Go there for a visit. It's not cheap but it's well worth the trip. My husband and I went to St. Petersburg a few years ago. Their newspapers print ANYTHING but the "Pravda." Well, that was OUR read.
"There is no Pravda in Izvestiya and there is no Izvestiya in Pravda"
Well, I knew this when it was called the Soviet Union. Maybe not much has changed. When I was in USAFE, I knew 3 guys that went to St Petersburgh, but I went to other places.
When I worked in a California prison, I worked with a female doctor, who was not only gorgeous, but also from St Petersburgh. She told me she did not speak a word of English when she arrived in Anerica, but was able to go to medical school.
I worked with 4 other Russians in California. It was interesting to hear their stories.