NABOKV-L post 0007593, Tue, 25 Feb 2003 10:04:08 -0800

----- Original Message -----
From: Sandy P. Klein
To: undisclosed-recipients:
Sent: Monday, February 24, 2003 9:51 PM
Subject: Bolshaya Morskaya ulitsa 47 is the childhood home of Lolita author ...








February 23, 2003

Party on in Petersburg the great
Russia▓s finest city is gearing up for a big birthday bash ≈ and now is the time to go, says Tom Otley of The Sunday Times







It looks like being the birthday bash of the year. The city of St Petersburg lights its 300th candle in 2003, and its gift from the Russian government has been a big sack of roubles to celebrate the anniversary in style, and to bankroll the wholesale renovation of its museums, palaces and squares. Quite right too ≈ after all, President Vladimir Putin is a St Petersburg native.
The city has splashed out ё250m on a fresh coat of white and gold paint for the Hermitage Museum; an elegant repaving of Palace Square; rejuvenation of the 600-tonne Alexander Column; and more. Putin is spending another ё125m to reconstruct the ruined Konstantin Palace in Strelna, and the city▓s main street, Nevskiy prospekt, has also had a big revamp.

For visitors, it all adds up to making 2003 the best time to see the city in more than a century. The world▓s VIPs will jet in on May 24 for a week of fireworks and feasting, but smart travellers are beating them to it. Go before then and you▓ll get a sneak preview of this newly minted masterpiece while the prices are low and the people are still pleased to see you.




What▓s so great?

Peter and Catherine, for starters. St Petersburg has packed an eventful history and assorted interesting name changes into its 300 years, and while few early monuments survive, Peter the Great▓s brick-and-stucco summer palace from 1710 still stands beside the River Neva (Letniy Sad; ё1.50). If the four-poster bed seems short for a 6ft 6in emperor, it▓s because royalty traditionally slept propped up by pillows.

The city is ringed by rambling imperial palaces built by the tsars and tsarinas. In winter, the Catherine Palace is best, a stunning rococo creation with a newly refreshed blue-and-white facade. More popular in summer is Peterhof, with its cascading fountains and views out to the Gulf of Finland. The romantic way to get there is by boat from the city.

Bookworms will love wriggling into St Petersburg▓s secret places ≈ Pushkin, Dostoevsky, Gogol, Bulgakov and Akhmatova all lived and wrote here. Walk along the Griboedov canal and you▓ll reach the site of the old Haymarket, the setting for much of Crime and Punishment; Dostoevsky lived round the corner at Kaznechskaya ulitsa 7, and Bolshaya Morskaya ulitsa 47 is the childhood home of Lolita author Vladimir Nabokov ≈ now a museum, with personal ephemera and family photographs.




And those museums?

The Hermitage (open Tuesday-Sunday, ё5.95) is one of the finest in the world, and the kind that requires a pair of comfortable shoes. Its inexhaustible stockpile of masterpieces was gathered by Peter and Catherine, who cleverly sidestepped accusations of poor taste by buying other people▓s collections and shipping them back to Russia.

Notable additions include private collections ⌠nationalised■ after the revolution, and art seized first from Jewish collectors by the Nazis, then by the Soviets. Prepare to be amazed by room after room of Gauguins, Picassos and Matisses.

In your headlong rush for the steps of the Hermitage, don▓t neglect the State Russian Museum (Mikhailovsky Palace; open Wednesday-Monday). Its array of art embraces Socialist realism, icons by Andrey Rublyov and everything in between. The most popular postcards in its shop are propaganda pieces: red flags, workers with arms outstretched and texts exhorting the people to toil harder.



Where do I find real life?

The city▓s defining street is the two-mile Nevskiy prospekt, old and long enough to contain palaces, theatres, cathedrals and canal bridges ≈ not to mention exclusive department stores and endless bootleg CD shops.

You▓ll find a complete cross-section of St Petersburg society here: while the rich are indoors buying caviar, the poor are outside begging for kopeks. Top sights are Yeliseyev▓s at No 58, with its beautiful art- nouveau interior, and the famous but overpriced literary cafe at No 18, where Pushkin and Dostoevsky once supped.

