Souvenirs of St. Petersburg: what to bring from the trip?

A souvenir today is an integral attribute of any trip. From French, this word is translated as a memory. What will Peter remind of himself?

What are “memories”?

Souvenir products are divided into two groups:

1. Traditional (trinkets, magnets, calendars, etc.) are usually cheap souvenirs in St. Petersburg.
2. And original (reflecting the place from which they arrived). As a rule, these include objects of applied art, handicrafts, delicacies of the food industry, national drinks, etc. This is a rather expensive series of gifts.

How rich is the server capital?

The city is visited annually by millions of tourists, both our compatriots and from abroad. Therefore, the souvenir industry here is even very well developed.

Boutiques, shops and shops with the city's mascots appeared in many places in St. Petersburg. Souvenirs can be purchased almost everywhere, including in museums. By the way, it’s good to buy reproductions of prints and paintings by famous masters of art, postcards depicting artifacts displayed in the halls, copies of famous paintings, books about the museum and more. Moreover, it is worth noting that such souvenirs can be many times cheaper here than absolutely the same in a shop or store.

Traditional souvenirs

There are many points of sale of such souvenirs at:

• Palace Square.
• In the underground passages to the Nevsky Prospect metro station.
• Rastrelli Square (metro station "Chernyshevskaya", in front of Smolny Cathedral).
• Alleys of the Alexander Garden (Admiralty area).
• The square in front of the Savior on Spilled Blood (metro station "Nevsky Prospect").
• St. Isaac's Square (in the vicinity of the monument to Nicholas I).
• Petrograd embankment (next to the famous cruiser, metro station "Gorkovskaya").

Moreover, near Aurora, with almost the largest selection of gifts, rather democratic prices. Most likely due to the remoteness from the main street of the city.

There are more souvenir shops on Nevsky than anywhere else. What are only the “Book House” in the Passage or the “Large Gostiny Dvor” department store in St. Petersburg. What souvenirs can I buy here? Most often, guests of the Northern capital ask for albums with beautiful views, postcards or calendars.

Symbols of the city on the Neva

Traditional (read, most often purchased), of course, souvenirs with the image of the Winter Palace, the Peter and Paul Fortress, Palace Square, the cathedrals of Kazan and St. Isaac's, Senate Square, the Bronze Horseman, the embankment of the Griboedov and Moika Canals, and the necessarily bridges over the Neva. All this can be on:

• passport cover;
• magnetics;
• wallet;
• calendar / notepad;
• miniature carriage;
• keychain;
• easter egg;
• a plate;
• a fan;
• spoon, teapot, mug, etc .;
• casket;
• bronze figurine;
• statuette, etc.

There are an infinite number of souvenirs with the symbols of St. Petersburg. They are difficult to consider, and it’s not easy to choose.

Books and postcards

It has long been no secret that the most reading city in Russia is St. Petersburg, and you can always pick up a souvenir here. Moreover, bookstores occupy several floors in St. Petersburg. It’s even hard to imagine such a paradise. Plus, at almost any time of the year, fairs and sales, international bookstores, Christmas book alleys, and so on, are necessarily held in any district of the city.

One of the city’s most popular stores is Bukvoed. In addition to a huge number of book products, there is a huge selection of gifts, cards, children's toys, stationery and even sweets.

Original souvenirs

The largest selection in the famous museums of St. Petersburg: Russian and the Hermitage. Prices are slightly higher than in street shops, but it's worth it. It sells high-quality items from replicas of world-famous masterpieces to jewelry and furniture.

In the Central Hall of the St. Petersburg Post Office (Pochtamtskaya, 9) you can write an amazing retro-letter: ink, pens and specially aged paper for the services of visitors. Each such message is sealed, as it should be, with a wax seal and sent to anywhere in the world.

Within the walls of the Peter and Paul Fortress there is an exhibition of works by contemporary artists of the Northern capital. You can also visit the workshop of printed graphics, in which they will tell and show all the stages of receiving prints, moreover, on old, perfectly fulfilling their functions, machines.

In Pechatn there is an opportunity to create an engraving with your own hands (experienced craftsmen will certainly help you). This is certainly a unique souvenir from St. Petersburg.

Edible memory

First of all, I want to talk about the confectionery factory to them. N.K. Krupskaya. According to a social survey, it is she who is the main trademark of Peter. Respect the products of this factory not only in the city, but also far beyond its borders. Probably, many have seen her brand name - these are the griffins of the Bank Bridge. There are quite a lot of official stores in St. Petersburg; buying a souvenir from memory will not be a problem. Moreover, at every point of sale tastings and thematic events are held almost daily. And, most interestingly, in boutiques there is the opportunity to order the production of sweets at your discretion.

What other souvenirs can I bring from St. Petersburg? We follow them to the Chocolate Museum boutique. The first opened in 2003. Today there are already three such stores. In the trading rooms, wherever your eyes look - chocolate. Most of the products are handmade. Figures are made according to French technology. Almost anything can be purchased: from small animals and heroes of fairy tales and cartoons to busts and large compositions. Chess pieces, city sights and popular personalities are always of interest.

