Leaning over the rail of my balcony on Deck 10, I can just make out the images of three men across the Neva River. They are dressed in dark blue coveralls and sitting on wooden crates along the dock, laughing and having a smoke. Perhaps they are taking a break from their jobs in the shipyard. Or maybe they simply want to enjoy this beautiful summer night in St. Petersburg.

And who can blame them? Behind them, the late evening sun casts a soft glow across the grand domes and gold spires of St. Petersburg, a sharp contrast to the gray, well-worn colors of the shipyard. The air is warm, and I can hear the tinny sounds of traffic even from here on the ship.

With the sky still so light, it’s hard to believe that it’s 11 p.m. But this is the “Land of White Nights.” During summer, the sun never fully sets in this Russian city. Instead, a warm pink and blue hue fills the heavens during the deepest night hours.

The opulent fountains at Peterhof Palace are a popular attraction.

I could be asleep in my comfortable suite on the Radisson Seven Seas Voyager. My stateroom is spacious and elegant, with all the comforts of home. But who can snooze when there is so much to see?

Our mid-sized ship is docked in the deep channels of the Neva River inside the town once known as Leningrad. Home to 5 million people, St. Petersburg is a major cosmopolitan city — yet it’s unlike any town I’ve ever seen before. A past filled with dichotomies has left its mark on every street corner, from the over-the-top grandeur of Peter the Great’s palatial residences to the simple, worn buildings of the communist era.

From my deck, I have an excellent view of this land that my country, the United States, once feared. And strangely, up close, it doesn’t look so intimidating.

Just down the river, there are two submarines and a navy ship, relics from Soviet glory days. Russia has no money for new war machines now, so the country makes do with whatever it has, repairing and reusing what it can.

Beyond the subs, dozens of shipyard cranes stand like praying mantises, ready to load and unload the huge barges that cruise up the river each night. St. Petersburg’s location on the delta of the Neva has made it a shipping mecca for centuries. A labyrinth of waterways and canals wind their way through the city.

St. Petersburg’s many bridges rise each night to allow large vessels deeper into the bowels of the region. I watch from my perch as a cargo vessel from Moldavia, piled high with containers carrying who knows what, glides silently past us. A commercial vessel from Finland follows, and then a tall ship from Italy continues the parade. The line goes on and on under the ghostly haze of the White Nights, and I have a front row seat to it all.

The Midnight Sun is just part of the allure of this region of Russia. Some visitors are drawn by the country’s grand past — the history of czars and enormous palaces. Others come for the arts and outstanding ballet. As for me, I am simply curious. I want to see the land that I’ve heard so much about.

Our ship will dock in the Neva River for three days, offering a convenient base to explore the city. Three days is not much time, but my sister, Debbie, and I jump into full exploration mode, trying to get underneath the thick skin that is Russia.