The one from the 20th century
- Address: Konyushennaya Square 2b
- Price: 500 rubles for one print-out
If you’re up for some time travel, the Museum of Soviet Arcade Machines is the place to go. It houses a genuine photo booth from the 70s, one of only two operating in Russia, with the other located at the museum's Moscow branch. This analog booth prints your photo in classic black and white. It takes about five minutes for the picture to develop, but the wait is worth it: the snap looks just like the photos from your parents’ album.
To take a picture, you don’t have to buy a museum ticket, but since you’re already here, why not enjoy a collection of relics from the past? Besides Soviet arcade games, the museum houses vintage soda machines, payphones, and vending machines.
The one in the heart of photo culture
- Address: Bolshaya Morskaya St. 35
- Price: 300 rubles for two print-outs
Rosphoto is an entire museum dedicated to photography, so it would be almost ironic not to have a place to take your own picture there. The photobooth is located on the second floor. You can access it without buying a museum ticket, but I'd recommend exploring the exhibitions while you're there. Not only are there cool photos on display, but also historic interiors worth a look.
In fact, when you get to their permanent exhibition Inside the Relic Camera, you’ll have another chance to take a picture in a digital yet intriguing way. There, you literally step inside a camera to create your own portrait. The interactive installation recreates historical photographic techniques, such as daguerreotypes and albumen prints, and lets you download the final image via a QR code.
The one in a bookshop
- Address: Liteyny Pr. 57
- Price: 200 rubles for two print-outs
Arguably the most aesthetically pleasing bookshop in St. Petersburg, Podpisnye Izdanya has it all: shelves of books, a souvenir shop, two cafes, and even a photo booth. You'll find it on the second floor near the children's section. Stop by after browsing for books or enjoying a cup of coffee, and leave with both a new read and a photo to remember the day.
The one on an island
- Address: Admiralteysky Canal Emb. 2
- Price: 300 rubles for two print-outs
If you're wondering where to spend a day in St. Petersburg, New Holland Island is always a great choice. In summer, the place comes alive with movie screenings, concerts, and outdoor sports. Its newest photo booth, called Chaika, is located on the ground floor of the Bottle House. Along with the classic two strips of four photos, you'll receive four cyanotype-style prints featuring landscapes of New Holland Island.
More public spaces with photo booths: Sevkabel Port, Brusnitsyn Loft, SENO, Moskovsky Market, Vasileostrovsky Market
The one in… an unusual place
- Address: Universitetskaya Emb. 25
- Price: 300 rub for two print-outs
U Larisy is a cafe and bar best known for its Central Asian cuisine like chebureki, manty, and plov. But its newest branch on Vasilievsky Island is popular for another reason – a photobooth. Theirs is hidden inside the women's restroom, so you snap a photo right from one of the stalls.
More cafes with photo booths: Coffee Room, Teplo restaurant, Tsunami Bar
A bonus
If you enjoy taking photos at your own pace, with no photographer telling you how to pose, you might also like self-portrait studios. You can visit one on your own or share the studio with friends. Most studios provide a private room and around an hour to experiment with different poses, props, and lighting.
