Early start today. It’s quicker getting through Russian Immigration the second time but they are still rather frosty.
We had a drive around the old part of St Petersburg and had a stop at a few squares before the crowds of the day started to build up. These two shots were taken in the square in front of the Hermitage.
This is a shot across an old parade ground, now a park called the Field of Mars
We then had a ferry ride around some of the canals and the Fontanka River which gave a great view of the old St Petersburg.
Then the main act of our St Petersburg visit, the Hermitage. Originally the Tzars‘ winter palace, this huge place now holds one of the most extensive collections of Western art in the world, as well as other curiosities such as the Napoleonic room; a huge gallery with portraits of all the Generals involved in the defeat of Napoleon. There were an awful lot of them. The blank blue spaces are for those Generals who had died before the artist got to paint their portrait. Their names are listed under the blank frames.
All the famous artists of history were there, mostly in large numbers. There was an extensive gallery just of Rembrandts, and you could see many examples of the work of Titian, Raphael and Jan Steen. There were even a couple of Leonardo Da Vinci’s paintings and a sculpture by Michael Angelo. There are obviously way more artists than this but my knowledge of art is at best sketchy. My favourite picture was a portrait of an old Jew by Rembrandt. It just seems so alive.
They claim if you spent 8 hours a day here, 7 days a week, and took one minute to look at each exhibit, it would take you 8 months to see the entire collection. I suspect you would have also been driven mad way before you finished by the crush of tourists that pour through the galleries in an unceasing flow.
Lunch was at what was claimed to be the last banqueting hall built in St Petersburg. It dated from 1914. The food was good but no musicians today. Still we all got a glass of vodka and of sparkling wine which gave the day a nice rosy glow.
Back on the bus we headed across the river to the fortress of St Peter and St Paul. It was built to protect the new city of St Petersburg but spent a lot of its time as a political prison.
Prior to the completion of the big St Isaac’s Cathedral, the church in the fortress was St Petersburg’s main Cathedral. It has remained the church of the Romanov family and all the Tzars from Peter the Great to the last Tzar Nicholas are interred here.
Peter the Great’s tomb still has flowers put on it every day. In addition to the flowers placed by various institutions, it is also a custom here for couples on their wedding day to visit here and the bride to place flowers.
And that ended our visit to St Petersburg. This is a city that has suffered much during its history. It was under siege by the Germans in WW2 for 900 days. During this time over six hundred thousand civilians and over four hundred thousand troops perished and their city was almost totally wrecked. That they have restored it to its current condition is an enduring testament to the indomitable sprit of the Russian people. I strongly recommend a visit.
Hardys’ Travels 