8 things that surprised me about St. Petersburg Russia – my first time in Mother Russia!
I have been in St. Petersburg Russia for about 3 weeks now and I’ve had a blast so far.
In fact, I’ve had so much fun in Russia so far, that I think I want to visit all the former Soviet Republics at some point.
Going to Russia as an American is an interesting experience because there are so many stereotypes of Russians from the media and movies.
However, I found that St. Petersburg really isn’t that different from the western world.
Here are 8 things that surprised me about St. Petersburg Russia.
1. Not many people pump vodka shots
One thing that surprised me about St. Petersburg Russia is people aren’t popping vodka shots all day long.
Admittedly, this is a stereotypical American perception of Russia.
Of course, I knew Russians don’t pop open a bottle of Vodka for breakfast, BUT I expected them to drink the national beverage more.
Vodka is a drink for the older crowd.
I pretty much went out every night and found that Russians (especially the younger generation) prefer wine, beer, whiskey, and cognac over Vodka.
In fact, the majority of people told me Vodka is perceived as a very cheap and low quality drink.
And to be honest, I have to agree with them. I tried probably 15 – 20 different Vodkas in my time in St. Petersburg and I didn’t like them at all.
They tasted very bland, strong, and a had a big stench of alcohol.
So if you’re going to Russia to pound vodka shots with the locals, you’ll be sorely disappointed.
2. Everyone smokes
EVERYONE smokes in St. Petersburg (and Russia for that matter).
When I first arrived in the city, I was very surprised to see so many people smoking!
Of course, smoking is banned in most public buildings, but when you step outside, you’ll see groups huddled around getting a light on.
In fact, it was hard to walk several blocks without someone asking if you had a cigarette or lighter.
According to smokefreeword.org, Russia had a 31% smoking rate in 2016 – this compares to about 14% in the U.S.
Honestly, that 31% statistic seems super low. Everywhere I couldn’t escape the smell of cigarettes.
Also, e-cigarettes is also very popular with the younger crowd.
I was very surprised as none of my Russian friends told me just how much the people back home smoked!
I probably inhaled at least a pack of cigarettes during my 3 week stay in St. Petersburg!
3. Many people speak English – one of the biggest surprises
Maybe it’s because St. Petersburg is so close to western Europe. However, I didn’t expect so many people to speak English in the city.
Admittedly, it was mostly the younger crowd that speaks English.
But learning English is seen as a cool thing for the younger generation and many of them actually learn it in school nowadays.
In fact, parents often send their kids to special English schools.
Many high end restaurants have people that speak fluent English – some of them even spoke it better than me!
Overall, I was super surprised to see so many people could speak English on some level.
When I went to get a haircut, my barber was able to communicate with me with basic English!
Of course, it’s only really the younger generation that speaks English. Older people (especially from the Soviet era) will not have good English skills at all.
So if you think language is a big barrier to having a great time in the city, then you will be mistaken.
4. Not as “Eastern European” as other parts of Russia
St. Petersburg is the cultural capital of Russia and I got the feeling they are a bit more liberal here.
A lot of people told me to expect the “cold Eastern European” treatment in Russia.
And by this, they meant rude waiters, people that are hostile/rude/aggressive, etc.
I found that the people who were generally like this were older people (from the Soviet era) and primarily at the museums.
To be honest, I found it kind of charming (I guess I’m weird?) – but the Soviet generating is dying out so it’s nice to appreciate it while it lasts.
But yeah, the people were not as aggressive and Eastern European as I had expected.
5. Big Surprise: super clean and no homeless people
One thing you will immediately notice when it comes to Saint Petersburg is just how clean the city is.
I mean there’s almost no trash in the streets. The city cleans up the streets pretty much every single day.
And there’s almost no homeless people. Well, I’m sure there are, but they aren’t in the city center.
I walked around all over the city center and saw maybe 5 – 10 homeless people.
You can’t walk in San Francisco or Seattle without coming across tent cities.
I’ve been told that the city cleaned up the streets in preparation for the summer tourist season, but who knows.
Also, I didn’t see many stray dogs or cats on the streets – something you’ll see a lot of in the states.
And one thing that I thought was super funny (and joked with some Russian friends) is that St. Petersburg is cleaner than a lot of U.S. cities – especially New Orleans.
6. Food is cheap (super surprising thing about Russia)
I was expecting St. Petersburg to be MUCH more expensive than it really was.
Being the cultural capital of the country, I expected to be shelling out like an Oligarch just for the basics.
However, food is great and super cheap. In fact, you can eat at a great restaurant for less than $50 bucks per person – this includes starters, a main course, desert, and several beverages.
And even if you’re pounding shots at some high end restaurant, it’ll be hard to spend over $100 – $150 bucks per person.
Obviously part of the reason the food is so cheap is because of the strong dollar exchange rate. Back in 2012 or 2013, a dollar would get you 20 rubles.
Today (in 2019), a dollar will get you 60 rubles!
Pretty incredible, right?
That’s why I always say to earn in Dollars and spend in other currencies.
7. Chinese tourists are everywhere
I was surprised to see the amount of Chinese tourists in Russia.
I have never been anywhere (across NA and Europe) where there were SO MANY of them!
And I’m not the biggest fan of Chinese tourists. They always travel in BIG groups, move super slow, and crowd everything up. Plus, they’re super loud and obnoxious at times.
And the people of St. Petersburg are oddly tolerant of them.
If you go to any museum or tourist attraction, expect to be flanked by a horde of Chinese tourist groups with umbrellas, prepped meals, and chairs to sit in the lines.
Most of them travel in the beginning of the day and disperse in the afternoon. So if you want to avoid the crowd, sleep in and go out late.
8. Shawarma is everywhere
Honestly, you cannot go one block in St. Petersburg without seeing a Shawarma restaurant.
They’re EVERYWHERE!
I guess that’s a good thing. These places are often open 24 hours and you can get a super quick meal for less than 200 rubles ($3 bucks).
And Shawarma is great drunk food!
I ate at Shawarma places more than one just because of the quickness/convenience factor. But I also did it to save some money a few days.
And I just so happen to love Shawarma too, so it’s a win-win for me.
So if you love Shawarma, you’ll love St. Petersburg, Russia!
Things That Surprised Me About St. Petersburg Russia – Final Thoughts
Overall, there were some things that surprised me about St. Petersburg Russia.
However, I found that it’s not all that different from the states, despite what the media would have you believe.
I think most of the differences in culture that I spotted were merely quirky observations and not anything too crazy.
And overall, I didn’t experience too much culture shock in my visit – which is a bad thing and a good thing at the same time.
Readers, have you been in St. Petersburg Russia as well? What were some things that surprised you about the city?
Let me know in the comments!