St. Petersburg expects three million visitors this summer and police have increased patrols and document checks to control gypsy thieves who prey on foreign tourists. In recent years, theft by gangs of gypsy children and adults in tourist areas of St. Petersburg have become notorious. Last summer’s worst incident involved a group of 35 elderly British tourists, 21 of whom were robbed in a two-day stretch. The thefts occurred on Nevsky Prospekt near the Oktyabrskaya Hotel, and it was the British tour company’s complaints that prompted action by Russian authorities. The Russian Tourist Industry Union requested this year’s police crackdown and officials are determined to make St. Petersburg safe for visitors.
