Since the city foundation the winter in the Northern Andrey Mushkarev, capital was the time of bright cultural events and festiv- ities, therefore we have tried to make Saint Petersburg Chairman Saint Petersburg Committee for more interesting for the visitors this year: the events cal- Tourism Development endar includes festivals and holidays for any taste, and at the numerous markets you can choose memorable gifts for the relatives and friends. The hoteliers have taken care about the winter visitors: traditionally they prepare special offers and actions. Saint Petersburg theaters or- ganize large concerts and museums represent new pro- grams and projects. Our city is safe and comfortable destination, we are wel- coming guests at any time of the year. The project “Win- ter days in Saint Petersburg” will allow to see the Northern capital as a snowy beauty. Discover fabulous Saint Petersburg! Saint Petersburg is a city which will give you unforgettable impressions and the real winter fairy tale! Dear guests! Saint Petersburg is the northern city and it is not surpris- ing that its charm opens in winter! This is the time when the feeling of the fairy tale and the forthcoming magic soars around. Many writers and poets sang of Saint Petersburg winter in their sketches and writings but not the white nights. The Russian winter is famous throughout the world. In December, January and February the ensemble of squares, embankment, gardens and parks are covered with snow that makes cityscapes especially beautiful. The gold-plated spires and domes glisten under cap of snow and evening city, illuminated by the thousand lights, looks festively. +7(812) 242-39-09 www.visit-petersburg.ru [email protected] Explo Snt ersbg ! Welcome to Saint Petersburg City Tourist Information Bureau! Saint Petersburg City Tourist Information Bureau wel- There are 12 tourist information points in the city, lo- comes the guests in its offices and pavilions! It is the big- cated near the main tourist attractions and the trans- gest and most experienced tourist information center in port hubs. 10 tourist information points work in winter Russia. time: offices on 14 Sadovaya Ulitsa, 37 Sadovaya Ulitsa, and 25 Millionnaya Ulitsa, pavilions on Isaakievskaya Saint Petersburg City Tourist Information Bureau was Ploschad, Dvortsovaya Ploschad (near the Hermitage founded in 2000 as the first in the Russian Federation Museum), Vosstaniya Ploschad, near the Peter-and-Paul state information tourist service. The Bureau aims to Fortress, at Pulkovo airport and Pulkovo Outlet Village. provide information support for the visitors and locals, Saint Petersburg City Tourist Information Bureau offers promote Saint Petersburg at the international and na- its guests free city maps, city guides, information on tional tourist markets, assist the development of tourism the city’s attractions and events. In winter time infor- in St. Petersburg, and improve the quality of tourist ser- mation points are open from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m., infor- vices provided by specialists of tourism industry of the mation point at Pulkovo - from 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. Saint city. Petersburg City Tourist Information Bureau is closed on public holidays. 2 +7(812) 242-39-09 www.visit-petersburg.ru [email protected] Explo Snt ersbg ! 3 December 24, 2016 - January 8, 2017 Everyone can bring presents for children from orphan- ages and put them into a special box near Ded Moroz’s St. Petersburg House. The traditional actions “Christmas Postcard” (Rozhdestvenskaya vestochka) and “Holiday Call” Christmas Fair (Prazdnichny zvonok) will take place this year. The aged people and students from different parts of Russia can Pionerskaya Ploshchad, send a postcard or make a call to their loved ones who “Pushkinskaya” metro station live very far. December 26 – December 30, 2016 Laser Show - 2017 Palace Square (Dvortsovaya ploshchad) Pionerskaya Ploshchad in front of the Theater of Young Spectators named after Bryantsev becomes the center of holiday festivities. Every day from 12.00 till 10 p.m. the houses of mer- chants from Russia and many countries of the world will welcome the visitors. The guests will get to know about Russian traditions, culture of different regions of Russia and even of different countries, how the Italians and Germans celebrate Christmas, what songs Indians The laser show at the Dvortsovaya ploshchad has al- and Chinese sing and what Latvians and Swiss eat! The ready become traditional. 