Thursday, May 16
Chamber music evening
- 7 pm
- St. Petersburg Philharmonia
- 600-700 rubles – tickets here
Join a night of chamber music at the St. Petersburg Philharmonia featuring classical guitarist Egor Svezhentsev and the youth chamber orchestra Festivo as they perform a range of solo guitar and chamber pieces.
Friday, May 17
St. Petersburg Book Salon
- May 16-19, 11 am - 8 pm
- Palace Square and General Staff Building + other venues
- Free
Rightfully called the cultural – and bookish, may I say – capital of Russia, St. Petersburg proves its well-deserved status yet again through a bevy of events it hosts. From May 16 to 19, the city’s main square will become a setting for all things books: meetups and autograph signings, concerts, screenings, giveaways, and much more. (Book)mark the dates – and save some shelves for the new finds (if you fret to read in Russian yet, check our guide to get you started).
Saturday, May 18
Night of Museums
The city never sleeps – and neither does art. During the Night of Museums, St. Pete’s museums, both big and small, traditionally invite visitors to embark on a nocturnal adventure to explore their collections in a special, after-dark setting. The program includes more than 130 museums, galleries, and libraries, as well as exhibition and concert halls in St. Petersburg and beyond.
Sunday, May 19
Tulip Festival
- May 18-19, 12-6 pm
- Yelagin Island
- 300 rubles (50 rubles for students) – tickets here
Celebrate warmer days on Yelagin Island as its 225,000 of tulips will burst forth into bloom, imbuing the landscape with all kinds of colors. The event’s program promises lots of action: apart from taking colorful walks along the beds of tulips, you can enjoy live music, shop for and eat some goodies at a market, learn a few dance moves, and come by a flower exhibition. The tulip weekend will also repeat next week, on May 25-26.
Monday, May 20
Inside a Vintage Camera
This novel exposition at ROSPHOTO looks back on the evolution of cameras through interactive stands and exhibits. The collection features different types of early photographic devices, including a camera obscura and a stereoscope. The core exhibit of the collection is an installation where visitors can get “inside” a camera and create their own vintage-style portrait using modern-day digital technologies.
Tuesday, May 21
TheaterHD: Richard II
Secure a ticket for the Shakespeare's Globe production of Richard II at Avrora Cinema – 161 minutes of a historical narrative, “games of thrones,” and poems await you. The play is screened in English with Russian subtitles.
Wednesday, May 22
ARS VIVENDI. Frans Snyders and Seventeenth-Century Flemish Still Lifes
- Until September 8, 11 am - 6 pm (Wed, Thu, Sun), 11 am - 8 pm (Tue, Fri, Sat)
- Hermitage
- 500 rubles (300 rubles for students) – tickets here
Step into the world of the Flemish Baroque, full of exotic rarities, luxurious bouquets, flower garlands, and hunting trophies, at the new exhibition at the Hermitage Museum. Featuring over 70 paintings by 17th-century masters, the display covers the key milestones in the history of Flemish still life paintings.
