Made in saint petersburg

Комитет по культуре Санкт‑Петербурга

Объявлен прием заявок на конкурс по разработке товарного знака (бренда) «Сделано в Санкт‑Петербурге/Made in Saint-Petersburg»

Комитет по развитию предпринимательства и потребительского рынка Санкт‑Петербурга организует конкурс по разработке товарного знака (бренда) «Сделано в Санкт‑Петербурге/Made in Saint Petersburg».

Бренд предполагается сделать единым для субъектов малого и среднего предпринимательства Санкт‑Петербурга, осуществляющих деятельность в сфере индустрии моды и легкой промышленности. Основная идея заключается в организации коллективных стендов на российских и зарубежных мероприятиях под единым брендом.

Бренд не предусмотрен для размещения на упаковке и товаре. Бренд является коммуникационным инструментом для контакта с потенциальными потребителями и партнерами.

Заявки на конкурс принимаются по электронной почте: makarova@crpp.ru с пометкой «Для конкурса «Сделано в Санкт‑Петербурге/Made in Saint Petersburg» до 26 октября 2018 года включительно. Рекомендованная форма заявки и заявления на участие в конкурсе см. на сайте.

В состав экспертной комиссии конкурса войдут представители исполнительных органов государственной власти Санкт‑Петербурга, общественных организаций, профильных высших учебных заведений города, творческой и научной интеллигенции города. В период с 29 октября по 2 ноября экспертная комиссия отберет 10 изображений бренда, соответствующих условиям конкурса из числа поступивших заявок.

В период 5 по 23 ноября на официальном сайте Комитета по развитию предпринимательства и потребительского рынка будет организовано народное голосование в режиме «on-line». Здесь же 26 ноября будут опубликованы итоги конкурса.

Публичное объявление победителя и презентация бренда планируется в рамках XVI Форума субъектов малого и среднего предпринимательства, запланированного на декабрь 2018 года.

Brief History of Russian Saint Petersburg

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Situated in northeast Europe and owning many nicknames such as the Venice of the North and the window to Europe, Saint Petersburg is the second-largest city in Russia. It’s only more than 300 years old but has a diverse history to explore. Let’s dive in!

The Birth of Saint Petersburg

Saint Petersburg was founded by Peter the Great in 1703 on the land of captured Swedish fortress during the Great Northern War. The area around Saint Petersburg was known as Ingria (Ingermanland). After taking the land, the city’s origins were very ordinary: the first building was the Peter and Paul Fortress built on the swampy island.

However, Peter the Great’s wish was not just to build another Russian town, but to make it a «Window to Europe,» meaning to have a port and access to the Baltic Sea and, even more, the city with European standards. The great Tsar had a vision of a Russian-European vast town. Indeed, owning lots of canals, the town’s design was influenced by Amsterdam, and later it earned the nickname «Venice of the North.»

When was St. Petersburg Founded?
St. Petersburg was founded in 1703 by Peter the Great after capturing land from Sweden.

Saint Petersburg as the Capital of Russia

While Saint Petersburg was still developing, there was never an official plan to move the capital to Saint Petersburg. Naturally, Peter started spending most of his time in the new city, and later the court was moved there. In 1712, Saint Petersburg was officially made the capital of the Russian Empire, moving Moscow to the second place and bringing the fresh European wave to Russia.

The new capital had a boom of growth. At that time, between 20,000 to 40,000 people worked on the city’s construction, though many of them died there. Under Peter’s I reign was built many grand mosques, imperial palaces, including the famous Peter and Paul Cathedral and the massive Winter Palace. Peter had high standards for the city, and he called Saint Petersburg a «paradise,» sadly, for many of those city construction workers, it became a cemetery.

Plenty of people were moving to the new capital, and in the 18th-century, the population reached 40,000, which made Saint Petersburg the second largest city in Russia. During this period, one of the cultural activities became ballet, and in 1738 the Imperial Russian Ballet was founded. Another cultural perk of Russians was that they loved using German words. However, during World War I, the imperial government renamed the city Petrograd to distance it from the German power.

