Folk Show in the Nikolaevsky Palace – Feel Yourself Russian
Imagine yourself in St. Petersburg - the most "European" of all Russian cities. How to get to know the unique culture of this country? What should foreign visitors do, if their time in St. Petersburg is limited, and they want to experience everything from the national cuisine - to the mysterious soul"? Is there any way for a tourist to feel truly Russian? …Well, you can certainly try at a unique folk show entitled "Feel Russian" at the Nikolaevsky Palace!
In the very centre of St. Petersburg, just a 10-minute walk from the Hermitage and 3 minutes from the famous St. Isaac Cathedral, you find a real architectural masterpiece of the second half of the XIX century, the beautiful Nikolaevsky Palace. Built by a gifted architect, Andrey Schtakenshneider, for the Grand Duke Nikolay, son of the Emperor Nikolay I, this is a place out of your Russian dreams. Nowadays the Palace is in the TOP-100 list of monuments preserved by the state, such as the Kremlin and the Hermitage.
Coming in through the beautifully restored entrance to the Palace, you find yourself in the lobby, with its fabulous gala staircase, leading to the Concert Hall and the other halls, all fabulously restored. Gallant cavaliers and elegant ladies in crinolines will greet you on the stairs to show you the way, so you’ll forget what century you’re in. A professional string quartet playing beautiful melodies from past times will make you believe you are travelling across the centuries: and this is just the beginning!
Now it's time to show you something really Russian! Here in the comfortable, elegant Concert Hall of the Nikolaevsky Palace, we will give you the opportunity to do more than just see Feel Russian, this unforgettable folk performance: you will not only feel involved – you’ll really be involved! During the two hours of this dynamic, colourful and picturesque show, you’ll hear tuneful folk songs, romantic, and full of life; watch sparkling dances from the different provinces of Russia; and learn that items such as saws, wooden spoons, and other traditional household tools can also be used as musical instruments! And - amazing! - suddenly you’ll find yourself right on the stage dancing like a real Russian, playing traditional games and having fun!
The show consists of two parts (45 minutes each) and lasts for 1 hour 50 minutes including a break, during which the guests are offered canapes with red caviar, cheese, ham, sausage, and fruit, as well as champagne, red wine, vodka, juice and mineral water. During the break live music is playing, beautiful women in crinolines are dancing and the candle light reflected in your glass gives your wine the colour of a precious stone: how wonderful to be the guest of a Grand Duke!
You leave the palace once the show is over holding onto this unique experience: now you know what is it to feel like a Grand Duke, like a Cossack, maybe even like a Tsar: in other words - to feel Russian.
