Nevsky Prospekt

The camera looks over Nevsky Prospekt, the long central avenue of Saint Petersburg, at its crossing with Sadovaya Street. Trolleybuses, cars and pedestrians move through the junction, while the colonnade and dome of Kazan Cathedral and the long arcades of the Great Gostiny Dvor department store frame the view. The wide street and the classical facades make the spot easy to recognise.

Evening and early night are often the liveliest hours, when shop windows and street lamps light the avenue and foot traffic stays busy. Winter brings short daylight, snow on the pavements and a slower pace, while summer evenings stay bright for a long time and the street fills with people. Rain and grey skies change the mood quickly, and holiday periods bring decorations and crowds.

Nevsky Prospekt is the main thoroughfare of Saint Petersburg, laid out in the eighteenth century and running from the Admiralty toward the Moscow railway station. It passes churches, theatres, shops and historic apartment buildings, and it is a common route for walking, shopping and seeing the city centre. The Sadovaya crossing is one of its busiest points, close to several metro stations.