«I love Venice. I’m jealous of it, I miss it, I worry about it. And thoughts about Venice often become morbidly obsessive. I can’t help but talk about Venice.» Andrey Bilzho

Today, we invite you to see Venice through the eyes of artist, writer—author of the «My Venice» duology—and, ultimately, psychiatrist Andrey Bilzho!

He will show you Venice as he sees it. Not the one on postcards, and not the one where everyone rushes from one «important» place to the next. But the one that quietly breathes in his beloved Dorsoduro neighborhood, where every street holds a little secret, and the canals reflect the sky, as if the city were painting its memories on water.

Venice has only six districts (sestiere), and each one is a special microcosm with its own mood and atmosphere. Dorsoduro is a neighborhood of artists and bohemians. Its name, incidentally, translates from Italian as «hard back.»

A walk with Andrey Bilzho is an immersion into a “non-tourist” city, based on his 15 years of living in Venice. He will reveal the so-called «Négorod»—a world without cars, where streets are replaced by canals and narrow corridors that flow into squares like vast living rooms.

In Andrey’s company, familiar myths about crowds and smells are shattered, and Venice reveals itself in its true, everyday life, along with its residents, who have long since become his friends.

You will leisurely wander through narrow streets and quiet canals, almost deserted. Old bridges, flower-filled balconies, shuttered windows—it’s easy to forget time here. Every door, every courtyard, every drop of water in the canal has its own story.

You’ll then have lunch at a small, cozy restaurant recommended by the writer himself. He’ll share his favorite spots in Venice—things you won’t find in guidebooks. Afterward, you’ll head to his home for a cup of coffee, where you can discuss what you’ve seen, share your impressions, and even draw together: Andrey will lead a short creative workshop.

Families with teenagers are especially welcome: Andrey is an adolescent psychiatrist by training, and he promises that even children, who are usually constantly connected to their devices, will enthusiastically engage in the conversation and creative process.

BOOKING:

Natalya Kutlyarova
[email protected]

Sabina Urusbieva
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Anna Filenko
[email protected]