After Peter the Great’s death, his grandson moved the court back to Moscow; unfortunately, the young tsar died soon. The reign was taken by Empress Anna Ioannova, which moved the capital back to Saint Petersburg. Later, during the reign of Catherine the Great, she expressed her opinion by saying, “I don’t like Moscow at all, but I don’t have any prejudice against Petersburg.” The city grew quickly, there were approx 160,000 inhabitants, and more palaces were built in the city and its suburbs.

When St. Petersburg became the Capital?
In 1712, St. Petersburg officially became the capital of the Russian Empire.

Saint Petersburg

Saint Petersburg is a city on the shore of the Gulf of Finland. Established in 1703 by Peter the Great, Saint Petersburg was the capital of Russia for two centuries, and has witnessed some of the most important historical events. The city is often called «Venice of the North» because of its unique architecture. Petersburg is also very famous for its special creative atmosphere that attracts artists, poets, and dreamers.

Two Steps fr om Europe

Saint Petersburg is 400 km away from Helsinki. There are several buses, express trains, and ferries going from St. Petersburg to the Finnish capital and back every day. The trip takes 3.5 to 6 hours depending on the type of transport. An opportunity to take frequent trips to Europe is one of the advantages of living in the city on the Neva, but you need to make sure you have a Schengen visa in advance (you can do this at embassies of European countries in your country).

Cultural Mecca

Saint Petersburg is rightly called the world’s cultural capital. The historical centre of the city is protected by UNESCO. The city boasts world-famous museums, theatres, galleries, architectural monuments, cultural and educational institutions: the Hermitage, St. Isaac’s Cathedral, Russian National Library, and the Russian Museum are just four of them. Many people visit St. Petersburg to familiarise themselves with Russia’s great culture: visit the best shows, concerts, exhibitions, and festivals.

City of Multiple Religions

The Northern capital hosts 270 religious communities, 229 religious establishments, including Orthodox, Catholic, Protestant cathedrals and churches, synagogues and mosques, and even a Buddhist cathedral.

City of Football

Saint Petersburg is the home of the famous Russian football team Zenit – a multiple winner of national championships, and a winner of the UEFA Cup and Super Cup. In 2018, St Petersburg became one of the cities wh ere the FIFA World Cup matches took place.

City of Bridges

There are over 300 bridges in St. Petersburg: 21 drawbridges, 24 pedestrian, and 297 transport bridges. Each bridge has its own unique name: Tovarischesky (Friends’ Bridge), Teatralny (Theater Bridge), Bumazhny (Paper Bridge), or Potseluev Most (Bridge of Kisses), which is very popular among lovers. There are record breakers here as well: Blue Bridge is the widest bridge of its kind in the world (97.3 m), while Alexander Nevsky Bridge is the longest of its kind in the world (905.7 m).

City with the Deepest Underground in the World

The St. Petersburg Metro consists of 5 lines and 67 stations, most of which are 20–80 metres deep. The longest escalator is 150 metres long, and the «deepest» station is Admiralteyskaya (86 metres under the ground).

City of White Nights

White Nights is a particular symbol of St. Petersburg. This is an unusual natural phenomenon when it does not get dark at night from the end of May to mid-July. Many events take place in St. Petersburg at this time. One of the most prominent of them is the all-Russian Graduate Ball «Crimson Sails». The annual celebration starts with a grand stage show concert in the city centre and finishes with a magnificent multimedia light show in the waters of the Neva. The show culminates with a ship with crimson sailing along the embankments.

City of Russian Rock

Saint Petersburg is the home city of renowned Russian rock groups: Aquarium, Alisa, Kino, Auktion, Picnic, and many others. A legendary Leningrad rock club was established in the city on the Neva in the Soviet times to hold rock concerts and festivals that were prohibited by the authorities. Modern-day Petersburg is a popular concert venue visited by the world’s top stars, including Lady Gaga, Tokyo Hotel, Sting, Deep Purple, and many others.

