014 14 Moscow 59 Celebrating Russian Winter 16 Veliky Novgorod 61 Hotels 20 Sochi 62 Interview with consierge 24 Petrozavodsk 64 Best hotel offers 25 Kostroma 66 st-petersburg.inyourpocket.com February - March 2014 4 FOREWORD NEWS 5 Get ready! They say that February and March will be the coldest months of the whole year. But we promise, it will be Europe In Your Pocket UK-Russia Year Faberge Museum fun! The St. Petersburg In Your Pocket team has prepared a Each year brings something new and exciting in Russia and A museum dedicated to the works of the famous Russian great range of things for you to choose from. 2014 promises to uphold the tradition being the UK-Russia jeweller Karl Faberge opened this month at the Shuvalovsky Northern First of all, there are a lot of holidays during these months: Ireland Estonia Year of Culture. The cultural year will celebrate the rich and Palace – a short walk from Gostiny Dvor. The newly refur- Valentine’s Day, the Day of the Defenders of the Fatherland, Ireland diverse cultures of both countries. It aims to foster cultural bished building displays about 4000 works of applied art, International Women’s Day and of course Maslenitsa (check Latvia Russia Lithuania exchange and the programme will include the arts, education, including rare paintings and some of the famous Easter eggs our special festive feature on pages 16-19). This last one has language, sport and science. A lot of interesting events will that won the Faberge family acclaim at the end of the 19th always been one of my favourites. Have you ever watched The Belarus be held during this year in both capitals. century and beginning of the 20th century. Netherlands Barber of Siberia (if not, I highly recommend it!)? Remember Poland The year will be officially launched in April with an exhibition The museum, which is privately funded, aims to display this part with the crazy Maslenitsa celebrations next to the Germany Ukraine Belgium The Golden Age of the Russian Avant-Garde at Exhibition As- items dating to Russia’s imperial past and in addition Czech Moscow Kremlin? Yes, that’s what I’m talking about. This Republic sociation Manege in Moscow, created by British film director to the Faberge collection will also house temporary col- scene shows the atmosphere of the holiday so get into a Peter Greenaway. It will culminate with an exhibition at the lections. The museum is a project by the Link of Time festive mood and enjoy it! One of the coolest things about the Austria Switzerland Slovenia Romania Georgia Science Museum, London about Russian space exploration Foundation, established by Russian businessman Viktor Maslenitsa week is, of course, the eating part. Pancakes of all Croatia Italy which will include unique objects that have never before been Vekselberg. The organisation’s aim is to locate, acquire Bosnia Serbia sorts and kinds can be found almost everywhere in the city: in Bulgaria seen outside Russia. and bring back to Russia items of cultural and historical cosy and popular café’s and luxurious and elegant restaurants. Montenegro Kosovo FYR Macedonia This is a great year to celebrate English, Russian and the significance. Vekselberg is owner of Renova Group which By the way, if you want to see the biggest Maslenitsa Albania cultures of the two countries. Like our Facebook page to has interests in energy, aluminium and telecommunica- celebrations in Russia you can take a trip to Pskov, a mediaeval Greece keep up with the latest events as part of this year of culture. tions. Forbes magazine estimates that he is the fourth city located just a few hours southwest of St. Petersburg (see www.ukrussia2014.ru richest man in Russia. page 17). I’ve never been there myself but a few colleagues of You can book a free tour by sending a request to 3332655@ mine say that it is a real must during the winter months. If you fsv.ru. www.fsv.ru take this trip don’t forget to share your impressions with us It’s now 22 years since we published the first (by e-mail to [email protected] or on our Facebook page www.facebook.com/StPetersburgInYourPocket). In Your Pocket guide - to Vilnius in Lithuania - in Bar opens new horizons which time we have grown to become the largest Apart from the holidays, February and March are one of the AZIMUT Hotel Saint Petersburg (Lermontovsky pr. 43/1) busiest months of the year culture-wise. Check our Culture publisher of locally produced city guides in