It is not that Russia moves slow, in fact they move in a quick efficient manner, but as a traveler there is no way to see the beautiful city of St. Petersburg in quick rushed manner and truly get a sense of it. I have spent a total of four days in this beautiful city and feel the surface has only been scratched. I have so much more research to do and sights to see, but as of yet my experiences have given a fine introduction and magnificent experience.
I spent a day walking around with my National Geographic Traveler book in seemingly random fashion the first time I was here. It was not the prettiest weather. Cloud bursts made taking photos quite difficult and reading my book and map difficult as well. But I always know that if you encounter miserable weather and city is still captivatingly beautiful, then that city is simply intermittently beautiful. Of course I learned later that the varied colored facades were designed for that exact purpose. The shuttle dropped me off at St. Isaacs cathedral and it was obvious from the start, I was not in Kansas anymore, I was in Russia!
St. Isaacs dome dominates the skyline on the river Neva. I was told the 333 foot gilded dome can be seen from the Baltic Sea--I’ve looked, but have not seen it. Completed in 1858 this cathedral is massive and can hold up to 12,000 worshipers in the Russian Orthodox standing room only style. Laid out in a Greek cross the cathedral has four bell towers with bronze sculptures looming massively atop them and is surrounded by 48 red granite Corinthian columns. It took forty years to build the shrine to St. Isaac simply because its namesake shared the same day of birth (different year) St. Petersburg’s namesake, tsar Peter. Over 400,000 workers labored here and it cost more to build then the winter palace include the lives hundreds of the laborers. The dome has a beautiful mural painted by Karl Bryullov. This mural covers 8,611 square feet and has a central figure of a dove. As I wandered inside this massive cathedral, now museum, I could find beauty in every corner, it was obvious that great thought was put into every nook and cranny. As my neck began to ache from looking up so much I began to look at eye level at the massive bronze doors and the fantastic murals scattered throughout. When the time to leave drew near I exited to look at the massive columns mentioned earlier. Chucks were missing from these granite monoliths. These chunks were caused by shrapnel from the many wars that St. Petersburg has seen.
Just outside of the back of the Cathedral I took a stroll through the beautiful wooded Alexander Garden, containing numerous paths, statues and fountains. A favorite place for wedding photos, I saw numerous happy brides in gorgeous gowns flanked by a handsome groom with a huge smile. One of the paths led me to the infamous statue of the Bronze Horseman. This monument to Peter the Great is located where the garden meets Decembrists’ Square. With a horse reared back on two legs trampling a snake that represents treason the statue is full of symbolism. The bronze statue is on a gigantic rock known as Thunder Rock. This rock is believed to be the very rock upon which Peter stood when he surveyed the scene of what was to become St. Petersburg. It seems classic St. Petersburg that a place so romantic and noble is named for such tragic events as the Decembrist uprising of 1825 where more then 80 people were killed.
I then left the Square along the palace embankment and came across the towering needle spire of the Admiralty. Soon thereafter I came across the Hermitage and Winter Palace. The Hermitage is gargantuan and contains some of the world’s greatest art collected by generations of tsars. Besides the sheer magnitude of the rich art collection the building of the Hermitage and Winter Palace itself is outstanding. With more then 1000 rooms, it is said that if one were to spend a mere minute looking at each piece of art contained in the Hermitage it would take over 9 years to see the whole thing. From the moment you see the outside façade of the Hermitage and Winter Palace you are immediately drawn to it. In fact my first day in St. Petersburg I saw it, but knew I did not have the time to even scratch the surface and that a whole day needed to be dedicated to it. As I walked away that day I could not put out of my mind that which is the Hermitage and Winter Palace. Upon my return to St. Petersburg I did, in fact, dedicate an entire day to this place.
From the moment I entered the Hermitage and Winter Palace I knew I had done the right thing. From the entrance and first sight of Rasterelli’s ornate Jordan Staircase my jaw had dropped and it was useless to pick it up as it continued to fall after each step. On the tour we covered nearly 5 miles and each mile was worth it. I can not even begin to describe all that I saw. Art from Picasso to Monet and architecture that was simply, or complexly, stunning, the Hermitage and Winter Palace delivered all that was to be expected.
After the 5 hours spent in the Hermitage and Winter Palace a good meal was in order. I had the fortune to enjoy a traditional Russian meal. The meal was a spectacular ordeal. On arrival I enjoyed a simple salad with fresh vegetable and herbs. Then we served pancakes with a type of sour cream and caviar (which due to moral objections I declined) the pancake was simple yet delicious. After that we served a delicious summer squash soup that was perfectly seasoned and just a delight to eat. The main course was rice with vegetables (chicken for meat eaters) and desert was a peach cake. Not only did we have a glass of champagne we were served a true Russian Vodka that went down smooth and was the perfect punctuation to the feat. As an added bonus we were treated to Russian folk ensemble’s music.
In addition to these many sights I have seen the gorgeous Church of our Saviors spilled blood with magnificent onion domes in brilliant swirls of blue and gold. I have yet to enter, but know I will. I have seen the battleship Aurora where the canon sounded to start the revolution. The Kazan cathedral, the Mariinsky Theater, the Stroganov Palace, numerous cathedrals, the Field of Mars, Peter the Great’s cottage, strolled on the Nevsky Prospekt, and countless other awesome sites. I will be back to St. Petersburg shortly and look forward to seeing Pushkin, Peterhof, and other awesome sites that await me. Until then I relish in my last night in St. Petersburg of this cruise that I spent on the ship. The cruise brought in some excellent entertainment that evening of some traditional folk dancers and musician. They gave a stunning and graceful performance of the deep knee bending, jumping, spinning nature. They sang in boastful pride glorious folk melodies. After the show there was a crew party of wine and cheese on the bow of the ship. There was a spectacular sunset and the weather was perfect. We could see the fireworks of the Navy Day celebration. We reveled in the experience of a lifetime we were all having together. What a wonderful thing.
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