FOLK MUSIC

For people who want to see a full-blown folkloric show including Cossack and Russian folk dances, music and spiritual songs, it's well worth attending a performance by one of the various troupes who perform at the Nicholaievsky Palace. Performances are held daily at 20:30. Ploshchad Truda 4. Metro: Sadovaya/Sennaya Ploshchad. Tel: 312 2600. Price $10.

Larger scale folk concerts are held at the St. Petersburg hotel. Vyborgskaya Nabereznaya 5. Metro: Ploshchad Lenina. Shows start at 19:30 daily. Tel for ticket reservations: 542 9056, 312 2600. Price $15.

Terem-Kvartet holds unusual concerts of a very high standard, including unique interpretations of classical and popular works and an opera, Tsar Nikita and his Fourty Daughters, based on Pushkin's tale, by Tchaikovsky, played on traditional Russian instruments. Performances are held at Shostakovich Philharmonic Hall, Glinka Maly Zal and the Capella. For information on concerts and to order tickets tel:110 4068; Fax 110 4096.