Europe. We now cover more than 100 cities across the opened the Sky Bar on January 23, which claims to offer the and Events section (pages 8-13), I’m sure you will find highest panoramic views in St. Petersburg. The bar, located something po dushe (literally translated as “for your soul” continent (with Gudauri, in Georgia, the latest 69 metres above sea level, is on the 18th storey of the former and means “what you like”). While visiting the Hermitage city to be pocketed) and the number of concise, Sovetskaya Hotel and provides guests with breathtaking go to the “hidden” golden and diamonds rooms (see page witty, well-written and downright indispensable views of the historic city – being significantly higher than 46). We were there a month ago and were really impressed! In Your Pocket guides published each year is most other buildings in the area. The minimalistic style of Thank you for reading and enjoy the city! S Prazdnikami! approaching five million. We will be expanding even the bar is accentuated by the sharp contrast of the interior Ksenia Elzes, Russia In Your Pocket further this year, with the publication of a guide to design with dark walls contrasting against marble of the bar. Johannesburg: our first outside of Europe. Hermitage to host Manifesta 10 The lighting is provided with muted lights and tall panoramic Cover story windows. The bar’s menu includes items from Scandinavian, To keep up to date with all that’s new at In Your The State Hermitage Museum has been selected to host Asian and Russian cuisine. www.azimuthotels.com A room with a view. This magnificent view onto Troitsky Ca- Pocket, like us on Facebook (facebook.com/ Manifesta 10. Manifesta is a nomadic European Biennial of thedral was taken from the recently opened Sky Bar. Located inyourpocket) or follow us on Twitter (twitter.com/ contemporary art, which changes its location every two years. on the 18th storey of the AZIMUT Hotel Saint Petersburg, the inyourpocket). It purposely tries to stay away from the world’s dominant art Tandoor celebrates 20 years bar offers some of the best views of the city. See our news capitals, instead seeking to spread art’s development in the story on page 5 for details. Photo by Ilya Timshin. fields of curation, experimentation, education, and produc- Located next to St. Isaac’s Cathedral Tandoor has been tion. St. Petersburg was selected “because of its critical making mouths water for the past 20 years. Established intellectual and historical relationship with East and West in March 1994 the Indian restaurant has delighted the palettes of the local Indian community, expatriates and Editorial department Editor’s note Europe: a uniting principal that is also central to Manifesta, as the single roving European biennial of contemporary art”. In Russians who have fallen in love with the succulent Editor The editorial content of In Your Pocket 2014 Manifesta will celebrate its 20th anniversary, as it was meat and subtle spices of Indian cuisine. Tandoor was ESSENTIAL CITY GUIDES Ksenia Elzes, [email protected] guides is independent from paid-for founded to “respond to the new social, cultural and political established during a period when good food was par- Layout & Design advertising. ticularly hard to come by and the appearance of such a Malvina Markina We welcome all readers‘ comments and reality that emerged in the aftermath of the Cold War”. The St. Petersburg In Your Pocket [email protected] suggestions. We have made every effort to opening of Manifesta will coincide with the Hermitage’s 250th restaurant was desperately needed in St. Petersburg. founded and published by Research [email protected] ensure the accuracy of the information at anniversary. 29 June – 31 October. www.manifesta.org The team at St. Petersburg In Your Pocket congratulates OOO Krasnaya Shapka/In Your Pocket. PR Ksenia Elzes, [email protected] the time of going to press and assume no Tandoor on their significant anniversary and wishes Russia, 196084 St. Petersburg, Contributors responsibility for changes and errors. them many more years of delicious culinary delights. Ul. Tsvetochnaya 25A, Peter Campbell, Andy Potts Санкт-Петербург В Твоем Кармане www.tandoor-spb.ru tel: +7 (812) 448 88 65, Photo Ilya Timshin Учредитель и издатель: fax: +7 (812) 448 88 64, Commercial department ООО «Красная Шапка» [email protected] Россия, 196084 Санкт-Петербург russia.inyourpocket.com Sales Managers Ул.