St. Petersburg Travel and Life Guide

St. Petersburg is Russia's gateway to the Baltic Sea via the Gulf of Finland. The second largest city in Russia, St. Petersburg was formerly called Petrograd between 1914 and 1924, but was changed to Leningrad between 1924 and 1991. With an area of 1,439 square kilometers, St. Petersburg has a population of 5.4 million, making it the most populous city on the Baltic Sea and the 4th largest city in Europe.

St. Petersburg is located on the Neva River delta, which starts from Lake Ladoga in Russia and flows into the Gulf of Finland. St. Petersburg has a deep-rooted history and cultural richness, having served as the capital of the Tsardom of Russia and the Russian Empire for 200 centuries. St. Petersburg, which is a strategic port for Russia, has a federal city government system. St. Petersburg is considered one of the leading economic, scientific, educational and tourist centers of Russia and Europe, and is today known as the "Northern Capital of Russia".

St. Petersburg offers quality education thanks to top-tier universities such as St. Petersburg State University and St. Petersburg Polytechnic University, as well as having highly equipped hospitals in the field of healthcare, and important federal government bodies of Russia such as the Constitutional Court of Russia and the Heraldry Council of the President of the Russian Federation are located within the borders of St. Petersburg.

The rest of this article includes things you need to know about the historical, cultural and touristic places of St. Petersburg.

Where is St. Petersburg in Russia?

St. Petersburg is located in western Russia, on the Gulf of Finland, an extension of the Baltic Sea. The distances from St. Petersburg to some Russian cities are 165 kilometers to Velikiy Novgorod, 259 kilometers to Pskov, 299 kilometers to Vantaa, 305 kilometers to Petrozavodsk, 429 kilometers to Cherepovets, and 715 kilometers to Moscow. The distances from St. Petersburg to Estonia and Finland are 304 kilometers to Helsinki, 319 kilometers to Espoo, 408 kilometers to Tampere, and 319 kilometers to Tallinn.

The Russian city of St. Petersburg is located in the easternmost part of the Gulf of Finland, at the point where the Neva River flows into the Baltic Sea, and to the east is Lake Ladoga.

What is the population of St. Petersburg?

According to the United Nations World Population Prospects 2022 data, the population of St. Petersburg increased by 0.58% compared to 2021, reaching 5,536,000. With a population of over 5 million, St. Petersburg is the second most populous city in Russia after Moscow, which has a population of 12.1 million.

What is the area of Saint Petersburg City?

Nicknamed the Northern Capital of Russia, St. Petersburg is the 82nd largest city in Russia with an area of 1,429 square kilometers.

What is the Geography of St. Petersburg?

St. Petersburg is located in the lowland "taiga" region of the Neva River delta and the Baltic Sea coast, and is generally close to sea level in elevation. St. Petersburg has natural islands such as Vasilyevskiy, Petrogradskiy and Dekabristov, as well as man-made islands such as Kotin Island. To the north are Lake Ladoga and the Ijora Plateau, and to the west is the Baltic Sea.

The highest point of St. Petersburg, which is 1,439 square kilometers and is generally at sea level, is the peak of Orekhova Hill, located between the Duderhof Hills to the south, at 176 meters. Due to its proximity to sea level, St. Petersburg has been elevated throughout history by various engineering projects and some small islands have been connected to each other. In order to prevent floods caused by the rise of the Baltic Sea due to the low altitude, the 26.5-kilometer-long Sankt-Petersburg Dam system was completed and put into service in 2011.

What is the climate like in St. Petersburg?

The weather in St. Petersburg falls into the climate class defined as "wet continental climate" with cold summers in the Köppen climate types classification. The climate of St. Petersburg is shaped by the high pressure centered weather conditions of the Baltic Sea and the Gulf of Finland.

Summers are short, rainy and temperatures are low, and despite being located in the north in terms of latitude, summer temperatures in St. Petersburg can reach up to 30 degrees. Winters are long and cold compared to summers, and freezing is observed in the canals of St. Petersburg during the winter months. In the coldest months, December and March, there are 123 days of snowfall with the Russian climate, and the average snow depth in February was measured as 23 centimeters.

In St. Petersburg, an average of 145 days of the year are cloudy, and the average annual rainfall varies from district to district, but is between 600-750 mm. The fact that St. Petersburg is located so far north in latitude causes the days to be very short in the winter months, and the longest days begin to be experienced between June and July, and the period when the sun almost never sets for 2 weeks is called the "white nights".

When to Go to St. Petersburg?

