St Petersburg

Sunday, August 13.

Today we travelled from Moscow to St Petersburg on the Sapsan train.

This is a well appointed fast electric train was designed by Siemens in conjunction with Russian railways and can travel at speeds up to 350Kmph. According to the timetable the journey takes 3 hours and 40 minutes, to travel over 700Km with 3 stops.

About 2 hours into the journey and having just had our lunch on the train, strong winds brought down a tree onto the overhead wires ahead of us and we stopped. We were 3 and half hours late arriving in St Petersburg.

Due to incorrect address on our documentation, it took hours to find the hotel. Ravenous, by midnight we finally found a noisy disco; more suited to our tastes years ago in the 70s, but at least it served food.

Monday August 14

Our Red Bus ride orientated us on the sights and their locations.

St Petersburg founded in 1703 and is a city built with canals & waterways and many famous and has beautiful buildings on its old streets.

Alexander Nevesky Monastery

The Anichkov Bridge was built in 1839-41 and has 4 dynamic statues of men taming a rearing horse at each corner of the bridge on the Fontanka River. The Cabinet building behind was built in 1803-06.

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The Northern bank of the Neva River has the beautiful spire the Cathedral of Peter and Paul Fortress (where the Romanoff tombs are located) in the center.

We walked about Palace Square outside the Hermitage (closed on Mondays). It played a unique role in the Russian revolution, when Lenin’s Bolshevik supporters attacked the winter palace from the square on November 7, 1917.

The other side of the square for the Alexander Column has the General staff building, the headquarters for the Russian army. Parades are often held in the square.

Neo classical palaces, mansions and fine old houses are throughout the city with architectural styles ranging from Baroque, Neo Classical, French style ‘Moderne’ spanning from 18^th and early 19^th centuries line many streets - especially on fashionable Neveskiy Prospect, Russia’s most famous street.

Even MacDonalds didn’t look too out of place.

Kazansky Cathedral is one of the most majestic churches in St Petersburg. Commissioned by Paul I and completed in ten years (1801-1811), the architect, Andrey Voronikhi was inspired by St Peters in Rome, with an 111m curved colonnade.

Dutch Church Building has a NeoClasssical portico, it is now occupied with offices, flats and shops.

The Leningrad ‘Hero City’ obelisk is in the center of Uprising Square on Nevekiy Prospect. It commemorates the city peoples’ resistance to the German occupation in WWII.

Beautiful canals are lined with multi-story houses Neo Classical in design and small window verandas.

This Hermitage Theatre Foyer dating back to 1718-20 crosses the Winter Canal.

The Neva River:

The Rostral column(s) were designed as lighthouses in 1910. The oil lamps were replaced by gas torches and used on ceremonial occasions. The columns are decorated with protruding ship bows that celebrate naval victories.

These Atlas figures are meant to help you deal with many of life challenges by taking the burdens from you - if you rub their big toe.

Russian Museum is housed in the Mikhaylovskly Palace, a neo classical creation by Carlo Rossi built in 1819-25 for Grand Duke Mikhail Pavolovich. It holds a great collection of Russian art.

Church of Spilt Blood

This beautiful church was built on the spot where on March 1, 1881 Tsar Alexander II was assassinated. It was built by his successor Alexander III who launched a competition for a memorial. It has a riot of colour and juxtaposition of style and materials in a Russian Revival style.

Peter the Great in a riverside park

Peter the Great

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St Isaac’s Cathedral is a one the world’s largest cathedrals. It was designed in 1818 by the then unknown architect, Auguste de Montferrand. The construction of the colossal building was a major engineering feat. Thousands of wooden piles were sunk into the marsh ground to support its weight of 300,000 tons and the 48 huge columns were hauled into place. The cathedral opened in 1858 but was deconsecrated and became a museum of atheism during the Soviet era. Officially still a museum today, the church is filled with hundreds of 19^th century works of art.

Tuesday August 15.

Today was the Hermitage, one of the largest museums in the world; it occupies a number of buildings, the main one being the winter palace. It houses collections of mainly 18^th, 19th and 20^th century art works. They are displayed in the magnificent staterooms, halls and theatres. Catherine the Great purchased over 2,500 painting between 1764 and 1774, together with 10,000 carved gems & drawings, silver and porcelain.

None of her successors matched the quantity of her remarkable purchases. After the revolution, the nationalisation of both Royal and private property bought even more paintings and works of art, making the Hermitage on of the leading art museums.

The main staircase, a vast sweeping staircase dates back to 1762.

The imperial family would have guests enter the palace here.

Treasures abound like this mechanical orchestra (clock with inbuilt organ)

The malachite room has untold treasures of great beauty (& value)

On our last visit in 2002, we are certain we saw rooms themed on other precious gemstones & minerals (e.g. Gold, amber, silver etc.). These were either not displayed or required an additional fee to view..