I instantly fell in love right after my first week here.

I would say St Petersburg is not unlike most major European cities - with shopping malls, restaurants, wide-ranging public transport, a population of 5 million-, but still has something unique about it: the people, the architecture, Russian culture itself, the focus on the arts and culture - with nearly 300 museums and 70 theatres.

Even if you're not studying Russian, I would definitely recommend anyone to visit this city at least once in their life, and just get lost - roam the streets, the museums, go on canal tours... You will not regret it.

Of course, no city is perfect. If I had to name a few issues, it would probably be how it can be sort of dirty - it rains a lot, so sidewalks can be a bit muddy, especially when it starts to alternate between snowing and raining. Also, at the doorway of pretty much any restaurant you will find a corner completely littered with cigarette buds, as it is not allowed to smoke indoors and Russians smoke a lot. Still, I don't find St Petersburg any dirtier than somewhere like Paris or any major city in the UK.

Russians

We've all heard it before: Russians are cold, rude and aloof. Right? Well...

After two months living with them, I can tell you this couldn't be any further from the truth. Yes, Russians will probably not smile and say hi to you on the street, or sugar coat things and add a million polite words to their sentences, but I personally have found them to be some of the warmest, most welcoming and genuine people I've encountered. Once you get past the first 'barrier', and you are welcomed into their personal space, they will open their souls to you entirely.

I have never felt so welcomed into a country, and of course this has to do with the great Russian hospitality. They are incredibly generous and good-willed towards foreigners who are also prepared to make an effort to adjust and to accept their culture. In most restaurants and shops I go to, the minute I speak Russian (very broken Russian) to an employee, I can see this micro expression on their faces saying "Oh, a foreigner who's actually trying to speak Russian". They become super helpful, and, surprisingly (if one is to believe stereotypes) very smiley! This is easily understandable, of course, as most tourists do not speak Russian and expect Russians to speak English (perhaps unfairly so). I generally feel that if I ever had any issue, I would always find people genuinely wanting to help me here.

However, if you want to travel to St Petersburg and don't speak Russian - don't worry! St Petersburg is very English friendly, and most restaurants around the centre - and especially in Nevsky Prospekt - will have English-speaking staff. My boyfriend (who does not speak Russian) was here for a week, and one time when we were out for breakfast he ended up chatting to a waiter who was telling him all about how he dreamed one day to go from India to Madagascar by boat.

Of course, if you come from a culture where it is seen as rude to speak one's mind directly, you might find Russians impolite. From what I've seen, this has been the case of my British peers, who were at first taken aback by Russian straightforwardness. However, having had many conversations on this topic with Russians, I've understood that they never intend to offend or hurt anyone by being direct, it is simply the way they do things.

Accommodation

Living with a Russian host family

Coming into Russia, I was very scared of living with a Russian host family. I had no idea what it would be like - the house, the people, the room itself, the cleanliness, how I would need to conduct myself. The worst was that no one could concretely tell me what it would be like, which only worsened my anxiety about this.

However, all my fears melted away after my first week.

I was lucky enough to be assigned to a flat in the very heart of St Petersburg, just off the famous Nevsky Prospekt (Peter's main avenue), at walking distance from anywhere I want to go in the centre (which in this huge city is 20-30 minutes).

The flat is owned by a lovely Russian lady in her late 60s - a classic Russian babushka,-, who greeted me with a smile and openness that directly told me I had nothing to fear. It is a typical Russian flat - small (by European standards), full of patterns and wallpapers, boiling in the winter (Russians like their heating), and inhabited by two adorable cats - Pinocchio and Martin. My room is very cosy, I could feel that she went out of her way to make it welcoming to us. I've also learnt that Russians are extremely practical people, and you can see this just from looking at the flat and how Russians use space.

Some examples (which you can see in the slideshow bellow) from my host family: