Russia's 'window to the west' turns to tourists from the East

The sun rises behind the Church of the Dormition of the Mother of God in Saint Petersburg, Russia, July 17, 2024. Alexandra Kulikova, right, the co-owner of a chain of apartment rentals in Saint Petersburg, talks to an AFP reporter in one of the flats for rent on June 11, 2024. Tourists enjoy boat trips on the Moika River in Saint Petersburg on June 9, 2024. Tourists visit Dvortsovaya Square in front of a giant banner depicting Peter the Great, the founder of Saint Petersburg, in central Saint Petersburg on June 9, 2024.

Alexandra Kulikova used to come across plenty of different European languages on the streets of Saint Petersburg, the iconic city founded by Peter the Great as Russia's "window to the West".