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7/1/2001 - St. Petersburg Renaissance by Gregory Feifer

St Petersburg Renaissance By Gregory Feifer JuLY ST PETERSBURGmAMoscowfriend tellsmehealways tiresofSt Petersburg onthethirdday That swhenIjustcan twalkdownNevskiiProspektanother speaking street Fifth Avenue Broadway andMadisonAvenueallinone It sactuallymuchmore onceabroadprojec might opposite cultural symbol Fyodor Dostoevsky underground rudely snubbed social superiors He flight anger serves story Unlikemyfriend I malwaysprepared towalkNevskiiandanyother St Pe tersburgstreetuntilthearchesofmysolescollapse except thatis itlastJuly NevskiiProspektisnowmostlydugup itsbroad Soviet erapatch workasphaltsidewalksnowbeingreplacedbyelegantmarbleandgranite slabs Itmayhavemadethe avenue unwalkable cause That Bolsheviks St Petersburg relatively alone after Revolution meantthatmuchof architecturew trazed theold newcapitalMos Themovehadthe effect ofturning St Petersburg artificial created museum The guides working canal cursions simply mouthing clich6 saying Petersburg exhibition Being alone meantneglect By Soviet St Petersburgwasinamassivestateofdecay In1991 iftohighlightthatfact St Petersburg sepicImperialthoroughfare first builtduringthereignofPeterthe Great after design Frenchman Jean Baptiste Le Blond Named after river which itleads NevskiiProspektreflectsmuchofthecity fromthegrandtothe pathetic It snowundermajorreconstruction itsSoviet erashoddyasphaltsidewalks arebeingreplacedwithgraniteandmarble Willedintoexistenceunderagrandplan St Petersburg isonceagainsubject toamajorproject ofreconstruction Moscow RU A residentswereonthebrink starvation surviv ingwithrationcards allott inginadequateamountsofbread sugar butterandvodka Well afterprice liberalizationandtheendoffoodshort those could afford wanted however decayseemed acceler Many stunningly original elaborate architectural masterpieceswereliterallycrumblingtothegroundinwhat seemedanirreversibleprocess Until thissummer Thecity isnowundergoingamassiveregimeofrebuildinginprepa rationfor its300 yearanniversarycelebrations in2003 For firsttime St Petersburgseemstobeemergingfromits Sovietslumber That sparticularlysurprising giventhe thatthe sadministrationhasdistinguished itselfasone ofRussia smostcorrupt Criticscomplainthatonlythemost visiblepartsofthecenterarebeingrebuiltmand thatbuild contracts awarded theweb corruption grippingthecity Idon tquiteagree betterthecenter saved there alone corrupt fashion thannothingat The Committee Iwentto seethemunicipalcommitteecoordinatin preparations jubilee place little years It overseeing massive effort including scores rebuilding schemes public works projects asphalt sidewalks planning actual celebrations Those include parades concerts exhibitions currently foreseen willbe concen trated weeklong period June Related events place entire howevermindeed alreadybeengoingonforseveralyears The cityalready agoodheadstartincreatinganatmosphereinwhichit celebrate sense itself St Petersburg carnival eachyear duringwhichrevelers dressupincos tumes representing Petersburg buildings geometric shapes The celebrations displayed relatively avant garde thinking unmindful intricate complexculturallifeandhistory SoI dhoped Icouldtalk committee members about St Petersburg hoped culturalrebirth itsplaceintheeternalargume ntbetween Russia sSlavophilesandWesterners andhow significant theupcomingcelebrationsmightbe The committee fullname ofwhichis theCommit Preparation Celebration 300th Anniver St Petersburg locatedbehind theAlexandrinskii Theater offNevskii streetdesignedbyandnamed after Italian architect Carlo Rossi The theater Rossi creation looming yellow structure umnedloggiatoppedbyastatue ofApolloinhis chariot The theater company established Russia Thestreetbehindthe theater itselfaPetersburgland perfectlyproportionedtoformasquare At22meters street exactly buildings times Here stands Vaganova School Choreography world finest having produced dancers asAnna Pavlova Vaslav Nijinsky GF ofslogans however including St Petersburg Stronghold Russian State System What anniversary I couldn figure Neither could I understand meant St Petersburg really state stronghold except conception Russia shistory