Privet! (this is how you say Hi! in Russian)




My name is Yanna and I come from St.Petersburg, the city in the North-West of Russia. When I moved to Vancouver last summer I couldn't help comparing the two cities. It struck me how different they were, but at the same time both could be easily described as 'amazingly beautiful'..though again in different ways.





Just as in Vancouver, water is a significant part of St.Petersburg's look. The whole city is weaved into the web of rivers, canals and streams. It is even known as 'Venice of the North' due to the amount of water. However, only in Vancouver you can get this feeling of untouched natural beauty that has nothing to do with humans inventions.





When I lived in St.Pete I had to take a bus every morning to get to my University. I had to do exactly the same when I moved to Vancouver and started attending ESL school. My favourite part of the both trips was crossing the bridge (first, Palace bridge in Petersburg and Granville in Van). Suddenly a shadowy busy morning street ends with an open space filled with light and air as you step on the bridge and you can do nothing but turn your head from side to side thinking: "What a beauty!" or "What a lucky person I am!" or "Wonder if other people notice all this?". The only difference is that in St.Pete I was amazed by the great architects who created all those grandiose cathedrals and palaces that produced such colourful reflections in the water, whereas in Vancouver the main architect is nature itself, the ocean and the mountains that make you hold your breath.





What is more precious? I can't say...