St Petersburg and Kaliningrad are two great Northern cities of Russia. Both are preparing to host world cup games. But do you know anything about traveling around Russia, or about the history of these cities?
New Holland island in St Petersburg
St Petersburg
Kaliningrad
St Petersburg was Russia’s capital from its founding by Peter the Great in 1703 until 1918. He built the city on an area of marshy land in northern Russia, in order to give the country an accessible sea port. It remains one of the world’s most beautiful cities. Nikitin will reveal to you some of the nicest corners and places to explore, some handy tips about getting around, and some surprising historical facts and details.
Kaliningrad is a land-locked enclave in the far west of Russia. To get to it you have to travel through Belorussia and Lithuania or Poland. It is the most westernmost tip of Russia and was once part of the Prussian empire. It is on the Baltic Sea and has only been a part of Russia since 1945. As well as its Prussian gothic architecture it boasts many examples of late-Soviet modernism. There are rumours that the Amber Room, removed for safety from the Tsarskoye Selo outside St Petersburg, perished in a fire in Kaliningrad castle. How to get to this enclave, and how to spend time there? Let Sergey Nikitin be your guide.
Sergey Nikitin, PhD., Urban Historian, founder and President of Velonotte Academy. Author of interdisciplinary studies on Russian culture. Teaches urban studies, architecture and culturology in Russia and Italy. Credited by The Moscow Times as a Top Connoisseur of Moscow.
Please send questions ahead of time, if you wish them to be addressed by Sergey, to office@pushkinhouse.org.uk