Near the City

There are many beautiful places in the suburbs. Consider visiting gardens and palaces of Gatchina, Oranienbaum, Peterhof, Strelna, Pavlovsk, and Tsarskoye Selo.

The 10 Most Prominent Paintings At The Russian Museum, St. Petersburg

Just a decade ago, in the pre-crisis times, the Russian art was synonymous with «big money», with buyers hunting an Aivazovsky or a Repin and being ready to pay fortunes for them as they knew they would sell them for double price. The times have changed, and another Russian art bid doesn’t make the auctioneer sweat. But the art has not changed, it’s the same and it’s here, at The State Russian Museum, specially constructed to keep paintings of Malevich and Shagal, etc. home. Here are the 10 most famous of them.

1. Black Square — Kazimir Malevich

Black Square is the most popular Kazimir Malevich`s painting and maybe the most known and controversial painting in the world. What might be unexpected for you is the fact that there are four versions of this masterpiece. The first of them was done in 1915. As for the last one, art experts suppose that it was painted between the 1920s and 1930s.

The Black Square undoubtedly is one of the most mysterious paintings of the 20th century. Artists tell that there isn`t only one color as you might think (and as we did). This painting includes almost all known basic colors, except… black. In fact, the painted figure is not a square, because it has no parallel lines. There is a guess that the square wasn`t black at first. Malevich tried to create a painting in the style of cubism but then decided to paint only the black square on the top of the previous picture.

2. The Ninth Wave — Ivan Aivazovsky

The Ninth Wave is a great painting of the 19th century made by Ivan Aivazovsky. The picture was painted in 1850.
In XIX century, seamen thought that the 9th wave was a really bad sign, because it was the biggest and the most destructive. In the picture, six seamen are meeting this wave. Their ship had been broken, so they could die. To tell the truth, all painted waves are not so big, and all the heroes might have survived. The warm tones of the picture also show that they obviously had some chance. Aivazovsky is a Russian genius marine painter, one of the most prominent marine painters in the world. His Ninth Wave shows the beauty of nature and its destructive side at the same time.

3. The Last Day Of Pompeii — Karl Bryullov

The Last Day of Pompeii was made in 1833 by famous Russian painter Karl Bryullov.
At first, the painting was presented in Rome, but then it was taken to Louvre. Only in 1934, The Last Day of Pompeii appeared in St Petersburg, where Alexander Demidov presented it to Nicolas I of Russia. The plot of the picture was created by Bryullov while he was traveling near Mount Vesuvius. Scientists suppose that there was a town called Pompeii and destroyed by Vesuvius. All people in the picture are on the brink of death, some of them tried to pray – they believe it could save them. Lots of art critics think that there are two main characters here – a dead woman and her little child.

4. Reply of the Zaporozhian Cossacks to Sultan — Ilya Repin

Cossacks of Zaporozhe Are Drafting a Manifesto, also known as Reply of the Zaporozhian Cossacks to Sultan Mehmed IV of the Ottoman Empire, is a painting by Ilya Repin. The picture is painted on a huge canvas so it took almost a decade to finish it, from 1880 till 1891.

The painting was bought by Alexander III of Russia and then placed to the State Russian Museum. The first rough drawing of the picture was made in Zaporozhe where Repin was there in 1880 with his friend, young Russian artist Valentin Serov. All painted people had their real prototypes. Some critics say that the painting has no historical accuracy. After the first version, the author began to paint the second one (it was going to be more truthful), but he had no time to finish it.

5. The Walk — Mark Shagal

Mark Shagal`s Walk (made in 1917) shows us only two simple figures – a man and a woman. They have their real prototypes – the man is the author of this painting and the woman is his wife Bella. He really loved her and painted only her even after her death (although he tried to find a beloved).

