Saint Petersburg January 2–6, 2014

It's commonly supposed that the best time to visit St. Petersburg is summer. But, actually, the entire year is fine. Merely in winter a day is a way too short.

In the early history of the city Italian architects were invited to design St. Petersburg. Apart the beautiful architecture they left a sweetest tradition to name the entrances of residential buildings "stairs" (as in Italian "scala" - stairs).

Since that times each entrance, sorry, each scala has a sign plate with a number of floors and apartments. Usually the plate is vertically oriented.

Some plates are oriented horizontally.

As yet there are very old plates remained and still work perfectly.

With modern Italy, in common, Saint Petersburg has a traffic light with an enlarged red section. In Rome this kind of traffic light is set where the cars must stop for sure. Because a normal size red section is considered by an Italian capital drivers as a semi-red signal. The enlarged one is a complete red.

Apart from traffic lights, new street lights similar to ones in Rome got installed. Fabulously beautiful ones.

And simply beautiful poles are set up for everything else.

A rule of a street sign on a such beautiful pole none will ever brake.

New crossing sign only slightly spoils a positive impression. It's built with LEDs that constantly flash. Meaningless construction.

One more new thing - street signs. Design of it was taken from Paris! A truly strange decision.

Does it look like Paris?

Sometimes the city is flooded. Memorial plates show a water level are in 1824 and 1924.

Sometimes the city is measured. A survey marker in paver blocks.

Sometimes ago the city was measured too. A survey marker of 1872 on a wall.

A marker of 1911.

Sometimes the city is decorated.

Several years ago new loft projects started in the city. Were introduces new public spaces for creative clusters. Being more precisely the buildings stood empty, were given away, converted, and after a while became new centres of attraction.

The very first one loft project Etagi is now a very active place. Maybe even too much sometimes.

Whilst Taiga is a super cool one.

Kronstadt January 6, 2014

The road goes on WHSD (Western High-Speed Diameter). Because of the unusual shape of lanterns and shields on both sides of the road it feels like being inside an enormous skeleton of a whale.

Kronstadt is a port town.

Once it was an important place for the military.

There is no even one traffic light in the entire town.

Downspouts are painted in a colour of the facade.

Town reminds St. Petersburg, but it's rather simpler.

It's without any bright adv lights.

Slightly unkempt.

But pleasant by its own.

There are Christmas candles in windows. Affects a closeness to Finland and Sweden.