Any glimpse of the sun throughout the city's long winter brings out a number of people who line up along the walls of the Peter and Paul Fortress, on the banks of the Neva River. As spring approaches and the days grow longer, the numbers of sunbathers also grow.
For a city close to the polar circle and famous for its bad weather, sunny days are welcomed with a special zeal and good tans are enviable luxuries.
Though there are no specifics, local bloggers claim that this tradition picked up in the 1960s and the sunbathers are lovingly nicknamed 'walruses'. Some of St Petersburg's winter sunbathers have frequented the shores of the historical fortress for decades, they say.
The Peter and Paul Fortress is also a big tourist attraction, where tourists, wrapped in warm winter cats, look on with confusion at the local sunbathers making the most of their chance in the sun.
More No Comment
New Kanji, new era in Japan
Royal ceremony held with more than 52 ships in Thailand
Santa Claus moves from North Pole to Berlin aquarium
Greenpeace hang Climate Emergency banner at new EU headquarters
Johnson and Corbyn in late push for votes ahead of pivotal election
Masked devils march through Czech village in pre-Christmas tradition
Rare two-headed snake causes a stir in eastern India
Church's nativity scene in cages to highlight plight of refugees
Protesters target Japan and world leaders at COP25
Rescue teams hunt for those missing after New Zealand volcano eruption
'Stop Putin's war!' topless Femen protesters yell ahead of Ukraine sum
Eight-year-old scales street light in Madrid to demand climate action
Raccoon shot dead in Germany after being spotted in 'drunken' state
Tourists film New Zealand volcano eruption from nearby boat