The author tried to show that for two loving people nothing is impossible. Shagal shows his wife flying. They hold each other by their hands. It`s a symbol of their love. Some people suppose that the author thought about one Russian proverb – ‘it`s better to have a little bird in your hand than a free big bird in the sky.’ Walk shows us that it`s unnecessary to make a choice sometimes: the main character holds a little bird and a ‘flying bird’ in his hands at the same time.

6. The Pancake Week (Maslenitsa) — Boris Kustodiev

The Pancake Week, made by Boris Kustodiev in 1916, is not the only one painting about this festival created by this artist (there are also versions of 1917 and 1921).

In this picture, the last days of winter are shown. All people have fun and prepare to burn the symbol of the festival to put an end to winter. The sky has a warm blue color that means spring`s coming. Kustodiev uses only bright beautiful colors to show people`s joy and happiness. All towns painted by this author are faceless. Such festivals were held almost in every Russian town. And sometimes Maslenitsa was veeeeeeery hot — watch a video from a Russian movie in our post on the celebration of Maslenitsa in St. Petersburg in 2017.

7. The Knight at The Crossroads — Viktor Vasnetsov

Viktor Vasnetsov painted The Knight at The Crossroads in 1882. Some previous pencil drawings of this picture were made in the 1870s.
One of the most famous Russian epics Ilya Muromets and robbers had a great influence on the plot of The Knight at The Crossroads. In the picture, the stone writing is real – it is equivalent to the words from the epic. The first rough drawing showed the knight in full-front position. Also, there was a road. In the final version, Vasnetsov took it away to make the painting more dramatic and made the knight`s figure bigger and more monumental. In the State Russian Museum there is the second version of this picture.

8. The Christ and the Sinner — Vasiliy Polenov

The Christ and the Sinner, also known as Who has no sin (1888), is a painting by Vasiliy Polenov.
The plot of this picture is based on the story from the Gospel According to John about the Christ and a sinner. 15 years have passed from the appearance of previous pencil drawings to finishing the oil-painting. The painting was bought by Alexander III of Russia and then in 1897 was placed in the State Russian Museum`s collection. The painting features several people. Some of them took to Christ (who was teaching his pupils) a woman who was accused of infidelity and asked what to do (they were going to beat her with stones). According to the Gospel, Christ suggested it be done by someone who had no sins at all. There were no people without any sins so they let her go.

9. Burlaki, or Barge Haulers on the Volga — Ilya Repin

Burlaki, or Barge Haulers on the Volga, in a picture made by Repin in 1873.
The author saw barge haulers near the Neva River for the first time. He was amazed by them: they looked so different from other happy people. They were tired and worried. Before the main version of the painting was made, Repin had drawn lots of pencil sketches and watercolor schizos. The final version of the Barge Haulers on the Volga shows us how the work of these people is difficult. They are tired and unhappy. In the background, there is a towboat as a symbol of technical progress which the barge haulers cannot use.

10. Guests From Overseas— Nikolas Roerich

Roerich`s Foreign Guests was painted in 1901 in Paris.
This picture is a part of a cycle of paintings ‘Russian Beginning. Slavs‘. The painting was bought by Nicolas II of Russia and then placed to the State Tretyakov Gallery, a bit later to The Russian Museum. The style of the Guests includes some parts of old Russian icon painters` style combined with modern trends. According to some art critics, the ship goes to Slavs` settlement to put an end to war and make peace. The Slavs are not scared of its appearance. The sea is calm and the weather is good – it`s a symbol of a peaceful visit.

The Most Original Souvenirs and Gifts from Saint Petersburg

Having lived in Saint Petersburg for 5 years I’ve often asked myself what I should buy as gifts for people at home. People who visited the city often asked me what souvenirs to buy and where to buy them. And to be honest, I had some trouble answering this question. I had to think about it. I knew one thing for sure: with a few exceptions all these souvenir shops in the center of the city overcharge you and don’t sell quality products (leaving aside some exceptions).

In my opinion the nicest thing to bring home from Saint Petersburg is something that was made in the city and something that has a story to it.

