Brief information on St.Petersburg

St.Petersburg is the second large Russian city which occupies 606 sq meters and has the population of around 4,8 million citizens (around 3,2% of population of Russia). The city is the administrative centre of the North-Western Federal District, the only Russian region which has a long frontier with the EU countries. St.Petersburg has two airports, five railway stations, developed system of overland and underground transport (subway). St.Petersburg is located on 28 islands, one of the largest islands, Vasilievsky, will host main events of the Forum. St.Petersburg is the largest center of Russian and world culture. The city has a unique cultural and historical heritage, over 80% of its monuments which date back to 18-19th are authentic. According to UNESCO, St.Petersburg ranks eighth in the list of most popular and attractive cities of the world.

Most shops in St.Petersburg are open 7 days a week and work from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Some shops close for lunch break from 2 to 3 p.m. Large department stores, supermarkets and boutiques accept credit cards and bank checks.

It’s possible to exchange almost any currency to Russian rubles at currency exchange offices. (approximate exchange rate is 1€=34,4563 Russian rubles, 1 USA dollar=28,9785 Russian rubles as of 26.08.2006).

Average temperature in St.Petersburg in October is +5°C, mostly rainy weather.