When traveling to St. Petersburg, many people picture the postcard views of its cathedrals and embarkments. While they indeed contribute a lot to the spirit of the city, I think they are a little glossed over. They show the city the way tour agencies want to show it, not how it actually looks.
In my opinion, the real St. Petersburg is at its side-streets and courtyards. It is like old town within old town, and it doesn’t feel like made for tourists. The inner yards are very diverse, from luxury apartments to soviet komunalkas. They host hotels, nightclubs, offices, and shops. It is real life, unnoticeable from the main streets.
In this post, I am going to walk you through the St. Petersburg’s courtyards. As usual, I tell the story with pictures, many are full-screen and in high resolution. And, most of the pictures are at night, because it makes everything more surreal. (Most of the full-screens are in the end after the text)
Brief History
Central St. Petersburg shows the whole previous century, so it is crucial to take a look at history. I promise not bore you with unnecessary details.
Russian Empire
Most of the enormous old town took shape in times of the Russian Empire. Around 80% of the old town was built in the late XIX and early XX centuries. At the time, St. Petersburg was the capital, with the population rapidly increasing.
This population growth resulted in massive construction of revenue houses (rental apartment houses). Often, the builders were inviting famous architects and gave the houses their family’s names. The houses had elegant facades facing the streets and commonly a much less fancy inner yard.
*I mean the draw-well (the place you take water from), in Russia, it is a common name for such yards.
The revenue houses were aimed at both: regular and luxury sectors. The city allowed them to be around 5-6 storeys high. Wealthy people occupied the second and most prestigious third floors (note that in Russia, the 1st floor is the ground floor). The attics were rented to students, low-rank military personnel, etc. The houses usually had two entrances: the luxurious facing the street and regular in the inner yard.
USSR
In Soviet times, as a solution to the urban housing crisis, most of the old town was transformed into communal apartments (komulaka in Russian). Each family had their own room with a shared bathroom and kitchen. It was very dense. I saw once when a single storey of a luxury apartment with a high ceiling was separated into two storeys.
Modern Russia
Now in the inner yards, you can see pretty much anything. From schools to nightclubs, from USSR-style komunalkas to renovated to former glory luxury apartments. Even now in 2020, people remove additional (constructed in Soviet times) walls and find things that belong two centuries earlier.
Why do I find it important?
As you can see from history, these places represent the whole century! Architecture-vise, they are fascinating. And they have a unique spirit with their people and stories. It is an endless world that even locals like to explore!
How to see the courtyards?
It actually isn’t that simple, not like you put a pin on a map and go. Some of the courtyards are closed for the public. Some are famous for pieces of street art, but those can be removed when you visit.
(At some point I may do a full guide for notable places, but for now, let’s have an overview)
Explore by yourself
Obviously, that is the easiest thing to do. You should remember that not all of the yards are accessible. Normally, a house has an archway leading to the inner yard, but nowadays, many of them have doors. Most of the doors are closed in the areas next to bars, or next to large public places. At some of the yards, residents install doors, because they are tired of a constant flow of tourists.
Beyond the very city center
When I was exploring the city last time, I found that the yards close to Nevsky Prospect (central street) are mostly closed. However, not far away, I found many interesting ones between Puskinskaya, Vladimirskaya, and Sadovaya metro stations. There are a lot of interesting and easy-to-access yards in Petrogradsky and Vasileostrovsky districts.
Behind the closed doors
On the Internet, there are many guides for the courtyards (mostly in Russian though). They usually explain how to get to the notable ones, and they tell if there are doors. Often, if you see someone opening the door, you can ask to let you in. I think the residents mostly try to avoid companies that walk inside, drink beer, and make noise (and there is no bathroom, only corners… you got the idea). If they see a tourist, who asks politely to take a picture – they will probably let you in.
Guided tours: courtyards, roofs
I personally prefer to walk on my own and would like to encourage you to do the same. But if you don’t know anything about the yards, and are limited in time, it could be a good option. The good thing is – guides often have the keys and some sort of agreement with the residents. You can get to the places, otherwise inaccessible.
Another popular option is exploring roofs. It is a very popular thing to do, so once more, many residents try to lock the access. If you are in St. Petersburg for a short time – a guided tour could be a good option.
If you stay for a longer period
If you are in St. Petersburg for a week or more – I would encourage you to rent an Airbnb. A good option would be in the historical center, but a couple of blocks away from the main streets. Prices are reasonable, you are within walking distance from the main happenings and you are a part of the city.
And roofs. Once you get to know the locals, there is always someone, who knows a person with access to the roofs. As a local, I have never been to a roof-tour. I was always invited by friends or fellow photographers.
Pictures of courtyards
Now without much comments, let’s dive in. Let’s go for a walk
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