Walk around St. Petersburg | Narrator of the tales

In this narrative I collected my photos from all the trips to the glorious city of St. Petersburg.

Historical remark: The city was founded on the Neva River by Peter the Great in 1703 as the future capital of a new empire. And city was the capital until the revolution of 1917 (actually until 1918).

Journey

For the first time I went to St. Petersburg in the old manner – by train. My journey was a long one, through the European part of Russia from south to north. Despite the fact that the train is called “fast” actually train get stops a lot and travels almost two days. But in next time I traveled by train from Moscow to St. Petersburg too. The distance is much less and drive on train lasts about seven hours. In addition, I noticed that some foreign tourists use the same method.

Streets of Petersburg

After passing through the station portal, I found myself on the square, which like is washed by a turbulent river flowing on Nevsky Prospect (Avenue).

Unfortunately I have not met a trees, except for rare garden square on the surrounding streets. I love when the streets have alleys of trees, even if it rare. Walks in my life occupy an important role. Only walking on foot I can relax and collect one’s thoughts. On Nevsky Av. impossible quiet walking because of the dense flow of people, so after exploring the avenue I immediately left him. In my next visits to St. Petersburg Nevsky Av. was used by me only as a way to reach the train station or backward (if I need it).
Near the Yeliseev’s Food Hall there is a fountain-cascade. If you turn behind this fountain into an alley, and then into the courtyard through the archway, you can find an inexpensive film store, and further along the avenue there is a photo second-hand store (Great Gostiny Dvor).

Old building of the Zinger company (produced sewing machines). Now on the first floor there is a book and souvenir store.

Most of the streets of St. Petersburg are straight, and the city looks like a lined notebook. The older Russian cities like Great Novgorod and Moscow have winding streets, often with a slope and with not strict building codes. The central streets are full of idle tourists, residents and hipsters who siping vanilla coffee on the terrace of a cafe. Promoters who offer to visit a particular restaurant or take a ride on the boat on the canals. Promoters fully occupied Nevsky Av.

Fujifilm Fujicolor(Industrial) 100

Before the Russian revolution many houses in the city center with apartment for rent, but in Soviet times in them housed communal apartments. Now apartments in the city center cost fabulous money: they are difficult to sell and impossible to buy for an ordinary person. Former communal apartments are converted into hostels or some apartments are just empty.

In the center on every street houses look like palace and every facade you can see beautiful statues, bas-reliefs looking at you, and the sweet aroma of coffee can be felt everywhere.

Kodak Ektar

The other side of St. Petersburg is not right away noticeable, but you can face it anywhere. The crumbling house-palaces which in turn is shamefully covered by awning – waiting for repair. For many building in the city center poorly monitored and not restored. They are gradually destroyed. My heart shrinks when I see a crumbling statue or bas-relief. The abundance so ugly and vulgar billboards turn the into a provincial town, and dirty snow mixed with sand completes this etude.

Fujifilm Superia 400

The film was good, but to me, my Jupiter-3 seems weak for color photography.

As soon as I turned into the yard from streets I as though got into the inner courtyard of a medieval castle: dark and closed “well” on all sides. Although on the other side such yards reminded me of small glimpses among the thicket of age-old forest and the arches of the courtyards seems like portals to another world like a magic wardrobes.

Now most of the courtyards are closed by the lattices on defense from the marginals. In general, the huge minus of the current appearance of cities – the ubiquitous fences. So if you notice not yet closed courtyard then you should definitely visit it.

Fujifilm Fujicolor(Industrial) 100

“No entry for dogs or lower ranks”.

Black and White Petersburg

The Soviet super-fast lens Jupiter-3 is great for black and white photography.

Ilford Pan 100

Kodak TriX 400

I was boring to shoot so much monochrome photos, but in winter when the day is very short highly sensitive film is very useful.

Ilford Delta 3200

Сity services cleaning the streets early in the morning before Christmas

Kazan Orthodox Cathedral before Christmas is gloomy, but his colonnade is majestic.

Ilford Delta 3200

Rivers and canals travel

The heart of St. Petersburg is the Peter and Paul Fortress, which has long time ago lost its original functions, including such a very common role like a prison (role for retired fortresses). Now it is a museum and the tomb of the rulers of the past. And from the walls of the fortress, like in ancient times, happens a midday cannon shot.

At the walls of the fortress is located the city beach, because almost all the embankments are dressed in granite.
But here there is a sandy beach.

Fujifilm fujicolor 200

If you stay in St. Petersburg on one of its islands for the night, when the bridges are opened, so you will have to wait for the morning, because will be very difficult to get to the mainland. For all my travels I didn’t wait until the bridges opened, its happens at about one o’clock in the morning. Remark: regular metal drawbridges across the Neva River appeared only in the early 20th century.

Fujifilm fujicolor 200

It is a pity that there is no river “tram”, that would be like a regular bus service for people. Instead of this the “river tram” is an excursion boat and high-speed ship “Comet” (deliver tourists to the palace city Peterhof).

Fujifilm fujicolor 200