Fodor's Moscow and St. Petersburg (4th Edition)

Book by Fisher Robert I C Fodors

This excerpt, from the Pleasures and Pastimes section, gives you a taste of what Moscow, St. Petersburg, and Kiev have to offer and the sights and scenes that make them great places to visit.
Ballet

Over the last 150 years, few corps de ballet could match the Russian product. The Bolshoi and Kirov ballets have produced some of the world's greatest dancers; indeed, the names Pavlova, Nijinsky, Nureyev, Plisetskaya, Barishnikov, Massine, and Diaghilev, all homegrown talents, are synonymous with ballet brilliance. Faltering standards, due to chronic underfunding and the attraction of the West, has led to an unstoppable hemorrhaging of Russia's greatest dancers, beginning with the defection of Rudolf Nureyev in 1961. The demise of Communism has exposed decades of complacency and institutional rigidity, and has done little to stop the drain -- Britain's Royal Ballet poached Russia's current great danseur, Irek Mukhamedov, in 1991. Despite such problems, an evening at the Kirov or the Bolshoi is a must for those wishing to take a peek at the heart of some of the world's most historic dance venues.
Bathhouses

A visit to the Russian banya, or bath, should not be missed. It has been part of the national culture for centuries; indeed, the bathhouses of Moscow and St. Petersburg were once the ultimate in luxury. Yegerov's in St. Petersburg, for example, had a tented disrobing room decked out in Moorish style with cushions and settees, and a swimming pool spanned by a grottolike bridge and rockery, Classical-style statues, and trailing greenery.
Bring your own towel, shampoo, and plastic shoes or sandals. You may be given a plastic bathing robe and offered a venik, the bundle of birch twigs without which no visit to the bath is complete. By brushing the soaked twigs lightly across the body, striking more boldly with each turn, it is said one stimulates the circulation of the blood and draws out toxins. Most Russians finish with a glass of tea or water or even a shot of vodka, but be careful not to overindulge: Sip, don't gulp, any liquids.
Dining

The dining scene in Russia has changed dramatically in the past few years. In terms of sheer numbers and types of restaurants, Moscow is far ahead of St. Petersburg, but in both cities you'll find a choice of cuisines and price ranges.
In Russia, breakfast is often a familiar omelet or fried eggs, but don't be surprised if the meal includes cabbage salad, fish, or hot dogs (served with cold peas), all standard breakfast fare. The main meal of the day is served in mid-afternoon and usually consists of a starter, soup, and a main course. Supper is traditionally a lighter meal, with just an appetizer and a main course. The main course will be either meat or fish; the fish you are most likely to be served are sturgeon, halibut, or herring. A favorite meat dish is beef Stroganov, beef stewed in sour cream and served with mushrooms and fried potatoes. The soup is likely to be borshch, a beet soup, or shchi, cabbage soup. Other national dishes include pirozhki, fried turnovers filled with cabbage or meat, and blini, small, light pancakes rolled and filled with caviar, fish, melted butter, fruit preserves, or sour cream.
Nature

If you ask Russians which characteristic they think most identifies them as Russian, do not be surprised if they say that it is their intimate association with nature. At the turn of the century, it was estimated that 90% of the population was rural, and while this figure has dropped over the course of the 20th century, the peoples' attachment to the natural world has remained binding. Every major city has at least one large park where citizens can spend entire days enjoying the greenery in the company of friends and family. On weekends, families stream out of the cities to their countryside dachas or to budget hotel complexes. There they can indulge in one of the greatest of Russian pastimes, mushrooming. From early June to mid-October, the countryside is awash with genuflecting men and women picking mushrooms, which are then eaten at a shashlik, or barbecue.
Vodka

The national drink is an inseparable part of Russian social life. Vodka is drunk literally everywhere, with the effect of breaking down inhibitions and producing a state of conviviality the Russians refer to as dusha-dushe (soul-to-soul). When a Russian taps his throat, beware: It's impossible to refuse this invitation to conviviality.
Vodka is often flavored and colored with herbs and spices.  Limonaya, lemon-flavored vodka, is particularly popular with American tourists, as is pertsovka, pepper-flavored vodka. Other varieties include starka (a dark, smooth "old" vodka), pshenichnaya (made from wheat), ryabinovka, in which ashberries have been steeped, and tminaya (caraway-flavored vodka). Be wary of krepkaya vodka, which at 110 proof is the strongest variety.
Normally served from an ice bucket, vodka is drunk neat in a single gulp, then "chased" with a mouthful of food. It goes down particularly well with zakuski (hors d'oeuvres) -- smoked salmon, salted herring, marinated mushrooms, salami, caviar, and such. To quell the fiery taste, some Russians advise exhaling before gulping, while others recommend deep inhalation. Many Russians swear by a shot of vodka with a dash of pepper as a cure for the common cold.
Winter Sports

Skiing packages to Moscow and St. Petersburg are available. Cross-country skiing is a particularly popular sport in Russia, and both cities have acres of wooded parkland perfect for it. Outdoor skating rinks also abound, and there are downhill-skiing facilities just outside of Moscow. Rentals of skis and skates are available only sporadically, so you should bring your own equipment or make prior arrangements.