We traditionally measure the grandeur of the Northern Capital by the strict lines of the rostral columns, the granite of its embankments, and the brilliance of its spires. Yet St. Petersburg is more than just frozen stone. It is made alive by its people, who fill these majestic architectural ensembles with meaning. The true history of the city is written not only by monarchs and architects, but by those who bring its streets to life every single day – its residents.

Were we to travel back more than two centuries, the pre-holiday city would greet us with unfamiliar sounds and strange faces. The famous series of hand-colored etchings, "St. Petersburg Types", by the German artist Christian Geissler, allows us to reconstruct this everyday life of the late 18^th century.

In 1904, the Community of Saint Eugenia gave these images a second life by publishing them as charitable postcards. They were based on the original prints from the exceptionally rich collection of the patron and art collector Pyotr Dashkov. Six of these graphic miniatures, now preserved in our museum's collection – six artifacts of a bygone era – rhyme beautifully with the present day.

Today, a St. Petersburg resident's morning begins in the quiet of coffee shops or amid the rumble of city transit. In the late 18^th century, the capital woke up differently – to the resonant cries of street vendors. One of Geissler’s miniatures captures a sbitenshchik (sbiten vendor), the ultimate guardian of warmth in old St. Petersburg. Carrying a copper vessel, he poured out a hot, spiced decoction of honey and herbs, rescuing passersby from the damp Baltic wind. This was the primary street beverage, warming people of all social classes.

Alongside the sbiten vendor, a milkmaid with heavy clay jugs and a strawberry vendor with a woven basket balanced on her head come alive in the etchings. These images remind us of a time when sustenance for the enormous capital depended entirely on the diligence of petty traders, who brought fresh produce from suburban villages into the most secluded St. Petersburg courtyards.

This series also preserves traces of long-vanished occupations. A sailor selling sulfur splints recalls the old seaport – the beating heart of St. Petersburg’s trade and Peter the Great's famous "window to Europe." A comb-maker offering ivory and horn combs represents an entire class of artisans whose workshops provided citizens with everyday essentials and simple ornaments. Closing this festive selection of six is a vendor of Easter eggs – a symbol of steadfast traditions and the special spirit that united the capital's residents on the eve of major celebrations.

These vintage postcards from the museum Collection repository clearly prove that St. Petersburg is a continuous flow of generations. Costumes have changed, while old-fashioned caftans and tricornes vanished, and wooden street trays have given way to bright storefronts. Yet the character of the St. Petersburg resident – slightly melancholic, resilient against the whims of the Baltic weather, and boundlessly devoted to their city – remains unchanged. Peering into these ethnographic sketches of the past, we gain a deeper understanding of the present – the very living fabric that creates the unique identity of St. Petersburg.

Happy City Day, beloved city! May your streets always be filled with vibrant, unique, and inspiring people.

Postcard. Zimnyaya kanavka (“The winter canal”), St. Petersburg. Granberg Joint-Stock Company in Stockholm // Granberg. Sweden, Stockholm