PeterStar International
PeterStar International, 2627 New Germany Road, Ebensburg,
Pa. 15931, USA
193029 Russia, St. Petersburg
Information:
. . . . . . Elena typically
charges $10.00 per hour for her guide service. You should pay her at the
end of each day. It is acceptable (as well as good manners) to invite your
guide to dine with you. How much you pay depends on how long she guides
and where you eat. Eating at a fine Hotel (such as the Grand Hotel Europe)
can cost you about $100.00 per person. Eating at a nice but less costly
hotel (such as the Hotelship Peterhof) can run about $40.00 per person.
. . . . . . However, I very much liked Russian cuisine and we stopped
at some of the many smaller cafes. These are very cheap (a good Russian
dish can be as low as $4.00 or $5.00). You would think that fast food places
like McDonald's would be cheap. This is not necessarily the case. McDonald's
actually costs about twice as much as the little Russian places. McDonald's
imports all of the meat for their burgers from the USA, not quite sure
why as Russian beef is very good! (Pssst) there is a small cafe near the
Church on the Blood, just across the canal, where Russian Mafia often meets.
Do not be intimidated, as I ate there often and never had any problems.
. . . . . . May I recommend a restaurant that has the BEST pizza
I ever tasted! I don't remember the name (La Strada-?), but Elena will
remember it. It is owned by a man from new Zealand. We went there twice.
It is not the cheapest place, but the pizza is definitely worth it!
. . . . . . Also, if you like to drink water with your meals, be
prepared to pay for it. Evian is the standard water in St. Petersburg,
because none of the locals drink tap water. (Too contaminated.) The only
exception is the tap water in the Hotelship Peterhof. This is a Swiss owned
Cruise ship, run by Germans, docked as a permanent hotel. They actually
import their own tap water. (No charge for guests). They do serve Evian
at meals in the restaurant, however. If you like ice, be prepared. Most
places don't have it!
. . . . . . Regarding currency exchage: There are very many currency
exchanges at various places around St. Petersburg. However, DO NOT constantly
change money back and forth. Every time you exchange money, there is a
5% charge to the government, so if you constantly exchange, you will lose!
. . . . . . Also, DO NOT exchange money on the street. This is illegal
and is one of the few things that can actually get you in trouble with
the police there.
. . . . . . Technically, everything is to be paid for in rubles,
(especially at the hotels) but many places prefer dollars. Technically
illegal, it is often done, so don't worry about it.
. . . . . . TIP: DO NOT dress fancy or act like a tourist. The few
criminals around (Especially after the bars close) focus on well-drssed
foreigners. Be observant! Look Russian! (I looked so much like a Russian
that people would come up to me in the street and ask me for directions!)
Of course, speaking a little Russian didn't hurt, either. Oh, Do Not pick
up any of the girls that hang around the casinos. They are often out to
rob you and have a man that will follow you to your room and rob you after
she has drugged you.
. . . . . . Don't let me scare you. The locals will tell you that
St. Petersburg is dangerous, but I have been in both New York and St. Petersburg,
and New York was much more dangerous. IE: In New York I saw 2 muggings,
about 5 fist-fights and 1 robbery. In Petersburg I never even saw an arguement!
. . . . . . TIP: if you buy a Russian fur hat, do not get the cheap
felt type. They are for 'tourists'. Get the more expensive leather one.
(if you get a Russian emblem on it, take it off until you are out of Russia.
This, again, will brand you as a 'tourist') Also, do not get the tall,
fuzzy hats. They are from Irkutsk and even Russians will think you are
weird if you wear one.
. . . . . . Also, T-shirts are fun, but only worn around town by
tourists. Take them home and wear them there.
. . . . . . Also, check out the Paradise Market. It is like a flea
market, but it is there every day year-round. It is near the most beautiful
church I have ever seen. The Cathedral of the Risen Christ on the Blood.(So-bor
vo EM-ya Vas-kri-SANE-yuh Kris-TO-va Spahs nuh KRO-vee) When you go inside,
you will see what look like many beautiful paintings, but look closely!
They are NOT paintings, they are Mosaics. Many little pieces of colored
stone formed into LARGE pictures. Also, the domes on the outside are not
painted, they are ceramic.
. . . . . . TIP: The only place I know of that you cannot take pictures
is INSIDE the churches. The church says that since they permit anyone to
visit them, anytime, there is no reason to take pictures. Also, it may
be considered sacreligious. (If you carry a camera around town, do not
make it obvious. That 'tourist' thing again.)
. . . . . . Peterhof is probably the most amazing place I have ever
been. You get there in a Meteor Boat -- one of the Hydrofoil ships that
cruise from near the Hermitage. Set aside an entire day for Peterhof. It
makes Versailles look paltry!
. . . . . . TIP: the restrooms are in a building behind trees near
the large 'mushroom' shaped fountains. Oh, yes, public restrooms are almost
non-existent. So go before you tour! (I often used the Hotel Nevskiy Palace
restoom. They don't seem to mind, and I always tipped the doorman, so he
was very happy.) When handing money to the doorman, always say, "Eta Vam!"
It means "For You!"
. . . . . . The Hermitage is also very beautiful and very LARGE.
