Russia always has had a special place and image in the west of Europe. “Russia is a riddle wrapped in a mystery inside an enigma”, Winston Churchill – a rather remarkable figure himself by the way – once famously said. Strong words, but from my own experience I can tell you that the fairytale that is St. Petersburg feels much like the rest of Europe.
A couple of months I was able to reside in the former Russian capital on the shores of Gulf of Finland, a city that listens to many names, such as ‘city of the tsars’, Leningrad and the window on the west. A city that is one of the most beautiful in the north of Europe, if not the world, in my opinion.
Just like the Romanovs, Alexander Pushkin and Fjodor Dostojevski I was able to gaze on a daily base at the gorgeous lolly-hued palaces, the shiny golden onion domes of the orthodox cathedrals and the enormous, central squares. St. Petersburg is one big open air museum after all.
For a Dutch person, walking around in here feels a bit like going home too. Did you know that Peter the Great was a great admirer of Holland? He shaped the canals (Moika, Griboyedov and the Fontanka) in his city just after the ones in Amsterdam.
If you’re planning a visit; make sure you go on a ride to see the fabulous decorated metros, visit the 3 million treasures of The Hermitage (from prehistoric till modern age), shop at hipster galleries at Loft Project Etagi, buy some Soviet relics on a flea market, sweat it out at a traditional ‘banja’, listen to the maestro’s in the Mariinsky Theatre, check out the vinyl records at ARTpool Gallery, have a drink at The Mandarin Hide, enjoy the jazz at The Hat Bar and stroll the famous Nevski for hours. During the summer months too there’s nothing better than just walk around in the city, just like the Russians do, drunk in love with the views of their own city.
I’m still extremely grateful for my time in St. Petersburg. For a couple of months – from a very cold winter until some extremely hot summer months, I gained the chance to live there. Russia is dear to me and whatever things people say about Russians, I know better by experience. Let me take you back to to my days in St. Petersburg, with these pictures that star the grandeur of the city!
