AUTUMN 2020 INSPIRATION

ST. PETERSBURG is a city of emperors, built on water and marshes. The architecture is strongly influenced by Europe’s grandest buildings. Its network of canals and rivers, including the Neva, Fontanka and Moyka, is criss-crossed with bridges and waterways.

We learned that the Vikings travelled down the Neva River, Peter the Great founded the city, and the highly intelligent empress Catherine the Great purchased large art collections for the Hermitage Museum. Plus facts and stories about Tolstoy, the city’s architecture and more than 90 museums, all delivered by our knowledgeable guide Luba during our photoshoot in early January.

There are countless reasons to visit St. Petersburg – join us on our trip!

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RUSSIAN ORTHODOX CHURCH
There are so many Russian Orthodox churches with shimmering golden domes. The outsides are sumptuously ornate, but are nothing compared with the dark, atmospheric interiors with their decorated walls. If you’re lucky, you’ll arrive in time for mass with Gregorian music and priests in black robes and tall hats, chanting in low voices…

CHURCH OF THE RESURRECTION
Built in the 1880s using many kinds of materials, including jasper, rhodonite, porphyry, Italian marble and granite from Norway. It is currently undergoing renovation, but oh so beautiful with its spires and domes!

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THE TEREM ROOM – WOW!
It was painted over in white during the Revolution, but has now been restored. Thanks to exceptionally talented Master decorators and painters.

STIEGLITZ MUSEUM
We were looking for an impressive interior setting and discovered the Stieglitz Museum. In 1876, the industrialist Baron Alexander Stieglitz founded the Central School of Design. Its interior was inspired by German Baroque and Raphael’s loggias of the Vatican. It houses an incredible collection of finely detailed dolls in traditional folk costumes, made by nuns. Those alone are worth a visit!

Not far from St. Petersburg is the Bogoslovka open-air museum. It has a beautiful wooden church with multiple domes and a collection of old reconstructed houses. This is a Russian Orthodox Church. We spent a whole day here for our photoshoot.The priest invited us to lunch. It was a splendid meal.

 

5.jpgDREAM TEAM RUSSIA
Our driver Vladimir, who did everything he could to keep us warm. Our Swedish-speaking guide Luba, who knows absolutely everything about Russia, St. Petersburg and European history. And Nico, the priest’s secretary at Bogoslovka.

VALERIA FROM MOSCOW
We met a Russian model on our trip! Valeria from Moscow is a yoga teacher and had just returned from India. Always so interesting with different countries in the team.

Young Russian hipsters meet at the trendy Ziferburg Café. It opened in 2013 in a tucked-away courtyard. You could spend hours here. Working on your computer, reading a book, sitting comfortably in a vintage armchair, sipping a cappuccino or tea and nibbling Russian cakes. Here you pay for how long you stay. Google Creative St. Petersburg. 

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TASTY FOOD
Borscht – beetroot soup with a dollop of sour cream - hot stews, pickled vegetables and fish, potatoes, cabbage, salmon roe with blinis and lingonberry or cranberry juice. 

CYRILLIC
The Cyrillic alphabet is not easy to understand! Thankfully we are pointed in the right direction in the underground by helpful Russians…

 

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Are you a #gudrunista? 

Share your style, tag your posts with #gudrunista and follow us on Instagram @gudrunsjoden. Maybe we’ll use your picture on our website or in our social media channels! 

Looking for inspiration?
Meet other colourful Gudrunistas here »