Our day-to-day adventures as we experience life abroad.

Monday, October 23, 2006

pretty pictures

Alright everyone. After all my postings about Finland, I'm getting threats about no one wanting to come visit me in Russia anymore. So I decided that I should take this time to put up some more pretty pictures of things Jonathan and I saw this summer. (And if this doesn't sway you, remember, we have a guest room! You'd have to pay for a place to sleep in Finland, and it ain't cheap!)

So, without further ado-

Here is the Suvarov museum. Suvarov is a favorite general of Jonathan's. Never lost a battle, and coined the phrase "Train hard, fight easy." We haven't actually been INSIDE the museum yet, but it's not too far away, we'll go soon.



Next up is the Smolny Convent. This is the Smolny Institute, part of the complex, and home to the original meetings of the Bolsheviks. Notice the statue of Lenin out front.



Here is the main cathedral of the Smolny Convent, from the side and then the front.





Speaking of cathedrals, next is St. Isaac's, the largest cathedral in St. Petersburg. (It was the largest in Russia when it was built; I believe now it's only dwarfed by the Cathedral of Christ the Savior in Moscow.) The place is huge; it took 40 years to build. During the soviet period in Russia, it was used as a museum about atheism (!). It's now used for services again, for major holidays.

Here's the outside, from the side...



the whole square it faces...



dome close-up.



The outside is pretty plain, but the inside is incredibly ornate.





The dome ceiling- notice the dove in the middle.



The best part of St. Isaac's, really, is climbing up to the top of the dome for a great view of the city. Okay, the climb itself is pretty scary...



Note the enclosed staircase, lower left...



but the view is worth it.







The same day Jonathan and I went to St. Isaac's, we went past the navy's Admiralty building:



where there was some sort of Naval Veterans celebration going on. We met some great WWII vets who were celebrating in the park and even posed for pictures for us.









Last but not least on this photographic journey is the Peter and Paul Fortress, the main original structure of St. Petersburg, built in 1706. Many tsars are buried here. The cathedral was built from 1712-1733. Aside from things like television towers, it's the tallest structure in St. Petersburg.



inside...



Most exciting, from Peter and Paul you can take a helicopter for a tour over the city. We haven't gotten a chance yet- but it's a definite to-do on our list.



Hope everyone's enjoyed this feast of eye candy. Perhaps this will restore your interest in coming to Russia...

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