To give you an idea, there is a room that has 200 suits of armor. (REAL
armor, not reproductions.) The chandelier in the main hall is the size
of a large car! There is an unbelievable collection of famous artists,
sculptors, and antique Russian memorabilia. (Czar Peter 1st.'s coach is
there). The Hermitage is actually the Czar's Winter Palace. It now consists
of 5 large buildings.(3 million exhibits) This will take some time, too!
. . . . . . By the way, there are often 2 charges for entrance to
places like the Hermitage. A small charge to enter, and another if you
want to take pictures.
. . . . . . Also, you will see native Russians pay much less than
you. It is an accepted practice to charge tourists up to 10 times what
locals pay, and local students are often free. This is not discrimination
against tourists, but a concession to take care of local people who often
don't have enough money to get in. A friend of mine named Katerina earned
only $50.00 per month teaching. She had to quit and take a job as bartender
at the Hotelship Peterhof just to be able to pay her rent. (The Hotelship
pays $100.00 per month). Elena can buy tickets for you as a Russian, but
remember to keep quiet and look as Russian as possible (unless you know
some Russian words). Otherwise, you and her will be charged full price
as a tourist.
. . . . . . Buying things. Elena can get you the Russian price for
many things, and then you will see her ask something to the proprietor.
This is Elena's way of getting a small "kick-back" from the shop owner
in return for bringing you there. This is perfectly acceptable in Russian
culture DO NOT raise a fuss about it, as you will end up paying the full
tourist price and lose more money than you thought. (Also, Elena really
needs the money).
. . . . . .Etiquette: It is often you will have a stranger or couple
ask to share your table at a restaurant. They are not being forward, it
is tradition for people to share tables. It is good manners to ask first,
and also good manners to say yes to someone asking to share. You can meet
many new friends this way. Contrary to popular opinion in the USA, Russians
are some of the friendliest people you will ever meet, providing you understand
their culture and respect their ways.
. . . . . . DO NOT ask an acquaintance for his/her telephone number
or address. This is considered very bad manners. I think this is a carry-over
from the Soviet times, when everyone wanted to be anonymous. (Nobody wanted
the KGB to know where they lived) Russia does not even have telephone books.
A phone company once tried to make phone books, but almost no one wanted
to be listed. You cannot even get a telephone number from the local operator
unless you know the person's name, address and birth date.
. . . . . . If a new friend wants you to have his or her phone number,
he will tell you. It is then polite to offer your phone number, even if
it is only the number to your hotel. Also, if you are invited to a new
friend's apartment (this is often done, even if he knows you for only a
few minutes) you are expected to be intelligent enough to find the place
next time for yourself. (There are few street signs and almost no house
numbers.)
. . . . . . Oh, yes. If you are invited for a meal, be sure to eat
everything! Russians expect it and asking for more is encouraged. It is
considered a compliment to the cook!
Many Russian companies cannot sell enough product
to pay workers regularly. So, they give workers some of the products they
make to sell. Workers will then try to sell them to tourists, or whoever
will buy.
Many workers have small stalls at Paradise Market,
near Cathedral of the Risen Christ (Sobor vo Emya Vaskrysaneyuh Kristova
Spas nuh Krovi). Often, this is only pay that workers get.
However, recently I received 'No Talking' T-shirt
2 weeks past. But it was printed on a cheap Chinese shirt. Some Russian
companies are using cheap shirts to try to make more money, and the Chinese
are selling junk to them.
They even have plastic bag over them that says
'American' in large red, white and blue letters, and even the neck tag
says 'American'. (Not 'Made in America' but just 'American') If you lift
neck tag to look underneath, it says 'Made in China'. Very devious.
When the shirt arrived, I pulled it out
flat to send, but shirt ripped very easily in 3 or 4 places. Terrible stuff.
I notified Elena and Sergey that we would no longer
accept Chinese shirts, but only good Russian shirts.
Also, we buy T-shirts, hats and military things
from Sergey, who is an entrepreneur in St. Petersburg. Sergey does not
have a store, or even a stall in Paradise Market. He carries a small stock
in a backpack and shows his wares to whomever wants to see. Sometimes he
will invite friends home to see more. His small apartment has been turned
into a virtual cornocopia of Russian collectable treasures.
General's coats, caracal hats, USSR binoculars,
many many T-shirts, hockey uniforms, and much else too numerous to name.
I am trying to get list from Sergey of all his things, but it is difficult
to list so much, and some things when he sells he cannot replace.
The other Sergey (Katarina's friend) sometimes
provides us with matreshka. He, too, carries stock around in a back pack,
but only sells matreshka.
And then there's Olga, our special, most beautiful
artist. Olga does fantastic lacquer boxes and special matreshka just for
us. (Clinton, Veterinary, Christmas, etc.) Olga signs each piece on the
bottom with her special signature. I believe some day her work will be
worth very, very much!
The porcelain we sells often comes from many different
places, depending on the kind. Gzhel comes from the Gzhel factory in Moscow.
Lomonosov comes from the factory in St. Petersburg
and also sometimes from special buys and auctions where we get discontinued
and rare pieces.
We only buy from auctions for things we cannot
get from the Lomonosov factory because they no longer make them.
Cluj comes from the Cluj factory in Romania or
sometimes from a distributor in Florida if they have a piece we need quickly.
Please see our page at http://www.star-cs.com/peterstar/
