E_M

Just got back from 1 month in Italy and 1 in St. Petes. There are so many trip reports on Italy that I'm not going to bother, but without further ado, here's the one on St. P:

First, I made the entire 2 month trip using a single 22 inch carry on: http://www.fodors.com/forums/threads...p;tid=34839194

This came in handy as on the trip home, the returning flight from St. P's was 2 hours late, causing me to miss my flight to Heathrow, JFK, and BWI. It was too heavy for carry on (technically), but I flew Lufthansa and German sensibility overrulled Soviet rules and they understood that since I would have to reroute to places unknown, it was better for me to retain my luggage. Which was a good thing, because I ended up in neither London nor New York.

First, the visa. Because of G8 it too nearly 4 months to obtain. In fact, I almost didn't get it in time. I ended up applying for it while in Rome. One must subsequently register the visa (for an additional fee, of course) upon arrival. All people in Russia must keep their passports with them at all times, as the police like to check people at random.

I was studying there, courtesy of the University, so we rented an apartment around the corner from the Winter Palace. Yes, it is worth the visit...they have an amazing collection of Impressionist art. It is free for all students, regardless of nationality. I went two days, and spent about 10 hours there total.

Also one should make time to see the Russian Museum. It has a comprehensive collection of Russian art (naturally), and because of the closed Soviet border, I had no idea that the pre-Revolution art was so wonderful. Indeed, the Russian Impressionism was on a par with anything I have seen in Paris.

I saw the Catherine Palace and Peterhof (which were nothing but overdone houses, IMO).

We took a boat ride on the canal...an absolute must, to really see the beauty of the architecture.

We spent a day at a friend's dacha near the Summit, which was a highlight of the trip. Fresh fruits and veggies from their garden, and lots of toasting with vodka. Also dipped my toes in the Baltic Sea.

Took a ride to the Gulf of Finland. It's filthy and was freezing.

Looked at St. Isaac's, and the Church of the Spilled Blood.

Visited the brownfields that surround the city center (which was why I was there, after all).

For anyone going in the future, the poplar trees bloom in June, and it looks like the air is filled with cotton balls. Not good for people with contacts or allergies.

Also, the mosquitos are vile. There is no AC or screens on the windows, so it is essential that one bathe in deet. I did, but got bitten horribly anyway.

Get the address of the American Medical Clinic, just in case. I needed it after a case of food poisoning. It's a great clinic, very safe.

Walked in the Summer Garden. I recommend buying a small bag of roasted nuts that the vendors sell. Delicious.

Lots of people speak English, but the culture is totally different. People have a tendency to have tunnel vision when walking, and will not hesitate to cut in front of you on line or shove you on the street. I am told this is leftover from the Soviet era, when people tried to ignore each other, lest they be suspected of anti-Soviet feelings and subsequently arrested.

Took tea at the Hotel Astoria, and had drinks at the Hotel Europa. Very elegant.

Clothing was VERY casual. Most women there consider bras to be shown. (???) Skirts are short, heels are spikey, though I didn't think they had much style. I get the feeling that in general they are experimenting after so many years of having to wear black and gray.

Also saw a Jazz Concert, and took in a ballet at the Meriinsky Theater. Marvelous.

But I am glad to be home.

Kristinelaine

I'm surprised to see so many complaints in your trip report. Weren't there more moments of "awe" that you might write about. It was especially amazing to hear you say:

"I saw the Catherine Palace and Peterhof (which were nothing but overdone houses, IMO)."

We were just there in June and I have told friends that I thought Catherine's Palace and Peterhof were both more gorgeous that Versailles and Schonbrunn, which I have always heard were considered the top two palaces in Europe. Now admittedly the two Russian ones are significantly restored (if not actually rebuilt, I'm not totally clear about this), but in their present state I don't think they can be topped (IMO)!

noe847

Thanks for sharing this report, E M. It is filled with useful information, and I do appreciate your honest reactions. BTW, I feel the same way as you do about most palaces - but most people disagree with me. It's really a question of what appeals. I hope to visit St. Petersburg in the fall of 2007, so am saving your report.

katya_NY

E_M: Are you glad you went? I understand the feeling of being happy to be home, but...

I think you might have a somewhat convoluted view of what life was like for Russians during communism-
" I get the feeling that in general they are experimenting after so many years of having to wear black and gray".

Communism was not really a suppression of color, more of ideas. The color thing is just practical in city life- if you visit again in winter, you will see the blacks and greys again.

