The 12 keywords Saint-Petersburg (Санкт-Петербург)

1. Baroque

It may come as a surprise, but Saint Petersburg is one of the capitals of the Baroque style! It owes it in particular to the Italian Rastrelli. He arrived in 1716 (at the age of 16) in the luggage of his father, a sculptor, and spent his whole life there, shaping Russian Baroque. Summer and Winter Palaces, Smolny, Peterhof Palace and Tsarkoye Selo Palace all bear his imprint.

2. Cyrillic

The Russian alphabet can be frightening, yet it only takes 2-3 hours to learn it. Once you have learned the letter P which is an "r", the letter Y which is "or", or the letter C which is "s", you should start to find your Latin. It will then be easy to find your way: in Russian, all the letters are pronounced. Well, almost..

3. Window on Europe

Peter the Great wanted to modernize his country, make it a maritime power and reopen the country to Europe after centuries of living back to back. He conceives the revolutionary project of creating a Western capital. He will choose the site himself on the Gulf of Finland, which he will define in his own words as a "Window on Europe".

4. Mariinsky

Saint Petersburg is a stronghold of lyric art. It is the history of the whole city which seems to merge with that of Russian opera and ballet, so closely linked are they. A single name is enough to designate its flagship. The Mariinsky has been the leading theatre and performance stage, ballet and opera company since 1783.

5. Capricious weather

Known for its rain and heavy clouds, Piter has more than 70 days of sunshine a year. Highly variable, this is what best defines the local weather! It is not uncommon for snow to fall in late spring, followed by rain and a warm sting in the evening. Therefore, bring warm clothing and an umbrella, even in summer.

6. White Nights

SPB is the northernmost metropolis in the world. This latitude gives rise to a particular phenomenon: from May to early July, the sun does not set because it only disappears at 6° below the horizon. After a long winter, the city is filled with joy. Festivals and streets are never empty and nobody seems to want to go to bed anymore.

7. Palace

With more than 100 palaces, the city offers a fairy-tale setting reflecting an overwhelming splendour. Summer residence, winter residence, summer or winter garden, ceremonial bedroom, large living room, small living room, Chinese boudoir, Turkish boudoir, bathhouse, music pavilion... Every room, every building is a whim and a wonder.

8. Nevsky Prospect

The backbone of the city, the Nevsky Perspective stretches 4.5 km from the banks of the Neva River to Moscow railway station. Conceived by Peter the Great, this emblematic avenue concentrates shops, banks and the city's cultural and nightlife hotspots. Walking along it is one of the favourite activities of both visitors and locals alike.

9. Piter

Hay from St. Petersburg, Petrograd or Leningrad, for its inhabitants it will always be "Piter". Unless you talk to foreigners, few St. Petersburgers will refer to their city by its official name. They have given it this little name with affection and pride. And from then on, they personify it with tenderness. "Ah, Piter! »

10. Bridges

There are no less than 342 of them! Simple passages, tripod architecture or richly decorated walkways, they will brighten up your strolls along the canals. Those connecting the main islands open and close at fixed times and every local has the timetables in mind. To be caught in default induces to wait all night before returning to your hotel..

11. Revolution

This is where the story turns. First of all, on January 22nd 1905, when 100,000 workers gathered in front of the Hermitage were shot at by the imperial troops. Then on the night of November 7, 1917 when Lenin had the Winter Palace shot at from the cruiser Aurora. They entered the palace at gunpoint... Bolshevism was on the rise.

12. Romanov

Piter is the city of the Romanovs. Peter the Great, one of the first czars of the dynasty, created it. All his successors lived there until Nicholas II. Catherine II, an emblematic figure of the city, was a fine politician and a man-eater. She didn't hesitate to have Orlov, her faithful lover, murdered and imprisoned for life..