Not that it ever was truly ‘Soviet’ in its appearance, but the city of Saint Petersburg, Russia has grown into full-blown, tourist attraction since the fall of the old Soviet Union back in the early 90s. The city was built at the request of the Russian Tsar Peter the Great back in 1703. With its wondrous State Hermitage Museum and the numerous imperial parks and palaces which dot the suburbs surrounding the city, St Petersburg is awash with culture and a vibrant nightlife.  It’s truly still the most “Western” of cities in modern-day Russia, and also its friendliest.