When I visited St Petersburg I had the profound impression that this struggle
for a so much desired 'western' standard of living and culture still lay at the
heart of the city's soul. St Petersburg is many different cities all in one: men in
Lexus cars and women in Fendi furs line the same streets in which the public
trams and buses with gaping holes in their sides pass, transporting masses of
colourless workers from and to their homes and workplaces. An advertisment
for the latest Nokia 3G phone is glued onto a panel by two men who make
barely enough money to use a public phone once a month. St Petersburg
houses both the people who can afford the most luxurious lifestyle as well as
those for whom, essentially, nothing has changed.
Fifteen years ago communism reigned, and when it fell, the glorious entrance
of a 'western-style' democracy where everyone would profit seemed not far off.
But walking around St Petersburg, one has the impression that on the outside,
some of its inhabitants may proudly sip Capuccino and wear Prada boots, but
that on the inside, in people's minds and families, nothing much has changed. I
met a photographer called 'Valentine', who knew both the Spice Girls and the
grim circumstances of some inhabitants of the city of Peter.
This fortress on an island in the Neva river also
houses the SS Peter and Paul Cathedral, which
was one of the first buildings to be erected by
Peter the Great. The Czar himself is buried
inside this cathedral, along with many members
of his family and the ruling dynasty of the
Romanovs. The bell-tower was apparently made
this high so that Peter could use it to oversee
the construction of 'his' city from its top. I cannot
but wonder if Peter would have liked to still
stand there in our time, looking out over the city
he created as window on the west, now
embracing the west with a still tighter grip forced
by some, unnoticed by most.
Cathedral (c) bibloi.com
As this section is being fleshed out, you will find my attempt to capture the
essence of St Petersburg in five things, fun recipes and facts about St
Petersburg cuisine as well as descriptions of various interesting sites and
sights.
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