One of our philosophies at Liden & Denz is that when learning about another culture, the city is our textbook – nowhere is this more evident than St Petersburg. The city is brimming with cultural activity and it is virtually impossible to see everything. Sometimes, however, you might be looking for something a little different to a quick trip to a museum. If you are looking for a way to expand your knowledge of Russian and brush up on your listening skills, then take a look at our top 5 venues for educational events.
1. Social Club
The Social Club is a bar and social space at the end of the buzzing Rubenshtein street. It’s first function is as a restaurant and bar. The Social Club has a several sophisticated rooms for dining with reasonably priced food and cocktails. The main attraction for Russian-learners, however, is its wide range of cultural and educational events. Entry into concerts and theatre performances usually involved a small charge, but Social Club also hold open lectures with academics from local universities. These events tend to be geared towards current affairs and international politics. Lectures are particularly attractive for the advance learner looking to find a way to practise their listening skills in a more formal context. The Social Club is a great hub of activity and definitely worth a visit – even if it is just for a drink (or two) after school.
Ulitsa Rubenshteina 40/11, Sankt-Peterburg; https://www.socialclub.spb.ru/
2. Библиотека Маяковского (Biblioteka Mayakovskovo)
The Mayakovsky library is a popular public library situated right in the centre of the city on the Fontanka. As a functioning library students are welcome to use it. All you have to do is take your passport and visa to register and from then on entry into the library is free. If spending time in the library isn’t what you had in mind, however, you should not disregard this one! As well as being a functioning library, the Mayakovsky library run free cultural events throughout the year. These include anything from film showings, lectures about book prizes, and conversation clubs for learning foreign languages. You can find a calendar of events on their website.
Mayakovsky Library on the Fontanka
Narabezhnaya Reki 49, Sankt-Peterburg; https://pl.spb.ru/
3. Буквоед (Bukvoed)
Bukvoed is a chain of bookshops dotted all over the city that is not only incredibly well-stocked with books, but runs an array of educational events! In fact, the Bukvoed on Nevsky Prospect is also called ‘парк культуры и чтения’ (Park of culture and reading). There is a café on the first floor which also doubles up as a small conference room for open lectures. Almost every week Bukvoed invites writers and journalists to talk about their work at different sites around the city.
Bukvoed on Nevsky Prospect
Nevsky Prospect 46; https://www.bookvoed.ru/shop?id=67
4. Библиотека Гоголя (Biblioteka Gogolya)
The Central District Library of Nikolai Gogol is a space that has recently been renovated into a highly-modernised place of learning. Like the Mayakovsky library you can sign up for free just by visiting the library and taking your passport with you. The Gogol library also has a full programme of educational events from foreign language conversation sessions to theatrical performances! You can also go to the Gogol library if you are looking for an informal but comfortable study space where there is also space to talk and work in groups.
Biblioteka Gogolya
Sredneokhtinskiy Prospekt, 8, Sankt-Peterburg; http://gogol-library.ru/
5. Порядок слов (Poryadok Slov)
Poryadok slov, or Word Order, is a small bookshop tucked away along the Fontanka river that not only stocks classic literature but also contemporary Russian and international journals. As well as being a bookshop, Poryadok slov run free events with experts talking about various aspects of literature and visual art. This is one of those independent places of learning that only the cool people know about…
Fontanka river embankment, 15, Sankt-Peterburg; http://wordorder.ru/
This is just a small selection of a city that is bursting at the seems with cultural activities. You can check KudaGo to search for other events or keep checking our website for information about the events we run in school!