Vegetarianism appeared in Russia in the 14th century through the followers of the Lenten mode of life. In the beginning of the 20th century St. Petersburg had a blooming vegetarian culture. However, the revolution of 1917 stopped all that as it was considered to be a reflection of bourgeois ideology. Nowadays it’s again slowly becoming popular. Despite this St. Petersburg can still be a very challenging city for vegetarians, partly due to the lack of fresh produce during a considerable part of the year. Vegans particularly are strongly advised to be patient: not thinking too much about the daily fur fashion parades on the streets is a good test of the serenity provided by a meatless diet. While your friends may think that eating only potatoes and mushrooms for a couple of weeks will do, for a pleasant meat free stay in St. Petersburg you need more nutrition.