ST. PETERSBURG, RUSSIA--
Considered the most European of all Russian cities, St. Petersburg is Russia's second largest and Europe's fourth largest city after Moscow, London and Paris. Founded by Peter the Great in 1703, St. Petersburg was the capital of the Russian Empire for over 200 years until 1918 after the Russian Revolution of 1917.
Peter the Great designed the city as a monument to himself from images he obtained while traveling throughout Europe. He brought in workers from all over Europe and they created a spectacular city.
In our observation, St. Petersburg is a grand city with wide roads and canals and goes for miles and miles with palaces, cathedrals and amazing residences for the nobility!!! It was just exciting to see Russia for our first time!
Considered the most European of all Russian cities, St. Petersburg is Russia's second largest and Europe's fourth largest city after Moscow, London and Paris. Founded by Peter the Great in 1703, St. Petersburg was the capital of the Russian Empire for over 200 years until 1918 after the Russian Revolution of 1917.
Peter the Great designed the city as a monument to himself from images he obtained while traveling throughout Europe. He brought in workers from all over Europe and they created a spectacular city.
In our observation, St. Petersburg is a grand city with wide roads and canals and goes for miles and miles with palaces, cathedrals and amazing residences for the nobility!!! It was just exciting to see Russia for our first time!
Doug and Joyce entering Russia!
On our way to Peterhof--(These pictures are a little filmy because I took them looking through the bus window.)
A new, very modern hotel by the port with a statue of...
...none other than Peter the Great at the entrance!
ST. ISAAC'S CATHEDRAL--St. Petersburg's largest church...
...built between 1818 and 1858, it is decorated with 14 kinds of minerals and semi-precious stones as well as mosaic paintings...
...and the dome is covered with 220 pounds of pure gold!!!
Monument to Nicholas I (1856-1859) on St. Isaac's Square
The Narva Triumphal Arch--Erected as a memorial to the war of 1812 to greet soldiers returning home from their victory over Napoleon.
New highrise apartment buildings!
Peterhof--(suburb of St. Petersburg) Founded in 1710 as a summer residence for Peter the Great situated 22 miles SW of St. Petersburg. The palace building was badly damaged by German troops during WWII. Painstaking restoration started soon after the was but was not completed and opened to the public until 2003.
Panorama of Peterhof that I borrowed from the internet showing how large his SUMMER palace was--300 acres!!!
A Russian Orthodox church attached to the palace.
If you think this is a lot of gold, you've seen nothing yet!!!
Peter the Great drafted the layout for the park and supervised the design of the palace fountains.
View of Peter the Great's Versailles-inspired Grand Palace and Grand Cascade at Peterhof
Grand Cascade (below palace)--used 18th century engineering feats that helped pipe in water from springs in the surrounding hills to make the cascade's 64 water jets work.
All of the fountains operate without the use of pumps. Water is supplied from natural springs and collects in reservoirs in the Upper Gardens. The elevation difference creates the pressure that drives most of the fountains of the Lower Gardens, including the Grand Cascade.
Grand Cascade with Samson Fountain (to the right)--Samson is tearing apart the jaws of a lion, symbolizing Peter's victory over Sweden in 1709.
There were many golden nymphs and heroes...
...adorning the tiers of the Great Cascade.
At least this statue was somewhat modest!?!
The palace overlooks the Grand Cascade and gardens opening onto the Baltic Sea.
Beautiful geometric lower gardens
Definitely Russian-looking!
Even the balconies are decorated elaborately!
Entering the Grand Palace--we couldn't take pictures, so I borrowed a few from the internet, however, these pictures really don't do the palace justice!
Main Staircase
The Grand Throne Room--
Imperial Dining Room
French-style interior of Drawing room with ornate wallcovering
You squint with all of the gold inside! This room was used by Pres. Putin to host Pres. Bush and other world leaders at the G8 Summit in July 2006.
Breakfront cabinet and ceramic heater
Picture Hall--walls are almost entirely covered by a series of 368 paintings, most of variously dressed women, differing in appearance and even age, yet most were drawn from a single model.
Notice the wood marketry-designed floor in this sitting room
Tea setting
Tritan Fountain--One of the 173 gilded fountains...
...with a small turtle fountain on all four sides.
The hothouse at Peterhof
The Roman Fountain--one of a pair
Checkerboard cascade fountain
Walking down to see Monplaisir, Peter's retreat by the sea!
One of several fountains designed with the specific purpose of soaking visitors,...
...such as the Oak Jester Fountain rigged with jets that activate when someone steps on certain stones...
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...like Doug did and he got sprayed!
Bronze statue on marble of Peter the Great...
...on our walk down to sea!
