What it is

Keyed to the city’s 323rd anniversary, the Культурный Блокнот (“Cultural Notebook”) initiative invites both locals and tourists to add a little twist to their sightseeing routine – by joining a citywide stamp hunt. As part of their adventure, stamp hunters get to visit different spots around the city and collect free commemorative ink stamps, all custom-made and limited-edition. The current list features 23 locations – from super-popular to lesser-known museums, theaters, parks, and more.

How to join

Stamp hunting is easy: all you need is a clear notepad and some free time. If you fancy the idea, you can purchase a themed notepad featuring the city’s calling cards: the Rostral Columns, the Bronze Horseman, and the Bank Bridge. You can find them at the bookstores Dom Knigi or Podpisnie Izdaniya; there, you can also get your first stamp for the collection. But it’s no necessity – any piece of paper will do.

Thematic stamps collected at Dom Knigi, the Drinkit coffee shop, and the Russian Museum’s Benois Wing. Photo courtesy of the author

Thematic stamps collected at Dom Knigi, the Drinkit coffee shop, and the Russian Museum’s Benois Wing. Photo courtesy of the author

Routes

There’s no single set route for stamp hunters. There are a total of 23 locations on the list: most of the hotspots are in the downtown, with just some being farther off – and even fewer in the suburbs. To help you get started, here is a handy stamp-hunting map and some routes you can explore:

Route #1 (yellow): Palace Square – National Pushkin Museum – St. Petersburg State Academic Capella – Benois Wing (Russian Museum) – Mikhailovsky Palace (Russian Museum) – Duma Tower

Route #2 (green): New Stage of the Alexandrinsky Theater – Nikolay Akimov St. Petersburg Comedy Theatre – Avrora Cinema – Fabergé Museum – Ciniselli Circus – Nekrasov Apartment Museum – Sheremetev Palace (Museum of Music)

Route #3 (blue): Palace Square – Museum of 20th-21st Century Art of St Petersburg – A.S. Popov Central Museum of Communications – New Holland Island

Route #4 (pink): Lenfilm – OBERIU Museum – Peter and Paul Fortress

For hardcore “hunters,” there’s also a great deal of unofficial ones: the already-mentioned Dom Knigi and Podpisnie Izdaniya, as well as Sever Metropol (12 spots), Eliseyev Emporium, and Vokzal 1853. Some are even to be found in the picturesque suburbs and popular getaway destinations: Pushkin, Pavlovsk, Kronstadt, Peterhof, Lomonosov, and even Vyborg.

The hunt will run ‘till the end of summer – but even if you’re not here yet, fret not, there’ll be another one in winter, too. Follow our weekly digests of things to do in St. Petersburg to stay tuned.