Great news for those who are into robotics (and even for those who are not!): starting this week and throughout the next month, St. Petersburg will be home to one of the biggest robotics exhibitions in Russia, RoboCity. From October 25 till December 2, Piterland entertainment center will be packed with all kinds of bots, droids and automatons, from cleaners and photographers to bartenders and cooks. Go on a date with the most charming humanoid ever, dance salsa with a robot spider, attend a robotic theater performance, and try a cup of cappuccino made by a robot barista! Guests will also get an opportunity to enjoy virtual and augmented reality. Tickets cost 690 rubles and can be purchased here (scroll to the very bottom of the page to find the application form). This is not an event to miss!

Music lovers, rejoice: This week, the Cultural Capital of Russia is hosting the 18th International Conservatory Week Festival! Musicians from 13 countries will perform 14 concerts in St. Petersburg’s most renowned venues, the Hermitage Theater, the Atrium in the General Staff Building of the State Hermitage Museum, the Mariinsky Theater Concert Hall, and the Sheremetev Palace, among others. From classical music to jazz and the soundtrack to Harry Potter, the repertoire is full of surprises! Tickets start at 400 rubles and can be bought here.

These autumn rainy days are perfect for going to the cinema and watching a movie, or two. All the more reason for doing this is that there are as many as two film festivals taking place in St. Petersburg this week: the Festival of German Cinema, and the Week of Finnish Cinema. Among the movies screened during the two festivals are the best contemporary fiction and documentary German and Finnish movies, such as Transit, In the Aisles, and Ilosia aikoja, Mielensäpahoittaja, to name just a few (I personally recommend In the Aisles; it’s a very simple yet touching story definitely worth checking out). Movies are screened in their original languages with Russian subtitles. The festivals will be held at Rodina and Aurora cinemas, respectively. Tickets can be bought here and here (in Russian), or directly at the cinemas.

This weekend is also heaven for foodies! This Saturday, October 27, the restaurant Mamele on Nekrasova St. 28 will throw a hummus party for everyone in love with this delicious dip. Apart from hummus, they also serve shakshouka, falafel, sabich, tabouleh, and a whole bunch of other traditional Israeli dishes.

Cheddar, Mozzarella, Parmesan, Gouda, Roquefort, Camembert, Feta - if these words make your mouth water, don’t miss the Cheese Weekend on October 27-28 at Dolgoozernyy shopping center, where you can purchase numerous kinds of cheese produced by local farmers!

Enjoy your weekend!