3 and 4. “Fligel” and “Third Cluster”

“Third Cluster” — Behind the windows are craft food and tea shops. Wine bottles protrude from the awning’s legs. 

Like Brooklyn’s warehouses, many Petersburg courtyards provide a space for the underground arts scene. Musicians play, artists graffiti the walls and local designers sell their clothing. Two popular courtyards of this kind, “Third Cluster” and “Fligel” (which means building wing in Russian), were started by BS Art Development Group. Alexander Basalygin, one of the founders, told the St. Petersburg Art Website ART1 in an interview that the company created these spaces to enliven the city’s center.

Art in the courtyard of “Fligel”

Outside a store at “Fligel”

Our favorite part? The trash bins in “Fligel” painted like Louis Vuitton bags.