Traditional souvenir

Of course it's alcohol. In St. Petersburg, as you know, two famous manufacturers. The first, founded before the war, Dagvino wine and brandy factory. The range is quite wide, and most importantly, designed for every taste and budget. Like hot cakes, small bottles of The Bronze Horseman diverge. A little more expensive you can buy cognac "Grad Petrov" as a gift. Old brandies (KS) and very old (OS) are already considered expensive drinks.

The second is the sparkling wine factory, which produces champagne and cognac with thematic names.

The ticket from the deepest subway in the world

A token issued by the city’s significant dates will be especially valuable. For example, timed to the opening of a new station or the anniversary of the birth of the subway, etc. You can purchase tokens at the box office at any station.

Practical souvenir

What do you think, what are we talking about? Yes, about the umbrella, of course. Almost everyone has their own design, depicting the famous places of the city. Umbrellas are divided into women's, men's, children's and cane umbrellas.

Gift to Zenith fan

What should I bring to him? Souvenirs from St. Petersburg with football themes from your favorite city team will not disappoint. And you can pick up both for the stronger sex, and for the weaker. It can be:

• Sweets.
• T-shirts.
• Interior things.
• Jackets
• Books.
• Towels.
• Disks.
• Baseball caps.
• Kids toys.
• Hats.
• Balls
• Shoes, including domestic.
• Accessories for mobile gadgets.
• Socks.
• Gloves.
• Mugs, etc.

Gift from the Mint

From year to year, the popularity of these souvenirs from St. Petersburg is growing (photo is presented in the article). In the Peter and Paul Fortress, a company store is waiting for guests, where you can always pick up:

• Numismatic sets.
• Commemorative and real coins.
• Jewelry items.
• Breastplates.
• Commemorative medals , etc.

“Dear memories”

If the wallet allows, the question: what souvenir to bring from St. Petersburg, disappears by itself. For you can and should buy famous china. The factory, opened in 1744, to this day produces real works of art, which you can admire without ceasing.

These are cups with world-famous silhouettes, and amazing tea sets, stylized for various holidays or depicting heroes of artworks of cartoons or films. (“Hedgehog in the Fog”, “Eugene Onegin”, “The Little Prince”, etc.). As well as glass figures, cutlery, decorative plates, interior items, sculptures and much more. There are branded production shops in every district of the city; they work seven days a week.

Valuable antiquity

Where, no matter how in St. Petersburg, you can buy stunning antique gadgets? Many cities in the world are simply jealous of the number of shops selling antiques. As such a souvenir from St. Petersburg brought:

• ancient coins;
• books or postcards;
• jewelry;
• clock;
• furniture;
• fixtures;
• interior items;
• schedule;
• Icons
• silver or bronze figures;
• painting;
• glass.

Fashion trend

Oddly enough, these are dolls. Buy them as souvenirs more and more often. Most of the beauties are made in the famous workshop on the Lansky highway. The cost of dolls ranges from 500 rubles to several thousand. It depends on the wealth of the outfit. Snow Maiden, for example, can be purchased for two thousand rubles.

"Neva cosmetics"

This is another famous brand of St. Petersburg. The selection of products is quite large: creams and masks for face, hair and hands. And also a new line that has already gained popularity - cosmetics for kids “Eared Nannies”.

Flea markets

A unique place to choose a gift. There are plenty of such markets in St. Petersburg, and the assortment for them is corresponding. The best, from the point of view of city guests, markets on Udelnaya metro station, Sennaya Ploshchad metro station, Avtovo metro station, Pionerskaya metro station. The choice increases significantly during the weekend.

For example, you can always buy here:

• Rare interior little things: chandeliers, furniture, watches, mirrors, typewriters, items from the Singer company, etc.
• Coins, pre-revolutionary manufacture.
• Satchels and vintage suitcases.
• Collectible cards, stamps, etc.
• Handbags and jewelry made from beads.
• Royal medals and orders.
• Vintage accessories, shoes and clothes.
• Badges of the Soviet era.
• China.
• Rare books and more.

Post scriptum

Tourists in the reviews advise not to buy nesting dolls, caskets and other varnish products on street stalls. Changes in temperature and humidity often lead to the fact that the souvenir, not reaching the house, actually, as soon as it enters a dry and warm room, begins to crack and deform.

Keep away from fakes. For example, the lacquer miniature should be made on high-quality papier-mâché, and it is found, and quite often, from pressed sawdust. You can distinguish fake, you should lightly tap on the lid. A quality papier-mâché is deaf. Look at the bottom of the box. If you find a velvet sticker, this is counterfeit. For velvet makes the sound muffled.

Amber jewelry is also often faked. It’s easiest to rub the stone with your finger: the plastic immediately gives out a smell. If possible, put the product in salt water. Amber itself is light, but drowns in brine.