These pages are called Moscow Life and there may be a question of how relevant is my story. Once upon a time, when I was a student, frequent visits to St. Petersburg (then Leningrad) were a part of lifestyle for many Muscovites. Now traditions change a bit, the cost of such trip is prohibitively high for many Russians. Train tickets (two ways) may cost $60 - $70, a night in a hotel, $40. So with other small expenses for food and local tickets, the entire trip would require around $150. Alas, for many this amount is well above what one can afford to spend on a weekend.
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But let me start with a few notes about the life in St. Petersburg as seen by a Muscovite who does not visit the place too often. Of course my observations are necessarily superficial and to some extent reflect the old rivalry existing between the two cities. They have been competing all the time since Peter the Great moved the capital to St. Petersburg and thus deprived Moscow of its unique position of the one and only center of Russian political and cultural life, the seat of state power. Russian and later the Soviet state was very much centralized and being the administrative center meant being in the real center of all things.
When Lenin moved the capital back to Moscow, St. Petersburg was doomed. Of course during all the Soviet era, Leningrad was called "The cradle of the Revolution" and was getting substantial subsidies for its industry, education, and culture. Still, it was even then obviously losing the importance and vitality of a growing and successful place. In the times of new Russia, the situation obviously became even worse. Money and energy of new businesses fueling Moscow never came to St. Petersburg. The difference between Moscow and St. Petersburg became more visible, and the residents of the latter found a refuge in believing that they are too refined and intelligent to be efficient businesspersons - and that being poor is a Russian way to remain proud.
This is why sometimes working with partners in St. Petersburg is a torture for a Muscovite. Visiting the city one feels it too. For example, in Moscow one can use bars and restaurants with local management and experience the same level of service that is typical for places run by foreign staff. In St. Petersburg this is not the case, and if after Pizza Hut you will try any local cafe on the same street, you will feel the difference. Too much of it, in fact.
But the decaying elegance of once great city is charming in its special way, and St. Petersburg is much more a tourist attraction than Moscow. The city depends on the vistors' money much more than Moscow - and of course offers more specials to the tourists. But these my pages are not a tourist guide...
New St. Petersburg administration cannot offer efficient programs to fight unemployment or stimulate business growth - but it is smart enough to offer city residents more spectacular events instead of more jobs. The city now enjoys festivals, concerts in the open air, and other festivities almost every weekend. And people do like this lifestyle - even if they do not have enough money to buy all the funny staff available at the festivals.
One of these festivals took place in Pushkin (Tsarskoe Selo) on the day I was visiting the place. The city hall entrance was decorated with a large piece of cloth with a huge lock painted on it and the text "Everyone left for the festival" - a sign that the town authorities took the weekend event with all necessary respect - and just the right lack of seriousness. Moscow is too businesslike to be so much enthusiastic about having fun. Alas! Here Coca-Cola flags were streaming next to Orthodox crosses, ancient Russian "medovuha" was served along with imported and local brands of beer, pop singers and rock groups were generating lots of noise from several stages.
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You can click on any picture in this story to open a larger and better quality image.
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On the lawns all over Pushkin one could observe participants of the carnival in the last minute preparations - and wonderful mixture of professional clowns, amateur members of history clubs, actors, and some characters whom I can hardly name properly. Anyway they all were looking great - and enjoying the party.
The visitors arriving from St. Petersburg by trainloads were joining the the crowds, some already dressed up, others hurrying up to numerous stands and kiosks to buy masks, wigs or at least some paint for their faces. Yes, everyone was participating to some extent, not just waatching.
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