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Foreword Some of you may be aware that TripAdvisor, the world’s largest travel site, recently announced the Top 25 travel destinations and St. Petersburg has made it into the rankings for the first time ever, being named the 20th most desirable tourist destination in the world. And that is not all! The State Hermitage was named the best museum in the world (TripAdvisor Traveller’s Choice 2013). These incredible results are based on millions of valuable traveller reviews and opinions. Fantastic, isn’t it? Well, we never doubted it! And now, you can be absolutely sure you made the right choice to visit the Northern Capital. St. Petersburg has undergone a radical transformation in recent years: gastronomy, street life, cultural events, planning and design have changed the city. And it is still changing: every day, new places are being opened, world famous musicians come to perform here, young locals present their innovative ideas for urban developing, and more. St. Petersburg is becoming a place where people want to stay, or at least a place where people want to return to, attracting more foreign visitors each year than any other city in Russia. The city is open 24/7, so enjoy it! The guide you are holding in your hands will give you the best information on everything you need to know about St. Petersburg. It will help you to understand the city, and to feel it. This edition of St. Petersburg In Your Pocket is our 90th issue, and we are very proud that we have come so far. It’s such a good feeling to be able to share our experiences with our readers, and make them happy, by advising a good hotel, restaurant, art exhibition or music event. We would like to thank you all for your support; our readers and clients are the best of the best, and always trust in us. Ksenia Elzes, Editor St. Petersburg In Your Pocket
Cover story The four bright pictures you see on our cover were taken on New Holland this summer. The Summer in New Holland festival transforms the area into an outdoor park, with lots of events in the spheres of art, culture, sports, urbanism, education, and food. In 2011 and 2012, the Summer in New Holland festival attracted more than 350,000 visitors to the park. See more on page 5. Photo by Egor Rogalev for New Holland.
E S S E N T I A L C I TY G U I D E S St. Petersburg In Your Pocket founded and published by OOO Krasnaya Shapka/In Your Pocket. Russia, 196084 St. Petersburg, Ul. Tsvetochnaya 25A, tel: +7 (812) 448 88 65, fax: +7 (812) 448 88 64, russia@inyourpocket.com russia.inyourpocket.com Publisher Bonnie van der Velde, bonnie@inyourpocket.com General director Tanya Skvortsova, tanya@inyourpocket.com Director Sales & Strategy Jerke Verschoor, jerke@inyourpocket.com © OOO Krasnaya Shapka/In Your Pocket Published 6 times per year with supplements, No90, 01.08.2013, 90.000 copies © Maps: J.J. van der Molen, www.jobvandermolen.nl For children aged 16 years and over.
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Helping is Easy
The Best Travel Website
The St. Petersburg Charity AdVita has revived the once popular Russia idea of charitable gifts. AdVita has been helping cancer patients fund their hospital treatments, as well as assisting hospital oncology departments, for eleven years. ‘Helping is Easy!’ is a project selling souvenirs drawn by sick children, with all proceeds going towards their treatment. In 2011 the fund set up a centre which is also called ‘Helping is Easy!’, a place where you can watch a film, listen to a lecture from a famous writer, participate in a master class, buy a souvenir, and make a donation. Souvenirs with the drawings on include postcards, magnets calendars, notepads, badges, cups, bags, and T-shirts, and are also sold in the ‘House of Books’ on Nevsky Prospekt and the ‘Bookvoed’ bookshops. These children find hope through art and we think it is just beautiful. www.advita.ru
On 7th June, the British newspaper The Independent released a list of the top 50 best travel websites, as chosen by four experts in the field of travel, and the In Your Pocket website came in at number 3! Glen Mutel, editor of ABTA Magazine and travel writer, describes In Your Pocket as ‘entertaining and honest’, and that it makes ‘their rivals seem tame in comparison’. The In Your Pocket team is very proud to have all their hard work rewarded in this way! www.independent.co.uk
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It’s now 21 years since we published the first In Your Pocket guide - to Vilnius in Lithuania - in which time we have grown to become the largest publisher of locally produced city guides in Europe. We now cover more than 75 cities across the continent (with Batumi, in Georgia, the latest city to be pocketed) and the number of concise, witty, well-written and downright indispensable In Your Pocket guides published each year is approaching five million. We also publish an iPhone app, including more than 40 guides, which can be downloaded for free from the AppStore. Search for ‘IYP Guides’ by name. To keep up to date with all that’s new at In Your Pocket, like us on Facebook (facebook.com/ inyourpocket) or follow us on Twitter (twitter.com/ inyourpocket).