Okay Ithought itmaybethe stronghold ofvery powerful mafia groups bureaucratic client patron relationship struc tures ButI tthinkthat swhatthe anniver sarycommittee meant Infact theslogan others likeit facsimiles statements President VladimirPutin whohas claimed tobebuilding strong Russian stateby centralizing adminis trativepowerin country The result greatercorruptionandmurkiness thekind Astrangelytypicalsight abuildingontheMoikaCanal actuallygoesalongwithweakstatestructures shrouded while undergoing renovation RudolfNureyevandMikhail Baryshnikov The schoolbe ganlife in1738 trainingthechildrenofpalace servantswho wouldtakepartincourtentertainments In Agrippina Vaganova implemented school modern curriculum Now over2 000hopefulsapplyeachyear ofwho maround chosen undergo school grueling regime Like St Petersburg parts school terrible shape The facade requires plasterwork andapaintjob Thedankinteriorneeds leastsomeof naked lightbulbs replaced But 300th anniversary committee offices inside school complex newly renovated I greeted Natalia Shvetsova major specialist according butreallyanassistantto committee chairNataliaBatozhok withwhomI dscheduledaninter Batozhok itturnedout beencalledawaybythe citymayor calls himself governor Vladimir Yakovlev Shvetsova wouldn I speak Batozhok itquicklybecameclearI toposenone ofmyquestions Instead Shvetsovabombarded public relations material glossy brochures flashyCD ROMcuttotheshape abusiness offperiodicals photographs They roughly nothing Nothing about upcoming celebrations One thick slick brochure about because strengthening thearbitrarypowerofcivilservantsovertheirsubordinates Getting ahead Russia today involves initiative exact opposite security through ingratiation presidential administration Accordingly St Petersburganniversarycommitteeseemstobebuildingup celebration ofwhichthepresidentwouldbeproud To needs reassure Kremlin exactly plans celebrate Petersburg itselfthan boosting Putin authority This activity closetothatexhibitedbymuchofthemedia It sself sorship voluntary doubt enforced variety That especiallyimportant St Petersburg sinceGovernorYakovlevsidedwiththe titled The 300th Anniversary A conference earlier chief organizers upcoming Petersburg hadnotasingle brations fromlefttoright CommitteeforUtilitiesImprovementandRoadMaintenance wordorpicturedevotedtothean chiefAnatolyDedukhin St Petersburg smayor hecallshimself governor Vladimir niversary Itdidcontainanumber YakovlevandanniversarycommitteechairNataliaBatozhok Institute Current World Affairs losing forces against Putin Kremlin bitter political struggle Putin tapping presi IntrueSovietfashion Shvetsovarefused toanswerany questions about funding planning recon structionprojects evenaboutcelebrationeventsin2003that arealreadybeingloudlyadvertisedonlargebillboards Speak culturalcommittee about I wouldn information completely accurate smiling I already cultural committee which directedme Shvetsova organization Instead Shvetsova unleashed barrageofvague factsandsuperlative adjectives describ inghercommittee sactivities It areturntoourroots generations disappeared during Communist years But demonstration strength current generation generations future As specifics The committee organizing activities organizationsmRussian foreignm andcitizens inpreparationforthejubilee Shvetsova It tremendous involving evaluation sandsofproposals Whichproposals Iasked Thereare simply toomanyformeto outany ofthem replied Therearesomanygoodones Givemeoneex ampleformyreaders Oh Isimplycouldn Itwouldn Speak cultural committee Shvetsova however President Putin honorary chairman committee One magazines thick paged glossy called OurAuthorities Nasha Vlast mwhichalsomeans power Thecovershowedapicture ofmembersofaKrem organized youthmovement rally support presidentinRedSquareearli erthisyear Theteenagerswore teeshirtsdepictingthepresident sface itwaswidely Amockup model central St Petersburg ofthe exhibitions earlier dedicated reconstruction The isfrom Vasilievskii Island across riverfrom Winter Palace reported Russian press bribed attending CDs vacations bussedintothecapital Itwascompellingproofthatanew personality taking shape glorify Presi InsidethemagazineIfoundcandidlystagedpictures ofPutin