Saint Petersburg is built on a former swamp, so yes- mosquitoes are an issue for a few weeks in the summer. I bring screen and duct tape if I am staying in a place where the fortochka doesn't have screens.

I hope that you enjoyed your trip. If not, I'll happily go in your place next time!

E_M

I misspoke...it would have been more accurate to say that there was little choice as to purchases of anykind under Communism, as the government regulated the production of all things.

It was an experience, to be sure, but not a vacation.

P_M

I like this report because it's honest and you don't gloss over the not-so-nice aspects of the trip. I went to St. Pete in 2001. It was a magnificent city and I wouldn't trade the experience for anything. However I must agree that the mosquitos and allergens are a problem, and I was treated very rudely by some people. For example, I went to the desk at my hotel to ask the clerk where to buy toothpaste. I approached her and said, "Excuse me" and before I could say any more, she snapped at me and bellowed, "I'm busy, go talk to someone else!!" She turned her back and walked away, leaving me with a very shocked look on my face. I relayed this story to our Russian tour guide and she was not at all surprised. She told me that some Russians still don't understand the concept behind good customer service because in the Communist days, they kept their jobs no matter how well or how badly they did. However times are changing, and I'm confident these types of attitudes will change as well.

But having said that, I also met some very nice Russian people. I liked the candor of the Russians, and how they are not shy about discussing the differences between the old Russia and the new. My trip to Russia was probably the most educational trip I've ever taken. I'm glad to have experienced Russian culture, and like any other place, there will be both good and bad.

thursdaysd

E_M - thanks for this report. I'm interested to see I'm not the only one who missed the St. Petersburg love train! Of course, I don't like baroque, and St. P is resolutely baroque. I OD fast on ornate white and gold. Plus I was on foot, and it has looong blocks. Didn't help that my home stay was a kilometer on crumbling pavement from the nearest metro. And I had trouble getting my visa registered - don't deal with G & R International.

I even started thinking I might have been better off on a coach tour for my first visit - but then I would have missed the day with the woman I met on the train from Vilnius who took me to Pushkin on a local microbus and back on a commuter train full of people who had been working on their dachas. And my landlady, whose husband was a retired naaval captain, and who was the only one in Russia who really seemed interesting in talking to me.

I had so many near collisions with pedestrians I finally asked my landlady whether I was supposed to be passing on the right or left. Once she understood the question she said there was no rule. I also noticed that no-one smiled in public, but then I saw no-one smiled in the pictures in the museums either, so figure this predates Communism.

I did love the Amber Room, the Rembrandts in the Hermitage, the stunning mosaics in the Church on Spilled Blood and the boat ride to see Peterhof. Glad to hear about the Russian Museum - I was disappointed that the Hermitage was full of European art, which I'd been looking at for months (it was a long trip). I had to wait for Russian art for the Tretyakov in Moscow. No mosquitos in September, I'm glad to say.

E_M

That customer service was what we experienced, too. And the difficulty in walking.

As you may have guessed, I got food poisoning (or something) and spent a night in the clinic. Upon leaving, I got in a cab, went two blocks, and was hit by a car. When I got back to the apartment, I opened a cabinet door and it fell of just missing my head. Later that night, I awoke to find the kitchen ceiling dripping red stuff (I only hope it was iron water.) The last event is an example of how the city hasn't yet resolved the property rights issue...there are few condo associations to see to the needs of the common spaces.

I am very glad I went to St. Petes. I just didn't think it was a vacation...it's an experience.

thursdaysd

The property rights issue is a problem in other former USSR countries too. The English professor acting as my tour guide in Chisinau (Moldova) on my last trip was complaining that no-one in her building, where everyone now owns their apartment, would help with cleaning up the stairwell, never mind looking after the water pipes or the roof. It also explains why the places I stayed in Russia had horrible, crumbling, malodorous stairwells, no matter what the apartments looked like.

gertie3751

Interesting to read your comments EM. I felt much the same! I was there staying with a Russian friend and what I most appreciated was seeing how the local people live. I certainly saw and did things that the average tourist doesn't: getting local mini buses everywhere, just flagging them down on the street. At one point, 3.30am (it was White Nights) walking back to my friend's apartment on the edge of the city hitching a ride on any local car that would stop...it took less than a minute before someone stopped for us, and cost almost nothing. Couldn't have done all that without local knowledge and language. Saw all the mian sights you have listed and philosophised endlessly about the difference in living standards between the rich and poor in pre-revolutionary StP.
I agree that it was less a holiday, more an experience. Would I go again? Yes, if the visa bureaucracy was less hassle and less expensive...registering was a pain as I wasn't in a hotel, the actual visa was $100 which I got in Houston in about 10 days, I used gotorussia.com for the visa support and they told me where to register the visa in StP. This proved difficult to find and I would have had a big problem if I hadn't had my Russian friend to help.
Having said all that, I am now back frantically reading up on Russian literature and history. I loved the beauty of StP, walking where history has happened, watching the bridges lift at 2am, speculating on the lifestyles that were swept away in 1917. Reading John Reed '10 Days that Shook the World', it's a wonder it all got off the ground at all.