3D-mapping, video and laser visitors are invited to taste national dishes of Russian re- projection equipment, VJ performances are involved in gions cuisine, buy souvenirs and make traditional gifts the show. with their own hands. The facade of the General Staff Building will become a Those who like active leisure can enjoy skating on the ice huge screen where the audience will see the New Year rink in the open air. Children can take a photo with Ded fairy tales on. New light technology will change the Moroz (Russian Father Christmas), participate in enter- building into new one. tainment programme and competitions. Every day of the Fair will be special: “The Day of the VJ performers will create a completely new audio-visual Fairy Tale”, “The Day of Traditional Crafts”, “The Day works in front of thousands of spectators by means of of Good Deeds”, “The Day of Treats”, “Christmastide”, light energy, space and music. Everyone will be invited “Koleda” (an ancient pre-Christian winter festival), to imagine oneself a hero of a beautiful Christmas story. “The Day of Fair Maiden and Fair Man” and many, many more. 4 December 27, 2016 - January 8, 2017 February 26, 2017 The New Year’s Festival of Traditional Fair in Gatchina Culture “Roar, Maslenitsa Gatchina Palace and Estate Museum festival” gatchinapalace.ru Sergei Kirov Central Park of Culture and Recreation, Elagin Island elaginpark.org The New Year’s Fair is a great festival for children and adults. For the fifth time it takes place in the Gatchina Palace and Estate Museum. Maslenitsa is an Eastern Slavic folk holiday. Festival of Traditional Culture “Roar, Maslenitsa festi- You can visit a real Russian fair in front of the Gatchina val” is joyful festivities which have become an annual Palace, buy handmade New Year souvenirs and organic tradition. farm products, try yourself as a blacksmith and even ride a reindeer! The program of the event includes several concert stag- es, cheerful competitions for families, special surpris- The festival offers various thematic programs. The chil- es for visitors who wear traditional Russian costumes. dren Room waits for visitors to make some New Year Everyone will find the way to entertain: to listen to the souvenirs. The Priory Palace has prepared an interactive cheerful “chastushka” (traditional type of short Eastern workshop on making Christmas and New Year gifts. Slavic humorous folk song) and legends, to know about traditional crafts, to learn the Cossack trick riding, to take part in amusing competitions, to taste Russian pan- cakes with different toppings. The holiday ends by burning a huge effigy of Maslenitsa! 5 February 18, 2017 The Winter Evening of Light in Tsarskoye Selo Tsarskoye Selo State Museum-Preserve tzar.ru The Winter Evening of Light in Tsarskoye Selo is a part of the international museum project “The Gardens of Light”. The event takes place simultaneously in the Ła- zienki Park (Poland), the Muskau Park (Germany), the park of the Prince Gong Mansion (China), the Château de Lunéville (France) and Frederiksborg Castle (Dan- mark). The idea of this project came in 2013 in Warsaw during the meeting of the museums’ directors of Poland, Russia, France, Germany and China. Tsarskoye Selo joined the project in 2014. 6 Interview one should not miss an opportunity to see Tchaikovsky’s masterpiece - The Nutcracker at the Mariinsky theatre, where it premiered over 120 years ago. The world famous Herold U.Held Hermitage museum, housed at the Imperial Winter Pal- ace, plays a great part in the winter cultural journey of- General Director hotels Astoria and Angleterre fering outstanding art collections and keeping busy its schedule of special exhibitions openings. The beauty of winter in St. Petersburg and its surround- ings will impress the most demanding travellers. Ice- glazed trees, snow-covered cathedrals and palaces spar- kling under the sun brighten up the city and transform it into a white winter wonderland. The best way to en- joy it is to try all the traditional fun outdoor activities. On a sunny winter day it is a pleasure to try ice skating in Elagin park, sliding from the ice-run in Tavrichesky Garden and of course taking a sleigh ride on a troika in Pushkin or Pavlovsk. Cover up in a warm woolen blanket or even try on valenki boots and glide along the crispy snowy trails pulled by three steam-breathing horses in traditional laces with a compulsive accompa- niment of jingling bells. The best way to complete a true Russian winter experience is to warm up with a cup of tea straight from an antique samovar together with Rus- sian blinis at the legendary Hotel Astoria in the heart of St. Petersburg. Finally, I am convinced that St. Petersburg is the most romantic Russian city, especially when winter comes with its dreamy twilight, decorated trees, buildings and bridges and warm street lights reflected in the ice-cov- ered canals. Simply imagine what unforgettable and ro- mantic memories winter holidays in St. Petersburg can bring. What special offers do Hotel Astoria and Angleterre Hotel have for the winter season 2016/17? At Hotel Astoria and Angleterre Hotel we want our guests to make the most out of their stay in St. Peters- What do you think makes St. Petersburg burg in winter and offer favourable conditions for guests attractive in winter? who prefer to stay two or more nights with us.