Just like Constantinople, even the grandest cities have slums.
Carpenter Alley, next to the Hay Market, fits the characteristics of a slum in any city, with more than twenty taverns that used to be brightly lit even at night, but now have closed their doors to guests.
Most of the residents here are low-status workers, cooks, copper craftsmen, and prostitutes.
There are also a few "middle class" living here, mostly the homeowners who can rent out extra rooms and work as lower-ranked officials, tailors, and technicians.
Yet, this place is not on the fringes of the city but in the center of Saint Petersburg.
When Great Emperor Peter first founded the city, the Hay Market was an important area for commerce and trade.
This attracted a variety of people: small merchants, bankrupt farmers, laborers, the middle class, and young men dodging conscription.
Unless you see it for yourself, it's hard to imagine how so many living people could fit into those cramped and narrow buildings.
