By Melissa Barton
Sometimes called the "Venice of the North" for its long history as the center of European-style culture and science in Russia and its many canals, St. Petersburg is an exciting and fascinating place to EXile yourself. Ornately decorated, pastel buildings from the 18th century are sandwiched between Soviet concrete and cutting-edge modern architecture: St. Petersburg is a city of contrasts, where past and present coexist and thrive.
The metro system is the fastest and most reliable way to get around St. Petersburg, so buying a metro card should be high on your to-do list. You can EXplore most of St. Petersburg easily by foot and metro.
Centrally located, metro stop Gostini Dvor exits near the department store of the same name, which has been a shopping center since 1818. There you can buy designer clothing and gifts or have a light lunch at one of the cafés.
Nearby you can view the stunning mosaics at the historic Church of Our Savior on the Spilled Blood, built on the spot of Emperor Alexander II's assasination. The elaborately decorated onion domes of the church's exterior are reminescent of St. Basil's Cathedral in Moscow, but the interior is solidly covered with elaborate religious mosaics in a variety of artistic styles. Inside and out, the Church on the Spilled Blood has 76,047 square feet (7065 square meters) of mosaic, more than any other church in Europe. After the mandatory 20-minute tour (in Russian), you're free to EXplore the church on your own.
EXpress yourself at the State Russian Museum where you can view a spectacular variety of Russian art from the tenth to the twentieth centuries. Or you can EXperience the grandeur and rich history of Russia's past at the State Hermitage Museum (http://www.hermitagemuseum.org), where you can see restored royal rooms, Russian Orthodox religious icons, Scythian gold artifacts, and the paintings of Renaissance masters. Be sure to plan at least a day for each museum.
Afterwards you can have a snack or stay for the cabaret at the legendary Stray Dog Café (near the Church on the Spilled Blood), where poet Anna Akhmatova (1889-1966) and other members of Russia's underground art movement met to share work they couldn't publish openly. You can see signatures, poems, and cartoons from many of Russia's Silver Age artists and writers on the walls, as well as whimsical trash sculptures of stray dogs.
