On Top of the City

St Petersburg - known for its horizontal skyline, punctuated with the gold domes and spires that, along with its rivers and canals, have become iconic features of the city.

Drawing on original, on-the-ground research, On Top of the City shines a unique spotlight on the hidden youth communities of St Petersburg, Russia, where space and power collide and co-exist. Focusing on urban exploration, Abigail Karas demonstrates how the city’s panoramas - especially its rooftops - contribute to the formation of a local St Petersburg identity and a fascinating underground culture where young people turn the rooftops into safe spaces, where they can resist the encroaching political repression of Putin’s Russia.

Arguing that young Petersburgers’ skyline trespassing is a way for them to reclaim their rights - over themselves and the city - On Top of the City invites readers to look upwards, at what these young communities create, as well as downwards, to the social and political control they are trying to escape.