Saint-Petersburg, half of a good idea?

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“So you went to Russia? I would like to go there, and see Saint-Petersburg. It seems to be a really beautiful city.”

I heard that a hundred times. I never miss the opportunity to whisper without any subtlety to what extent I think visiting Saint-Petersburg is only half of a good idea.

“Isn’t it as good as they say?”

It truly is, and that’s exactly what I mean. This city is obviously exceptional. The luxury of its palaces, its lovely channels, the bright colors of its streets… It has everything to catch the eye. Its architectural heritage is unique, its cultural life is vibrant, its story is epic. Museum freaks will find a paradise there (given they can survive the crowd). All of this is simply striking there. It might be tempting to compare it with Rome for its sense of exaggerated greatness, with Venice for its channels or with Paris against its avenues. And indeed, many architects and artists led a great carreer in the city of the Tsars.

And this is my point: Saint-Petersburg is above all the city of the Tsars.

“Thank you Captain Obvious. The long intro wasn’t worth that, I knew it quite well already.”

Dear member of human kind,

Are you sure? Do you really know what a Tsar is? As paradoxical as it may sound, I am convinced you wouldn’t realize it if you visit Saint-Petersburg. Or should I say ‘only Saint-Petersburg’? This is especially true in the eyes of a European tourist used to multisecular palaces and all these remaining symbols of absolute monarchy. Seen from Europe, Saint-Petersburg could be quickly summed up as an astonishing collection of such symbols coming straight from European architecture, history and art. But Saint-Petersburg is not Europe. And it is fully Europe at the same time.

“Ok great… So what do you mean then? Will you ever get to your point?”

Yes, yes… The thing is I waited myself a long time before visiting Saint-Petersburg for the first time and I’m really glad I did. It’s only at the end of my fourth visit in Russia, two-months long in total, that I discovered the city of the Tsars.

One week earlier, my travel buddies and myself entered the city of birth of Lenin, Ulyanovsk. One of the many, somewhat hidden pearls of this huge transcontinental country.

In Russia, there are many traces dating from USSR. Every city has its statue of Lenin, its street of Lenin, and the sickle and martel and the Soviet star are visible pretty much anywhere. It is actually one of the most choking things for Occidental minds, drilled to link together communism, Soviet regime and systematic oppression. Anyone interested in that matter will find in Russia many opportunities to bust myths. I might have only been two months in Russia, but what I perceived from people’s opinion about Soviet Russia is complex and extremely interesting… This parenthesis closed, you will have to be attentive and lucky to find the two-headed eagle of the Tsarist Russia. It was under the Tsars that Russian territory expanded through the whole Siberia to Vladivostok, though…

Saransk – Ulan Ude : ~5.000 km

Moscow – Slyudyanka : ~5.300 km

It’s all reversed in Saint-Petersburg. Lenin feels alone in front of a legion of two-headed eagles.

Peterhof – Saint-Petersbourg : ~30 km

In Russia, every cathedral, buddhist monastery or mosque has been dynamited during Soviet time. Of course there are some exceptions. Still, it’s only through a massive restoration campaign that religious buildings can now be seen. I’m not sure if all these two-headed eagles also disappeared during that period, but it would only be logical.

Saint-Petersburg is a real slap in the face with that regard. It seems the whole city is trying to compensate for the rest of Russia. In other places, I have been deeply touched by the authenticity of some preserved churches or monasteries. I have been striked seeing this city full of Tsarist symbols, being immersed in another time. Of course, all these buildings have been reconverted under USSR. And without restoration campaign, Saint-Petersburg would obviously look very different today. Still, it was really impressive to me.

In Russia – more specifically in Russian Republic – the architecture is recognizable. I’m not a specialist of the topic, but I was surprised to find such a continuity in the architectural style. Across all these 12.000 km I traveled in this country. Of course, a cathedral is not a parliament, and a flat building is not a datcha. But there is a ‘Russian touch’.

Moscow – Irkutsk : ~5.200 km

Saransk – Khabarovsk : ~7.700 km

Saint-Petersburg was also a renewal with that regard. The ‘Saint-Petersburg touch’ forever etched in my memory the image of a Russia that changed its direction all of a sudden, while still being Russian. During my first trip from Irkutsk to Vladivostok, I perceived already the role of a cultural, economical and historical ‘bridge’ played by Russia. Seeing Saint-Petersburg was touching one of the edges of that bridge. I will go back there soon, but this time coming from Europe. I am very curious to see what this change of perspective will bring to this second visit.

Saint-Petersburg – Saint-Petersburg : < 10 km

There is one thing in Russia you will find at least as often as Lenin statues… The Great Patriotic War. Known in the rest of Europe as World War II, it seems to be considered by the Russian state as a key player to federate the country. “It seems”… I mean every city has its memorial, its eternal flame, its Парк Победы (Park Pobedu, “Parc of Victory”). Streets signs on the topic are a common sight, and you will occasionally see tanks publicly exposed (I mean not just a single forgotten tank).

Saint-Petersburg has been Leningrad.

Is there a better way to start the conclusion of this article? The siege of Leningrad lasted 900 days and more than one million civilians lost their lives there. Saint-Petersburg is not an exception to the WWII rule: memorial, eternal flame, frequent reminders… You will find them there too.

Dear tourist,

When considering going to Russia to visit Saint-Petersburg, read this article again. If I was able to convince you that you can also visit Saint-Petersburg in Moscow, take the 4-hours train until there, then go even a bit further. Visit Kazan with a guide. You will find there yet another Russia that no big European media would show you.

Dear member of human kind,

The true conclusion of this article is that limiting yourself to Saint-Petersburg when making the effort to go to Russia is like picking the chocolate you already know in a box containing twenty others unknown. Of course it’s good. But take the risk to put aside the idea that Russie is a big boring country. You won’t be disappointed. Experience the Russian train, enjoy the sights of the beautiful places and parks of the cities, observe how people interact with urban space… There is so much to see, so much to discover.

Did you already regret having chosen one disappointing chocolate against two which were a true revelation? Did you already regret having overcome your fear of the unknown and having enriched your life?