Survival in Saint Petersburg

After a crazy and exciting New Years Eve in downtown Moscow, my wife and I headed to Saint Petersburg by train on the first day of 2020. The ‘Venice of the North’ as it is often referred to is one of the worlds most beautiful cities. Like a human character, deep beneath that physical beauty lies a soul that warrants much greater appreciation. It was as I uncovered this soul that the concept of travel fiction washed through me. Why blog about the sights of a city like so many before me have done when there was so much more of a story to tell. I just needed to find someone who truly personified the city, and I found her in the most unlikely of places.

Pyshechnaya is an institution in Saint Petersburg. Literally translated as ‘donut shop’, Pyshechnaya has operated just a block from Nevsky Prospect since 1958, and is a throwback to the Soviet era. No frills. Hot fried donuts coated in icing sugar and simple tea and coffee. Everything is incredibly cheap. There are limited tables and chairs, but predominantly tables to stand and lean against. Snaking its way through the shop is the ever-present line of customers waiting their turn to order. I hate lines, and nearly decided not to wait – how fortunate that months of anticipation had made me a little too stubborn! When we arrived the line extended half way down the block outside, and it was roughly half an hour between joining the queue and getting served. That in itself was an experience – ordering in Russian meant merely saying a number (12 in our case) as it is known you can only be ordering one thing! I then pointed to the coffee urn and held up two fingers and we had coffees taken care of too. All of this cost under 2 Australian dollars.

As we stood at a table to devour these Russian treats, I couldn’t stop looking at this old woman wandering around the shop. Was she a customer or did she work here? She had to be in her eighties and she looked as much a part of the Soviet era as the shop itself. She cleared tables of rubbish to free up space for other customers, but she didn’t wear the standard blue apron uniform of other staff. She spent most of her time sitting down, but she wasn’t eating or drinking. Who or what she was in the scheme of Pyshechnaya was indeterminable. As I munched on my pyshki, I began aligning this mysterious Soviet senior with the stories of Saint Petersburg that I’d been learning and experiencing over the previous few days. From there, Survival in Saint Petersburg was born.

Survival in Saint Petersburg tells the life story of Ekaterina, the fictionalised version of the woman in Pyshechnaya. Her life reflects the ups and downs of a city that arguably experienced more drama and horror than any other in the twentieth century. With every twist in the cities history, the impact on Ekaterina is borne out. All of these drama’s intertwine with the travels of the married couple visiting the city. With each site they see across the city, the connection is made with another element of Ekaterina’s life.

Ekaterina is a heroic character. She has endured unimaginable horror and tragedy, yet retains a positivity in her simple existence that is beyond most people. The travellers, based initially on my wife and I, are purposefully under-developed. The stars of this story are Ekaterina and the city.

Saint Petersburg is a UNESCO World Heritage sight and is considered a city of economic, scientific, cultural and tourist significance for Europe. It’s list of prominent attractions is as great as any city in the world. The Hermitage Museum ranks alongside the Louvre as the worlds greatest. The Amber Room in the Catherine Palace was known as the eighth wonder f the world prior to its dismantling during World War 2. The Church on Spilled Blood ranks alongside St Basils in Moscow as the great masterpieces of Orthodox churches.

Saint Petersburg’s significance in the arts is unrivalled. The Marinsky Ballet was home to Pavlova, Nijinsky, Nureyev, Barishnikov. Composers such as Tchaikovsky, Stravinsky and Shostakovich had their careers centred on the city. Writers Dostoyevsky and Pushkin were both Moscow born, but centred their careers in the northern capital, while arguably Russia’s greatest 20th century author, Vladimir Nabokov was born and raised in the city.

Saint Petersburg is very much a summer city. While the red brick city of Moscow is at its most spectacular covered in snow and illuminated by electric light, Saint Petersburg’s architecture and water ways are best highlighted in the warm long sunny days of June. Between May and July the skies never get completely dark due to the cities location near the Arctic Circle. The city celebrates this part of the year with festivals and activities that celebrate the light .

A great city is more than the sum of its parts. Saint Petersburg’s famous sights are in some ways less significant in the overall picture of the city than the random streets slightly off the beaten track. In many instances we found the greatest beauty lie while travelling between two of the ‘must-see sights.’ It is a city filled with stunning architecture, beautiful waterways and all set against a history that enables the people to have full appreciation for all they have today.

The concept of ‘Survival in Saint Petersburg‘ is what convinced me to pursue travel fiction. Connecting the story of a city through the eyes of a traveller and through the eyes of a person who symbolises the city appealed deeply to me. Ekaterina may be fictional, but everything that happened to her, happened to people throughout the lifespan of this character. The resilience of people who have survived the worst of humanity and managed to retain a level of positivity inspires me. As a traveller, seeing the beauty that exists throughout Saint Petersburg can lead to a neglect of how much horror has occurred there. While so much is spoken, and rightfully so, about the Holocaust, the Siege of Leningrad is an equally dark and disgusting chapter of humanity, and I find it disturbing how few people I encounter are truly aware of it.

When I began ‘Survival in Saint Petersburg,’ I hoped it would inspire some of its readers to venture to the city. The world is now a different place, and travel to Russia is off the agenda for most people. If anything, the story of ‘Survival in Saint Petersburg‘ has taken on even more importance. Highlighting the cost that the average person pays for the decisions of autocrats, the book is a reminder that humans on all sides of a conflict suffer just as much. Us and them is not so much the two sides of the conflict, but the average person on all sides against the leadership that facilitates it.

One day, I hope Saint Petersburg is again a place that people return to in numbers. It is beautiful beyond belief. More importantly, it serves as a permanent reminder of the best and worst of humanity.

Maybe you’ll find Ekaterina clearing a table in Pyshechnaya. If not, keep your eyes open. There are stories like hers all around the city. Breathe it in and experience everything this fascinating city offers you.

‘Survival in Saint Petersburg will be released on September 25, 2023. To keep up to date with this progress, follow the CR Page – Travel Fiction Facebook page.