Saint Petersburg

November 29–30, 2010

It’s winter once again in Saint Petersburg. And once again the city is completely unprepared. Just like last time, everything is covered with ices and piles of snow (see the February report). Great care has been put into the aesthetic parameters of the markers indicating dangerous areas.

The icicles of terrifying size signify that attics have improper thermal insulation.

In a pathetic attempt to alert people to the danger, walls are bedecked with “Danger Zone” flyers.

Administration of Saint Petersburg. Committee on Youth Policy and Cooperation with Public Organizations. Danger Zone.

But there is still a loooot of snow in Saint Petersburg.

People clear it off as much as they can.

They throw it down from the rooftops by the ton.

But icicles continue to fall and knock down letters and people.

24 HOU

The new ruble sign and chick (which is how they say “chicken” in Saint Petersburg).

Special (weekdays 11:00 to 17:00). Pelmeni with meat, with chick, with salmon (150 g) for 88 rub.

Payphones have been beautified with new half-booths to replace the ugly old plastic ones.

New street signs have appeared on the buildings. I have no idea what was wrong with the old ones (see Saint Petersburg in December 2007 or Kazan). The new ones aren’t illuminated, look cheap and contain the mandatory new Saint Petersburg motif—a sort of curled paper scroll. It symbolizes history and the czar’s decree.

Big Sea Street

The same graphic motif can be seen in the subway.

Speaking of the subway—it’s been defiled thoroughly and persistently. There are only five subway lines in Saint Petersburg, so it’s really hard to get confused. But the creators of the new subway navigation system have managed to achieve just that.

This is what the diagram used to look like: one line is displayed, and all the transfers to all the other lines are clearly marked right there on it. You can trace the route between any two stations with your finger.

But now you can’t do that anymore, because everything has to be done the modern way. “2” is written three times on the blue bar at the top for morons. And instead of the clearly indicated transfers, the passenger now has to note the color of the sector and study the legend consisting of boxes with numbers and the subway logo repeated everywhere.

For the first time in my life, I got onto a train going the wrong way as a result of following the navigation system.