You can travel to the Northern capital at any time of the year. In November, there are even more reasons: at the start of the winter season, St. Petersburg museums, theaters and exhibition spaces update their posters. Together with the Committee for the Development of Tourism of St. Petersburg, we have compiled a selection of the most interesting events.
SEASONAL REDUCTION IN PRICES FOR TRAVEL AND ACCOMMODATION
Late autumn is a good time to visit St. Petersburg for the weekend. Air and railway tickets become cheaper seasonally, hotels switch to low-season pricing. Therefore, spending a weekend in St. Petersburg alone, with friends or the whole family is a great idea. A trip can be planned in advance, or you can “break loose” in the Northern capital spontaneously – according to your mood.
There will be no problems with accommodation in a city that is famous for its hospitality. Even on weekends, you can find a suitable hotel for any budget – from affordable hostels and comfortable three- and four-star hotels to luxury hotels. Ready-made tours are also affordable: in the offers of tour operators there are many interesting excursion programs for the weekend, which will cost less than 10 thousand rubles per person.
TO PETERSBURG FOR SCHOOL HOLIDAYS
St. Petersburg traditionally hosts many events and events for audiences of all ages.
autumn school holidays. Family audiences are waiting for children's performances at the Bolshoi Puppet Theater, the Puppet Theater. E. S. Demmeni and the Children's Drama Theater “On the Neva”, as well as the premiere of the musical “Alice and Wonderland” at the Musical Comedy Theater.
You can also go to the Puppet Theater of a Fairy Tale – the exhibition “A Tale Against Boredom, or They Go and Laugh, Chew Gingerbreads …”, dedicated to the children's work of Korney Chukovsky, has opened there.
It is also possible to sign up for special children's excursions to museums and quest tours. For example, on November 5 and 6, there will be a Tram Tour and the Enchanted Tram quest, where participants will find a real retro tram that ran around the city 50 years ago.
EXHIBITIONS AND PREMIERES
The poster of St. Petersburg cultural events is very rich – listing all the events will take more than one page. The hardest part is choosing where to go.
For the first time in St. Petersburg, the Circus on Fontanka will host the Circus Art Festival “Without Borders” from 3 to 6 November. More than 150 artists from 20 countries of the world will take part in it.
The Alexandrinsky Theater in St. Petersburg. Photo courtesy of St. Petersburg Tourism Development Committee
St. Petersburg theaters are hosting high-profile performances and no less interesting premieres are planned. New productions are being prepared by the Comedian Shelter Theater, the Theater. Lensovet, Bolshoi Drama Theatre. G. A. Tovstonogov (BDT), Musical Comedy Theatre, Alexandrinsky and Mikhailovsky theatres.
Fans of the films “Brother” and “Brother-2” will be interested in a large multimedia exhibition in the public space “Sevcable Port”, dedicated to life and work of director Alexei Balabanov.
The exhibition will be guided by a special audio accompaniment from the director's sons, Peter and Fyodor Balabanov. The exposition presents unique video and photo documents. You can discuss what you see with your friends without leaving Sevkabel Port: there are many places under the roof, and if you are lucky with the weather, you can also sit on the open embankment.
This autumn, there is more one more “Egyptian place” in St. Petersburg: those who have already walked along the Egyptian bridge and took pictures at the sphinxes should visit the unique exhibition “Egyptomania. To the 200th anniversary of the deciphering of Egyptian hieroglyphs by Champollion” in the Hermitage.
It exhibits about 600 items made in the Egyptian style, popular in Europe and Russia after the Napoleonic campaign: sculptures, paintings, furniture, costumes, stone-cutting and jewelry art from large Russian museum collections. The pearl of this temporary exhibition was the famous “Egyptian service”, presented by Napoleon to Alexander I during their meeting in Tilsit.
By the way, the State Hermitage expanded the possibilities of visiting the museum using the “Pushkin Card”. Now the program offers tickets for excursions to the Special Storerooms of the Jewel Gallery – Diamond and Gold.
Another interesting exhibition, which already introduces the Russian style, customs and traditions of the provincial culture of the past, is taking place in the Manege. Exhibition “Mirror. Russian Provincial Portrait of the 18th–19th Centuries” will tell about the life of the Russian merchants, the nobility and artisans in an unusual way – in a special mirror space. Therefore, the Old Slavonic word “mirror” (mirror) in the title of the exhibition has a special meaning.
In November, there will be a reason to visit the Russian Museum again: a large-scale exhibition “Paintings of military life in Russian art of the 16th–20th centuries” opens in the Benois Wing. Here are collected paintings, sculptures and other works of art of this period, among which are the works of Viktor Vasnetsov, George Dow, Orest Kiprensky, Vasily Vereshchagin, Alexander Deineka and Kazimir Malevich.
The Military Historical Museum of Artillery, Engineer and Signal Corps has opened a thematic exhibition “The History of Russian Military Communications”, where many unique exhibits are exhibited – from the infantry drum of the guards units of the 18th century to the microphone that stood on the table of Marshal Zhukov in Karlshorst during the signing of the Act about the unconditional surrender of Germany.
St. Petersburg will delight fans of contemporary art as well: Erarta is hosting an exhibition by Denis Mezentsev, who is known for the fantastic plots of his paintings, sculpture and graphics by Naum Vasilevsky are exhibited in the Mikhailovsky Castle, and at the end of November, an exhibition will open in KGallery, which for the first time will unite the picturesque and graphic works by Yuri Annenkov and Boris Grigoriev, two of the greatest artists of the 20th century.
Exhibitions, lectures, excursions, literary, musical and poetry evenings – all this is in the November poster of the Alexander Blok Museum-Apartment. Pre-registration is required to visit. Do not miss these interesting events that help you immerse yourself in the history and culture of the Northern capital in a new way.
RETURN OF THE HOUSE OF THE BOOK ON THE NEVSKY AND OPENING OF ROLLERS
In November, the House of the Book returns to the cultural life of St. Petersburg on Nevsky. The most famous bookstore in the city on the Neva will open its doors again on November 12.
In honor of the opening on November 12 and 13, a special program is planned – they promise a light and music show, performances by musical and theater groups and, of course, meetings with popular authors.
Famous Book House on Nevsky. Photo: shutterstock.com
In the second half of November, city skating rinks open in St. Petersburg. Skating in the northern capital will become very romantic: you can ride in the interiors of old buildings in New Holland or by the sea at the Sevkabel Port site, from where you can see the waters of the Gulf of Finland and the Cable-stayed bridge.
Skating rink on the Sevkabel port. Photo: press service of the Sevkabel port.
There will be no crowds: for example, a visit to the ice rink, which will open on November 19 in the Sevcable Port space, will be organized by sessions. There will be left-luggage offices, rental and sharpening of skates, food trucks with food and warming drinks for visitors.
TO PETERSBURG FOR PETERSBURG CUISINE
St. Petersburg is not only a tourist and cultural capital Russia, but also gastronomic. In the city on the Neva, you can taste dishes from many cuisines of the world. However, you should also try the local specialties – dishes of “Petersburg cuisine” recommended by experts in the historical and gastronomic field.
Dishes with the history and culinary features of St. Petersburg are served in more than 30 restaurants of Russian and European cuisine. It will not be difficult to find them using a profile query on the Internet, but you will most likely have to book a table in advance.
You can learn more about tourist traditions, routes and cultural events in St. Petersburg on the official city tourist portal Visit -Petersburg.ru, on his official VKontakte page and Telegram channel.
Elena Myagkova