In Moscow 15.000 plow trucks were needed to clear the snow, the army was called for help and the mayor of Russia’s capital, Sergey Sobyanin, told kids they could stay home from school on Monday. St. Petersburg wasn’t ‘blessed’ with the same amount of snow, but it can’t have been far from it. Traffic jams were everywhere, streets got closed off and workers took to the roofs to shovel the snow off, in order to keep citizens safe. It’s not all bad, though… Here are some suggestions to what you could get up to when it snows in the cultural capital.
I grew up with the saying “there’s no such thing as bad weather, only bad clothes” (det fins ikke dårlig vær, bare dårlige klær). It doesn’t sound very catchy in English, I’ll admit, but there is some truth to it. Put on some boots, a warm jacket, cover your ears and go for a walk in the snow. The air feels fresher, the city looks different and the tourist attractions are usually a lot less crowded.
Text your friends and schedule a snowball fight in one of the city’s many parks. It’s great fun and a good way to exercise during winter. For those who don’t feel like getting hit in the face with a wet ball of snow, try (american) football instead. Tackle hard without getting hurt, run down your friends from behind and soak their faces in cold snow. Simple, brutal and fun.
Some of Russia’s most popular sports – ice hockey and bandy – takes place on the ice. There are numerous ice rinks around St. Pete
rsburg where you may borrow a pair of skates and show off your best Oksana Grischuk impression. It’s not costly, it’s pleasurable and could, potentially, be a little more romantic than throwing snowballs around.
If you’re not outdoorsy then why not just stay inside.. Slide into your most comfy clothes, pick up a book or turn on the TV. A cup or three of hot chocolate is mandatory and is best made from scratch – chocolate and milk only. Russia’s got a wide variety of delicious sweets for those who need some extra sugar to get through the cold and dark winter.
Posted by Fredrik Tombra
My name is Fredrik. I am a Norwegian postgraduate student at the State University of Saint Petersburg, currently learning Russian at Liden & Denz.
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