St. Petersburg is located in the northern part of the country, where cold climate conditions prevail, and has very rich opportunities for winter tourism. Summer months are more suitable for touristic trips, and the period called "white nights" in St. Petersburg, when the sun almost never sets, coincides with the summer months.

What is the History of St. Petersburg?

St. Petersburg was important during the Tsarist and Russian Empires due to its strategic location. Following the revolution in March 1917, German forces occupied Petrograd (the old name of St. Petersburg) in September and October 1917, and as a result, the Soviet Union declared Moscow as the capital in order to protect the government and move the capital away from the border.

Following the death of Lenin, the head of the Soviet Union, on January 20, 1917, the city of Petrograd was renamed Leningrad on January 25, 1917, and the names of streets and avenues were renamed. More than 230 monuments, buildings and structures are preserved in St. Petersburg to honor Lenin's memory and to commemorate his activities, including the cruiser Aurora, the symbol of the October Revolution and the oldest ship in the Russian Navy.

After the assassination of communist leader Sergey Kriov on December 1, 1934, 40,000 people were executed in Leningrad, which had a special regional administrative structure, and this action, which served to purge Stalin, was called the "great purge".

During World War II, the city of Leningrad, which remained under German blockade for about 2.5 years, did not fall; during the siege, 1,000,000 civilians died, mostly from starvation, and the majority of the population left the city. Leningrad, which resisted the blockade of German troops, was given the honorary title of "hero city" on May 8, 1965.

Between 1949 and 1952, Stalin made various moves to destroy the political authority in Leningrad, a total of 23 leaders were sentenced to death, while over 2,000 ranks were dismissed from the army. After Stalin's death in 1953, the Stalinist structure in Leningrad architecture was abandoned and new architectural structures began to be used.

In the first Russian presidential election held on June 12, 1991, a referendum was held in Leningrad on the name of the city and the mayoral elections, and the city's name was changed to St. Petersburg.

What are the places to visit in St. Petersburg?

The most visited places by tourists in St. Petersburg are listed below.

Mariinsky Theatre
Yusupov Palace
St. Isaac's Cathedral
Peter and Paul Fortress
Hermitage Museum
Palace Square in St. Petersburg
Rostral Columns
Kazan Cathedral
State Russian Museum
Fabergé Museum
Smolny Cathedral
Peterhof Palace

Where is the Hermitage Museum?

The Hermitage Museum in St. Petersburg is the largest museum of culture and art in the world in terms of gallery space. The Hermitage Museum in St. Petersburg was founded by Empress Catherine the Great in 1764 on the basis of her painting collection. The founding of the Hermitage Museum is celebrated annually on December 7, St. Catherine's Day, and the museum ranked 6th among the most visited art museums in the world with 1,649,443 visitors in 2021.

The Hermitage Museum houses over three million artifacts, and all artifacts are exhibited in a complex of six buildings belonging to the museum. The Winter Palace, the Small Hermitage, the Old Hermitage, the New Hermitage, and the Hermitage Theatre are open to tourists, and tourists pay more than Russian citizens.

The Hermitage Museum is closed on Mondays and opens at 11:00 on the rest of the week, and closes at 18:00 on Wednesdays, Thursdays and Sundays, and at 20:00 on Tuesdays, Saturdays and Fridays. The Hermitage Museum welcomes all visitors free of charge on the third Thursday of each month, while students and children are not charged a fee for visiting the museum, and an entrance fee of 800 rubles is charged on other days.

Located in the city center on the south bank of the Neva River, the St. Petersburg Hermitage Museum can be reached by metro, bus lines 7-10-24 and 191, and trolleybus lines 1-7-10-11.

Where is Peter and Paul Fortress?

The Peter and Pavel Fortress was founded by Peter the Great in 1703 as a star fortress and is the original fortress of the city of St. Petersburg. The Peter and Pavel Fortress was used as a prison for political prisoners between 1700 and 1920, and was converted into a museum after 1924.

The Peter and Pavel Fortress, located on the Rabbit Island near the northern bank of the Neva River in the city center of St. Petersburg, currently serves as the St. Petersburg State Historical Museum. The Peter and Pavel Fortress in the city center is accessible by metro, bus and trolleybus lines.

Where is Palace Square in St. Petersburg?

Palace Square in St. Petersburg is considered the center of St. Petersburg and the former Russian Empire. Important events in Russian history such as the "Bloody Sunday Massacre" and the "October Revolution of 1917" took place in Palace Square in St. Petersburg.

Palace Square in St. Petersburg is located at the southern end of the Palace Bridge between the Neva River and the Moika River, and to the north of Palace Square is the Winter Palace, part of the Hermitage Museum. Palace Square in St. Petersburg is home to specialty restaurants such as Yat', La Rus Restaurant, Last Palace, and branches of many famous food chains. As Palace Square in St. Petersburg is located in the city center, it is easily accessible by metro, bus and trolleybus.