Good options are:

Local Fashion

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How cool is it to wear your own designer clothes? Quite cool I think, but not something that most people are likely able to afford. In Saint Petersburg, however, local designers sell their clothes and accessories for reasonable prices. Why not buy a souvenir that you will actually use!

Where to Buy Local Fashion

8-store

At 8-store they specialize in minimalistic clothing from Russian designers. To see what I mean, have a look at their website.

The entrance to 8-store at Novaya Gollandiya And from inside the 8-store at Novaya Gollandiya

Freedom Store

Address: Ulitsa Marata 5/21 (Olympic Mall, 2nd floor)
Website

Like 8-store, Freedom Store also sells clothes from different Russian designers. They have 2 stores, one in Saint Petersburg and one in Ekaterinburg.
Freedom Store also has a webshop. Their website is only in Russian though.

A post shared by МАГАЗИН РОССИЙСКИХ ДИЗАЙНЕРОВ (@freedomstore_ru) on Oct 19, 2018 at 11:01pm PDT

Mylnaya Belka

Mylnaya Belka is located in Loft Project Etazhi, which is a hub for hipsters and likeminded people in the center of Saint Petersburg. If you like to support local businesses, this hub is a great place to eat, drink and shop.

The self-declared mission of Mylnaya Belka is to sell designer clothes at mainstream prices. They sell an interesting blend of foreign and Russian designs

A post shared by M-BELKA (@mbelka) on Jan 19, 2019 at 10:25am PST

A picture from Mylnaya Belka’s Instagram account

Otdel

Like Mylnaya Belka, Otdel is also located at Loft Project “Etazhi.” The difference is that Otdel sells clothes for men. The selection includes a lot of skater clothes with Asian motif and artwork-inspired prints.

Usta k Ustam

Usta is the poetical word for mouth in Russian, so Usta k Ustam literally means mouth to mouth. At this mono-brand women’s store, they sell affordably priced beautiful, bright clothes.

A picture taken at Usta k Ustam

Fligel Store

Fligel Store calls themself a “secret clothing store” that brings young designers together. They exclusively sell women’s clothing.

A post shared by Fligel Store (@fligelstore) on Mar 31, 2019 at 7:42am PDT

Maker Designer Loft

Maker Designer Loft is a space with a nice view on the Field of Mars (Marsovo Pole In Russian). This beautiful green square that is named after Mars, the Roman god of war, is an oasis of quiet in this busy metropolis.
The artistic space at Maker Designer Loft houses not only a clothing store with Russian designer clothing, but also an art gallery, a flower shop and a beauty studio. Besides all that, They also have excellent coffee here.

They sell beautiful inspiring things here at good prices, but if you really want to find a bargain you should visit this place during their amazing sales, when they take up to 50% off regular prices! As Saint Petersburg gets frequent, unexpected rain, step into this place to shop until it stops.

A post shared by maker design loft (@makerdesignloft) on Apr 19, 2019 at 12:03am PDT

Tykva Store

Address: Tykva Store has 4 stores in the center of Saint Petersburg, one of them on Ulitsa Rubinshteyna 34, the other ones you can find on the store’s
Website

A picture of Tykva Store on Ulitsa Rubinshteyna

Luglook, Fashion in the North of the City

Address: Ulitsa Baykonurskaya 14 (ground floor in Shopping Mall “Continent”, 10 minutes by foot from subway station Komendantsky Prospekt) and Planernaya Ulitsa, 59, Shopping Mall Monpasye (17 minutes by foot from subway station Komendantsky Prospekt)
Website

Unlike previously mentioned clothing places Luglook is located far outside of the center, but at Russialounge, we believe there is life outside of the city center too.

Luglook occupies a huge space, over 800 square meters. What’s really cool about this place is that there are actual designers working here. That’s right, you can watch them creating new pieces. And, if you like what you see, you can immediately buy it and take it home with you as a precious souvenir. In the evenings, fashion shows and workshops take place here. If you want to check available events that might interest you, it’s best to check their page on Vkontakte.

