Check it Out: St. Petersburg Trade & Publishing House

In need of some old Soviet style propaganda to keep you motivated and in check? We know the perfect place: Saint Petersburg Trade & Publishing House on Brighton Avenue. This place has movies, books, CDs, and even cassette tapes (all in Russian)! Obviously, our favorite










little gift idea is the old Soviet propaganda posters like those above. Even more exciting we found a flyer at the store for Barynya which is an entertainment company where you can book anything from belly dancers to traditional Russian style orchestras. So next time you want to impress people with your worldly tastes, call these guys and get some performers to do the Kalinka at your event (see the video).

Another must have we found at St. Pete's was a wide selection of banya hats, which I wasn't quite sure what you needed one for until I checked their website. The product description states "Do not attend sauna when you are hungry or if you just had a meal. Do not wet your hair, wear a hat. Dry and covered hair will be protected from dehydration and overheating. When entering the sauna, sit at the bottom – give your body and your system some time to adapt to the heat. After some time inside the sauna, rinse with cold water, and then go back inside for 10 more minutes. Repeat two or three times. To protect yourself from overheating and burns, wear protective wool hats." Good to know....good-to-know.











We know what our family is getting for gifts this year!

Try it: Borjomi water

This sparkling sensation from the Republic of Georgia is the best (in our opinion) of the Russian-style mineral water. Borjomi is heavily carbonated and slightly salty, but the don't let that turn you off. I found it surprisingly refreshing after a day at the beach, or a few hours at the banya (Russian bath) as it restores the salt that was lost from the body. And, check out how good it is for you:

"Regular consumption of Borjomi improves immunity, strengthens blood vessels and the nervous system, cleanses the organism. Possessing unique therapeutic properties, this water assists in curing bronchitis, cough and even reduces probability of caries.

Borjomi also helps fighting catarrhal diseases, mitigating febrile states at high temperature. In this case it is better to drink mineral water 20–30 minutes before meals at room temperature or slightly warmed (up to 30–40оС). The water should be warmed very carefully, on boiling-water bath only and by no means to let it boil, because when boiling it loses its healing properties. It is useful to inhale warm Borjomi. For this, pour a bottle of mineral water into boiling water, cover the head with a towel and breathe the resulting “steaming” alkaline water."

Wow! Who knew water could be that good for you?! Anyhow, see the "health" link on the website for more tips.

As for finding the stuff, you can get it at nearly any grocery store, deli, or bodega around Brighton. Feel free to try the other waters as well and let us know what your think!