St Petersburg - Russia on Steroids

---

We were in port for two days and only saw a small part of what St Petersburg had to offer. We did not have VISAs so were on a tour through SPB. Our tour guide was excellent and coincidentally, an art history major who was most enthusiastic about living in St Petersburg. She was extremely knowlegable about the history, architecture and art - decorative and paintings. I find that with tours the guide can make or break the trip so we were thankful to have lucked out. Our group was also small..... only 8 of us and mostly mobile. Our first day started with a bit of a tour around the canals of St Petersburg. The buildings along the main river look exactly as they do in the paintings I have seen of St Petersburg. We had tickets for the Faberge Museum in the morning and I must say that this was my favourite one of the tour. The palace which housed the museum was small in comparison to the Hermitage but it was exquisite and each room had wonderful amazing decorative items. The highlight of course were the famous Faberge eggs.

After Faberge we spent some time in the Hermitage. It was almost overwhelming with room after room of various items and unfortunately, rather large crowds.... although our guide was very skilled at finding quiet corners and moving us into rooms where the hoards had just vacated. I was a bit disappointed that there were not more paintings in the Hermitage - we did some a few by Rembrandt and Da Vinci. Unfortunately, none of the tours had options to go to the Russian Museum. We did learn all about the Czars and the various upper echelons of the Russian aristocracy and also the lives of the everyday people. We visited several significant churches - Church of the Spilled Blood - with amazing mosaics, St Isaac's Cathedral and several others. Even when we were not at a particular site, our guide told us storied of her growing up in Russia and St Petersburg during Soviet times.

Day 2 was a bit less frenetic with part of the day spent out at PeterHof - in time for the 11am fountain ceremony - where all of the fountains 'come alive' to music. It is very impressive! We spent some time here walking through the forests and gardens of the grounds. We then went to Catherine's Palace - again more 'over the top' opulence. I can understand why there was a major social revolt against the aristocracy.

The view from the port of the gray soviet apartment blocks were a stark contrast to the architecture of the city. We drove through these residential areas on the way back to port each day. Of interest..... we also drove by 'Putins Palace'

---

Photos

Faberge Egg
One of the several eggs on display

Cigarrette Case
I loved these cases which were transparent to illuminate the fine inlays.

St Isaac Church
This church was built by serfs and one of the last to be built before the abolishment of serfdom. Many of the people who built the church dies as a result of the poisonous materials used.

Church of the Spilled Blood
Where all the Czars and Romanovs are buried. This church was used as a warehouse during Soviet times

Church of the Spilled Blood
Amazing mosaics - view looking up to ceiling

Propaganda Art
This was on the side of a building near the metro station. It is left over from Soviet era.

St Petersburg Subway
This is one of the many mosaic murals in the subway. Glorifying the soviet.

St Petersburg Subway
This is the deepest subway system in the world.

St Petersburg Subway
Glorification of the Soviet ideal