Friendships were instantly made. The priest's daughter, Anna, took us to Catherine Palace in Tasarkoe Selo, almost completely destroyed in 1944. Restoration of such features as the Amber Room, looted by German occupiers, is still under way. Ask questions and strike up conversations at places you visit. This can be more rewarding in Russia than any place else in the world.
Intense conversation is a form of national relief.
Such talk with foreigners used to be frowned upon, with the KGB making every effort to listen in. But nowadays, everyone seems to have a story to tell. We exhausted translators, and somehow managed to communicate by smiles and gestures when words gave out. St. Petersburg has a bit of a crime problem, so Americans are wise to travel in twos or threes. The cyrillic alphabet must be roughly understood.