St. Petersburg is a city of haunting magnificience, an imperial capital that seems to have been built as a monument to its own passing.
St. Petersburg's name was changed in 1914 to Petrograd, then after the death of Lenin in 1924 to Leningrad and back again to St. Petersburg when the Soviet Union collapsed in 1991.
The city has more than 200 museums; in fact, the city is a museum today!
New buildings right by the wharf where our ship was docked!
On our way to Pushkin--
On our way to Pushkin--
I have no idea what this building is, but I had to take this pictures of the long Russian name on the roof.
Some grand neo-classical building
House of Soviets--planned to be the central administrative building of Stalin's Leningrad but not finished until after the war and never used as the Leningrad government building.
It's hard to see, but the emblem in the middle of the flags on the top of the building features a Hammer and Sickle (symbols of communist Russia). The emblem was conceived during the Bolshevik Revolution showing the unity between industrial (hammer) and agricultural (sickle) workers.
A1970 bronze statue of Vladimir Lenin (who began his revolutionary activity and laid the foundations of the Communist Party) with the building...
...now housing the Moskovsky Region's local administration.
Monument to the Heroic Defenders of Leningrad...
...built in early 1970s to commemorate the heroic efforts of the residents of Leningrad and the soldiers on the Leningrad Front to withstand the Nazis in the 900-day Siege of Leningrad (one million residents died during this time from starvation and freezing weather) during WWII.
PUSHKIN--
Pushkin is a suburb of St. Petersburg and is located about 17 miles south of the city, built as a summer residence and is the site of Catherine's Palace.
Catherine's Palace--
Built between 1719-1723 by Peter the Great for his wife, Catherine I, the ornate baroque palace is over 1,000 feet long and features a blue facade.
Built between 1719-1723 by Peter the Great for his wife, Catherine I, the ornate baroque palace is over 1,000 feet long and features a blue facade.
During the reign of Catherine the Great, a number of classical interiors and monuments were added to the complex. The palace soon became the offical summer residence of Catherine the Great whose name is associated with the palace today.
Gold onion domes crown the palace's chapel on the end.
Surrounding the palace are 1,400 acres of manicured gardens and parkland. The palace exceeds all the other palaces with its gigantic size and unique decorations.
Beautiful, ornate fence on property
We left our ship really early that morning because this is one of the most popular sites to see in St. Petersburg, and by the time we left there were crowds of people everwhere you looked.
We chuckled about this New Orleans-style jazz band (The guy on the left with the tuba actually reminded us of a Mexican band.) that entertained us while we stood in line to get into the Palace, but it made our wait go by faster.
Close-up of 15-foot tall carved Atlas figures supporting the globe on his shoulders.
White vestibule with an impressive marble staircase leading up to a hall with crimson curtains and walls adorned with porcelain pieces and...
...about the only room that isn't gold!
Fancy barometer (one of two) in the large entrance hall
The Great Hall (Also known as the Grand Ballroom) reminded me of the "Hall of Mirrors" at Versailles--hundreds of small and large gilded mirrors reflect the light and make this giant hall seem even bigger.
Elaborate ceiling paintings...
...in almost every room!
Each of the numerous gilded carvings that cover the walls is a masterpiece in itself.
These beautiful Delft porcelain heaters heated the rooms with boiling water circulating through the inside pipes.
State Dining Room--where Catherine the Great entertained her guests.
More gold and wood floor marketry...
Chess set on marketry table and floor!
Reproduction of period dress
This room deviates a little from the gold/white theme, with green foil under glass on the walls.
Copy of Catherine the Great's masive dress and cape...
...as shown in the picture above!
Large portrait of Elizabeth, Catherine the Great's mother-in-law!
We could take pictures in this palace (without flashes) in every room, except for the AMBER ROOM. However, I couldn't resist taking a picture of this amazing room--the most famous room in the palace. King Frederick William of Prussia gave Peter the Great the original inlaid amber panels after Peter admired them in a room in Frederick's palace. The 16-foot jigsaw-looking panels were constructed of over 100,000 perfectly fitted pieces of amber. The German Nazis dismantled the amber panels and shipped them to Germany during WWII, and they have never been found. Many Russians believe that they still exist somewhere in Germany. Russian artists began recreating the amber panels using the old techniques in the early 1980s, and the room was opened to the public in 2003.
The Portrail Hall--Most paintings were by Western European masters of the 17-18th Century.
Painting of the destruction by the Germans of the palace during WWII
Kazan Cathedral--dedicated to Our Lady of Kazan, probably the most venerated icon in Russia. Emperor Paul I wanted a church built on the model of St. Peter's in Rome, featuring a semicircular colonnade.
...traditional Matryoshka dolls,...
...and big chunks of amber--not cheap!! I can't imagine what the Amber Room in Catherine's Palace must have cost!?!
2nd Russian Lunch--
Again, we really enjoyed the Russian food, from the salad,...
...to a type of chicken roll and potatoes!
Church of the Savior on the Spilled Blood--
The church was built on the exact site of the March 1, 1881, assassination of Tsar Alexander II, while riding in his carriage along the canal embankment.
The church is distinguished by its picturesque silhouette and rich colorful decoration.
There wasn't enough room to include the Winter Palace and the Hermitage on today's blog, so I will post it next time!!!
3 comments:
Again, just so breath-taking to see these huge palaces and how ornate they are on the inside. It is so difficult to think how the average person lived compared to the rulers of the countries who overdid their places of residence so much as these!
Interesting comment, Laura. I agree with your thinking that the palaces and buildings are so opulent. They are beautiful to see, though, and I think I really, really want to see them someday in person. Thanks, Joyce, for another wonderful collection of photos from your around the world travels.
A-M-A-Z-I-N-G! I'd say that Catharine lady was spoiled! But I'm glad she was because what an amazing site to see now! I can't believe those pictures of that palace mom! Very neat. Fun to see.
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