Author: Marin Ekstrom

The Quay with Sphinxes in St.Petersburg

During an SRAS-arranged walking tour of central St. Petersburg, our guide, Sergei, pointed across the Neva River to the Quay with Sphinxes, a little outpost on the University Embankment near house number 17. The site displays two massive sphinxes that are carved out of pink granite and weigh about 23 tons each. I was so […]

The Petersburg Musuem of Dolls

The Petersburg Musuem of Dolls/ Петербургский музей кукол ул.Камская , 8 Open from 10.00-18.00 Price: 150 rubles for students Museumdolls.ru I consider myself a bit of a kid at heart; therefore, when I first heard about the Petersburg Museum of Dolls, I jumped at the opportunity to visit it. I was so enchanted by its colorful, […]

“The Leningrad Collection” and “I Keep This City” in St. Petersburg

“The Leningrad Collection” and “I Keep This City” in St. Petersburg / “Ленинград Коллекция” и “Я этим городом храним”  в Санкт-Петербурге K Gallery Ул. Галерной, 47 Prices: 100 rubles for students Coming to and from the dorms everyday, I have passed by advertisements for two art showcases: the “Leningrad Collection” and “ I Keep This […]

Swan Lake Ballet at the Musical Comedy Theater in St. Petersburg

Ballet stands as one of the most acclaimed forms of Russian high culture, and perhaps no other show best captures this magnificence as Peter Tchaikovsky’s Swan Lake. So when SRAS (the School of Russian and Asian Studies) provided the opportunity to attend  a performance at the Musical Comedy Theater, my fellow students and I felt […]

Orange Days Art Exhibits at New Holland in St.Petersburg

Orange Days in St. Petersburg/ Оранжевые дня в Санкт-Петербурге набережная Адмиралтейского Канала, 2 Events scheduled for July 1-12, 2013  New Holland, or Новая Голландия, is a small island close to the dorms with a reputation as a hip, relaxing hangout. As I was having a “Lazy Sunday,” I decided to head over there and check […]

The Russian Museum of Ethnography in St. Petersburg

If someone asks you to describe “Russian,” the first images that probably come to mind include burly Cossacks, round babushkas with head coverings, matryoshkas, etc. While these depictions partially represent Russia, the country includes a variety of ethnic groups (and one included many, many, more before the fall of the USSR). The interaction of these […]

The Scarlet Sails 2013 in St. Petersburg

Scarlet Sails/ Алые паруса Palace Embankment/ Дворцовая набережная The main festivities lasted from 22.00- 2.30  In the United States, while students gleefully anticipate the end of the school year, they tend to celebrate it in a low-key manner (i.e. small graduation parties, sleeping in and watching TV all day, etc.). St. Petersburg, on the other […]

“The Triumph of the Romanov Empire” in St. Petersburg

“The Triumph of the Romanov Empire”/ Триумф империи Романовых Невский проспект,  14 Open 24 hours  The year 2013 coincides with a major milestone in Russian history, as it marks the 400th anniversary of the founding of the Romanov dynasty. One of the ways that St. Petersburg, a former capital of the tsars, is commemorating this event is […]