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Editor’s note
Editor Ksenia Elzes, editor.spb@inyourpocket.com Layout & Design Malvina Markina design.russia@inyourpocket.com Research Elizaveta Bolshanina research.spb@inyourpocket.com PR Ksenia Elzes, pr-russia@inyourpocket.com Contributors Natasha Douglas, Vicky Warrell
The editorial content of In Your Pocket guides is independent from paid-for advertising. We welcome all readers‘ comments and suggestions. We have made every effort to ensure the accuracy of the information at the time of going to press and assume no responsibility for changes and errors. Санкт-Петербург В Твоем Кармане Учредитель и издатель: ООО «Красная Шапка» Россия, 196084 Санкт-Петербург Ул. Цветочная д. 25, лит. А. тел. : + 7 (812) 448 88 65 факс: + 7(812) 448 88 64 Главный редактор: Бонни ван дер Велде Отпечатано в ООО “МДМ-Печать”, 188640, Л.О., г. Вcеволожск, Всеволожский пр., 114 Заказ No59-10 Свидетельство о регистрации средства массовой информации Пи No. 2-6849 от 17.10.03 выдано Северо-Западным региональным управлением комитета РФ по печати. Цена свободная. Тираж 90 000 экз. No90. 01.08.2013 Для детей старше 16 лет.
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Copyright notice Text and photos copyright OOO Krasnaya Shapka 2003-2013. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced in any form, except brief extracts for the purpose of review, without written permission from the publisher and copyright owner. The brand name In Your Pocket is used under license from UAB In Your Pocket.
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Summer in New Holland This artificial island in the centre of the city was built by Peter the Great in 1721 to be the first arsenal for his fleet of military ships. In later years it became a shipyard, then a naval prison and a Soviet radio station before falling into disuse and neglect. Finally the area has been put to good use again and functions as a summer cultural oasis. The Summer in New Holland festival features farmers markets, cafes, urban gardening, concerts and DJ sets, craft fairs, garage sales, beach volleyball, art installations, lectures and workshops and plenty of space for picnics. Summer in New Holland will run until September 15, 2013, when the island will close for renovation, reopening in 2015. Entry to the island and all events are free. www.newhollandsp.ru
Become a VIP iVIP is a unique premium lifestyle application for the iPhone. Members receive VIP Treatment across a range of luxury partners. The St. Petersburg edition, in partnership with Saint Petersburg Russia Guide Service (SPBGS), gives you exclusive access to all of the SPBGS services, including airport lounges and hotels. You can organise tours of the Hermitage, or float up and down the city’s rivers and canals by boat. Members have access to everything you would expect, including being treated like a VIP at various venues, receiving complimentary room upgrades at luxurious hotels, and getting priority access to events. You can also suggest partners you would like to see included. Members access all of these benefits through the app, and many of them are not available anywhere else. If you live in, or are visiting, the city, the iVIP Russia app is a necessity if you would like an extra special time – it’s a great way to treat yourself! www.ivipworld.com
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Four Seasons Opening The highly anticipated Four Seasons Hotel has opened in St. Petersburg. The Lobanov-Rostovsky Palace, also known as the House with Lions due to the lions that stand guard either side of the main entrance, has been completely renovated and the results are truly stunning. Extensive studies of the building and its history were made long before any work began, and it really shows: the renovation stays true to the original palace, even down to the real gold on the ceilings and the colour of the paint. The iconic triangular building was designed by Auguste de Montferrand, the French architect who designed both St. Isaac’s Cathedral and the Alexander Column on Palace Square. Originally conceived as the private address of Russia’s elite, a building containing a number of highly fashionable apartments to be rented by the well-to-do of St. Petersburg, the palace has served many purposes since its construction in 1817-20, but has finally been restored to its original purpose: it’s back, it’s fashionable, and it’s fabulous. The restaurant at the heart of the hotel has a glass roof and is filled with plants and beautiful décor. There is nothing more peaceful than taking afternoon tea here, the sound of strings in the background and the kind smiles of the staff, willing to go out of their way to make your day just that little bit more than perfect. As an historical building, there were of course many restrictions on the renovation of the palace. One of the most interesting of these was the fact that certain historical areas, including the grand staircase and one of the hallways upstairs must be accessible to the public at all times. The renovation didn’t just see restrictions, however, but also huge opportunity. Unlike many other palaces and historical locations, the Four Seasons was able to plan every detail before doing any work. For example, the ballroom was designed for optimum use of modern technology whilst maintaining the beautiful imperial design. And, of course, everywhere has excellent, and invisible, heating. It’s taken a while, as such massive projects always do, but the opening of the Four Seasons hotel in St. Petersburg has really caused a stir in the industry and among the city’s elite. This is definitely a place to see and be seen. www.fourseasons. com/stpetersburg
August - September 2013
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