withformerPresidentBorisYeltsin kissinganeld woman kissing being saluted soldiers Chechnya There articles about What Makes Russia Great upbeat reportage about campaign Chechnya complete eager smiling soldiers sittingon tanks Theback covershows amore compassionate photograph ayoung sittingon superimposed words The first those inpower children Shvetsovawasburst ingwithprideandpointedtoanotherbrochurefeaturinga doubt throw Putin quotation The St Peters Jubilee excuse remember Russia greatness sources greatness Shvetsova interrupted interview tophotocopy thewords forme Okay Putin agenda clear What about other participantsintheanniversarypreparations Moreevasion St Petersburg belongs whole world Shvetsova Sonowtheworldshouldhelp rebuild We opentoeveryone Shvetsovawasn topen however tosay ingexactlywhom Norwassheopentomyrequesttopho tograph Surely thought someone somewhere would approve thing That responsibility couldn takeonherself I manage learn facts about prepara tions however thanks telephone calls other municipal committees which proved secretive The celebration committeeJShvetsova evaluated over4 reconstru ctionandcelebration projects andhas farsettledonaround ofthem Someoftherebuild GF falls under federal jurisdiction funded eralcash Muchofthework however isbeingcarriedout bythemunicipal administration TheCommitteefor Utili tiesImprovementandRoadMaintenanceisrepavingmuch center laying brick sidewalks It colossal since St Petersburg roads dismal state Newsquares arebeingbuiltandbridges snumerouscanalsarebeingrenovated Waterpipes being replaced improve notori ously decayed infrastructure New pedestrian walkways areevenplannedforthe 1970s 1980s eraconcrete slums ringing Themost prevalent criticism workmvoiced example English language newspaper The St Pe tersburg Timesmaccuses projects superficiality The desperate plight schools hospitalsand terrible state ofcommunalservices arebeing ignored thepaper claims The struction projects mired ruption Andthey areaccused ofturning statelynorth capital bourgeois commercialism which benefit wealthy But criticism seems ignore Russia virtually nothingatall isbeingdonetobenefitthepublic Asignifi number St Petersburg public works projects aimed benefiting residents wholemand along usual tourist routes Each district undertaking renovation beautification projects including highway around anniversary That nomean heavily bureaucratized state which public often simply ignored usually exploited serve elite There problems One abuses which cityadministrationhasbeenaccused attempt tocom mandeer federal money Worse seumdirectorsandadministratorshave complained autho rities triedtoforcethemtomakechangesthat would their sites Municipal reaucrats countered saying theywanttomakethemostofthe cultural wealth One conflicts involvedthe smostcherishedpark theSummerGarden whichPetertheGreat commissioned formal Versailles style garden numerous fountains The redesigned CatherinetheGreatmafterbeingminedby disastrous flood in1777to resemble formal English garden It still accom modates number Baroque statues houses Peter smodestSummerPalace andisverypopularwithPetersburgers Pushkin Gogol drawn Ivan Goncharov garden setting fated couple Oblomov Olga Oblomov Vladimir tralmemoryofhischildhoodinRussia Itwasherethat authoritieswantedtoopenseveral 61ite restaurants utilize thespace inthebestpossibleway Thegarden administratorsfoughtback sayingquiterightly thatthe public space would ruined The conflict ended standoff other museum directors tinue confront similarproblems Meanwhile celebrations committee coordi nating foreign organizations those other countries called former Soviet Union The citymayinitiate committee coordinating fromAfri countries receiving admin istrations ofEuropean cities Stockholm Oneofthe motivating factors forworking foreign organizations allure foreign sponsors The celebration commit teehaspickedoutthousands ofbuildings monumentsand othersites forpossiblereconstructionandapproachedvari foreign organizations thatmightbe interested A group Italians example helping restoration structures designed Italian architects The actual celebration eventsas opposed recon structionworkare stillbeingplanned Oneofthehigh lights willbe carnivalparade