St. Petersburg — the Venice of the North (RussianDose Podcast — for people who are learning Russian) San Petersburgo — la Venecia del Norte (Podcast RussianDose — para personas que están aprendiendo ruso) 圣彼得堡 — 北方的威尼斯 (RussianDose 播客 — 面向学习俄语的人) Sankt Petersburg — das Venedig des Nordens (Podcast RussianDose — für Menschen, die Russisch lernen) Saint-Pétersbourg — la Venise du Nord (Podcast RussianDose — pour les personnes qui apprennent le russe) oday we're going to talk about a city that is called the cultural capital of Russia, the Northern Venice, and the capital of Russian rock. A city of white nights, drawbridges, and astonishing architecture, where almost no grey buildings exist, and facades shine in yellow, green, red, and turquoise. We'll tell you what not all foreigners know: why the city is called Saint Petersburg, but the surrounding region is Leningrad, how the legend about "gloomy Russia" was born, and why, in reality, tourists here are hugged, treated to cakes and given free rides. We'll talk about Petersburg — the city where President Vladimir Putin was born, where the cruiser Aurora stands, where the great imperial palaces and the burial place of Peter the Great are kept.