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St Petersburg Nightlife St Petersburg Nightlife - TravelPuppy.com St Petersburg has an energetic, diverse nightlife – ranging from opera and ballet to sleazy nightclubs and acid house raves – and is emerging, after some 75 years of Communist control, as the rock music capital of Russia. However, the scene is always changing – new venues open, old ones close. So the best advice is to check the weekly listings in the St Petersburg Times. The Russian mafias – a collective term for various groups of gangsters, racketeers and criminals – have power over most of the nightlife and gambling in St Petersburg. However, most visitors will have no contact with this aspect of Russian life and if you do happen to sit next to a gangster in a smart restaurant, you are more likely to assume the man to be a successful businessman. Caution should be exercised, however, especially with casinos – you should only frequent venues that are recommended. Most of the decent nightlife is in the city centre and bars open from 1100 and start closing around 2400, although some remain open until 0200 or 0400. Drinking regulations are very strict, with the minimum drinking age set at 21 years. The average price of a drink is around US$3. Nightclubs have varying hours but they open as early as noon and closing as late as 0900. Casual dress is the standard, although you should smarten up if you plan a visit to the theatre, ballet or to a classical concert. Bars Although it is a bit smoky and scruffy, Cynic, Goncharnaya ulitsa 4, is an excellent venue for those wishing to settle down with a teapot of vodka to watch occasional spontaneous dance performance by girls who have watched Coyote Ugly too many times. The Idiot, Moiki reki naberezhnaya 82, is very popular with the smart-set, who flock here in droves for the friendly service, vegetarian menu and used English-language newspapers and books that are available for perusal. Mollie’s, Rubensshtyena ulitsa 36, provides the international comfort that people expect from an Irish pub – this is also a good introduction to the ex-pat community of the city. Punters seeking the downright weird should check out Sakvoyazh dlya beremennoy shpionki (A Briefcase for a Pregnant Spy), on Malaya Konushnaya ulitsa 11. One room boasts chairs and tables without legs, which are attached to chains that dangle from the ceiling and floor. Propoganda, Fontanki reki naberezhnaya 40, is filled to the rim with kitschy Soviet-era decor and posters. Casinos Premiere, situated in the Titan cinema, Nevsky prospekt 47, is a reasonably safe gambling venue, open 1200-0900. Venice, Korablestroiteley ulitsa 21, is another upmarket venue, open from 1900-1600 and is frequented by wealthy Russians and foreigners. A passport is required at both casinos and dress code is smart-casual Clubs At Apraksin dvor 14, Money Honey is located downstairs, with sweet sounds of rockabilly emanating, while the upstairs City Club caters to an older crowd who like a bit of blues in their rock. Konnyushenny dvor, Griboedova kanala nabrezhnaya 5, is brilliant for clubbers interested in thumping Russian pop music and other wonders of chart-hit wonderland. Located in a former bomb shelter, Griboyedov, Voronezhsakaya ulitsa 2a, is definitely the place to be for an array of techno and house music. Dance The Mariinsky Company – formerly the famous Kirov Ballet Company – nurtured greats such as Pavlova and Nureyev. Ballet in St Petersburg remains conventional, with a range of classics. The Mariinsky, which performs only classical ballet, has the most limited and pricey tickets in St Petersburg. The company performs at Mariinksy Theatre, Teatralnaya ploschad 1 (tel: (812) 114 1211). The director of Theatre of Ballet, Boris Eifman, infuriated classical ballet fans with controversial interpretations of Tchaikovsky. This modern troupe very often appears at Oktyabrskaya Concert Hall, Ligovsky prospekt 6 (tel: (812) 275 1273). Film Foreign films, mostly American, are clumsily dubbed into Russian, although there are still some good Soviet and Russian films to be found. The St Petersburg Times has listings. The Crystal Palace, Nevsky prospekt 72 (tel: (812) 272 2382) screens fairly recent foreign films in their original soundtrack, while the Avrora, Nevsky prospekt 60 (tel: (812) 315 5254), shows the latest American films dubbed into Russian. Anna Karenina, starring Greta Garbo and directed by Edmund Golding, was set in St Petersburg, as was Eisenstein’s October. Warren Beatty’s Reds charts the same historic events through the eyes of the journalist, John Reed. Music Shostakovich Philharmonia is the home of the traditional St Petersburg Academic Symphonic Philarmonic Orchestra. Touring orchestras perform here as well. The acoustics at Glinka Maly Zal (Small Hall), Nevsky prospekt 30 (tel: (812) 312 4585), are better than in the huge Bolshoi Zal (Main Hall), Mikhailovskaya ulitsa 2 (tel: (812) 311 7333). St Petersburg State Capella, Naberezhnaya Reki Moika 20 (tel: (812) 314 1153), has a small concert hall for small orchestras, classical choral music and solo performances. The house soloists sing at the Sunday Holy Liturgy, starting at 1000hrs, in the Preobrazhensky Cathedral, Preobrazhenskaya ploschad 1 (tel: (812) 272 3662). Terem-Kvartet (tel: (812) 110 4068) is a dynamic company that presents unusual interpretations of classical works and opera, played on traditional Russian instruments, at various venues. The opera at the wonderful Mariinsky Theatre, Teatralnaya ploschad 1 (tel: (812) 114 1211), has hardly changed in a century. If tickets for the Mariinsky are not available, the Mussorgsky Opera and Ballet Theatre, Iskusstv ploschad 1 (tel: (812) 219 1949), is the next best location for classical performances. Lively folk music, including Russian dance and Cossack, is performed daily at 2030, at the Nicholaievsky Palace, Truda ploschad 4 (tel: (812) 312 2600). Live music Fish Fabrique, Pushkinskaya ulitsa 10, is ideal for visitors wishing to see local rock and alternative bands. Jazz Club, Zagorodny prospekt 27, is where to head for the Russian spin on jazz, with modern stuff played on Friday and Saturday nights. Jazz Philharmonic Hall, Zagorodny prospekt 27, is the venue for traditional and Dixieland jazz, performed in an auditorium but with a more intimate venue upstairs, in the Ellington Hall. Jimi Hendrix Blues Club, Liteiny ploschad 33, has live bands at midnight, every night. It is open 24 hours a day and has a reputation for great food but extremely lousy service. Theatre Tovstonogov Bolshoi Drama Theatre, Naberezhnaya Reki Fontanki 65 (tel: (812) 310 0401), presents classical performances of traditional Russian drama. Pazi, the director of the Kommissarzevskaya Theatre, Italyanskaya ulitsa 19 (tel: (812) 311 3102), renowned for its vivid costumes and innovative staging, won an international prize for The Lovers’ Suicide on the Island of Skynet, based on a Japanese stageplay by Tikamatsu. Buff, Narodnaya ulitsa 1(tel: (812) 446 6767), has three performance areas, presenting a range of different acts and spontaneous comedy.