Paper short abstract:

The cultural history of differents streets are never unidirected. In the case of the two central streets, The Esplanade in Helsinki and Bolsjaja Konjusjennaja in St Petersburg, there are apparent similaritites but also differences due to the different economic and political systems. In two processes of street upheaval one can analyse how the promotion of commerce tend to give the streets dignified and international airs at the same time as shutting out people without the means to utilize the shops and restaurants. The history ot the two streets will reveal different stress on different epochs as well as ritual profanisations of the streets. Interesting is also the fact that both have clear national and ethnic profilations.

Paper long abstract:

The Esplanade and the Bolsjaja Konjusjennaja

Dignity and marginality of street life in two central streets

The cultural history of differents streets are never unilateral. In the case of the two central streets, The Esplanade in Helsinki and Bolsjaja Konjusjennaja in St Petersburg, there are apparent similarities but also differences due to a different history and the different economic and political systems influencing commerce and street life. The Esplanade is the most luxurious street in Helsinki, Bolsjaja Konjusjennaja is a sidestreet to the elegant Nevskij Prospect, with a stress on consumption even in the Soviet era. In two cases of street upheaval processes, the Esplanade of the 1970s and Bolsjaja Konjusjennaja of the 2000s, one can analyse how the promotion of different shops tend to give the streets dignified and international airs at the same time as shutting out people without the means to utilize the shops and restaurants.

The outcome is one of intensive showing off versus discrete manifestation of dignity. The history ot the two streets will reveal different stress in different epochs as well as ritual profanisations of the streets. Interesting is also the fact that both have clear national and ethnic profiles.