Saint Petersburg Travel Forum

I have a vacation between 19th-23rd December. Do you think it's a good timing for a visit to this lovely city? Or would it be too dead because it's just before christmas or because of the freezing cold (will it be so?). I love to walk around cities all day long when i'm travelling. Would i get frozen like a "step taking man" monument? :))

The Russian Orthodox Church celebrates its Christmas on January 7th ,I have been to St Petersburg in summer and it is a beautiful city.Weather is difficult to predict,maybe you will be lucky and have 4 nice days or you may have days of -15 and snow.Good luck you an enjoy the city.

Last year I was in StPetersburg in December 16, weather was a bit of mild for the winter, -5C around. but keep the warm cloths with you. i think there will be no problem with walking around the city

yeah, Gismeteo is giving the forecast of +2 and raining for next 10 days in SPB:-/ But who knows??? Those forecasts!))) Sure, the greatest holiday here is New Year eve (Dec.31) but anyway you'll find complete Christmas decorations everythere and a lot of Christmas (New Year) events during your visit .)))

Dec. 24 is just Dec. 24 in Russia, like a normal day. They are not involved in Satanist cult, oops, I mean, "Santa-nist" cult (yet). There is a guy who looks somewhat like Santa and lives in Veliky Ustyug http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Veliky_Ustyug with his grand-daughter.

This guy (Ded Moroz, "Grandfather Frost" never ages (he is old enough), and seem never die. No wonder: he is immortal, he was kind of benevolent forest spirit before becoming a personage of Rimsky-Korsakov Opera based on Alexandr Ostrovski play "Snegurochka". He became very busy as during communist era he replaced St. Nicolas as "gift-bringing grandpa".

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ded_Moroz

Ded Moroz will go around New Year eve, not X'mas. There are very slim hopes for Santa to have any success in even far future tough...(thank god!)

Some neat pics from Velikiy Ustyug as found on Wiki:

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/a/a9/Vu05.jpeg
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/f/f3/Vu07.jpeg

Now @Pupulainen: is there a special Schengen-visa for Dedek Mraz to visit Slovenia? (Just wonder). Not that I would apply (yet).

Random thougt: if it would be in other country, they would make a special train going around Central/East Europe and a large Ded Moroz show and who-knows-what ideas. Like Ded Moroz-theme park in Veliki Ustyug, with a large rotating statue of the guy (should be taller, than the tallest bell-tower of Sobor Uspenija Presvjatoj Bogorodicy and painted neon-red), a restaurant atop of it, people dressed as dancing bears walkig around and electronic balalaika music from strategically located loudspeakers.

Always say, they have no sense how to make $$$$$$$$$$ there.