Science- Every year in June, St. Petersburg and much of northern Russia experiences the famous "White Nights" phenomenon.
- From mid-May to mid-July, St. Petersburg is so far north that it experiences near-24-hour sunlight. Even when the sun is down - for a couple hours after midnight - the sky is white, hence the moniker of "White Nights."
- Toward the end of June, the city has the Scarlet Sails festival to commemorate the end of the school year and the longest night of the year.
- While in Russia for the World Cup this year, I experienced the "White Nights" and decided to take a photo at every hour to document the unbelievably beautiful light in the city.
I was very excited to visit Russia this year for the 2018 FIFA World Cup, but my favorite part of the trip ended up being something I didn't plan on.
When I arrived in St. Petersburg two weeks ago, I found that the city was experiencing the so-called "White Nights" phenomenon. Located on the Bay of Finland, St. Petersburg is so far north that from mid-May to mid-July, the city has sunlight nearly 24 hours a day.
Towards the end of June, when the days are the longest, the sun sets after midnight and rises around 2 a.m. But even then, the sky is never really dark.
It's an unusual feeling to see the sun setting so late and rising so early. It throws your biological clock out of whack, tricking your body into thinking it needs less sleep. Not a bad problem to have when you have a lot of activities planned for each day.
St Petersburgians take full advantage of the long nights, sitting out in cafes and restaurants until late. Many restaurants and bars stay open 24 hours. Many of the tourist attractions stay open late as well.
There are downsides to the surplus of sunlight. Football teams in town for the 2018 FIFA World Cup worried about their players having trouble getting enough rest due to the sunlight and whether it would affect their performance.
While I can barely pass a soccer ball, I was thrown off-kilter by the "White Nights," often tossing and turning until 4 a.m. and sleeping through the middle of the day.
But being awake at odd hours provided a lot of time to see the city. I decided to take a photo at every hour to document the beautiful light, and the views, as you'll see here, were stunning.