St. Petersburg marks the first stop of my Russia trip. The timing could not be more perfect - almost at the summer equinox, with the longest days of the year.
The Moscow Gate was originally built in 1838 to celebrate war victory over Turkey. This is a reconstruction though, completed in 1961.
Moskovskiy is a major north-south thoroughfare with grand buildings lining both sides of this section. The architecture does not look Russian at all though.
This memorial to Peter the Great was ordered by Catherine the Great and was inaugurated in 1782. St. Petersburg was founded by Peter the Great in 1703.
Peter the Great wanted to Westernize Russia and the architecture shows just that.
The Hermitage is a treasure trove of art and many tour groups had set their sights to get in. Peak season for the cruise industry has arrived.
This exquisite golden sculpture is actually a clock.
Venice still looks just like this today. The painting actually has a 3-D effect and looks a little different from various angles. I had a hard time spotting the differences though!
It is well past 9pm. Thanks to its northerly location, sunset arrives at almost midnight.
The city experiences weird bouts of occasional torrential downpours followed by brilliant sunshine.
Judging from all these cars parked along the street, the locals also want to enjoy the "white nights".
The subway stations are not particularly stunning but being buried so deep underground, they are an engineering feat .
The Catherine Palace was enlarged from its humble beginnings over the years but suffered massive damage during World War II. Restoration is not yet complete but visitors can see what has been fixed. Bring sunglasses - the gold glitters sharply inside.
The gardens are huge while the blue exterior blends in well with the summer sun.
I wasn't too interested in buying souvenirs that I will never see or touch again upon returning home. A photograph of the memory would suffice.
Russia is famous for caviar, but salmon eggs are middle-class food and nowhere close to the precious Caspian Sea sturgeon eggs.
Peterhof's gardens incorporate an extensive use of water.
St. Petersburg is a city of canals, like Amsterdam. So let's hit the water!
As a typical daily downpour ensued outside, I sought refuge in the Peter & Paul Church, which sits inside the citadel across from the Hermitage. Built in 1723, it is the city's first stone church and burial place of all Russian czars since Peter the Great.
This pair of stone lions were gifted from imperial China, seemingly out of place in this distant European city.
Even though St. Petersburg was built to mimick Europe, there is still a traditional Orthodox church in town.
Inside, the walls and pillars are painted from head to toe.
St. Petersburg has a number of tram lines with a varied stock of vehicles, such as these ancient relics.
Excellent! Thanks for sharing this very interesting tour and pictures.
Saint Petersburg is a pearl, a monumental city. Beautiful palace and orthodox architecture. Those gardens around Catherine Palace and Peterhof's gardens are amazing.
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"The destructive effects of automobiles are much less a cause than a symptom of our incompetence at city building" - Jane Jacobs 1961ish
St. Issac's Cathedral dominates the city's skyline. It survived Nazi bombing during World War II and the imposing structure can accomodate up to 14,000 people. Too bad I didn't have time to visit the balcony.
Numerous waterways criss-cross once-swampy St. Petersburg.
A huge square fronts the Winter Palace, which looks just like a major town square in a Western European city. St. Petersburg was designed to not look Russian.
wonderful. peter has been on my radar to visit since 'russian ark (2002),' the almost unbelievable movie about russian history shot inside the hermitage all in one take!
Peter and Paul Fortress marks the beginning of St. Petersburg. Completed in 1704, it was part of Russia's line of defence against Sweden. It eventually became a political prison, and now sits on an island in the heart of the city.
The Commandant's Pier offers a lovely view of the riverbank and the Hermitage museum on the other side.
Meanwhile, elsewhere along the waterfront ...
The 127m Aurora went into service in 1903 and participated in the Russian-Japanese War in the Far East. Sunk during World War II, it was raised and repaired after the war, finally becoming a museum in 1956.
Nice pictures! I'm surprised to see canals; I never would've expected that.
One thing different between St. Petersburg and Western European cities is the lack of trees in St. Petersburg. The wide boulevards seem like ideal places for some medians.
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