Ways to get from here to there

Like any good city, St. Petersburg offers many modes of transportation. Before going into detail, it is important to understand the layout of the city. Petersburg is made up of islands, which are divided by the Neva River and its various canals. During the summer months (April to November), the bridges open from 1am to 5am. Fortunately, I live in the center of the city so I rarely have to worry about these bridges. However, many of my friends live on islands that are not in the heart of the city so the bridge schedule often controls our evenings. With that information, I will proceed to discuss the different forms of transportation, in no particular order.

Bus: There are many bus routes within the city. Some people swear by them while some people treat them like the plague. They are fairly reliable in that they come often and stick to their routes. However, if you are like me and don’t know the routes you might end up at the end of the line an hour and a half away from home in the pouring rain. A conductor comes around collecting the 19 rouble (75 cent) fare. The buses tend to be extremely crowded….crowded meaning I can’t move anywhere and the man next to me is holding the handle above his head so I can smell exactly how long it has been since he used deodorant. Or showered for that matter.

Trolleybus: Exactly the same as the bus, but electric.

Marshrutka: Much like the buses, but these are smaller and privately owned. They do not have the luxury of a conductor to collect money. Picture a driver driving a car packed with human sardines, collecting money, passing back tickets, and making change all as he drives through the busy streets of Petersburg.

Metro: The metro is my preferred mode of transportation. Unlike New York’s metro, it is actually very user friendly and easy to navigate. There are only 5 lines with no more than 20 stops on each line. A 75 cent token will get you in the doors and you can ride to your heart’s content. Peter the Great built Petersburg on a swamp, so when building the metro it was necessary for them to dig deep underground- a 3 minute escalator ride down (I spend about 15 minutes on escalators each day). However, once in the metro it is actually quite beautiful. They have extremely tall ceilings with beautiful stone walls and floors. Many even have ornate chandeliers, moldings, mosaics, or other artwork. The trains come into the station every three minutes making them the most reliable (and probably the most timely thing) in all of Russia. There are even clocks next to each platform saying when the last train departed. However, just like the other forms of transport, during rush hour the metro is unbelievably busy. The crowds push each other into the already packed cars. It is actually ruder to leave yourself space than it is to push someone into the car. Many riders find themselves pushed out of the car by sheer force even if it is not their stop. While it is often uncomfortable, I’ve learned to bring my Ipod and just go with it.

As much as I love the Petersburg metro (and the other forms of transportation), we are all still trying to figure out why on earth they all stop running from midnight until 5 am.  One would think that in a city of 4.5 million people situated on islands that it might be a good idea to have at least the metro open at all times.  So maybe you’ve guessed by now, but if you get stuck on the wrong side of the city and the bridges are up, you’re out of luck. Many people just stay out until the bridges go back down in the morning or when the metro opens again at 5:00. However, the bridges all close for about 15 minutes in the middle of the night (3 am) so those stranded may make a quick getaway. While we are still not positive, we believe that you can technically get home at all times in the night, as long as you know which bridges are up when. And that’s when the taxis are most helpful….unless you decide to walk those eight miles home. 

Parents in Petersburg

 This past week I was fortunate enough to have my parents come visit me for the week. It was only about a month and a half into the program (out of 4.5 months) but the scheduling worked out well with my parents and who in their right mind actually wants to come to Russia in the winter? I was greeted with open arms and lots of American food, both equally appreciated. I was immediately caught off guard by how much their arrival affected my emotions. I had been getting into a rhythm here in Petersburg with classes and my home life, but seeing them threw me off my track and reminded me of all the things I miss in America. Fortunately we were so busy touring the city that I was soon able to forget about these pangs of homesickness. Not only did they see the “sites,” but I also introduced them to the things or more importantly the people that have made St. Petersburg feel like home to me. They had tea with the woman I teach English to, Yulia, dinner with my host mother, Olga, and dinner with two of my close girlfriends that I met through the program, Stephanie and Kristin. All of these interactions are just as, if not more, important than seeing the Hermitage, St. Isaac’s Cathedral, and Peterhof (although all quite impressive).

My parents couldn’t have gotten better weather when they were here, however I do recall my mother complaining about the cold once or twice. We were lucky though, it didn’t rain once and most of the days were sunny. It was also prime foliage time, making what is sometimes a very gray city into a colorful vibrant place. What my parents don’t know is that the two days after they left the temperature dropped about 15 degrees, rain showers brought down almost all of the leaves, and we even spotted some snowflakes.

During their time in Petersburg we spent most of our days walking around the city, enjoying the unusual sun, and eating delicious dinners out. However, my parents did experience the inevitable culture shock and by the end of their stay were ready to go home to the comforts of America. I was a bit jealous at first to be honest. Not only do I still have three months left, but it's only going to get colder and colder. But this week has been an "up" on the rollercoaster ride that is Russia, so bring on the winter.