The Winter Palace and the Hermitage have been my favorite parts of St. Petersburg! Walking into Palace Square, your eyes are immediately drawn to the pastel blues of the Winter Palace, once the residence of Russian tsars. Now, it is one of the many buildings consisting of the Hermitage Museum--which, with any college ID, is free to visit. The collection has incredibly beautiful and rare items--including an intricate peacock clock, vases painstakingly made of semiprecious stones, to amazing Impressionist art and others (with famous artists including Van Gogh and Monet). I could spend weeks in this museum, and every time I visit I discover completely new wings with items I have never seen before! St. Petersburg has a deep appreciation for its history, reflected in its museums and the landscape itself. If you ever visit, I would definitely recommend spending at least one fully day just dedicated to walking through the grand halls of the Hermitage. You’ll probably find yourself back again just a few days later!

This program has filled with amazing moments! I didn’t really know anyone going on this trip very well, and although I was a little nervous I ended up making lots of friends and having such a good time. From walking through palaces such as Catherine’s Palace in the town of Tsarkoe Selo (or Pushkin) to watching my first ballet to visiting beautiful cathedrals to seeing the Bronze Horseman to ice skating to ice cream, St. Petersburg has taught me so much. I leave in a few days, and I can barely believe it has already been nearly three weeks of experiencing Russia! I can’t express my gratitude for all that St. Petersburg has taught me, and for Smith organizing a fantastic program with so many well-planned excursions. I haven’t even left yet and I’m already hoping to come back some day. In the mean time, I need to go eat blini at least one more time and go to a few more places on my checklist!

In St. Petersburg, the Winter Palace was where all the fun was at for the big Christmas celebrations. The bridge crossing the Neva River was completely decked out with lights, with tons of people eagerly crossing over to see the fireworks and light shows. I love fireworks, and it was so cool to see them lighting up the river! Along with all the fun I had celebrating Christmas in St. Petersburg, I felt that I learned a lot about the cultural aspects as well. Although the sun doesn’t rise until 10am and sets barely a few hours later at 5pm, the dreariness of grey winter skies is offset by the persistent glow of lights simultaneously bringing holiday cheer. It was a very different Christmas than the ones I’ve spent in America, but I really loved it! Even now, over a week later many of the trees and lights remain up and it really does feel like a winter wonderland as it has been snowing more recently. I was initially fearful of the Russian winters, but the cities have been rather warm (at times warmer than Northampton!) and it doesn’t quite feel like a Russian winter until you watch the snow falling down on the bustling crowds and soft lights.

And of course, I have to mention the food! The Higher School of Economics has a nice canteen with great Russian food. Every day, I find myself excited to try the newest food set out. The food here is fantastic and I don’t know what I’ll do when I’m back in America without blini, Russian pancakes!

One thing I absolutely adore about Russia are the beautiful colors of palaces and cathedrals incorporated into the cities. The Christmas lights and trees make them even brighter! The Christmas spirit here is still going strong, and even though the sun is only out for a few hours the lights give it a magical glow. I loved Moscow, but I also love St. Petersburg--as I’ll get into in my next post!