forwhichthe annual celebrationshaveserve asrehearsals This 000took parade while looked The ebration committee plans staging tivitiesaroundthe officialfoundingdate May27 The committee still evaluating thousands proposals sorts organizations individual citizens includ example veterans groups galleries One theplanned events concert called Stars oftheWorld settotakeplace atthenearbypalace atTsarskoeSelo Valery Gergiev acclaimed conductor artistic direc venerated Mariinsky Theater conductwhat committee hopes known musicians aroundtheglobe EvenShvetsovaspokeoftheconcert It beenapprovedbyPutin Thingshaven tbeengoingsowellforGergievrecently His productions Aida other Italian operas largelypannedwhentheytouredLondoninJulymonecritic claimed itwastheresultofGergiev shavingtakenontoo largearepertoireintoo littletime Butthat speanutscom edtothefactthatGergievhastransformedhisMariinsky Theater eclipse almost unwatchable compa Bolshoi other theaters around globe TheMariinskynowproducesperhaps theworld balletthrough combination sticking traditional values Russian ballets dancers example andexperimentation Above however isdis cipline ArecentproductionofBalanchine Jewels sidered avant garde today traditionalist Russians wasnothing lessthanbrilliant withthekind humorand sexiness themostaccomplished ofvirtuo Another production comparatively staid Giselle watch The Mariinsky stands bright cultural decay plagues Russia Gergiev doubt contributemuchto tercentenary celebrations DoesAnyone Care Most St Petersburgresidents towhomIspokedidn about celebrations That priseinacitywrac kedwithpoverty ManySt Petersburgers still reviled Soviet institution communal apartment City officials count around which house hundreds thousands around million ThelargenumbermthehighestinRussiamispartly result devastation Second World War World ThemainarchoftheGeneral Staff building facingtheWinterPalace isalso under renovation It thing plasterand brickshadbegun tofalloffin recent years Commissioned structure isanotherofCarloRossi designs It large Petersburgers spreadrumorsthat itwouldfallduring construction Ifitfalls Ifallwithit Rossideclared andstoodon thetopofthe scaffolding removed Typically thefacade concealing scrubby courtyards muddypassages within In Moses Uritsky headoftheCheka forerunner theKGB wasassassinated building eastern housing Foreign Ministry Shortly after Bolshevi ksbegan theirRed Terror The Palace Square renamed Uritsky Square until wroughton housing stock At Nazi blockade during which around million residents hunger fostered survivors feeling community helped facilitate communal apart ments Butthat isadismalonebyallaccounts Communal apartment dwellers whose families often share quarterswithtwoormorefamilies usuallyshareonebath kitchennot mention details their liveswiththeirneighbors Residentsare oftenevenlucky togettheirownrooms andtheapartments public spaces almost always dingy dirtyand That senough shock visitors marveling architectural faadesevenmoresowhentheyfindbuildingsremolded painted outside remain decrepitandcrammed ontheinside It sacontrastthathashauntedthecitysince Revolution continues inform attitudes about preparations fortheanniversarycelebrations Cityo fficials recently drafted first phase Aproposeddesignfora trolleybusadvertisementpublicizing 300th anniversary GF communal apartments its20 yeartimeframeseems optimistic I pride preparations saidOlgaFomin Petersburg native I suresomeonesomewhereis stealingmoneydo faqades But I aboutthe faqades And I parades I standmasses ofpeopleand Petersburger Olga Fomin I going doesn afford tobuyacostumemy afigfor upcoming celebrations IproddedFominaboutwhethersome ofthe provementshadindeedmadethe cityseemmorelivable Well Iguessthe gettingbetter sheadmittedgrudg ingly The roads especially But trying Europe anize opening shops making pretty outside think mostpeople hereneed IntheWest studentsandthe elderly caf6s butnothere Another resident Yuri Riabchikov friend ofmine wasmoreoptimis The celebrations givenakickstarttothe effort rebuild For problems thing It Yuri Riabchikov tivethingforthecity satmo celebrations allow sphere making Petersburgers tofeel livelyforuslivinghere And belong celebrations selvesmwell least belonghere thatwecantakepartinthe