Relocation Tips: Perks of Student Life in St. Petersburg (Part 2)

Movies

The majority of cinemas and cinema chains in Russia offer discounts to all university students. Each one has different terms and conditions which you can inquire about on your own, but here are the offers from St. Petersburg’s major cinemas:

• Formula Kino (formulakino.ru) and Kronverk Cinema - 15% off for students (offer does not extend to IMAX showings and theatre/sporting events)

• Velikan Park (Aleksandrovsky Park, 4, 250m away from ITMO’s Main Building) - 20% off for students on all weekdays (except Wednesdays) after 4PM.

• Mori Cinema (Industrialny, 24, near ITMO dorm on Belorusskaya, 6) - discounts to students on Mondays and Wednesdays before 5PM.

• Pik Cinema (Efimova, 2, close to ITMO buildings on Lomonosova, 9 and Grivtsova 14) - 10% discount for holders of Pik’s Student Card, two tickets for the price of one on Wednesdays.

• Luxor - tickets to 2D and 3D screenings on Tuesdays and Wednesdays are 150 rubles to students and holders of ISIC cards

• Rodina (Karavannaya, 12) - all Monday screenings are 150 rubles, student discounts are provided (inquire at the ticket office)

Please note that you’ll need to show your student ID (not your student union card) in order to make use of these offers!

Most films in Russia are dubbed, but, in recent years, many cinemas in the country have begun to screen movies in their original language with subtitles. A list of all the films currently screening with subtitles at the moment can be found at the SubsCity website.

Theaters

St. Petersburg is rightfully famous for its theaters and opera houses. Members of ITMO University’s Student Union (see below) can get discounted tickets to Mariinsky Theatre, Maly Drama Theatre, Lensovet Theatre and others at ½ or ¼ of the regular price. A limited number of tickets is available, so be sure to keep track of the offers at ITMO’s Theater Community or at the Student Union’s main community in VK.

Many of the city’s major theaters provide their plays and operas with subtitles: some theaters will display them on a screen above the stage, while others will supply you with a tablet to display them just for you. It’s best to inquire about these features beforehand to make sure that the play you’re planning to see has subtitles enabled and to let the staff know in advance. The Mariinsky theatre shows subtitles for all of its operas, often in several languages, while the Maly Drama Theatre provides English subtitles for all of its major plays, such as Anton Chekhov’s “Uncle Vanya” and “The Cherry Orchard”

In addition to actual performances, the TheatreHD project lets you watch plays, operas and ballets from the world’s most renowned venues in cinemas - sometimes even in live broadcast!

Student union

Every ITMO student can join the Student Union, which not only gives you a number of opportunities and discounts at stores, cafes, entertainment venues and the like, but also makes you a member of a fun, friendly community. In addition to the various offers extended to the union’s members, there are also regular events for members - from movie screenings to road trips! You can sign up for the Student Union here.

And below is a list of offers available to student union members as of September 2017:

Food

ITMO Main Building, Kronverksky, 49.

• 20% off at Coffee To Do at Kronverksky, 23;

• 20% off at Postscriptum anticafe, Kamennoostrovsky, 38

• 15% off at Sbudetsya Hong Kong waffle cafe and food truck, Kamennoostrovsky, 43;

• 10% off on weekdays at Japanese street food joint Takoyaki at Lizy Chaikinoy, 19B;

• 10% off at Kreuzberg döner joint, Kronverksky, 43;

Lomonosova Campus

• 30% off at FoodyDo wrap-bar, Lomonosova, 26.

• 20% off drinks and 10% off deserts, as well as lunch offers at Lastochka Bakery, Lomonosova, 14;

• 10% off on weekdays at Japanese street food joint Takoyaki at Etagi Loft;

Birzhevaya Campus

• 15% off at Ponchkoff donut shops, at Voskova, 15 and Gorokhovaya, 34 locations;

• 15% off at Dobro Coffee Microroasters, Moskovsky, 107-5;

• 20% off drinks and 10% off deserts, as well as lunch offers at Lastochka Bakery, Makarova, 28;

Beauty and fitness

• 15% off and a special first-time offer at Beauty Room 47, Gorokhovaya, 47;

• 10% off at Checkpoint dance studio, Mira, 15-1

Entertainment

• Questime - real-life quests troupe. 250 rubles off regular quests and 7,500 rubles off for birthday celebrations. Quests in English available by prior arrangement;

• 20% off at Re:Play game-cafe, Moiki, 28;

• 20% off games and 20% off playroom (Mondays only) at Playloft Gaga, Malaya Morskaya, 15.

• 20% off at Claustrophobia real-life quests company. 

Check the Student Union website for additional offers or subscribe to the VK community to keep track of the new ones!