Way to Russia Talk Lounge

Groobs · Posted: Mon Sep 22, 2008 10:17 am Post subject: Postcard from St Pete,,,,,,

After a (far too long) absence, I find myself back in SPB for about 2 weeks. It has been about 18 months since I lived here, and I’ve only made a couple of very short visits in-between.

First thing I notice is the continuing efforts to improve the quality of the buildings and even the roads – parts of Nevsky Prospect have been resurfaced, and lots of facades are emerging from behind construction shrouds. That said, the two building sites either side of the Nevsky Palace hotel continue to scar that part of the street, I hope they get a move on and finish those soon. The top of Nevsky at Plosschad Vosstanyia is another building site, the new Stockman megastore is still a large hole in the ground.

There are fewer and fewer Ladas and Volgas to flag down as taxis, and the drivers’ starting point for a fare negotiation appears to be 200Rur!!! Ouch.

It’s a totally perfect day here today – crisp, clear, no wind and clear blue skies. I guess it is about 14 or 15C. I am staying on Fontanka canal, which is looking a little dirty and abandoned, in the interregnum between summer and when it freezes over.

Yesterday there was a great atmosphere in the city bars, at least to start with – it was Zenith St Petersburg –v- CSKA Moscow, but as it ended 3-1 to Moscow, the mood was a little less festive later. Beers in my (previous) favourite bar Foggy Dew on Vosstanyia appear now to be all 200Rur – they have taken a decision to stop selling Russian beers, and only now sell the premium cost imported beers. I will therefore make the Telegraph Pub on Rubensteina my default bar, I think. Harder and harder to find a nice 80Rur glass of Boshkarev……

My Russian friends continue to bask in what they unanimously feel is a post-Georgia glow – none amongst my friends buys the idea that Russia did anything wrong – they all assert fiercely that Russia acted to stop Georgian aggression within SO and A – defending what they call “ethnic Russians” against the tanks and bombs. They laugh openly at Nato and the EU’s response – they have a “bring it on” attitude because winter is coming, and they have their hand on the gas and oil taps……

This city is changing very fast – almost unrecognisable from the place I first visited 8 or 9 years ago, and in my humble opinion, not at all in a bad way, albeit that I really do miss the “edge” it had in those days. Still, in case anyone is wondering, очень много красивых девочек!!! |(yes, I know that is terrible Russian, I am no linguist).

Varrah · Posted: Tue Sep 23, 2008 5:20 pm Post subject: Re: Postcard from St Pete,,,,,,