I Marketing City Thedrivingforcesbehindthetercentenarycelebrations economic cultural The administrators keenonmarketingthe chieflyfortourismbutalsoto attract directforeigninvestmentandnewbusinessprojects The therefore prepared large investments rebuilding attract foreigners exploit 300th niversary fullest That actually asomewhatnovel revolutionary Russia where foreigners spend shell hundreds dollars obtain visas thenputup withongoingbureaucratic hassles their arrival One example needless quirement foreigners already having procured visamalso register authorities within three Institute Current World Affairs arrival around In country cannot obstacles created specifically discourage visitors fromcoming Petersburg different relatively accessible tothevisitor Itsnascentcaf6cultureandincreasinglycom petent service industry reflects whole cottoned foreigners theyspendmoneyandneed encouraged visit It perhaps Petersburg initiative attracting eigners creates assure federal thorities doing greater goodwfor strength state thereby K remlin itsownprofit whichwouldthensomehowhave subjected Kremlin discretion Planning celebrations began 1990s committees formed around globe cultural wealth promote future economy By seminars being strategies During conference St Petersburg May 1999mat tended members George Soros Open Society Insti Stockholm City representative office St Petersburg K government sKnowHowFund Eu ropeanUnionaffiliates Prince ofWales Business Lead Forum other organizations stress placed unified marketing program versary Effectiveuse ofthe potential waslinked theimplementationofprojectsthatwouldupgradethe infrastructure reconstruct historic center create vorable business environmentand develop stable tourist industry Architectural restoration projects fundedwit hthepurposeofboostingmarketingandinvest mentpolicies One organizations taking inplanning American Committee assortment scribed culturalandbusinessleaders Thecommitteewas formedin andformallybecameSt Petersburg U S partner celebration The commit isheadedbyMetropolitanMuseumpresidentWilliam LuersanditsmembersincludeLibrarianofCongressJames Billington writerSuzanneMassie publisherPaul Gottlieb ballerina Natalia Makarova former Pepsico CEO Donald Kendall among others The committee chiefly purpose develop economy image The Anniversary tobecomeonemorefactor creating favorable investment climate bringing aboutnew invest projects document Chief among themeans achieving thatwas boosted activity domains tureandtourism whichwill certainly tractmuchattentiontothe Thedraft foresees rease tourists about three million annually With tourists would hotels restaurants other related nesses The aimwouldbe achieved reconstruction airport andsomeofitsrailwaystations Thatwould alsohelp increasethe svolumeoftrade anddevelopmentofrelated industries The governor office hopes boost Agaggleofsailorsandnaval officers thisfamously maritime negotiate sidewalk spearheaded New York CEC International Partners whichhas facilitated anumber ofprojects therun thetercentenarycelebrations Thosehaveincluded staffex changesbetweentheMetropolitanMuseumofArtandthe Hermitage theNewYork Public Library Russian National Library andmanyother exchanges festivalsand exhibitions United States St Petersburg One theexchangeprograms fundedbyNewYork Trust Mutual Understanding named VisART Contem poraryArt Project sentAmericancurators icsand artists Russiabetween and2000 discuss their expertise The stress cultural exchange heavy involvement foreign organizations prepa ration St Petersburg tercentenary appears attempt foster renaissanceonall levels aspects ofthe slifemincluding theeconomicmbyway crucial preserving cultural heritage That means involve signifi contact West important Russia spoliticians aretryingtopullthecountryawayfrom theWest Inthatsense asinmanyotherspreparations St Petersburg 300th anniversary celebrations consti major cultural politicaland economic event Accordingto authorities about 10percentoffund entire anniversary project including construc tionworkandcelebrationevents willcomefrommunicipal sources chieflyfor infrastructure Thefederalgovernment contribute about percent preser vation ofthe center Halfis tocomefromprivateinvestors