I had been wanting to make this journey for a long time. This past New Year’s Eve finally gave me the occasion: visiting my boyfriend’s hometown, Saint Petersburg. Winter 2025. Visa arranged in less than a week, flights booked from Munich via Istanbul, one of the few viable routes. A slightly complicated journey, but perhaps fitting for a destination that had, for a long time, felt just out of reach. 29 December 2025 I land late at night at Pulkovo Airport (Пулково). In my ba