Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
why they're classics. Check
St Petersburg Times
reviews and listings for what's on
during your visit.
Tickets
While ballet and opera productions remain an incredible bargain in other parts of the
country, performing arts in St Petersburg don't come cheap. The Mariinsky, the Her-
mitage Theatre and the Yusupov Palace Theatre continue to charge foreigners big
mark-ups on the Russian price (though, for the sake of legality, officially it's Russians
who get the huge discount on the foreigner price). Generally speaking, even the for-
eigners' prices are still less than you would normally pay in Western Europe for a
similar performance, and rest assured that the cheapest tickets in the 'nosebleed' sec-
tion are dirt cheap, no matter what your passport says.
The standard way to buy tickets is from a theatre kiosk (театральная касса); these
kiosks can be found scattered all over the city, or you can buy from the individual
theatre box offices. You can also buy tickets online through many of the theatre's own
websites, which is a good way to ensure you have seats for shows you want to see
when you're in St Petersburg. Last-minute tickets are generally easy to find, with the
exception of the Mariinsky and anywhere during the White Nights: book well in ad-
vance in both cases.
Classical Music
It's not unusual to see highly talented musicians working the crowds inside the metro
stations, violinists single-handedly performing Vivaldi's
Four Seasons
and flautists
whistling away at Mozart or Bach. That such talented musicians are busking in the
streets (or under the streets, as the case may be) is testament to the incredible talent
and training of Russian music students - and to the lack of resources of their cultural
institutions. While it's possible to hear a good show in the metro station, a visit to one
of the local orchestra halls is highly recommended. Besides the more famous musical
venues, small-scale concerts are often hosted at the Maltiyskaya Capella within the