andthe restfromWorldBankandEuropeanBankforRe construction Development loans issuing Euro bondsand other sources By authoritieshadworked draft industry St Petersburg rently world centers puter programming hacking brainpower City authorities increase cultural scientific research A strategic unveiled Governor Yakovlev meanwhile heavily stressed social justice The calls creation least 000newjobs increase capita income increase expectancy three years crease inper capita livingspace areductioninthenumber ofthe scommunalapartments anincreaseinbudget revenues percent improved publicservicesand socialaid Atallorderforone ebration The Flneur As I indicated result activity became visible unified project first summer After years sporadic renovation rolling The number construction sites seemingly endless Build going veterans survivors indescribablyhellishNaziblockade Thewholefront ofthe Petrograd opposite Neva River central Winter Palace seems being redone Elite dachas going The notorious Pulkovo airport nally being revamped Parks pedestrian zoneseven Aquapark going In center crumbling facades being renovated Many house centers hotels expensive apartments New buildingsmdull unoriginal compared butnonethelessnot offensive theycouldhavebeen alsobeing erected Soon after arriving St Petersburg I interest journalistic effort trying account rebuild preparation instead became lostas I G F usually itself The celebra tionscan tcompetewiththecityas itstands It place experienced exercise journalism Rather assume flaneurandwanderthe streets inrandomorder caf6s watchthe crowds Ifound again thatthe architectureseems effect residents St Petersburg public seems youthful It fairly stylish althoughclothesgenerallyaren texpensive St Petersburgers poorer Muscovites theircitymin thecommercialandpolitical sense provincial People St Petersburg friendlier morenaive moreidealistic Thesummer crowds streets night That partly reaction winter months hours overcast daylight illuminate St Petersburgisametropolisthatdemandsitsin Astatelybuilding partofacentralmarket showsthetruestatein habitantsbeoutsidewhentheyc whichmostofthecityfinds itself downandabandoned looking architecture largely reflects single projection Forme thecity seffectissuchthatonecannotexperi asinglepoliticalsourceofwill Itsornatecornicesandcary enceitobjectively Ifinditnotonlydesirablebutnecessary atidsareover largerandmorenumerousthanina tobecomepartofthecrowdandexamineone sownviews moreorganicallydevelopedcity Thecityisalsoanarchi fromitspointofview asitwere WheneverI minthecity tecturalreflectionofRussia spoliticalandculturaltendency I mthereforeparadoxicallydrawnintoasubjectiveworld toadoptEuropeanforms onlytocreateuniquelyRussian myownfeelingsbecomethecenterofmythoughts butas products Butparadoxically preciselybecauseoftheeffect theruminationsofoneofthecrowd Thecitythenbecomes ofitsarchitectureonthepedestrian St Petersburgcanalso inasensemycity whichIpiecetogetherduringmywalks beseenasatrulyEuropeancity Thatis thecity smargin Itisnotacityanyoneelsecandescribetomeuandinthat allyEuropeanstatusperverse lymakesitmoreEuropean greatness European cities because embodies single vision theEuropean Europemighthavemoved St Petersburgisun EuropeaninthatitschieflyBaroque St PetersburgdefinesafrozenRussiannotionoftheWest thatinexecutioncontains apurersenseoftheideal Walking through exposed street after another which building stunning original interpretation St Petersburg style Even small streets andseeminglyabandonedalleys aretreasuretroves Did Paris similar effect citizens Multitude solitude identical terms interchangeable active fertile writesCharlesBaudelaire Themanwhoisunable topeoplehissolitude isequallyunabletobealone bustling crowd The solitary thoughtful stroller finds singular intoxication univer salcommunion Themanwholoves losehimself crowd enjoys feverish delights egoist locked himself slothful manlike amolluskinhis shell willbeeternallyde prived Anarch inabadstateofdisrepair It ispartoftheGostinnyiDvor The philosopher Walter Benjamin describes complex century bazaar massive story building Baudelaire actions InBaudelaire Parisbecomes almost kilometer circumference It years build first subject lyric poetry This named after gostinye