More fountains
Mon Plaisir (my pleasure)...
...a small baroque bungalow that was the first building in the Peterhof complex...
...where Peter enjoyed living instead of his "too magnificient" palace...
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...close to the water's edge and close to the island fort that housed his fledgling Russian navy.
Still opulent but not as large or overly-done in gold!
I caught this picture as we drove by--the Royal Stables, very European looking!
Fedorovskii Cathedral--located just east of Peterhof
A colorful Russian Orthodox Church near Petrof.
We went inside for a few minutes...
...and it was very dark inside!
One of many beautiful old nobility residences--where a few rooms house a restaurant where we ate our first authentic Russian lunch
The gray-haired lady just above was the grandmother that took 4 of her children and their spouses, along with 12 grandchildren and a couple of spouses and financees on the cruise--for a total of 26 (that we tagged along with!).
I enjoyed eating everything, from the salad...
...to the chicken and mushroom crepes...
...and everyone enjoyed the dessert, especially Doug!
I just had to take this picture of a Russian license plate!
Traveling to Peter and Paul Fortress/Cathedral--
Constantine Palace--now the State Congress Palace
A building along the way with definitely a modern design!
New high rises
McDonald's billboard along the road--a sign of the times!
Cable car that looks like its been around for awhile!
Moscow Triumphal Arch...
...erected in memory of the Russian victory in Russo-Turkish War of 1828.
Like its waterbound sisters, Amsterdam and Venice, St. Petersburg is built around a network of canals and rivers, that are lined with granite embankments to prevent erosion!
Portico of the Old Saint Petersburg Stock Exchange (Bourse) shows Greek Revival architecture. Since Soviet times, the building has functioned as the Central Museum of the Russian Navy.
Two red rostral columns are on either side of the Stock Exchange. They originally served as beacons... 
and are decorated with marble allegorical figures representing four major rivers of Russia--the Volga, Dnieper, Neva and Volkhov..
Peter the Great had a great vision for everything, except for modern restroom facilities!!! This is actually a restroom on wheels, which we used and were laughing with each other while using the stalls!!!
St. Peter and Paul Fortress--
Built in 1703 to protect the area from Swedish invasion, and the first site chosen by Peter the Great to build his city. However, the fortress soon became Russia's Tower of London, a place for imprisoning politically harmful people--including, among others, Peter the Great's own son.
Neva River looking toward fortress with cathedral in center-- 
Peter and Paul Cathedral--St. Petersbury first monumental building and burial place of all Russian Czars. In 1924 it became a museum.
For a period of two centuries all Russian rulers from Peter I to Alexander III (with the exception of Peter II and Ivan VI Antonovich) and members of their families were laid to rest in the cathedral.
Pink and green-marble-looking corinthian columns are faux painted!
The tradition of burying members of the ruling dynasty in a church was based on the age-old belief in the divinity of royal power. The Russian Orthodox crosses are solid gold!
On September 28, 2006, 78 years after her death, Maria Fyodorvna, Dowager, Empress of Russia, (mother of Tsar Nicholas II) was reinterred.
Burial Chapel of Romanov Tzar Nicholas II (last imperial ruler) and his family ...
...who were finally laid to rest here in July 1998. I've always been fascinated with the story of the Romanov Family, how they were tragically executed, and how Anastasia might have lived. However, in the 1990s it was confirmed by DNA that she died with the rest of her family.
Peter the Great's Tomb...
...along with his wife, Catherine I, on the left.
Again, Catherine I's grave in the front (not to be confused with Catherine the Great) and Catherine II's (Catherine the Great) in the back.
Marble coffins (grey/green on left is Alexander II and pink on right is Alexander's wife)
The interior of the cathedral is very ornate with elaborate paintings, sparkling chandeliers and faux marble pillars.
The central part of the iconostasis
Rostrum in cathedral
We thought this was interesting--a smokestack in the fortress that has been reinforced with steel straps.
On our second day in St. Petersburg, we see Catherine's Summer Palace, Church on Spilled Blood and various other amazing sites!!!
4 comments:
Oh, my gosh!!!! This was absolutely something to see just in the pictures--let alone how you actually saw it in person! I definitely want to go to St. Petersburg! You saw more gold there than you probably thought there was in the world. No wonder you took so many pictures there. Everything you saw could have been a picture!
WOW! that palace and its gardens are just AMAZING!! what a beautiful place--and you got so many great shots. You really did document your trip so well, even down to all the great detail shots!!
Wow! I can't believe people use to live like that...it is just amazing! Thanks for sharing your trips with us!
Fancy Shmancy! I couldn't believe all those gold statues! Very neat to see all these pics mom. keep up the great documentating.
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