A post shared by ГАЛЕРЕЯ ДИЗАЙНЕРОВ (@luglook) on Mar 9, 2019 at 10:09pm PST

Coffee Mugs With A Print

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At some of the Bukvoed (Буквоед) bookstores, there is a great collection of coffee mugs with Saint Petersburg and Russian motifs printed on them. When you’re back at home sipping a nice cup of coffee or tea, there is no better way to remember your stay in Russia than holding such a beautiful mug. The widest selection of coffee mugs with good prints on them can be found at this Bukvoed store:

Address: Ligovsky Prospekt 10/118 (just near Vosstaniya Square)

They’re not cheap though: a mug will set you back about 500 rubles.

Drinking a cup of tea at home from my Russian mug (with the city of Moscow on it admittedly)

Designer Postcards

Saint Petersburg is a very artistic city, especially around the city center. But how do you convey the city’s artistic talent to your friends and family back home?
Well, you could send them a postcard. The selection of postcards you can find in the city is state of the art. I highly recommend you visit the Dom Knigi bookstore, as it has the best selection of postcards, including beautiful photos of the city’s architecture, photos of paintings from the city’s museums, and creative designs made by locals. The Zinger Building, where Dom Knigi is located on the top floor, also houses the Vkontakte headquarters. In my opinion, this is one of the city’s most gorgeous buildings.

A postcard I bought at Dom Knigi and sent home. Great design, don’t you think?

Craftsmen’s Fairs

If you’re the festival type of person and prefer to meet many different Russian craftsmen and have a look at their products, you might want to visit craftsmen’s fair. For a list and description of craftmen’s fairs in the city, we recommend you check out kudago’s overview of fairs in Saint Petersburg. Unfortunately, the overview is only in Russian. Drop me a line if you’re unsure what a particular fair is about and I’ll be happy to help. Unfortunately, the overview is in Russian only. Drop me a line if you’re unsure what a particular fair is about, I’ll be happy to help.

The Biggest Handmade Festival

When: 1-2 July 2019
Website
Address: Krasnogvardeyskaya Ploschad 3 (Google Maps)

On 1-2 July an enormous festival with local craftsmen will take place in Saint Petersburg. If you happen to be in town during these days,this is your chance to see a lot of local craftsmen.

Attributes from FC Zenit

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According to some, FC Zenit is the fifth most popular football club in Europe. While football is stably the most popular sport in the world, you might be able to make someone very happy with an original Zenit attribute.

If you want to attend a Zenit game yourself, which I recommend even if you’re not a huge football fan, please check out my blog post about how to buy a ticket for a Zenit home match.

If you’re looking to buy items from FC Zenit, you should go to one of the official Zenit stores in the city center. The club’s website lists all shop locations.

The most famous Zenit store in the city is located on Nevsky Prospekt.
Address: Nevsky prospekt 20

On the website you can also find the items they sell, as well as the prices.

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There is no place in Russia, or maybe even in the world, with as many artists as Saint Petersburg. Talented people from all over Russia come to Saint Petersburg to see all the high-quality art and beautiful architecture the city has to offer. You’ll be pleasantly surprised that prices for artwork in Russia are much lower than in most western countries.

There are several places to buy art in Saint Petersburg. One of them is on the street where artists sell sights of the city. Be careful when buying art on the street. Sellers may claim they’re selling you an original work of art but, in fact, it may be a mass production. The painting below I bought in front of the Catholic Church of St. Catherine on Nevsky Prospekt.

This is the first and only painting I ever bought on the street, it depicts a night view of Saint Petersburg by night. I bought it for 9000 rubles.

There are also numerous web shops that sell local art in Saint Petersburg. A social media group, like this one on Vkontakte, which is in Russian only, can give you a good impression of what’s for sale and for what price.

Galleries

The more interesting and expensive art is, of course, not sold on the street, but in galleries.
For example:

DiDi Art Gallery
Address: 62 Bolshoy Prospect V. O. (on Vasilievsky Island)
Website

DiDi Art Gallery focusses on art from Leningrad and Moscow from the second half of the 20th century. Browse their website to see exactly what that means.

