The lecture by cultural expert Natalia Levkova transports listeners to the "Northern Riviera" - to bustling train stations, Finnish summer houses, and narrow paths of the Karelian Isthmus. Through quotes, travel stories, and everyday details, the summer vacations of St. Petersburg residents come to life, along with their habits, routes, and small rituals by the sea, full of light and freedom. For one evening, the White Hall of the Lermontov Library transforms into a point from which one can mentally escape from the noisy city to the pines, sandy beaches, and dacha stations of past eras. Together with cultural expert Natalia Levkova, guests will trace how the northern shore of the Gulf of Finland became a dream for St. Petersburg residents tired of dust, hustle, and stone quarters. Train stations, small shops, carts by the platforms, the smell of bread and Vyborg pretzels - all of this creates a vivid picture of a resort world that is still preserved in letters, travel notes, and memories. The lecturer will explain how the habit of "going to the dacha" was born on the Karelian Isthmus and why this area began to be called the "Northern Riviera." The stations of old Finland, familiar from postcards and old photographs, form a chain of destinations: Kuokkala, Tyuriseva, Vammelsuu, Raivola, Terijoki. Behind each name is its own story: fashionable dacha settlements, seasonal hotels, private guesthouses, cafes by the train stations, and endless walks to the sea along a smooth road. A separate part of the conversation will be dedicated to the people who filled these places with life. Summer dacha-goers, minor officials, teachers, artists, and writers sought silence and fresh air here, but brought with them the habits of the big city. The theme of winter also does not remain aside. On the Karelian Isthmus, there existed a special type of "winter dachas" - those who stayed in the dachas during the cold season. Levkova will explain how their lives differed from the usual urban lifestyle: stoves, snow-covered paths, rare trains, and rare but especially warm meetings with neighbors. Through these details, it becomes evident how the dacha area shaped a special identity and sense of home.