What are the activities that can be done during the St. Petersburg tour?

Activities that can be done during the St. Petersburg tour are listed below.

Seeing Palace Square in St. Petersburg
Visiting the Hermitage Museum, Military History Museum, Dostoyevsky Museum, State Russian Museum
Visiting the Winter Garden and Summer Garden
Visiting the Peter and Paul Cathedral, Kazan Cathedral
Seeing the Great Russia model
Shopping at Udelnaya Flea Market, Kolpinskiy AVM
Visiting the Nevsky Klady antique market
Have fun at Santa Barbara Club, Crawl Pub, Na Vina nightclubs

What is the Nightlife Like in St. Petersburg?

St. Petersburg is a city where nightlife is full of entertainment in open spaces in the summer and in closed spaces in the winter. The most famous nightclubs of St. Petersburg are located on Nevsky Avenue, which is the street where Nebar, Maximus, Fidel, Club Rossi and Vegas nightclubs are the most crowded.

The nightclubs located on Nevsky Avenue aim to entertain visitors from all walks of life with their different styles of music. St. Petersburg nightclubs are very crowded and almost all venues operate by reservation. Entrance fees to St. Petersburg nightclubs are usually charged and the entrance fee is 200 rubles on weekdays and 400 rubles on weekends. The most popular venue for St. Petersburg nights is considered to be Maximus with a capacity of 1500 people.

What are the famous shopping places in St. Petersburg?

Famous shopping malls of St. Petersburg are listed below.

Gallery
Nevsky Center
Admiral
Pont Rouge
Gostiny Dvor

St. Petersburg has luxury shopping malls as well as street markets selling traditional foods, drinks and clothes. Compared to other cities in Russia, St. Petersburg seems to be more expensive in terms of shopping. Russian shopping malls bring together tourists coming to St. Petersburg with both local and world-famous brands.

What are the Living Standards Like in St. Petersburg?

St. Petersburg is among the rising cities with its living conditions. Housing comfort, transportation, entertainment, education, health services and infrastructure services have made St. Petersburg more livable than other cities in Russia and St. Petersburg has started to receive intense immigration. St. Petersburg's quality universities, concerts, cultural and artistic activities are causing the young population to migrate to St. Petersburg.

St. Petersburg is a popular tourist destination due to its art galleries, theater stages, cinemas, concert halls and hosting important events in Russian history.

Is It Safe to Live in St. Petersburg?

St. Petersburg is among the safest cities in Russia with a crime rate of 0.60%. The most common crimes in St. Petersburg are house burglary and car theft. According to the city safety index, St. Petersburg streets are considered safer than other cities in Russia in terms of walking alone on the streets day and night, walking comfortably in parks, and the risk of death or injury in armed incidents.

In the safety index ranking of world cities, Istanbul ranks 42nd on the list according to the crime rate in cities, while St. Petersburg ranks 34th. In research conducted in Russia in terms of life and security, St. Petersburg is shown as 2nd among the 10 safest cities in Russia, while Nizhny Novgorod ranks first on the list.

What is Healthcare Like in St. Petersburg?

The St. Petersburg healthcare system is similar to that in other cities in Russia and Europe. State and private health insurance can be used to benefit from healthcare services in St. Petersburg.

While Russian citizens benefit from the Russian healthcare system in St. Petersburg free of charge through compulsory health insurance (OMI), foreigners visiting Russia can benefit from the healthcare system through OMI, whether permanent or temporary. Citizens of countries with which Russia does not have a reciprocal healthcare agreement must obtain private health insurance before visiting Russia.

The modern and scientific research-based education system implemented in higher education institutions in Russia increases the quality of health services provided in St. Petersburg hospitals. There are 7 large hospitals and large and small clinics in St. Petersburg.

What Kind of City is St. Petersburg in Terms of Educational Opportunities?

There are nearly 90 higher education institutions in St. Petersburg, including 30 universities, 15 academies and 29 institutes. The high quality education provided at St. Petersburg universities, the many job opportunities after graduation, and the city's proximity to Europe are effective in the preference of foreign students for St. Petersburg.

Among the universities in St. Petersburg, St. Petersburg State University, ranked 236th in the world ranking, and St. Petersburg Polytechnic University, ranked 393rd, are among the leading universities. World-renowned universities with high quality education put St. Petersburg and Moscow one step ahead of other cities in Russia. The Russian education system emphasizes modern and advanced education methods, and with its structure that prioritizes scientific research, the Russian higher education system is considered to be among the best in the world. The educational programs provided in Russia are at the top of the UNESCO quality rankings.