If you think shopping in St Petersburg will offer nothing but Russian dolls, cheap vodka and amber from the Caucasus, you▓re in for a surprise (though all three are for sale at Red October; Blokhina ulitsa 8). At the city▓s markets you▓ll find produce from across the old Russian empire and beyond: from Georgia, Armenia, Kazakhstan and Turkey. Kuznechniy rynok (Kuznechniy pereulok 3) is good for herbs and spices; marvel at its red and black caviar, and Siberian honey for ё3 a jar.

Founded in 1744, Lomonosov is one of the oldest porcelain makers in Europe. The blue, white and gold tea sets, inspired by those of Catherine the Great, make wonderful gifts to take home; a 22-piece set costs ё100, including shipping. Lomonosov▓s factory shop is at 151 Obukhovskoy Oborony.




What about on the plates?

Restaurants have improved immeasurably in the past decade ≈ though their prices reflect this, too. All three of the places recommended here have menus in English, and take credit cards.

For a kitsch version of Russian cuisine try Na Zdorov▓e! (00 7-812 232 4039). The interior is like something a Russian Walt Disney might have cooked up, with bright patchwork cushions, snowy-village murals and tables decked with matrioshka dolls. The food is traditional and delicious: dumplings with sour cream, vinegar and horseradish (ё3); and fried duck stuffed with noodles (ё6).

Also very Russian is the Old Customs House (812 327 8980), where you▓ll be greeted by a doorman dressed as an old tsarist official. The food is sophisticated, and a meal for two will set you back about ё90 with wine. For lunch, try Stroganoff Yard (812 315 2315), in the courtyard of the refurbished Stroganoff Palace; ё10 for two.

How do I sample some culture?

Still better known in the West as the Kirov, the Mariinsky Theatre (1 Teatralnaya Square; 812 114 1211) stages world-class ballet and opera throughout most of the year (ё30-ё90). Easier to obtain are tickets to the Mussorgsky Theatre of Opera and Ballet, also known as the Maliy (Mikhailovskaya Ploshchad 1; 314 3758). Ask the concierge of your hotel what▓s playing, or visit www.ticketsofrussia.ru.








Travel brief

Getting there: the only direct flights from the UK or Ireland are from London: with British Airways (0845 773 3377, www.britishairways.com ) from Heathrow, from ё198; and with Aeroflot (020 7355 2233, www.aeroflot.co.uk ) from Gatwick and Heathrow, from ё218. Travelselect (www.travelselect.co.uk ) has fares from Birmingham and Manchester from ё210, with CSA Czech Airlines via Prague. Or try Trailfinders (020 7937 1234) or The Airline Network (0870 241 0011, www.netflights.com ). Gohop (01 241 2389, www.gohop.com ) has fares from Dublin with CSA Czech Airlines via Prague, from ─440.


Tour operators: Crystal Cities (0870 160 9030, www.crystalcities.co.uk ) offers three-night breaks from ё709pp at the four-star Hotel Angleterre, including B&B, flights from Heathrow and arrival transfer. Or try Thomson (0870 606 1476, www.thomson.co.uk ), Time Off (0870 584 6363), or Bridge Travel (0870 191 7270, www.bridgetravel.co.uk ).


Red tape: allow at least a month for your visa to be processed. Fees vary, rising from ё23.50 for those who attend the consulate in person (though this is not recommended). Contact the Asla Travel Group on 01480 433783 for more information.


When to go: until March 31, most hotels are offering value packages under the ⌠White Days■ banner. Prices will then gradually rise, and during a two- or three-week period around the 300th celebrations, you▓ll struggle to obtain either a visa or accommodation.


Where to stay: the luxurious Rocco Forte-owned Astoria (00 7-812 313 5757; doubles ё263) and the Grand Hotel Europe (812 329 6000; doubles from ё276) set the St Petersburg standard. Also good are the four-star Angleterre (812 313 5666; ё146) and the Radisson SAS Royal Hotel on Nevskiy prospekt (812 322 5000; from ё188). Budget options include the Soviet-style Moskva (770 rooms; through Crystal Cities) and the even bigger Pulkovskaya (through Thomson Cities).


Further information: the best guidebook is the Rough Guide to St Petersburg (ё9.99). The English-language St Petersburg Times, published on the web and twice weekly in the city, is a good source of listings. For the latest update on the 300th birthday celebrations, visit www.spb300.com/english .


Tom Otley travelled as a guest of Crystal Cities












--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Add photos to your messages with MSN 8. Get 2 months FREE*.