Liteyny Prospekt, St. Petersburg

This street contains much that is paradoxical and intriguing. The poet Anna Akhmatova lived here during periods of great difficulty during World War II. Further down the avenue towards the river stands Bolshoi Dom, a monstrous building notorious for having been the very place where those suspected of crimes against the state were interrogated or tortured. Nowadays this chilling and imposing place with armed police patrolling nearby is the headquarters of the St. Petersburg FSB (the new title for the security services after the fall of communism). Liteyny Prospekt starts at Liteyny Bridge and ends at Nevsky Prospekt . It is also a great shopping street, so you can window shop while you admire the history.