I didn't want to jinx it but I'm off to...
05 July 08
On monday I'm off to Moscow and St Petersburg for two weeks. We had some totally ludicrous visa problems at the last minute due to being ex-citizens and some new Russian legislation, but it was finally resolved yesterday and we're off! I've been reading my Rough Guides and making itineraries for the last two days (lol at me) and I'm ridiculously excited. If any of you have recommendations for things to see or do in either city, I would really appreciate it. I'm already planning to see all the big boy sights, but anything would be great!
Last time I was in St Petersburg I was eight years old. Crikey.
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have a fun (ans safe) trip!
thruyourveins replied almost 15 years ago.
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Greetings from Russia!!!
alaladudu replied almost 15 years ago.
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well unfortunately I’ve never even been to Russia, so I haven’t any recommendations, but I hope you have a lovely time. I love these “RUSSIA!” letters
Clare replied almost 15 years ago.
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That’s great, i’m from Belarus (country between Russia, Lithuania, Poland, Ukraine) and
i’ve been to Moscow and one of the coolest place is “Vinzavod” (Винзавод) or in translation smth like Wine Factory (http://www.winzavod.com/) – now it’s Moscow Contemporary Art Center. It was burned years ago and than people decided to make there an art center. For me it was the most interesting thing in Moscow. I didn’t see “big boys sights” because I’d gotten there before :-).
If I remember smth else about Moscow I’ll write.
Do you know Art.Lebedev Studio (http://www.artlebedev.com/)?
And yeah :-) you make cool pictures :-). Thanks.
Egor Suvorov replied almost 15 years ago.
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I am so jealous! Have a wild time! Kisses!
www.marielbennett.com
Mariel replied almost 15 years ago.
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St Petersburg is one of the most beautiful cities in whole world. You should visit the Hermitage Museum, The Mariinsky Theatre or the other theatre to watch ballet and Peterhof (it’s with lots of fountain cascades and parks) is also very intersting place to visit.
Sugar_Maniac replied almost 15 years ago.
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wow cool :-)
edrick replied almost 15 years ago.
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i visited st. petersburg approximately 10 years ago when i was 15 -i don’t remember much except crazy castles and cheap cds so no great recommendations.. but i hope you have an exciting trip!
mette/ungt blod replied almost 15 years ago.
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Hope you have a nice trip. I like the “Russia!” lettering. :)
Lil replied almost 15 years ago.
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hey, i was in st petersburg two years ago, but we only had time to visit the hermitage, from what i can recall. the nevskij prospect is a crazy big street though! i come from stockholm so our big streets are about a third as wide as nevskij. or i’m just easily impressed. haha.
well have a great trips! there’s not one day that goes by without me thinking about returning to st petersburg and discovering it for real!
annahita replied almost 15 years ago.
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I visited St. Peterburg in february this year, and beside from “The Cathedral of the Spilled Blood” and the Winter Palace (the most beautiful and famous buildings in St. Peterburg) you must visit the café inside “Doma Kniga”. Doma Kniga is a gigantic books store at Nevskij Prospekt. The café is cosy, with dark, old style furniture and has big windows were you can sit and watch all people who’re walking at the outside. Or, you can just order a big pot of tea and read all books that you’ve bought and just enjoy life.
Liv replied almost 15 years ago.
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good timing for the trip!
in SPb can recommend (apart from classics like Hermitage, etc.) Hlebzavod (Ligovskiy 74) – a really nice new place for contemporary art (looks like this: http://flickr.com/photos/rebublik/2603168669/
http://flickr.com/photos/rebublik/2602336342/in/set-72157594172244136/
http://flickr.com/photos/rebublik/2601493709/in/set-72157594172244136/)
and Pushkinskaya 10 – a funny place with artists and musicians studios, non-conformist art gallery, etc.
as for food, there’re AWESOME pies and ‘kulyebyakas’ in Stolle (with cranberries, cabbage, rabbit&mushrooms, salmon, etc.) – before they opened a place in Moscow, half of Moscow people used to bring those pies with them from SPb)
and for sure it’s worth taking a river trip all along SPb channels – a good way to know the city better, and to see its main architectural and other treasures (like the New Holland, palaces, etc.)
and there’s a nice large bookstore on Nevsky
in Moscow – well it all depends on what you wish to see
for imperial pathos – museums of Kremlin
classical galleries and museums – the best are for sure Pushkinsky and Tretyakovka
contemporary art – Winzavod, the Museum of Contemporary Art, Art4Ru
clubs&cafes&restaurants – Krizis Zhanra, Solyanka, Propaganda, Artefaq, Mayak, Kvartira 44, Prostye Veschi, Jean-Jacques, Le Pain Quotidien, Lyudi kak Lyudi, Simachev, Correa’s, Bilingva, the restaurant in GUM (don’t remember the name) for traditional soviet restaurant menu
if you enjoy Caucasian suisine (pahlava, dolma, kutaby, etc.) – Shesh-Besh – the interiors are awful, but the food is really good and authentic
coffee – CoffeeBean, Kofemania (apart from Costa Coffee and Starbucks), Volkonsky (avoid the numerous KofeHouse and Shokoladnica!!)
books – Moskva (on Tverskaya), BiblioGlobus
food – gastronom in GUM (on Krasnaya Ploschad) – they reinvented the Big Soviet Style, with the interiors of the old shop that was there in the soviet times, plus there are many old soviet products sold there that are already seen as artefacts – Indian tea in special boxes, kakao ‘Zolotoy Yarlyk’, chocolate Slava and Alyonka, Iris-kis-kis, Tarhun drink, etc. Also for such interiors – Eliseevsky on Tverskaya
theatres – unfortunately summer is the dead season in theatres, so, i guess, all of the best ones – Sovremennik, Bolshoy, MHAT, Lenkom, Masterskaya Petra Fomenko, Vakhtangovsky etc. – are closed till autumn
have a great trip!
(and sorry for the long post)
masha.rebublik replied almost 15 years ago.
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