slothis · English

St. Petersburg 313th Birthday Concert Rehearsal

2016-10-05 · Updated: 2026-08-11 · Original (Korean)

This article was translated from the original Korean post with AI assistance. Read the original Korean post →

On my way back to the accommodation after a long walk, it was really noisy in front of the Hermitage. Since the day I arrived, there had been a bunch of temporary structures for some unknown purpose, but looking at them today, they've transformed into a stage. According to information I heard from Timur, May 27th is the day St. Petersburg was founded, and they hold concerts at famous tourist spots like the Hermitage and Peterhof. So right now, they are rehearsing for tomorrow's performance in front of the Hermitage, and the genres are classical music and ballet.

People are gathered around an outdoor stage equipped with a large screen.

I was bummed that I couldn't see a performance even though I went to the Mariinsky Theatre today, but now I have the chance to see such a great show. After watching the rehearsal for about 30 minutes, my mind, which had been agonizing over what to do for the rest of my trip, completely cleared up. I originally planned to take a bus to Tallinn tonight, but I decided to give up on Latvia and Lithuania among the Baltic states, and instead stay to watch the St. Petersburg festival and a performance at the Mariinsky before leaving.

Dancers are rehearsing on an outdoor stage, and blue chairs are placed below the stage.
Several dancers are rehearsing by dancing on an outdoor stage.
Dancers are rehearsing by dancing with their arms spread open on an outdoor stage.

That's how much I enjoyed watching the rehearsal. When I was young, my older sister majored in ballet, so I was often forced to go watch ballet performances. I can't say I enjoyed it then or now, but it was still nice because it brought back memories from elementary school. Especially since the dancers were all so pretty, which made it even better...

A horse-drawn carriage is standing in the square, and people are riding in it.
The exterior of a grand yellow building decorated with arched passageways and statues.
People are walking and cars are parked on a street with arched passageways.

Watching the rehearsal makes me so excited for tomorrow's performance. An amazing schedule has come together: tomorrow is the St. Petersburg festival, the day after is a visit to Peterhof followed by a move to Tallinn, then staying in Tallinn for two days before coming back to watch a ballet at the Mariinsky Theatre, and finally heading to Greece where I'm supposed to meet my girlfriend. This is the beauty of traveling without a plan!

An English order confirmation screen showing the booking details for a performance ticket at the Mariinsky Theatre.
Mariinsky ticket. It's expensive, but not as much as the Seoul Arts Center.

Expenses

Total Expenses 1680RUB, $160, €20

Total Trip Expenses 525,936 KRW + 45,931RUB + $312.26 + €20