Leda Atomica exhibition 

  • October 13, 2021 - January 16, 2022
  • Faberge Museum 
  • 500 rubles (250 rubles for students; tickets here)

If you ever wondered what might inspire someone to venture into surrealism and other hard-to-unravel artistic forms, then why not learn the innerworks of the creations of the champion of surrealism himself, Salvador Dalí? Many of his contemporaries marveled at his relationship with his wife and irreplaceable muse, Gala. He himself claimed she had a unique understanding of genius and the way to nurture it – and perhaps that is one of the many reasons why he painted her so many times. Some of the paintings exhibited at the Faberge Museum had never before left Dalí's Theatre-Museum in Figueres, making this a unique occasion to see some of the works the artist himself cherished the most. 

Two shows at the Mariinsky Concert Hall 

If you’ve been craving some classical music, here is your chance to scratch that itch! This weekend, you can opt to listen to the Mariinsky Stradivarius Ensemble performing Elgar, Stravinsky, and Tchaikovsky (tickets here) or a collection of organ pieces of the French and German classical traditions performed as part of the IX International Organ Festival (tickets here). Whatever you choose, you are guaranteed a fantastic experience, as, in my humble opinion, the Concert Hall is Mariinsky’s most welcoming building. Tick it off on St. Pete’s must-do list and enjoy some wonderful music along the way.

Maria Koshenkova’s BODEGONES exhibition 

In this exhibition, Maria Koshenkova, an artist born in St. Petersburg and now working in Russia and Denmark, reflects on the process of creating an object, as well as its finite life. Glass as a temperamental material used in her creations serves as yet another allusion to the unpredictability of when the process of creation may stop and what shape it will result in. Visitors are meant to see something as mundane as furniture in a new light, as they stroll past the glass-molden exhibits – and who knows, many a discovery may be awaiting you there. 

AMFEST film festival 

Finally, here’s our almost weekly update for all cinemaholics out there: the AMFEST film festival is in town, bringing us the cream of freshly baked American movies. This week you’ll be able to see four very different films: 

  • The Letter Room, an Oscar-nominated short film starring Oscar Isaac (no pun intended, or?) that has a promise of bringing hope to any pessimist – Saturday, October 23, 3:30 pm, 150 rubles, tickets here. 
  • Strawberry Mansion, a fantasy comedy that’s promised to be full of sarcasm and miracles – Saturday, October 23, 4:30 pm, 400 rubles, tickets here. 
  • A Mouthful of Air with a story of the dramatic escape of a writer into the worlds of her own creation when she faces depression – Sunday, October 24, 3:40 pm, 400-1,100 rubles, tickets here. 
  • Nine Days, a fantasy drama delving into the topics of destiny, life, and death – Sunday, October 24, 7 pm, 400 rubles, tickets here. 

All films are screened in English with Russian subtitles.