dvory merchant hostels regional rather aHegoristthatfallsonthecityisestranged It theflneur whosemode stillsurrounds theapproachingdesolation lifewithapropitiatory luster Theflneur still threshold bourgeois class Neitherhasyetengulfedhim neither athome Heseeksrefugeinthe crowd The Baudelarian flaneur crowd estranged state genesis poetic vision I doubt there ingle flaneur Russian outside Petersburg But flaneur experiences country northern capital AsI vementioned inpreviousnews letters French philosopher Michel Certeaucompareswalkinginanurbanland scapetoreadingwordsonapage Itistheact brings architec St Petersburg material The Bank Bridge Bankovskii Most which crosses Griboedov Canal Its Certeau tells follow guides suspension cables emergefrom mouths offourgriffins gilded wings write ourowntextsfromcitystreetsmwhich designedbyWalter Traitteur Griffinswerethemythicalguardiansofgotd undermine vision ofthe cityexcludedby urbanistic projects St Petersburg grand In Petersburg constantly changes eachpath findsnewniches columns mentation broad avenues narrow streets resplendent theirBaroque grandeur The light always different E water canals Neva River reflects images differently Every I thesameroute Iseeadifferentcityinthesamewaythat watches awell differ complex productmbecause course tices artificeandthe greatermeaningits devices impart Itookmylatesttrip St Petersburgduringperhaps thebesttime visitthe catchingthe tailendof white nights barely before rising again For hours night engulfed surreal neither light Magritte painting At night seems entire outonthe streets duringweekdays Thoseyoungrevelerswhocan tafford discoth6ques orthe upscale Mafioso attracting strip nightclubs stroll Nevskii Prospekt gravitating Neva bankmentbytheWinterPalace Here severalfloatingpiers house outdoor discos playing tinny Russian western popmusic Eventhen onlyafewpaythe tinyentrance choose inste against granite bankmentandwatch Mafiathugsandmolls canbefound Butthebulkofthecrowd ismadeupofaverage citizens outona The Artificial City St Petersburgisacreationlikenoother It soneofthe world sgreatachievements Itisthereforeparadoxicalthat ancient Greece citywasbuiltwiththelaborofdowntroddenserfs ofwhomsuffered greatlyand thepurpose ofpro jecting power The French Marquis Custine whotraveled St Petersburg writes recon struction after magnificent Winter Palace autocratic Nicholas I In order finish intheperiodspecifiedbytheEmperor unprecedented fortswererequired The interiorconstructionwascontin uedduringthebitterestcoldofwinter Sixthousandlaborers werecontinuallyatwork aconsiderablenumberdiedeach victims replacedby other champions whofilled their places perish their inglo rious losseswerenotapparent Thoselosse swere compounded during spells minus degrees Fahrenheit rooms heated grees walls quickly Thus these wretches onenteringandleaving thisabode ofdeathmnowbecome thanks their sacrifice vanity magnificence pleasure underwent difference temperature degrees But couldn thavebeen entirely thosewho benefited either Writing artificiality seeming incompatibility chitecture aesthetic sensibilities Bal landscape Custine shocked neoclassicism One permit Russians Constantinople their architectural models Athens SeenfromtheNeva theparapets ofthePetersburg wharves impressiveand magnificent butfromthe first discover these wharves paved inferior stones inconvenient unevenmas WalterBenjamin Reflections NewYork Shock enBooks Astolphe Marquis Custine Empire ofthe Czar AJourney Through Eternal Russia NewYork Doubleday GF agreeable painful pedestriansand treacherous carriages Gilded shafts lightning porticoswhose foundations almost disappear under water squaresadornedwithcolumnswhichare lostin vastness ground surrounds statues antique whose lines style arrangements dashtosuchanextentwiththenatureofthesoil thecolorofthe andtheclimate aswell aswiththe faces dress people resemble heroes imprisoned their enemies Custine recoiled streets Havingbeenharassedbytheborderpoliceandcus agents almost thewaytravelers todaymust endure Russia country useless formalities concludes Custine writes One breathe except permission imperia therefore everything gloomy constrained Silence presides paralyzes Officers coachmen Cossacks serfs courtiers