Thursday, May 14

Prometheus concert

Part of the Leningrad Musical Spring festival, this concert will bring to light the works of contemporary Russian composers, many of which will be performed for the first time. From a Medieval Italian dance to the ocean in musical form, the program is diverse and engaging.

Friday, May 15

Rex and everyone else

Learn about the family life of 19th-century composer Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov, part of the Mighty Handful, through the eyes of Rex, the beloved English Pointer of the family. Animated photographs, stories told by Rex about his family and their guests, and peeks into the interiors of the family apartment – that’s what awaits you at the exhibition.

Saturday, May 16

Night of Museums

  • 6 pm to 6 am
  • Multiple locations throughout the city
  • 1 museum: 400 rubles; 3 museums: 750 rubles; 5 museums: 900 rubles

For one night each year, St. Petersburg museums, concert halls, and libraries open their doors to visitors and treat them to a special program. This year, you can choose to visit one, three, or five locations and book the time you’ll visit them in advance over at the event’s official website. Scroll through the offers by each museum on this page, choose something to your liking, and enjoy your nightly cultural adventure.

Sunday, May 17

Mozart's Idomeneo

Though in Mozart’s time, humanity had different problems than today, it doesn’t mean that his opera cannot be made relevant to modern viewers – and that’s exactly what’s been done by Peter Sellars in this rendition of Idomeneo. Environmental pollution, global warming, and political powerplays are all present in this version, accompanied by the musicAeterna orchestra conducted by Theodor Currentzis. 

Monday, May 18

Mirror of Direct Reflections

At this exhibition, you’ll be able to trace how ideas were passed between teacher and student in St. Petersburg avantgarde – namely, in the works of Vladimir Sterligov, the student of Kazimir Malevich, and Gennady Zubkov, who continued Sterligov’s artistic explorations. Explore the birth of ideas and their transformation in time as you learn the history of avantgarde in St. Petersburg.

Tuesday, May 19

Stage Artist’s Workshop

At this exhibition, you get to explore the craft of stage art by virtually stepping into workshops of Russian stage artists and taking in their creations, sketches, costumes, tools, personal belongings, archival photographs, and more. This work is usually left unseen hidden behind a veil of mystery needed to create magic onstage – and this is one rare occasion when you can look beyond the veil.

Wednesday, May 20

The Pilgrim (1923)

In this silent film, Charlie Chaplin plays an escaped convict who steals a priest’s clothes to get rid of his prison uniform. At a train station, he picks a destination at random and ends up in Texas, where coincidentally a new parson is awaited… What follows is a thrilling and hilarious tale that on Wednesday will be accompanied on piano by musician Nikita Arefiev.