Hotels Restaurants Cafés Nightlife Sightseeing Events Maps ST. pETERSbuRg June - July 2013 parks and palaces Visit the former homes of the Tsars White Nights Rooftop terraces and summer festivals 16+ June - July 2013 No89 st_petersburg.inyourpocket.com CONTENTS 3 Restaurants 25 Russian, Italian, rooftop terraces and more ESSENTIAL CITY GUIDES Nightlife 38 Bars, pubs and clubs – how to stay out till 6 am Contents Sightseeing Foreword 4 The essentials 42 A word from our editor Hermitage 43 News 5 Shopping 48 What’s new in the city What to buy and where Basics and Language 6 Expat and Lifestyle 51 Some useful information Expat Experience, Religious Services and more Culture and Events 8 Getting around Ballet, opera, concerts and exhibitions Transport, tickets and more 53 Maps 54 Features St. Petersburg’s Historical Outskirts 15 Russia 58 Islands: Krestovsky and Yelagin 20 Moscow 59 Veliky Novgorod and Staraya Russa 61 Hotels 21 Kazan 64 A fine selection of places to spend the night Nizhny Novgorod 66 st_petersburg.inyourpocket.com June - July 2013 4 FOREWORD NEWS 5 It’s official now. Summer is here. After the ridiculously long winter we can now finally enjoy the famous white nights and Europe In Your Pocket Russia Day Summer in New Holland the magical midnight sun. We can attend amazing theatre The youngest of Russia’s many public holidays, Russia Day programmes and open-air festivals and go on boat tours is celebrated on the 12th of June. Originally it marked the around the canals and have cocktails on the city’s best Northern adoption of the new Russian constitution during the breaking rooftop terraces. We can devour a perfect Russian shashlik Ireland Estonia up of the Soviet Union. In 2002 the holiday was renamed Rus- Ireland at a street-side café and enjoy the classic sunbathing Latvia Russia sia Day, taking on symbolism of national unity and collective experience at the Peter and Paul Fortress beach. We can Lithuania responsibility for the present and future of Russia. There are watch the bridges rise and get wet in the famous fountains Belarus often fireworks and concerts, but the Russians are generally in Peterhof. Please feel welcome, you have chosen the best relatively ambivalent towards this public holiday. Some see time to be in St. Petersburg! Netherlands Poland Germany Ukraine the holiday’s roots as negative, arguing that the introduc- This charming 310 year-old city has managed to preserve Belgium Czech tion of a new Russian constitution sped up the collapse of its glory and beauty despite neglect during the Soviet period Republic the Soviet Union, for which there is substantial nostalgia. and the siege by the Germans during WWII. It is still one of Austria Switzerland Nevertheless, everyone welcomes a day off work and an op- This artificial island in the centre of the city was built by the most stunning cities in the world and one of the largest Slovenia Romania Georgia Croatia portunity to spend some more time at the dacha. 12th June Peter the Great in 1721 to be the first arsenal for his fleet in Europe. The city’s founder, Peter the Great, moved his Italy Bosnia Serbia is a time to congratulate all Russian people and to toast to of military ships. In later years it became a shipyard, then court from Moscow to the planned new settlement in 1703. Bulgaria Montenegro Kosovo the prosperity of the country and it inhabitants. a naval prison and a Soviet radio station before falling The city was quickly hailed as a victory of man over nature FYR Macedonia into disuse and neglect. Finally the area has been put as 40 islands were joined together by drawbridges at the Albania Greece to good use again and functions as a summer cultural Neva River delta. Yes, our city is literally built on islands, or oasis. The Summer in New Holland program features to be more accurate, on beautiful islands! Please check our farmers markets, cafes, urban gardening, concerts special feature on page 20 which is dedicated to two islands and DJ sets, craft fairs, garage sales, beach volleyball, which are a must for summer visits because of their green art installations, lectures and workshops and plenty parks, fresh air and, of course, the hottest bars and clubs in of space for picnics. Summer in New Holland will run the city. With so many activities and so many places to see It’s now 21 years since we published the first In Your until September 15, 2013, when the island will close for there’s something for everyone to enjoy. So, what are you Pocket guide - to Vilnius in Lithuania - in which time renovation, reopening in 2015. Entry to the island and waiting for? Put this guide in your pocket, grab your camera we have grown to become the largest publisher of all events are free. www.newhollandsp.ru