For some, it’s a place; for others, an idea. Whether tangible or not, everyone has a home, and everyone can speak proudly of its attractions and appeal to visitors.
I have two. There is the home I was born with – the townhouse in a quiet suburb in California; and there is the home I discovered – the cramped apartment in the beautiful, tumultuous, scarred, apathetic, vibrant city that is St. Petersburg, Russia.
For me, the difference between travel and tourism is embracing all parts of a place, not just those that paint it in a rose-tinted light. During my two-week stay there, I experienced St. Petersburg’s flaws as well as its beauty. I took the route of travel rather than tourism, a decision that allowed me to call the city my home, and one that I recommend for anyone wishing to experience a place, not just see it.
St. Petersburg’s most unforgettable trait is its architecture. Even the simple act of taking a walk down the Nevsky Prospect, the most famous street in the city, left me with soreness from craning my neck to appreciate every detail of the intricate moldings, statues, and other works of art that decorate every building, from stores to government offices to apartment buildings. Furthermore, St. Petersburg is known as the “Venice of the North,” and for good reason: the city is home to numerous rivers and canals, and a trip along them by boat opens up a whole new world of decorative bridges, street views, and urban beauty.
St. Petersburg holds the title of “cultural center of Russia”, and in this, it does not disappoint. The city is home to the Hermitage, one of the world’s premier art museums, which stuns visitors from the start with the vastness of its collection. The Hermitage contains works of art that span every time period and location known to man, from contemporary sculpture to Chinese tapestry to ancient Egyptian sarcophagi to Renaissance paintings. Adding to the beauty of the collection is the architecture; the museum is housed in the former Winter Palace of the royal family, and demonstrates the opulence and magnificence one would expect of a czar. Marble floors, thirty-foot vaulted ceilings, crystal chandeliers, ballrooms decorated in gold leaf, and every luxury imaginable create feelings of awe that are hard to hold back.
These descriptions beautifully illustrate one part of St. Petersburg: the part meant to please. However, living with a family friend in her apartment allowed me to experience daily life in St. Petersburg, life that is not always picture-perfect. Many apartment complexes outside the city center are small, dirty, and constantly smell of mold. Poverty and pollution are rife, evidence of a city still recovering from the collapse of the Soviet Union only two decades before. Yet even among these troubled experiences, I was able to find joy and feel at home in the simple acts of cooking in the sunlit kitchen or sharing tea with family.
Knowing a place is like knowing a person. You can’t truly know or deeply understand until you’ve seen everything – the good and the bad, the beauty and the ugliness. I loved the beauty in St. Petersburg, yes; but only when I accepted the city as a whole, only when I embraced its darkness along with its light, did I truly come to call it my home. The world is painted in shades of gray, and St. Petersburg’s gray is one that I will carry with me even on the brightest of days in a quiet suburb in California.
Dear Reader: This page may contain affiliate links which may earn a commission if you click through and make a purchase. Our independent journalism is not influenced by any advertiser or commercial initiative unless it is clearly marked as sponsored content. As travel products change, please be sure to reconfirm all details and stay up to date with current events to ensure a safe and successful trip.
0 Replies to “Shades of Gray: Mixing Light and Dark in St. Petersburg, Russia”
Comment on this article
This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.
Great information. I love travelling and the winter holidays are best to go out with family and friends. there are many places in India for the best winter holiday. here is the list 5 Best Winter Holiday Destinations In India
very good. nice to read it.
Hi,
Great article. The lists were amazing. I would also recommend visiting few Central American countries like Guatemala, Honduras. Honduras has some best family stay accommodations and its way cheaper to learn Spanish while you are travelling. Check our website to know how one can study Spanish while travelling around the country ixbalanquespanish.com/important-learn-spanish-honduras
As per my opinion Mountains are the real beauty of any country but not only a particular country is the the natural beauty of World….. It gives feeling like we are in heaven.
great post!
Best way to find a local Christmas tree farm is just to go to http://www.pickyourownchristmastree.org/. The list over 8000 Christmas tree farms in more than a dozen countries including the United States and Canada
thanks for sharing this wonderful post, it was awesome reading it.
Thanks for sharing a great post!
Awesome post!
Thanks for sharing..
Thanks for sharing a great post!
The further I read, the more the better your material is.
Wow, looks good, especially the end. I was looking for that subject for a few days across the nest, however there was nothing valuable. So pleased to achieve your post at the conclusion. I am excited about this subject, and I want to be always conscious of the latest news. That is a joy to see your article and eventually clarify myself.
The more I see, the more the better your content is.
Can you tell me a estimated amount required to spend 6 days in Washington including hotel price . thanks in advance .
Spending quality time with family is always a good thing to do , I have recently visited to Switzerland with my family and booked online experience that was pretty cheap and fun , really like your article appreciated buddy.
Hi, thanks for the huge list of good ideas! I reconnected with an old childhood memory of travelling on house boats.
Wow, that’s a great list. The Free Tours By Foot sounds amazing and such a great way to explore a city. Have you guys ever tried indoor skydiving? It’s not cheap, but it’s a great activity for the whole family. Some of the centers even offer a Virtual Reality experience. With more and more tunnels popping up it’s become quite easy to find a spot nearby. For those interested check out dropzone.com/indoor/ . They’ve got a nifty tunnel finder.
