The Ministry of Emergencies completed a rescue operation at the place of the explosion in a residential building in Magnitogorsk. The number of dead was 39 people. The Ministry of Emergencies emphasizes that there are no more people under the rubble. On the morning of January 4, the department specified that all 39 dead were identified. The explosion in a residential building in Magnitogorsk occurred on December 31.

In St. Petersburg in the evening of January 4, for 20 minutes, the Obvodny Canal station was closed due to sprayed pepper gas. Eyewitnesses write in social networks that on the platform there was a brawl of two groups of young people with a total number of 15-20 people who sprayed gas into each other.

Since the beginning of 2019, the Hermitage has changed the day of the free visit. Now, instead of the first Thursday of each month, he takes place on the third Thursday. The museum announced this in social networks on December 26. Also, information could be found on the museum’s website . At the same time, according to Rosbalt, on some pages of the site, outdated information was published on January 3.

On January 4, a philologist and literary critic, professor of St. Petersburg State University Boris Averin died. The scientist was 76 years old. The death of Averin was announced by the writer and philologist Andrei Avtitsaturov, who studied with Averin. Close to the scientist confirmed the incident of Radio Komsomolskaya Pravda. Boris Averin graduated from the Geophysical Department of the Leningrad Arctic School.

On Rubinstein Street, 8/6, Sushi-bar Crazy Sushi from the Restaurant Holding RECA opened. The bar became 70th in a row by an institution on the street. Crazy Sushi works on the bottom floor of the Crazy Wine wine bar of the same holding, while the institution has a separate entrance. The cafe is designed for 30 seats and decorated in the style of pop art with excerpts from Japanese comics on the walls and neon lamps.

Designer Artemy Lebedev allowed the free use of the logo of St. Petersburg. Earlier, the Supreme Court demanded that Smolny replace the logo developed for the Tourism Development Committee and purchased in one ruble due to the complaint of the OFAS. Lebedev explained that after the courts the right to the logo returned to the studio. At the same time, the Smolny Committee on the development of tourism no longer turned to Lebedev, but announced a competition for a new logo.

On Nevsky Prospekt, pickets were held in defense of parks and squares. One activist was detained A series of single pickets in defense of parks and squares was held on Nevsky Prospekt. The action was held by the Green Coalition of St. Petersburg, uniting about 40 initiative groups struggling with the development of 70 city plots. Activists stood with posters along Nevsky Prospekt. Among others, Boris Vishnevsky, deputy of the Legislative Assembly, took part in the action.

What did St. Petersburg residents eat and drink in tsarist times, what were the city baths and dachas like, and what did they watch in theaters more than 100 years ago? "Paper" selected the best texts of 2018 about life in St. Petersburg before the revolution. What were the toilets like in pre-revolutionary St. Petersburg and how did they live in apartments at +17 Why were bathtubs hidden in St. Petersburg palaces and where did aristocrats and students live?

The analytical agency "Turstat" has a rating of the most popular world tourists in the world in 2018. Peterhof got into the top ten. The rating of museums in the world was compiled by the results of the analysis of attendance in 2018. In the first place was the Paris Louvre, which was visited by 10.2 million people, which is 25 % more than 2017. The second was the National Museum of China with a attendance of 8.1 million people. The third is the metro-museum in New York with 7.3 million people.

On January 1, more than a billion rubles played in the New Year's circulation of the Russian Lotto lottery. The Petersburger won 500 million rubles. The main winners of the lottery were two men, one of which turned out to be a resident of St. Petersburg. They will receive 500 million rubles, the Stoloto press service said. The company added that the winners purchased winning tickets of 150 rubles. The names of the winners and other details were not disclosed.

According to weather forecasts , on weekends, January 5 and 6, it will get colder in St. Petersburg. On the night of Saturday, January 5 is expected to -9 degrees, and in the afternoon to -7. Light snow will pass in places. On Sunday, snowfalls are also likely, there will be ice on the roads. At night, up to -9 degrees, in places up to -12. In the afternoon will be from -5 to -7 degrees. At the same time, by the end of the holidays, the city will get warmer again.