servants different ofthesamemasterandblindlyobeying understand It master piece military mechanics sight tiful order notsatisfymeat assomuchregularity cannot obtained except through complete absence ofindependence Custinecontinues ThewordoftheTsarhasthepower tocreate theysay Yes itbringsstonesto butindoing kills Despite small reservation Russians proud ability You country deliberates three years means rebuilding theater whereas Emperor builds biggest palace world Russian government would never establishedanywhereelseintheworld Custineconcludes would Russians become differentgovernm Custine tremendous insights greater words suited Russia todaythantotheempireas itwasmorethan150yearsago Can about Putin sanctions killing thousands innocent Chechens strong state stifles press about Nicholas Thereisone difference howevermandthatis St Petersburg itself Custine observations largely society inMoscow Butwiththe status St Petersburg ceased function hyper artificial metropolis organic development century industrialization worker migration The first develop possibility stifled years ofcommunism ofcourse Butnowthatthe SovietUnionis decay austerity I slowlyfading citycanbeseenforthe firsttime asnever before St Petersburgmay stillhavemanySovietafflict including decent restaurants whole seems invaded benevolent heathens whohavetakenitoverandarehavingaparty Themasses however impoverished however dismissive their treasures arenowfree toenjoyitsbeauty Thiscould taken place change political regime turns For first despite thetremen decay there sense least starton anewwayof lifehasbegun That swhythe petustoreconstructiongivenbythetercentenary celebrationsissoimportant especiallysincethe development Russia seems moving again opposite direction To doesn matter where money comesfrom orhowcorruptthecontractbidding process celebrations being plannedinexemplarySovietfashion Theimpor thing Stalin plans reconstruction given frame forward official decrees Despite theproblemsandobstacles celebration senses willbeverydifferentfromMoscow s850th whichwasheavily officialandexcru ciatinglydevoid ofanything thatdidnot glorify itsmayor St Petersburg swillbeatruecelebra culture precisely because Whitenights PastmidnightattheMuseumofHygiene ofallthingsin thegreatnessofthatculture intheshapeofits decidedly unhygienic country It housed typically St buildings ballet literature other Petersburgian colonnaded building Italianskaya Italian Street formsmexerts tempering democratizing Ibid Ibid wholestreets arebeingrepavedand repainted being served should least seems under circumstances Despitethepresence various architectural layers single visionmthat alien version European Custine criticized Soviets couldn break misbeing restored An acquaintance Vyacheslav Glazychev Moscow Institute ofArchitecture sharestheoptimism AftertheRevo lution large cated section societyremained It stillexists Andasbefore thePe tersburg educated public poorer Moscow whole But natural Europeanism before strong antithesis Moscow SouthoftheSummerGardenon theMoikaCanalduringwhitenights Glazychevsays St Petersburg effectontheofficialnatureofthepreparations traditionalroleasanexusforWesternizersmightcometo 300th anniversary celebrations It Reconstruction meanwhile hastobedoneright It lidewiththeneo Slavophile Orthodoxtraditionsand expensiveandslowwork shoddyrebuildingwillonlychip thatmightfinallybesomekindofpushtowardarenais awayatthevesselofPetersburgculture Itseemsthecity sanceofculturallife Thispedestrian whowillnevertire administrationunderstandsthat moreorless Slowly ofwalkingupNevskiiProspektcertainlyhopesso GI Institute Fellows chosen basis acter previous experience promise They areyoung professionals funded spend aminimumoftwo years carrying designed programs study writing outside United States The Fellows required report their findings experiences field month They write subject formally informally The result unique reporting analysis periodic assess international events issues Author Feifer Gregory Title ICWA Letters Europe Russia ISSN Imprint Institute Current World Affairs Hanover NH Material Type Serial Language English Frequency Monthly OtherRegions EastAsia South Asia Mideast North Africa The Americas Sub Saharan Africa