4th Biennale of Historical and Archival Photography from Russian Museums and Archives

• December 22, 2021 - March 14, 2022, Wed-Mon 10 am - 6 pm; Thu 1 - 9 pm; Tuesdays are days off
• Stroganov Palace (The Russian Museum) 
• 500 rubles (250 rubles for students – discounted tickets are purchased on-site) tickets
• QR code: required

This is an exhibition for the true romantics out there. Take a look into the past through the lenses of late 19th-early 20th century Russian photographers and try to imagine what was happening right before or right after each picture was taken. What did people talk about back then? How would they occupy their days? Do you wish you could join them on this seemingly sunny and worry-free day? This weekend, the Russian Museum offers you the chance to bring what happened so long ago a little closer. Don’t forget to buy your ticket in advance online if you’re not planning to use your student discount – and head right into your time-traveling experience. 

Fantasy Garden 3.0: The Art of Light

• January 1 - February 27, 11 am - 11 pm 
• Lumiere Hall 
• 590 rubles (450 rubles for students) – purchase here
• QR code: required

In this year’s rendition of the Fantasy Garden project, you will get to see the light, this evasive substance (A wave? A molecule?) tamed by lighting designers and artists. The interactive installations placed in the rather unusual surroundings of a pine forest will just possibly reshape your views on light in art and in your daily life – and will definitely leave a lasting impression. And if you want to explore this topic even further once you step out of the exhibition hall, check out ITMO’s Creative Lighting Department for more projects and insights.

Classical concerts: Vivaldi’s Winter and more

• January 29 – 7 pm and 8 pm, January 30 – 6:30 pm 
• St. Petersburg Philharmonia, St. Peter and St. Paul’s Church (Petrikirche)
• 300-1,000 rubles
• QR code: required 

Not one but three classical concerts are happening this weekend to please all musicophiles out there. First, there is the Beethoven Chamber Music Evening at the Small Hall of St. Petersburg Philharmonia, a definite must-visit if you consider the cello your favorite instrument (or even if you just want to learn a little more of Beethoven’s timeless creations). Mark your calendar for 7 pm, January 29. 

Then, at 8 pm on January 29, at the Grand Hall of St. Petersburg Philharmonia you will be able to hear popular classical pieces performed by two musicians on an organ. The mostly winter-themed program also includes original compositions written by the performing duo specially for this setup. This will be a chance to hear the familiar classics in a new arrangement. 

Finally, at 6:30 pm on January 30, St. Peter and St. Paul’s Church will host a concert that will also feature winter-themed pieces by world-famous composers, including, of course, Antonio Vivaldi’s Winter from the Four Seasons violin concerto. 

Paper-2 exhibition

• December 18, 2021 - May 15, 2022, Wed-Fri 4 pm - 8 pm, Sat-Sun 12 pm - 8 pm, Mon & Tue are days off
• Pushkinskaya 10 Art Center
• 300 rubles (150 for students), tickets here
• QR code: required

Have you ever wondered if music could be painted on a canvas? Or maybe you still remember your childhood artistic experiments, your curiosity about all the watercolors and felt-tip pens in your arsenal? At this exhibition, you will get to tap into just this feeling as you stroll along the works of Russian contemporary artists and trace their explorations of form and painting materials. This is one of the rare chances to experience somewhat raw and unpolished visual art – as well as ask the postmodernist question of whether we should care about the meaning of art or pay more attention to its form. Are you a postmodernist at heart? Perhaps this exhibition will help you make up your mind.