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Lena Gorelik
In love with St Petersburg
My Russian Journey
176 pages
Publication day: 13.3.2008
‘Jost, would you like some Vodka?’
The city for lovers – and art-lovers – insomniacs, vodka-drinkers and fur-wearers. St Petersburg, one of the most popular, and lately also one of the sexiest travel destinations, has always been a victim of its own clichés. Lena Gorelik cheerfully pounces on these and provides insider knowledge that will definitely keep you from falling into tourist traps.
There’s a rumour that you say ‘Na Zdorovye’ in Russian when you clink glasses. That would be Polish. The Russian thing would be to deliver a speech. The speech must be emotional and clever. Ideally so that everyone cries and laughs at the same time. Example: (unusually short but typical): ‘My glass is almost empty, but my heart is full; of love for you all!!’ (All the aunts cry.)
Whether you want to buy a bottle of water or theatre tickets, whether you want to take the metro or the tram, whether you’re staying in a hotel or with friends, whether you’re on honeymoon or still in the pre-honeymoon stage; this book will tell you how to look, greet, ask and flirt to attain your goal in St Petersburg. Lena Gorelik, herself a native of St Petersburg, assuages her homesickness twice a year, combining it with an inevitable visit to her relatives. The result of her field studies is this witty, very personal travel book, which may not contain museum opening hours, but will give you the ultimate tips you need to make your journey to the Neva absolutely unforgettable.
Lena Gorelik, born in 1981 in St Petersburg in 1981, came to Germany as a ‘Contingency Refugee’ with her Russian-Jewish family. After training at the German School of Journalism in Munich, she completed a prestigious course in East European Studies. bücher magazine described her first novel My White Nights (published autumn 2004) as ‘the best new novel about Germany, and an absolutely delightful book’, the Süddeutsche Zeitung said, ‘My White Nights proves that young German literature can possess both lightness and depth.’ Her second novel, Wedding in Jerusalem was nominated for the 2007 German Book Prize.
What the press says about Wedding in Jerusalem:
‘With this “Wedding in Jerusalem” Lena Gorelik has presented us with one of the funniest novels of the year… A novel full of Woody-Allen humour and the comical, absurd situations that go with it… Lena Gorelik was nominated for the German Book Prize, but is no longer among the finalists. Pity, she deserved it!’ Vladimir Balzer,
‘A daring, smart and witty book.’ Christine Diller, Münchner Merkur
‘A wonderfully entertaining novel, but one with a serious background.’
Ulrich Wickert, Wickerts Bücher (NDR Kultur)
‘There’s hardly anyone who can write a story the way Lena Gorelik does, peppy and thoughtful at the same time, letting emotions run high before quickly reaching a super-cool conclusion… The book is refreshing, cheering and enriching…’ Heidi Bühler-Naef, Swiss Library Service