St Petersburg, Day 2

Day 2 in St Petersburg started out much more efficiently.  We still had to go through immigration control, but it took 5 minutes instead of an hour.  The guide had pointed out that Russia is hosting the World Cup next year… with the immigration control and hiking the prices on Visas this year, it could be very interesting to see how they handle the influx of visitors.  Here’s a view of a new stadium – one of the venues for the World Cup.

Our tour of the city stopped on the banks of the Neva River overlooking the fortress, the Hermitage and a number of other bridges, palaces, and boats.  The city is sometimes referred to as the Venice of the North… I’d say it is Venice + traffic!  All the bridges means getting to the main part of the city is a  nightmare.

Out in front of the Maritime Museum are two lighthouses… decorated with boats.  The concept being you display the boats you have broken to show how powerful your navy is.

The view across the river included he Winter Palace, the famous Hermitage Museum. Four of the five buildings that make up the Hermitage sit on the river (the winter palace, the new Hermitage, the Hermitage Theater, and the Old Hermitage).  The General Staff Building is across the square behind the Hermitage, and goes about 2 blocks inland

the Generral Sevices Building and the Plaza behind the Hermitage

Before we went to the Hermitage we went down Nevsky Prospect, one of the most important roads in St. Petersburg.  It is the main commercial district.  

We went to the Kazan Cathedral at Kazanskaya Sobor.  On the canal next to the cathedral, they were kayaking. 

Kazan Cathedral

We had early arrival passes for the Hermitage, but so did half the tours from our cruise ship and another ship which arrived this morning.  We did get in and got a head start on the crowds.  

main staircasse

You come up the stair into the ballroom and throne room.  The were having an exhibition of clothing from the Csarist Period.

throne rooom

One room celebrated the 1812 victory over the French with paintings of all the generals -- if the family couldn't provide one, the space was left blank.

1812 Room

There was a display of porcelain – one dog reminded some of a certain Russian leader.

There is a peacock clock that was a gift to Katarina.  If you go to the Hermitage web site, you can see how this clock worked. 

One room had a number of mosaics, from Roman gods, to inlaid tables.

Roman mosaic

We got a chance to see a number of well known painters:  Rembrandt (more than 20), the 2 Leanardo da Vinci, 1 Goya, 1 El Greco and 1 Michaelangelo.  We could not see the imppressionisrs... they have moved them to the General Staff Building and are not on the tour.

Rembrabt

da Vinci

Michelangelo

Goya

El Greco (a self portrait as St paul)

There were also a wide variety of Russian and other painters. One interesting thing was Katherine had seen the loggia of the Vatican and wanted one.  Since the papal one was frescoes, she could not get them, so Russian artists recreated it on canvas.  

a look at one of the ceiling pannels

This piece was put together like a jigsaw puzzle of thin slices of malachite. 

On the other hand, this piece was made from a single piece of Jasper.  They actually tore the wall down to get this into the gallery.

Oh, and any self respecting noble in those times had an Egyptian collection.  We had scarabs, sarcofogi and a mummified body.

When we left the Hermitage, the lines to get in were halfway around the block, on both sides of the museum.  Amazing!

We went from there to the Church of the Savior of the Spilled Blood, a Russian Orthodox cathedral,  This is where Csar Alexander II was attacked in an assassination plot. 














 At one end of the church are the stones on which he bled.  

shrine to the spolled blood

The five domes have paintings that look down on you and the entire church is decorated in mosaics. 

We had lunch in a park near the Faberge Museum.  We noticed a state building with an awful lot of antennas. 

Here's a sign we found interesting.

not sure why the cat has a powdered wig

The Faberge Museum was interesting.  It is a private consortium who are trying to bring back some of the treasures of Russia. They currently have 9 imperial eggs, and 2 others who were privately owned.  

first Imperial Egg -- the white egg opens to reveal a golden yolk
which opens to reveal a chicken

the Coronation Egg
complete with a working model of the coach
(which was consulted when they tried to restore the original coach)

The Lilly of the Valley Egg - a favorite of Katherine

They have a wide variety of practical things that the Faberge craftsmen created, like tobacco boxes, clocks, ladles and soup tureens, and even icon covers.

After that we left the city and when to the Peter and Paul Fortress on an island across the river called Zayachy Ostrov.  

the Cathedral of St Peter and Paul
(worlds largest Orthodox Bell Tower)

chapel

The cathedral of Saints Peter and Paul is the resting place for all the Csars, including Peter the Great.  All the Csars are buried in the same white marble tombs, except for  Alexander I and his wife Maria.  One tomb is noticeable newer, one of the wives was a Danish princess and was originally buried in her homeland and was moved here in the last 25 years.

Alenander I and Maria, red granite tombs

The Tomb of Peter the Great includes coins that were minted here on the island.

Nicholas II who was assassinated 100 years ago with his family, was not technically Csar at the time, so they buried him in the Chapel of Saint Catherin the Martyr, right off the sanctuary. 

Nicholas, family and servants are buried in the chapel

the icon screen on the altar

On the island is also a building that served as a political prison for a number of years.

As we were leaving, a helicopter landed just outside the fortress gate.  It apparently was somebody important (they were met by a Rolls Royce and a chase car.) 

Behind the helo you can see the Artillery Museum, or as our guide called it the museum for all the guys.  We could see a number of guns on the lawn as well as some rocket launchers.

As we started back toward the ship we were stuck for a time on the bridge leading off the island.  I got a few final shots of the Neva River, including the Dutchman ship that is both a restaurant and a gym – you can put it on down in the restaurant, or take off the pounds on the poop deck!

boat house and the Dutchman Restraurant