St Petersburg City File

QUICK FACTS

















Location:
• Eastern Europe, the Eastern shore of the Baltic Sea (Gulf of Finland)
Latitude:
• 59 degrees 57' North
Longitude:
• 30 degrees 19' East
Time Zone:
• GMT +3, Eastern +8
Founded:
• 16 (27) May, 1703
City's birthday:
• celebrated each year on May 27
Population:
• 4 million 750 thousand (as of January 1998)
How does St.Petersburg compare?
• The most Northern city in the world with a population over 1 million


Area:
• 1400 square kilometers

Main river:
• Neva. The city is located in the delta of the Neva River on numerous islands, a fact which prompted some observers to call it "The City on 101 Islands"
Main natural phenomena:
• White Nights, Floods
Origin of the name:
• Named in honor of St. Peter and notPeter the Great, the founder of the city.
• The name can be translated as "The City of St. Peter". St. Petersburg, FL was named in honor of St. Petersburg, Russia by Russian-born railroad builder Piotr Dementyev (Peter Demens)

Main cultural attractions:
• The Hermitage Museum
• The Mariinsky Opera and Ballet Theater
• The Imperial palace and park ensemble at Peterhof
Airports:
•Pulkovo-2 International
• Pulkovo-1 Domestic
Sea port:
• Passenger terminal on Vasilievsky Island


TRANSPORTATION








Although for locals car ownership is a highly desirable sign of success and social status, St. Petersburg's public transport network is actually extensive and efficient, if often overcrowded. The metro is undoubtedly the best bet for visitors, and covers nearly all ofthe city, with new stations opening almost every year. It also has some spectacular station architecture.
Overground transport is bewilderingly varied, but not difficult to use with the help of a few pointers (see individual pages below), and St. Petersburg's latest transport project means that you can even use the city's waterways to get around. The only real disadvantage of the publictransport system is the lack of nighttime services, so if you plan to stay out after midnight, you will have to rely on taxis or your own two feet to get home.
Fares for all forms of public transport are comparatively low (around $1 or less for any single journey), but if you are staying in the city for longer than a week, it is probably worth investing in a travel card (see below for details).
TaxiThere is an abundance of taxis in the Northern Capital, especially along the major thoroughfares. You can flag a taxi, which is usually distinguished by a checkered bar on the rooftop, but you'll likely have to negotiate a fare. You can order a taxi cheaply (less than a $1) if you speak some Russian by phoning 089
Marshrutka
Private minibuses running a fixed route, marshrutki are an essentialaspect of St. Petersburg's transport system, and particularly useful for getting to the suburbs.
Bus
The bus network in St. Petersburg is cheap and very extensive, but not particularly easy for foreigners to use, especially if you cannot decipher Cyrillic
Tram
St. Petersburg has a relatively extensive system of trams, although most of them run outside the city centre, and services can easily bedisrupted by roadworks

SHOPPING

St. Petersburg has a growing number of stores offering a variety of goods and services including everything from hand-made arts, crafts, and souvenirs to fresh fruits and vegetables. Shopping along the city's festive main thoroughfare, Nevsky Prospekt makes you feel more like a native Piterbyrzhets (Petersburger), and offers the best variety of stores in thecity. Bolshoi Prospekt on Vasilyevsky Island also offers a comparatively good selection of stores.
Many stores accept credit cards, and all stores accept only rubles that you can buy at a number of conveniently located currency exchange points (obmenni punkti) throughout the city. You're likely to get the best exchange rates on Nevsky Prospekt, but be sure to bring along your passport. Without a...