Saint Petersburg & Chyzhik-Pyzhik, where have you been?

On the third day of my stay in the Russian city of Saint Petersburg, I was walking down the embankment of the Fontanka river late at night after a heavy meal and a few too many glasses of vodka. The chilly October weather only excited me more to stay out late. Ah! The city did look lively at night! The embankment was crowded with people and the city lights did add to the enchantment of the evening.

Saint Petersburg and Vodka

As I was walking, I noticed a small crowd gathered around a little ahead. I was naturally curious and the vodka was kicking in to kick up my socializing skills. I reached the crowd and tried asking around what the fuss was all about. However, the people there were either too engrossed in the game or were responding to me in Russian. I was on the verge of retiring to my room when I heard a voice behind me saying, “It is Chizhik-Pyzhik”.

Saint Petersburg’s Chizhik-Pyzhik

I turned around to face a tall Russian man, roughly 40 years of age. He had light brown hair, a rough Russian accent, deep gray eyes and a smile that did not hide how sloshed he was. Reading the confusion on my face, he said in a slurry voice, “It is statue of bird that we Russians call Chizhik-Pyzhik. It is very famous bird in Saint Petersburg. Good luck come to people who can make coin land on it.” Before he could clear any more of my doubts, he wandered off chattering with someone beside him.

The curiosity about this famous bird gnawed at my head. Being drunk definitely didn’t help. Now I just HAD to learn about this and I realized it’s easier to research this online than to figure out the Russian accent of the wonderful people around me. So I opened up my phone and somehow managed to google ‘Chizhik-Pyzhik’ – thank God for autocorrect and google’s word predictions.

The History of the Chizhik-Pyzhik

So, I learned that the Chizhik-Pyzhik was the statue of a siskin (better known as the goldfinch) which was installed on the embankment almost twenty years ago. The inspiration for the statue, however, which dates back to 150 years ago came from the hardworking students of Saint Petersburg’s Imperial Law School.

During the tenure of the Law School as one of the city’s finer educational establishments, the students wore green and yellow uniforms which resembled the feathers of the siskin, which harnessed the inspiration for the statue. The students and their frequent drinking habits even led to the emergence of a famous poem in Russian which loosely translated to “Chizhik-Pyzhik, where have you been? On Fontanka, drinking vodka”.

As I read this I heard a group of youngsters singing something in Russian and I just knew it was the Chizhik-Pyzhik poem! I went over to the group and I asked them if it was the same poem I was thinking of and they excitedly agreed and handed me a beer! I learned that most of the people around me, trying their best to land a coin on the Chyzhik-Pyzhik were students. This made it much simpler for me to converse with them in English.

The Chizhik-Pyzhik Game in Saint Petersburg

Each time someone lost the bet of landing a coin on it, they bought the entire group present there a beer and if by some luck they do end up landing a coin on it, the entire group buys the lucky chap a beer! I was delighted with this game and tried my luck. Unfortunately, I ended up buying everyone a beer. But hey! Rome was not built in a day. So I tried my luck again and again and again till finally, I landed a coin on the bird! I got my share of beers from my new-found drinking buddies. However, by the time I finished all my beers, my new friends were as drunk as I was.

But this didn’t stop them from trying to get a coin to land on the siskin; they took it up as a challenge. They won some and they lost some-actually they lost a lot. But by the end of the night, we made some really amazing memories. All I remember of the rest of the night is sitting around with a bunch of strangers singing “Chizhik-Pyzhik, where have you been? On Fontanka, drinking vodka”. My most memorable evening in Saint Petersburg!

Not-so-Silent Night, Not-so-holy Night

Now, this may not be the most ideal way one sees to spend a vacation – sitting and drinking with strangers. But, to me, it was one of the craziest nights of my life. It showed me a side of Saint Petersburg and its youth that I will never forget. It showed me how the people of Saint Petersburg were so welcoming to complete strangers.

Say what you may about alcohol but it does help in bringing people together! As I left Saint Petersburg the next day, flashes of the previous night kept replaying in my head. That glorious night was finally starting to make sense to me. I would go back to that embankment in a heartbeat, but my time there was done and I had to leave now. Until next time, Chyzhik-Pyzhik. Until next time, Saint Petersburg.

In case you are keen on Russia travel and visit Saint Petersburg, check out this short itinerary suggestion.

For other experiential travel options and ideas, visit Beyonder Travel.

(Stories by Anand Parameswaran compiled by Nikitha CV)