ST. PETERSBURG
St. Petersburg - Luxury Travel Magazine
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Time to fly: St. Petersburg | |||||
| By: Susannah Sing, Issue 41 – Summer 2010 | |||||
| (St. Petersburg, Russia) | |||||
| ST. PETERSBURG, PERHAPS MORE THAN MOST CITIES, DRAMATICALLY CHANGES WITH EACH SEASON. SUSANNAH SINGH EXPLORES ST. PETERSBURG THROUGH THE SEASONS TO HELP YOU DECIDE WHEN MIGHT BE THE BEST TIME TO VISIT. | |||||
| SPRING | |||||
| Spring in St. Petersburg is the favourite time of year for many of its residents including former resident Fyodor Dostoyevsky. After living through a long and cold Russian winter, the first rays of the spring sun seem that much warmer and brighter, the air fresher. As the city starts to thaw, the pace and excitement picks up as the inhabitants come alive again. There are a lot of public holidays during May so the city is in a celebratory mood. | |||||
| Weather | |||||
| Generally, spring begins in late March and lasts until mid to late May, however early spring can still be quite cold with significant snowfall not uncommon. Watching chunks of ice from Lake Ladoga wash through the city’s waterways into the Gulf of Finland is a sight to behold. | |||||
| What to do | |||||
| With fewer crowds, spring is another good time to visit museums and churches. The Church of the Saviour on Spilled Blood was dedicated to Alexander II who was mortally wounded by a mob on this site. The beautiful vibrant mosaics that cover the interiors are one of the most breathtaking sights you will ever see. Avoid the crowds and appreciate the rich exterior when it’s not covered in snow. | |||||
| Special Events | |||||
| If you’re in St. Petersburg on May 27 make sure you head to Palace Square and celebrate City Day with the rest of its inhabitants. The festivities include public concerts, parades, fire works, special historical displays and general merry-making. Throughout May, you can also appreciate contemporary 20th century music as part of the international festival, Musical Spring in St. Petersburg. Easter celebrations (Pashka) are the most important religious festival in Russia and it’s held in full Orthodox style at the Kazan Cathedral. The celebration occurs in early March/late April according to the Orthodox calendar. | |||||
| SUMMER | |||||
| Summer in St. Petersburg is a magical, romantic time because it is the season of the White Nights when the sun barely dips below the horizon. By midsummer the city has 24-hour daylight and is buzzing at all hours. Join the rest of the populace in 2am romantic strolls. | |||||
| Weather | |||||
| St. Petersburg’s summer generally runs from the beginning of June to the end of August. The temperatures usually reach 20ºC and there are always a few days when it reaches into the 30s. St. Petersburg is always a windy city and sudden rain is not uncommon. At the end of July most inhabitants escape the city for their dachas (country houses) or to holiday elsewhere. | |||||
| What to do | |||||
| Explore the Summer Garden and the Summer Palace because their names alone demand it. The two-storey 14-room Summer Palace is the colour of soft lemon curd and the picture of understated elegance. Wander through the halls where the city’s founder Peter the Great once lived and dream about the many famous parties that took place in this setting. Another sight that demands summer attendance is the extravagant Peterhof Palace. While the palace is resplendent at any time its sixty-six famous fountains are officially turned on in June. This is the best time to appreciate a landscape that only Versailles rivals in grandeur. | |||||
| Special Events | |||||
| For six weeks from May 21 to July 19, the famed Mariinsky Theatre hosts the Stars of the White Nights Festival with performances by the finest opera singers, ballet dancers and musicians. If live action is not your thing, the Festival of Festivals is a popular film event held in June showcasing both international and Russian cinema over a number of weeks. | |||||
| AUTUMN | |||||
| The frenzy is winding down with locals getting back to work and ready for the long winter ahead. The city’s greenery looks like it has been dipped in maple syrup so it is still a beautiful time to visit. | |||||
| Weather | |||||
| Autumn in St. Petersburg runs roughly from the beginning of September to mid to late November. The city can experience Indian summers. Near the canal there are strong north-western winds. Autumn is a very short season so by October the residents are feeling the incoming winter weather. In September the average temperature is 11.8ºC and by October the average is 4.9ºC. | |||||
| What to do | |||||
| The spectacular colours of the early autumn days are reason alone to visit St. Petersburg and there are much shorter lines at tourist sights. Now is the best time to visit the imperial palaces and parks, especially Pavlovsk and Oranienbaum. Their extensive gardens are rich with every crimson and caramel hue imaginable. Afterwards wander through the Hermitage museum to see one of the world’s greatest art collections. You may not get through the collection’s three million pieces in one day but the presence of ancient artefacts alongside Matisse, Picasso, Rembrandt, Van Gogh and Leonardo da Vinci make it a must-see. The museum’s main building is the Winter Palace where Catherine the Great resided. In autumn, the reduced crowd means you can take your time and not feel jostled. | |||||
| Special Events | |||||
| Autumn marks the beginning of the city’s cultural season after the August hiatus and although there is less excitement now than at the beginning of the summer festivals, there is still plenty to be excited about. If you enjoy music or history the Early Music Festival held in September should get your interest. The festival showcases traditional music styles from Russia and Western Europe and includes many historic instruments. For tennis-fanatics, the St. Petersburg Open Tennis in October sees some of the world’s top male players competing for a title and an excellent pay packet. | |||||
| WINTER | |||||
| St Petersburg is dark and freezing during its black nights but the city’s cultural life is at full swing. If you want to appreciate a true northern winter or are passionate about classical music this is the time to visit. | |||||
| Weather | |||||
| St. Petersburg’s latitude is level with Alaska giving it long, long nights. Winter in St. Petersburg begins in late November and ends generally in March. Temperatures rarely rise above freezing. During January, the temperature can drop to -15ºC degrees but the average temperature is -8ºC. Weather is very unpredictable and it can vary from -20ºC to 5ºC in a single day. | |||||
| What to do | |||||
| During the long winters, Russians keep warm with steam baths and shots of vodka. While we don’t recommend trying the latter (at least until after midday), lounging in a Russian banya (sauna) can be an excellent way to get rid of winter chills and feel part of the culture. It’s customary for bathers to beat each other with birch twigs to get the circulation going – but you can respectfully decline. St. Petersburg’s snowy landscape is great for a troika (sleigh) ride. Three horses pull the traditionally decorated sleigh as jingling bells tied to their bridles ring out. Due to the icy temperature, winter is another good time to visit the numerous museums. | |||||
| Special Events | |||||
| International Winter Festival (Arts Square) is a premier classical music event held during December. Famous museums and cultural venues located near Arts Square take part and exhibitions are often held to complement the musical program. There is also the world renowned Musical Olympus Festival in January. The organisation invites the world’s top young musicians to play alongside the greats in locations such as the Hermitage Theatre. If you prefer sweet treats to sweet tunes, the Malenitsa Festival (held in February) is for you. Also known as Pancake or Butter Week and during the Soviet era as Farewell Russian Winter, Malenitsa is a week-long festival to celebrate the end of winter and as an excuse for one last indulgence before Lent. Sweet tooths indulge their sugar cravings all week long but savoury blinis are the centrepiece. The little round pancakes represent the returning sun and are eaten with sour cream and caviar or honey and jam. Originally a pagan festival, the event features parades of Russian fairytale characters, open-air theatre, dancing, fireworks and folk songs. | |||||
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