In St. Petersburg, HSE University and other universities provide Russian language education for 6 months to 1.5 years.

What are the job opportunities like in St. Petersburg?

St. Petersburg offers good opportunities for employees in terms of monthly salaries. The minimum wage in St. Petersburg is 161 euros, an architect's salary is an average of 1,050 euros, a waiter's salary is 500 euros, and a dentist's monthly income is around 2,500 euros. St. Petersburg is frequently visited by tourists and business people, so it has good opportunities for establishing business connections and doing business. St. Petersburg has an unemployment rate of 1.1%, making it one of the cities with the lowest unemployment rates among Russian cities.

What are the Costs of Living in St. Petersburg?

St. Petersburg is preferred because it is the closest region of Russia to Europe and because of the high living standards it provides. The average rental house price in St. Petersburg is around 360 euros and can increase even more depending on criteria such as location and size.

In terms of the cost of living in St. Petersburg; 1 loaf of bread is 0.32 euros, a liter of milk is 0.9 euros, 1 kilogram of bananas is 0.8 euros, an average menu for 1 person in chain fast food restaurants is 4.12 euros, a meal for one person in a quality restaurant is 28 euros, a pair of jeans is 70 euros, designer sneakers are 65 euros, a movie ticket is 5 euros, and the average monthly housing (heating, electricity, water and internet) bill is around 110 euros (for 80 square meters).

What are the House Prices in St. Petersburg?

St. Petersburg house prices vary according to criteria such as the proximity of the house to the center, whether it is new or old, and its size. As you get closer to the St. Petersburg city center, St. Petersburg house rents and square meter prices of houses for sale increase.

In St. Petersburg, the sales prices of studio type or 1+1 houses of 15-20 square meters range from 1,800,000 rubles to 3,000,000 rubles, while the average rental price is around 22,500 rubles. St. Petersburg and Moscow are more active in terms of real estate market compared to other cities of Russia and housing prices are higher.

The high average monthly wages in St. Petersburg compared to other Russian cities, and the increasing effect of migration are increasing the prices of houses for sale and rent. The most expensive cities in Russia in terms of house prices are Moscow, St. Petersburg and Simferopol, while Voronezh, Kursk, Lipetsk, Oryol, Kirov and Saransk are at the bottom of the list with average rents of 7,500 - 9,000 rubles per month.

How to Get to St. Petersburg from Turkey?

The distance between Istanbul and St. Petersburg in Turkey is 3,067 kilometers by road and takes around 40 hours by car, similarly, by rail, you can reach St. Petersburg with a transfer in 3-4 days (Bucharest-Chisinau-Moscow-St. Petersburg). The fastest way to reach St. Petersburg from Turkey is by air, and direct round-trip tickets from Istanbul to St. Petersburg airport cost around 1,200 dollars on average.

How Many Hours Does It Take to Fly from Istanbul to St. Petersburg?

The flight duration between Istanbul Airport (IST) and St. Petersburg Pulkovo Airport (LED) is 3 hours and 45 minutes for direct flights.

Do I Need a Visa to Go to St. Petersburg?

Turkish citizens with ordinary passports who want to go to St. Petersburg are subject to a visa. Turkish citizens with special and service passports who want to visit St. Petersburg are exempt from visas for 30 days, not exceeding 90 days in every 180 days, while diplomatic passport holders are exempt from visas for 90 days.

How to Get a Visa to St. Petersburg?

Citizens of the Republic of Turkey can apply for a St. Petersburg visa in person or through accredited agencies at Russian consulates or Russian visa application centers. E-visa applications can also be made for St. Petersburg visa applications for touristic, commercial or humanitarian purposes that do not exceed 8 days.

With the application launched on October 1, 2019, citizens of the Republic of Turkey can apply for a St. Petersburg visa with an e-visa. Applications for a St. Petersburg e-visa can be made with a passport that is valid for at least 6 months after the date of travel, a 35x45 millimeter biometric photograph, and a bank or credit card that will be used for online payments.

With the St. Petersburg electronic visa, Russia entries are limited and entry and exit are allowed through certain gates. St. Petersburg e-visa holders are not allowed to enter Russia through other means than Pulkovo Airport, Vysotsk Port, St. Petersburg International Port and Ivangorod Torfyanovka, Brusnictchnoe, Svetogorsk border gates. According to the e-visa Russia policy that has been implemented in recent years, St. Petersburg and Leningrad cities located in the north of Russia can be visited with the St. Petersburg e-visa.

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