and go find out what makes this city so special. Our team is locally produced city guides in Europe. We now cover always happy to help you with your adventures. more than 75 cities across the continent (with Tbilisi, Ksenia Elzes, Editor St. Petersburg In Your Pocket in Georgia, the latest city to be pocketed) and the number of concise, witty, well-written and downright Stars of the White Nights Cover story indispensable In Your Pocket guides published each One of the most impressive music forums in Russia, this festival year is approaching five million. will be the platform for various ballets operas and symphonic The beautiful golden sculpture you programs. It was first held in 1993, it was conceived as a see on our cover is the famous Triton We also publish an iPhone app, including more than ‘musical gift’ to the city from the staff at the Mariinsky Theatre, Fountain in Peterhof. It is situated in and has since increased in length and variety. Each year the 40 guides, which can be downloaded for free from the program comprises of the best ballet and opera performances the Orangery Garden. The sculpture AppStore. Search for ‘IYP Guides’ by name. of Triton fighting with the sea monster from the Mariinsky Theatre, and this year promises to be no surrounded by 4 bronze turtles was different. And accompanied by the beauty of the White Nights To keep up to date with all that’s new at In Your Flames of Paris in The Mikhailovsky outside, who could complain? www.mariinsky.ru made after Rastrelli’s design in 1726. Pocket, like us on Facebook (facebook.com/ Please find more information about This legendary ballet based on the events of the French Peterhof in our special feature on page inyourpocket) or follow us on Twitter (twitter.com/ Revolution became a true classic of Soviet musical theatre 15. Photo by Dreamstime.com. inyourpocket). after it was first performed in 1932. Based on Felix Gras’ book ‘Les Marceliers’, its music takes inspiration from songs of the French Revolution, its choreography from both classical Russian ballet and international character dances, and its Editorial department Editor’s note spirit from the early Soviet Union searching for like-minded Editor The editorial content of In Your Pocket success stories in the revolutions of global history. The new Ksenia Elzes, [email protected] ESSENTIAL CITY GUIDES guides is independent from paid-for production of Flames of Paris has more than a hundred people Layout & Design Malvina Markina advertising. working together to create a production that is both new and [email protected] We welcome all readers‘ comments and St. Petersburg In Your Pocket Research Elizaveta Bolshanina suggestions. We have made every effort to vivid but also brings back to life the original choreography and founded and published by [email protected] ensure the accuracy of the information at appearance of the show. Audiences in its early days would OOO Krasnaya Shapka/In Your Pocket. PR Ksenia Elzes, [email protected] the time of going to press and assume no stand up and sing the Marseillaise along with the performers; Russia, 196084 St. Petersburg, Contributors responsibility for changes and errors. Ul. Tsvetochnaya 25A, Rhiannon Fuller, Natasha Douglas, Yaël Kaiser today’s production tries to revive a little of that old romantic tel: +7 (812) 448 88 65, Commercial department Санкт-Петербург В Твоем Кармане revolutionary spark. www.mikhailovsky.ru fax: +7 (812) 448 88 64, Учредитель и издатель: [email protected] Sales Managers ООО «Красная Шапка» russia.inyourpocket.com Evgenia Smirnova Россия, 196084 Санкт-Петербург No longer just a Window on Europe? [email protected] Ул. Цветочная д. 25, лит. А. Publisher Bonnie van der Velde, Peter Smirnov тел. : + 7 (812) 448 88 65 St. Petersburg may have been dubbed Peter the Great’s ‘win- Singing telegrams [email protected] [email protected] факс: + 7(812) 448 88 64 dow on Europe’, but in recent years it’s not just the Europeans This is the first singing telegram service in St. Petersburg - or General director Tanya Skvortsova, To order issues Tanya Kharitonova [email protected] Главный редактор: Бонни ван дер Велде who have been visiting the city. The number of tourists coming even in Russia - founded by two Russian girls: Vera Alexan- [email protected] Отпечатано в ООО “МДМ-Печать”, Director Sales & Strategy Copyright notice 188640, Л.О., г. Вcеволожск, to St. Petersburg is on the up, and most of the new tourists drova and Marina Bakalova. This whole idea is not about Jerke Verschoor, [email protected] Всеволожский пр., 114 are coming from Asia and the Pacific region, particularly from professional singing or dancing, it is rather about bringing Text and photos copyright OOO Krasnaya Shapka o 2003-2013.