Great post!
Thanks for sharing..
Great Article ! Everything you explain in this blog in detailed! Thank you so much for sharing this blog and I also want to visit !
Thank you for writing this useful tips. it might be help me in future
Hi There,
Thank you for putting together a list for Fall vacation. It is so informative and exciting. We love the nature! We should be planning a trip to Aspen Mountain, Colorado soon. The infographic on emergency is so well done and very handy for travelers.
visiting california is always enjoyable. thanks for sharing your feelings about california. Have traveled any other countries? I’ve been travelling for last 2 years and I would like to share some of my great experinces with you. do you accept guest post?
Everything in this blog is nice. Fabolous infographic and presentation also. I also want to go there for these types of rides which are shown in this blog.
First of all, you need to find out what type of vacation each member of your family prefers. At lunch, dinner, or watching your favorite TV show in the evening, try discussing your upcoming vacation together. Listen to suggestions from everyone, remember where you have already visited and, taking into account the interests of the child, try to choose the right direction. It should be borne in mind all the details: the possibility of excess spending, the size of the vacation budget, the presence of health problems, interests, hobbies and hobbies. If you are organizing a trip with your child, you will have a wonderful joint vacation!
NYC is a great place to celebrate Halloween, and good opportunities for celebrity sightings too!
Please meet the winners of the 2019 FTF Teen Travel Writing Scholarship at this post: https://myfamilytravels.com/family-travel-forum-announces-winners-of-2019-teen-travel-writing-scholarship/
Hi, just wondering who won, every time I click the link it just takes me back to the homepage
Hello! We are driving from Ohio to Florida at the end of December 2019. If you want your vehicle taken from Ohio to Florida please let me know! 🙂
941-465-0787
Thank you for sharing … I love to do a river rafting….thankyou so much for giving details about all things
Thank you for sharing the Information and images… Its very good and I am traveling soon on this place
Great post!
Thanks for sharing..
Hello Charles,
Thanks for your note. As stated in the post above, it has been sponsored by You Fly, We Drive, who has paid to market their services to readers of our website and forums. We hope you and other readers find their car transport service useful.
The terms and use clearly states… ” that no post on this forum should advertise or engage in promotion”. So how do you explain this article that was at the end of a link in your forum?
Thank you for posting this.
Really good blog. Thanks for sharing
What a great present to ask for! I’m so impressed that you managed to find the 40 things to give away and I’m dying to know what the others were.
The moon landing marked the culmination of America’s Cold War human spaceflight program and positioned itself as a global leader in science and technology. Apollo 11, the mission Armstrong and Aldrin flew with colleague Michael Collins, represented the U.S. accomplishing a seemingly impossible goal on a seemingly impossible timeline. Fifty years later, the world is remembering the historic mission and its impact on society and science, thanks to all these 50 COSMIC WAYS TO CELEBRATE SPACE.
I am also a collector of space memorabilia and I run a website dedicated to Space Exploration memorabilia https://www.space-collectibles.com . In fact, I leave in Paris, France. (Yes, that does mean I drink too much wine and eat too much cheese) . Since the age of 21, I became a big fan of Space Exploration as I studied in Cap Canaveral Florida, and worked with the engineers that put Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin on the moon. So, this is perhaps the reason why I became a pasionate Space Collectioner of photos from the space race in the 60’s from Nasa and Soviet programs. I whish I could be in all these 50 COSMIC WAYS TO CELEBRATE SPACE
Hello..we will be heading from Phoenix area to Philadelphia late October. Anyone in need of a vehicle needed to get from Phoenix to Philadelphia?
Great post, I love it!
Thanks for your blog!
I love traveling and I will take my parents to another country. Your writing gave me some useful information, I can arrange an effective trip.
nice Article. i really like it
Hey, Grandparents are the blessing of God to there kids and I am a professional travel agent of “Thia’s Travel Services” planned lots of successful tourism if you are planning or looking for more luxury trip and affordable tours with your friends and family feel free to keep in touch
Hey thanks for such a nice article, there is nothing better than getting away with the fam or group of mates into the wilderness and just relaxing while staring into those embers. I go camping regularly and I know you stated unplugged but if you dont play an instrument I highly recommend bringing along a nice loud Bluetooth speaker to jam away with all of you friends into the late night. That and beer ofcourse.
Thanks again and keep up the good work
Hershey is such a fun town to visit with so many family-friendly activities. We loved driving up to spend the weekend when we lived in Maryland.
Excellent post, Firsta! I enjoy reading about your travel experiences! Can’t wait to read your next blog post!
That is really attention-grabbing, You are an overly professional blogger.
I’ve joined your feed and sit up for searching for more of your wonderful post.
Also, I’ve shared your website in my social networks
I need a driver to take my 4-Runner from Long Island to Miami before August 30. Please contact me if interested. vavergel@yahoo.com
Thankyou for writing this wonderful article. I love to read .keep going
Thankyou for writing this wonderful article. I love to read .keep going
Doing so saves money on your shipping costs. Most travelers are charged for gas as they are free. Tourists save money on car rentals and pay for their travels.