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A Russophile's Guide to St. Petersburg

Homesafsadmin2020-08-20T22:06:47+03:00

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Going somewhere new isn’t the only way to explore and have fun learning about other cultures.
In Mother Russia, culture comes to you!

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#LiveFromRussia Instagram Series

Looking to have fun, learn something new about Russia while building a sense of community amongst fellow Russophiles and Russo-currious during the lockdown, I began to host the #LiveFromRussia Instagram edutainment series.

What’s Waiting for You Here

Over 200 museums to match any interest
100 theaters for a classic evening out
114 rivers/canals and 432 bridges to rival Venice & Amsterdam
22 white nights and freezing cold winters to showcase Russia’s best seasons

Beyond the Basics

• Niche tours for the Russophiles and Russo-curious

• We know there aren’t any bears here and we don’t care why the Russians don’t smile at strangers

Fun Times

• Engaging tours

• Passionate Storytellers to guide you through history

On-the-Go Support

• Licensed guides who know the local language, culture, and what to do if…

• You can relax, we’ve got you covered!

Let’s Talk About Your Next Adventure

Tour bookings and inquiries
Suggestions on where to go in St. Petersburg and how to best plan your time here
Questions about life in St. Petersburg as a long-term expat

internship

Instagram

🎉SAFS GIVEAWAY! Vladimir Vladimirovich turns 6

🎉SAFS GIVEAWAY! Vladimir Vladimirovich turns 68 today so let’s do something fun... a Putin-themed giveaway! 🔸What’s included in the SAFS Putin-themed giveaway? 1.)5 Putin teabags 2.)2021 Putin calendar 3.)Putin Victory or Oblivion magnet 4.)15% off the Vladimir Putin walking tour for the lucky winner 🔸How to enter: 1.)Follow this account 2.)Like this post 3.)Share this post in your stories and tag SAFS 4.)Make sure your account is set to public 🔹A winner will be randomly selected and announced Friday, October 9 at 7PM MSK. Last entry accepted Friday at 5 PM MSK. International entries are welcomed. Shipping and handling expenses covered by SAFS. May the odds be in your favor!

COVID Update⁠ ⁠ Remember those restrictions I

COVID Update⁠ ⁠ Remember those restrictions I was talking about a couple of weeks ago? Well so far, so good! October is here and, as of right now, there are no new restrictions and it was all just a dream...⁠ ⁠ I hope that we are able to continue this way for the rest of the year, but our case numbers are on the rise again just like the rest of the world. ⁠ ⁠ How is your city doing? Are there any new restrictions imposed? ⁠ ⁠ 📍This beautiful column is from Vladimir Palace.

Paws off these historic sculptures. ⁠ ⁠ For 3

Paws off these historic sculptures. ⁠ ⁠ For 3 years 😱 these beauties were getting a makeover and just a year ago they returned and they're ALREADY damaged. ⁠ ⁠ 🚫 No, rubbing them will NOT bring you financial success or make your wishes come true. It just ruins our beautiful statues, looks silly and irritates the locals. ⁠ ⁠ ✅ Please respect these works of art and don't add to the destruction of historic artifacts. ⁠ ⁠ The griffins are located at Bank Bridge on the canal slightly to the side/behind Kazan Cathedral. ⁠ ⁠ ⁠ ⁠ ⁠

I had a change of scenery for a day and worked fro

I had a change of scenery for a day and worked from an anti-cafe. ⁠ ⁠ St. Petersburg is loaded with anti-cafes. At an anti-cafe, you pay for the time you are there (this one was 2 rubles a minute) and in return you get as much coffee, tea and cookies as you'd like. You can use the internet and just hang out or work. They give you a card and when you're ready to go, you return it and pay for the time you were there. ⁠ ⁠ Previously, I enjoyed the anti-cafe Ziferburg at Fontanka 20 but they had to close down due to COVID complications and are planning to reopen at a later date. In the meantime, I'm exploring some other options such as this anti-cafe located on Nevsky Prospect. The location of the P43 anti-cafe was amazing and the views were great but it was a bit too young for me. It was a weird feeling trying to get work done next to teens who were there to hang out with friends and take what seemed like 50 million selfies 🤣⁠ ⁠ If you're in St. Petersburg looking for a good cafe for work/study/internet/reading, I can currently recommend Bushe (most cafes have comfy spaces for working, Surf Coffee (Malaya Konyushennaya), and Starbucks (Kazanskaya St.). ⁠ ⁠ What St. Pete cafe do you like to work in? ⁠ ⁠ #peterpat #expatsinrussia ⁠ ⁠

Emperor Alexander III and I have something in comm

Emperor Alexander III and I have something in common… ⁠ We are both Ilya Repin fans. ⁠ On this day in 1930, one of Russia’s best artists passed away and today I’m honoring his memory by sharing one of my favorite works of his and a few interesting facts about his life. If you aren’t currently acquainted with him, drop what you’re doing and Google 'Ilya Repin artworks'!⁠ ⁠ 🖼️Pictured is my favorite Repin work, Sadko. This work comes from a Novgorodian poem. A merchant, Sadko, didn’t properly pay his respects to the sea tsar before setting sail on the sea, so the sea soveriegn prevented the merchant from crossing. To appease the water king, Sadko threw gold into the water (as you do…) but that didn’t work so Sadko jumped into the sea for a man to sea tsar chat in order to strike a deal so he could continue on his way. A deal was made, he had to chose a sea bride… ⁠ ⁠ ⁠ Interesting facts about Repin: ⁠ 🎨He began his career under the apprenticeship of an icon painter at the ripe young age of 16 . ⁠ ⁠ 🎨At age 19, he moved to St. Petersburg and applied at the Imperial Academy of Arts. He was not accepted into the academy at first, so he studied at a less prestigious art school until reapplying and finally being accepted into the Imperial Academy. ⁠ ⁠ 🎨Emperor Alexander III personally commissioned works by Repin. Sadko is a piece he commissioned when he was still a Grand Duke. ⁠ ⁠ 🎨The last years of his life, Repin lived in Finland. In 1918, the borders were revised and his estate stood on land that was ceded to Finland. ⁠ ⁠ ⁠ Repin has so many beautiful pieces, which is your favorite? ⁠ ⁠ ⁠ 🔺The Russian Museum in St. Petersburg is home to many of his works and it also happens to be one of my favorite tours. A tour to the Russian Museum is like stepping into a giant storybook full of the most interesting stories in Russian history with visuals provided by the best Russian artists. This is NOT a museum to pass up on your trip to St. Petersburg! ⁠ ⁠ #russianhistory #ilyarepin #sadko #stpetersburgrussia #saintpetersburgrussia #russianmuseum #stpetersburgguide⁠

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