katya_NY

I guess it is the difference between being a tourist or a traveler.

Russia is not for everyone, and I can appreciate that. There are plenty of the "typical" tourist-y spots that I find less than appealing. The difference may be that I have friends there, who I love and have taken me in like a family member. Russians believe in true, lifelong friendships- there is a brutal honesty which I find appealing in comparison with the shallow, false US.

But this has less to do with one person's experience in Russia, and more to do with having a true appreciation for the people and culture.

E_M

Alright Katya...you have to answer the $64,000 question.

If you stayed with friends, where did you register your passport?

Lynn_Gibson

Katya - get over yourself.

P_M

Katya, why is it shallow and false to be kind and courteous to strangers? I meet people every day that will never be lifelong friends, but I still treat them with respect.

Londonlover

Peterhof nothing but an overdone house?

You're joking right?

E_M

You are right; I stand corrected. I meant Pavlovsk.

But I still thought it merely a grand house.

gertie3751

What I liked best about both Peterhof and the Catherine Palace, was the setting and the gardens. We spent much longer mooching around outside than we did inside the actual palaces. Once you've seen how the 19th century European aristocracy lived in one place....

Odin

What are the "Soviet" rules for taking luggage on board an aircraft?

What happens if a Russian does not possess a passport and they get stopped by the police for a random check? Most Russians have never travelled abroad.

Could the Russian dress sense be possibly due to their own distinct style?

Alot of people would have been glad for the experience of living in Russia for while, even if the local cat population use the apartment stairwells as their "bathroom" and you have to dodge the stray dogs when you take the garbage out.

katya_NY

Thanks a lot- I am very much "over myself". Very mature and relevant point made.

I think people have a very short memory sometimes- Russian life of today is still heavily influenced by their history. 1991 was not very long ago, folks. This is not like post WWII, when the US and other countries helped Germany & Japan get back on their feet- Russia has been very much alone to build their current society. (I know that the comparison is not quite equal, but think about the change that they have been through!)

I am constantly impressed by any positive changes that I see, as opposed to saddened by negative effects of trying to keep up with the fast paced world.

My friends are highly educated young Russians who work very hard to earn what they have, and they hope to see a bright future for Russia. It is hard for them everyday, and they recognize that they are the lucky ones who have seen some level of success.

As far as cultural differences go- I have to wonder if people did research before traveling to Russia. I did research before traveling to Asia about these types of interactions, so as to learn what to expect.

People do not smile at random strangers on the street- it is basically considered a sign of "mental absenteeism". There has never been a "service industry" in Russia, so people are learning the ropes when it comes to American style customer service. There is a major difference between casual, restaurant & store interaction and real life interaction. It is a hard thing for Americans to grasp, and I always am sure to explain this to my students when we travel. They can clearly see the delineation because they stay with wonderful host families while in Russia, so they can see both sides of this difference. I guess this is an unfortunate aspect of hotel travel, as you do not see the real interpersonal interaction.

I am by no means saying that customer service is always pleasant in Russia- the trick is knowing the language well enough to give it back to them. For the most part, this is what is expected and garners a higher respect. Not that I am rude, but I get my point across. Once again, this is a cultural difference.

I agree that the best part of Peterhof is the garden / outdoor pavilion areas. The palace itself (that can be visited on a tour, anyway) does not compare to the Catherine Palace in Tsarskoe Tselo, or the Hermitage.

Hmm visa registration- I think we just went through the travel company that had issued our visas (they had offices in Moscow/ Piter). It can be handled differently, depending on why you are in Russia, how long you are staying, etc...

Boy, Russian bashing gets me fired up! The Irish temper flares a bit...

katya_NY

Odin- that is an internal passport that the typical Russian carries, not the "external", travel kind that Americans are used to. Just like a driver's license for them, but with- ne znayu- mnogo raznikh veshei tam pechatano... ne tolko voditelskie prava.