Thread: St. Petersburg or Moscow?

Which is nicer? St. Pete's or Moscow? Nicer I don't really mean "things to do" because both have a ton of museums and landmarks. I more mean atmosphere and beauty. Which is nicer to be in on a tourists point of view?

I thought St. Petersburg was much more interesting. Moscow, while it had plenty of places of interest to visit, felt like any other big city. Petersburg felt like it had more character - the whole city was interesting to me, not just certain historic locations or whatever.

That said, I did enjoy my visit to Moscow very much. You should try to go to both cities, and get outside them as well. But if I were to go back and live in Russia long-term, it'd be in Petersburg.

Or possibly Kazan'. Kazan' is pretty sweet.

They are only 8 hrs away by train which costs 5 bucks for the seated wagon so theres not too much of an excuse to go to either petersburg or moscow without traveling to the other unless you have severe time constraints. See both.

Im more of a Chelyabinsk / Ekaterinburg man myelf, but, if i had to make a choice based only on pictures and songs written by russkiy razmer. I'd have to choose Peter. But, if i REALLY had a choice, i'd just see them both.

Both are a must see but are very different. Moscow is bigger with a modern european atmosphere while SP is charming and really beautiful. But of course I'm partial to living in moscow. I like a big city with a lot of things to do.

Well, I will be on student exchange in Russia. Or I hope to be. I will probably have a choice of St. Pete's or Moscow's State University. I will want to see them both, but if both schools offered the same programs and if came down to which city would be the nicest to live in for a semester or a year, which do you think would be better? I would plan to 'see' both, but which would have the better living atmosphere and which would need more than a weekend or two of exploration.

Thanks guys.

Most of my friends prefer SPb.

I've been to both. Moscow has a way cooler metro. OTOH, so does New York. Moscow is like New York, Piter is like San Francisco. Except of course for the weather.

Originally Posted by chaika

I've been to both. Moscow has a way cooler metro. OTOH, so does New York. Moscow is like New York, Piter is like San Francisco. Except of course for the weather.

Cooler metro? You gotta be kidding. Those chaps can't run an orderly metro what with their inconsistent anouncements and all. In St Pete it's very consistent - one male voice anounces all stops in a moderately gay accent, in Moscow it's a random mix of explicitely gay male and female voices with horrible маааааськовьський accents.
What's cool about Moscow is that being from St Pete meself I can speak in ways the muskies can't understand наемся пышек (пончики и пышки это РАЗНЫЕ вещи, у нас в Питере есть и то и другое), пройдусь вдоль паребрика и заверну в парадную.... ГЫ.

In Soviet times Moscow was cool what with their ВДНХ and all - nowadays ВДНХ is no more, it's just another рынок. Shame. I still remember that robot that would greet you at the door. Ah well, ломать не строить...

Originally Posted by VendingMachine

Those chaps can't run an orderly metro what with their inconsistent anouncements and all. In St Pete it's very consistent - one male voice anounces all stops in a moderately gay accent, in Moscow it's a random mix of explicitely gay male and female voices with horrible маааааськовьський accents.

They are not inconsistent. Male voice is used when the train is going to the center, and female voice is used when the train is going away from the center.

In VDNH they closed all the streets stalls slready. And made monorail beside it.

Bollocks, Propp, I was on this train and it was a male voice for the first stop, then a female voice for the second stop, then the same male voice for the following two stops, then again a female voice (different one this time), etc. Total freaking chaos. Or are you saying that the driver was having a bit of fun jerking the train backwards and forwards around the 'city centre' (didn't know there was one, eh)

In VDNH they closed all the streets stalls slready. And made monorail beside it.

But where's the exhibition as in in the days of my childhood, eh? Joined the choir invisible?

On the whole the atmosphere is so freaking oppressive, you can't wait till you get out. The people are surprisingly nice (I frankly don't believe in this silly myth about Muscovites being rude and Petersburgers being oh so polite and welcoming toward strangers, I even think that to a certain extent it's probably the other way round) but although they are nice you don't want to mix with them too much because you never know if they are real Muscovites or those whom they amicably terml 'limita' and then you can get mugged and what not.
In St Pete we're much more honest with you - from the very start you know if you should run or not. Also, when it comes to taking it outside, sportsmanship's not their middle name as more often than not you find that in Moscow there's a gang of thugs waiting for you outside - in St Pete we respect those unwritten laws - if a gentleman wishes to pummel another gentleman's ribs he knows that it'll be just him and that other gentleman. On the other hand, it's difficult for me to be impartial. I think anyone who comes to Russia should visit both cities so that they could appriciate St Pete better.

Well Ive been to St. Petersburg, so I can vouch that its a very interesting city to visit. Ive always wanted to visit Moscow.....especially see Red Square.

Originally Posted by VendingMachine

the 'city centre' (didn't know there was one, eh)

It is very difficult not to notice the city center in Moscow, unless you have a geometrical imbecility, because the map of Moscow is like an aiming target with concentric circles and the Kremlin in the centre.

Originally Posted by Propp

They are not inconsistent. Male voice is used when the train is going to the center, and female voice is used when the train is going away from the center.

Wow, I never knew or noticed that! From now on I'm going to observe more carefully.

Originally Posted by Propp

Originally Posted by VendingMachine

the 'city centre' (didn't know there was one, eh)

It is very difficult not to notice the city center in Moscow, unless you have a geometrical imbecility, because the map of Moscow is like an aiming target with concentric circles and the Kremlin in the centre.

No, mate, Moscow is a huge wonky blob of jelly and its centre of mass is always on the move.

If one wants to feel the spirit of the city he should avoid standard tourist routes and try to find somebody who knows all interesting places to visit. Moscow is very big and even different districts differ from each other. It is important to understand, what's desirable to see most of all: sights, a night life, a life of usual people or something else. Write, what exactly is interesting for you

Originally Posted by VendingMachine

In St Pete it's very consistent - one male voice anounces all stops in a moderately gay accent,

And he always sounds so excited about Ladozhskaya. Imagine my disappointment when I disembarked there and discovered only a half-constructed shopping center and a creepy rynok where all the stalls sold pharmacutical goods and/or huge chunks of dead meat animals.

Aaah, Piter.

Yet still more pleasant than Moscow.

Originally Posted by Линдзи

And he always sounds so excited about Ladozhskaya.

Exited? Hmm, to me he sounds as if he couldn't be bothered (I travel there at least twice a week) -maybe they changed tapes?

Imagine my disappointment when I disembarked there and discovered only a half-constructed shopping center and a creepy rynok where all the stalls sold pharmacutical goods and/or huge chunks of dead meat animals.

If you didn't like the place, you should have avoided it like the plague. Ladozhskaya is not for schoolgirls, it's for big macho men with hairy chests. Btw, the meat they sell there is exquisite, none of your fido mutt stuff, only pedegree strays.

So it means you go somewhere twice a week because it has lots of big macho men with hairy chests VM?

Originally Posted by waxwing

So it means you go somewhere twice a week because it has lots of big macho men with hairy chests VM?

Did you study at the OU to become such a smart@rse? I happen to be that big macho man with a hairy chest and I go there because one of my appartments happens to be near Ladozhskaya.