CRUELTY TO ANIMALS

The St. Petersburg Circus will send shivers down the spines of animal lovers. Robotic monkeys, camels, and (when they have them) bears do ridiculous stunts before bolting off stage to the safety of their dirty, microscopic cages. If this hasn't ruined your evening, then you can sit back and enjoy contortionists, acrobats, and clowns doing regular circus stuff. The acts are far from extraordinary and the exploitation of tortured animals stretches the bounds of entertainment. Naberezhnaya Reki Fontanki 3. Metro: Gostiny Dvor. Tickets available on the premises or in kassas around town. Tel: 210 4260.

A trip to the St. Petersburg Zoo makes hunting seem humane. If you're going to kill animals, at least do it quickly and not draw it out in front of a bunch of kids. Don't go unless you want to be really depressed. Park Alexandrovsky 1. Metro: Gorkovskaya. Open daily 10:00-19:00 in summer, until 18:00 in autumn and spring, and until 17:00 in winter. Ticket office closes one hour earlier. Tel: 232 4828.