Kronshtadt - Town of Marine Fame

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It’s a long time since I wrote my last ‘report’ about a trip. Well, much has happened since my trip to Baku and I’ve managed to visit several places. Blogs will be appearing as soon as I write them. I spent three months with no particular purpose (or a purpose I don’t want to reveal) in St. Petersburg, made some trips to several places, and missed my home badly. Living in a hostel in St. Petersburg (being no traveler there) and comparing that to life in the rented apartment in 2007-2009, I understood that I don’t want to spend time in hostels in St. Petersburg (emphasizing, though, their low prices and other conveniences). Also, staying in St. Petersburg this season brought a girl on my mind (if I can call it ‘a renewed friendship’, meaning that new sense was added to the communication) and I intend to be back there and book hostels in spite of anything. By the way, winter St. Petersburg is lovely – there is much snow now and the New Year paraphernalia all over the city, as always, makes me... perhaps, ‘happy’ is the word I’m looking for (that’s how Wodehouse books influenced me – more detail elsewhere in my new blogs). The Neva is iced all over, except for a tiny strip in its middle, and walking in the city centre, again and again and again, I felt the beauty and harmony of it. That’s a digression, though.

However, now I’d like to return once again to the days past, and recall a short trip to Kronshtadt (in the vicinity of St. Petersburg) which took place in the end of September, 2009 (I was staying in St. Petersburg for several months then). There is still much to be written about the past trips, I just understood I can’t, and don’t want to, rush to the internet each time after a walk/trip, but want to sit, think it over for weeks, and then put it down. Perhaps it’s a drawback that I don’t write my impressions on-line.

I paid another visit to Kronshtadt this year in October, when I (again!) stayed for 2 months in St. Petersburg. Several circumstances demanded my staying there; I stayed for a little while with a friend of mine, and most of the time spent in hostels (one in the centre of the city, one in the outskirts of the city). This time I was accompanied (to Kronshtadt) by two girls, acquaintances of mine, and it was actually one of them who suggested the trip to Kronshtadt. It’s one of these girls who is permanently on my mind now. Leaving aside the less walking-and-exploring-the-town oriented trip with the girls, let me now briefly speak about Kronshtadt. As usual, you will not encounter any information of practical nature here, since it is available in huge amounts elsewhere.

Back in 2009, I decided to visit Kronshtadt. It was one of the few St. Petersburg’s neighbouring towns which I didn’t visit before. I took a bus there and was rather surprised to see the road passing across the sea itself. It takes about 40 minutes to get to Kronshtadt from St. Petersburg by bus. The town is small and can be walked easily from one end to another.

If you want to come and see the town, you better combine it with seeing St. Petersburg and perhaps take a guided excursion there and learn more about the history of the town and its significance for St. Petersburg and the country. Definitely, the town, located at seaside, has a ‘sea’ layout, with several canals, docks, and monuments to seamen, and gulls and marine ships! Perhaps the first place for anyone to see is the Morskoy (Marine) Cathedral. At the time of visiting it was under renovation inside (if my memory serves me right), while at the time of second visit (October 2010) it was all hidden, renovation being now performed on the outside. There is also a fine cathedral near the bus stop (buses from St. Petersburg).

I quietly walked there and took pictures of several monuments which will be enclosed to this short passage. At the time of second visit, the fine graffiti on the walls, seen perfect in the 2009 photos, were partly destroyed, I guess, by some teenagers thinking themselves to be cool, or some drunken idiots. A human mind has a destructive and a creative side. The exhibition of art works (made of rubbish and other like items) is still there. The winged horse is, perhaps, the best exhibit. At least, for myself.

One must definitely visit Kronshtadt with an intention to learn more about Russian marine fleet, the role of Kronshtadt during the Great Patriotic War. I’m not giving any facts on that.

To cut it short, I walked round the city (I almost crossed it completely in several directions), but in the simple residential streets there are no interesting things. I guess half a day (or just several hours, but remember the 40 minutes road by public bus) will be enough if you take an excursion there, and the other half of the day may be devoted to St. Petersburg itself.

These holidays I hope to note down as much as I can. There is my longest trip (and the longest blog so far) coming, visits to a very peculiar place in a former Soviet Republic, visits to two magnificent Russian towns (both belong to the Russia Golden Ring route), and some other things.

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Photos

Cathedral of the Vladimir Icon of Madonna with Chapel
1875-1879 y.

Photo 17
I always like such remains of the Soviet era

Tower of the Town Water Supply
town museum