Folk Gallery Mansarda Khudoznikov (Мансарда Художников)
Address: Bolshaya Pushkarskaya 10 (on Petrogradka island)
Website

Mansarda was opened in 2001. At this gallery, the focus is on modern art and they often organize exhibitions.

Kgallery

website
Address: Fontanka River Embankment 24 (Google maps)
At Kgallery three centuries of Russian painting, the 18th-20th century, are represented.

Cosmetics From Saint Petersburg

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Many people are unaware of this fact, but during the Soviet period, Saint Petersburg was famous for its cosmetics. Nowadays the only store in town that exclusively sells cosmetics from Saint Petersburg is “Peterburgskaya Kosmetika”

Some Local Brands of Cosmetics

Laboratorium is a popular brand of cosmetics based in Saint Petersburg. Their founder, Maria Rumyantseva, studied to be a lawyer, but discovered that she had very different talents as well. Their hit product is the ‘urgent rejuvenation cream’ (крем для срочного омоложения), which is quite popular among Russian women. A small tube of ‘urgent rejuvenation cream’ should cost you 400-500 rubles, but that is just a small sacrifice for eternal youth, isn’t it? Also, the ‘raspberry sugar scrub for sweet dreams’ (малиновый сахарный скраб для сладких грез) sells very well.

At 11, they don’t just sell cosmetics, but also all kinds of small minimalistic design items. Look at their website to see what I mean. Their globe-shaped homemade soaps look great and cost just 250 rubles. They don’t currently have a physical store, so you either can arrange to meet them for free at subway station Devyatkino or send a courier to another point in the city.

A more traditional, and less tongue-in-cheek, example of a brand of cosmetics from Saint Petersburg is Nevskaya Kosmetika.

From looking at it, you will notice that this brand is still associated with Soviet times when companies were not looking to make a profit. A tube of their Almond Facial Cream will set you back just 51 rubles, that’s less than 1 US dollar! For this price, don’t expect some super sexy packaging. It comes in a rather plain tube, but with a great product in it. Nevskaya Kosmetika products are for sale at the above-mentioned store “Peterburgskaya Kosmetika”. Their products are also sold at big chain drug stores like Spektr (спектр), but we recommend you visit “Peterburgskaya Kosmetika”, as they offer the entire product line.

Another locally famous brand, which is sold at the same store, is Levrana Natural. As the name indicates, they sell products with natural ingredients. The brand was founded in 2013 by a couple who, after the birth of their daughter, were looking for more ecological responsible products at reasonable prices. Since they were unable to find them, they decided to make their own. The entire line of products is guaranteed to be free of petrochemical products, harmful surfactants and animal products. Their products are not tested on animals either. These natural ingredients have a very Russian connotation. For example, for a mere 300 rubles, the Polar Birch Tree Deodorant makes for a great souvenir or gift because the birch tree is considered to be the most Russian of all trees.

Vodka

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Vodka is probably not going to be the most original gift to bring home from Russia. It is, however, a gift that many people will appreciate. Buying vodka is pretty common in Russia, so you don’t need to go to a special store for it. At a good supermarket, you will be able to find a large selection of different vodkas. Check out my blog post about supermarkets in Saint Petersburg for more information on finding a good store.

You’ll probably be surprised with the wide range of vodka Russian supermarkets offer. The difference in price and quality is significant, but all of them are safe (products in Russia must meet certain quality standards, as I described in my blog post about bottled water in Russia).

Conclusion

I hope I’ve given you some inspiration to wander off the beaten track to buy your gifts and souvenirs in Saint Petersburg, somewhere other than the souvenir shops around Nevsky Prospekt.

I’d be very curious to hear what you bought as a gift or souvenir in Saint Petersburg. Leave a comment below. If you have any questions, you can leave them in the comment below as well; we try to respond to them quickly.