TRIP DIARY

19-28 June 2003.

This was Pam's first visit to Russia. We went to and stayed in Petersburg only. We avoided Moscow altogether. This summer was the 300th anniversary of the founding of Petersburg, so the city had been restored and painted and cleaned and was lovely. The buildings are painted many fantastic colours. This was decreed by Peter the Great in order to add light and colour to the city, which is so far north that there is very little sunlight in the winter months. During the summer it is a riot of colourful buildings; often not matching each other, but side-by-side.

It never got dark while we were in Petersburg.

The weather was cloudy and wet for the first three days, but superb for the remaining five.

Thursday 19 June 2003

We started our journey the proper Russian way, by sitting at the door with a bags for a minute. You are always supposed to sit and wait for a moment before setting out on a journey.

We flew from Ottawa to Toronto on Air Canada. The one hour flight is just a commuter run. AC 457 YOW-YYZ 15:00 - 16:04 A321 1hrs

We flew from Toronto to Frankfurt on an Air Canada Boeing 747-400. The flight took 7 hours 15 minutes, and as it was overnight, we got to sleep. AC 872 YYZ-FRA 17:45 - 07:00+ 747-400 Combi 7:15hrs

Friday 20 June 2003

We arrived in Frankfurt, Germany, at 07:00 after a night flight from Toronto.

We then immediately flew on to Petersburg on Lufthansa. That took almost three more hours. Russia is big. LH 3258 FRA-LED 08:55 - 13:35 A321-200 2:40hrs

We were met at Pulkove-2 international airport (LED) arrivals by the driver from Alexandra. He was holding a sign reading "Clearwater." It cost $20 for the transfer into central Petersburg. I had arranged this by internet.

Our hotel is actually a hostel. Everything in the city is booked for the 300th anniversary celebration of the founding of Petersburg in 1703. The actual anniversary was on 27 May. Not all the hotels are actually full: the city and federal government placed a hold on many hotels and hotel rooms, and blocked them off for the celebration period. This means that rooms will sit empty so that they are "ready."

Our home is the Puppet Theatre Hostel, (Hotel of Big Puppet Theatre) at 12 Nekrasova St. The Puppet Theater Hostel is located in the city center a ten-minute walk from Nevsky prospect and from Moscow train station. It occupies the fifth floor of pre- revolutionary building called the Bolshoi Puppet Theater. It is open 24 hours a day, all year round; has an open breakfast buffet; clean and comfortable 2, 3 and 5-bedded rooms; friendly English speaking staff offers free city tours with an English speaking guide; and is managed by Svetlana Filomonova.

Today we are finally getting to see Russia. What a place, if you value your sanity don't drive there. Our plane arrived late and we disembarked into customs. One of the first sounds of Russia was a cell phone playing "Jingle Bells" in the customs line. We had a little trouble there because the airline ran out of arrival slips and we got to the head of the line and were sent away to fill out the form. I finished first and dissappeared to the head of the line. Pam finished the form and went to stand in a long line. Another plane had just arrived. When Pam got through customs to baggage claim she couldn't find me. I had gone all the way through so our driver wouldn't leave. Apparently you do not have to stand in line again- you just go back to the same counter and the agent will see you next.

The driver brought us into St. Petersberg and the traffic was awful. First, they drive too fast and then too slow, but always too close to other vehicles. There are lines on the pavement to denote lanes but they are only a guideline. People in SUVs got on the trolley track in the middle of the road to pass the traffic. The delay wasn't caused by an accident but I have never seen that many stalled cars on the road before.

We got to the hostel and then went out exploring and looking for dinner. We exchanged dollars for rubles and had dinner at Laima (found on the internet before we left) and it was good. We went into bookstores and shops. We walked all the way to the Winter Palace (the Hermitage) and then started back. While we were in Gostiny Dvor department store, fireworks started going off in the street outside. It was odd to see them while the sun was still high in the sky but it was actually 9pm. Laso, it was not going to get dark at all anyway. We went to bed around 10:30PM and it was brighter outside than when we arrived.

Exchange Rate. Everything is charged in Roubles, the Russian currency. After twelve years of wildly fluctuating value, and several currency reforms, the Rouble is now fairly stable. As of 01 June 2003, the Ruble is R32.50 to the $1.00 ($US). Example: R100 = $3.25

Now it is time to walk around and meet the city.

Nevsky Prospect is one of best known streets in Russia and definitely the main avenue of Petersburg. Cutting through the most historical part of the city, it runs from the Admiralty to the Moscow Railway Station and then, after a slight turn, to the Alexander Nevsky Monastery. In the very first days of St Petersburg it was the beginning of a road to Novgorod, but was soon decorated with some fine buildings, squares and bridges. Getting wider as it goes, Nevsky becomes most beautiful where it has Kazan Cathedral on one side and the Dom Knigi book store (former Singer sewing machine company HQ) on the other, with a wonderful view down Kanal Griboedova to the picturesque Russian-style Church of Our Savior on the Spilled Blood. In addition to the many churches of different denominations (which prompted the French writer Alexander Dumas to call Nevsky "the street of religious tolerance") there are many more attractions around. Just a stone's throw from Nevsky, right by the Grand Hotel Europe, there are Arts Square and the Russian Museum. Further down the road, the largest department store in the city - "Gostiny Dvor", the National Library of Russia (second largest in the country), the monument to Catherine the Great, Anichkov Bridge with its beautiful statues and much more.

Dom Knigi

The most prominent book store in Petersburg is undoubtedly Dom Knigi (The House of Books). The tall building opposite the Kazann Cathedral, number 28, was built in 1904 for the Singer Sewing Machine Co. The globe on top of the tower, supported by atlas, made people's blood boil because it was taller than the allowed height at the beginning of the century. It now houses Dom Knigi, the House of Books, a great place to buy art books in foreign languages, posters and postcards. For books in foreign languages and dictionaries you need Department 8 on the lower level. For art books, postcards, posters and maps go up the stairs and turn right. Before the Bolshevik revolution of 1917 the beautiful building of Dom Knigi used to be the Russian headquarters of Singer sewing machine company.

Palace Square

This square is considered to be the main square of the city and serves as a good example of how different styles can be combined in the most elaborate way. On the northern side of the square stands the picturesque Baroque Winter Palace (built in 1754-62). Across the square, on the southern side, there is a classical yellow-and-white building of the former Imperial Army General Staff (built in 1819-29 by Carlo Rossi). This building encircles the Southern side of the square and through its central arch, designed as a Triumphal Arch of the Classical World, one can get to Nevsky Prospect. On the eastern side a building of the former Royal Guards' General Staff tastefully closes the panorama of Palace Square, while on the West the square borders with the Admiralty and the Admiralty Garden. With the guided spire of the Admiralty and the dome of St Isaac's clearly seen from here, the view westwards across the stone-clad expanse of the Palace Square is quite breathtaking. In the middle of the square the Alexander Column creates an important focal point for this great architectural ensemble.

Alexander Column

On August 30th, 1832, Petersburg witnessed the mounting of the famous Alexander Column in Palace Square, in front of the Winter Palace. The ceremony was attended by the royal family and numerous guests, to say nothing of Petersburg residents. By installing the column, Emperor Nicholas I wanted to immortalise the victory of his brother, Alexander I, over Napoleon. Today, deputy Chairperson of the Monuments Preservation Committee of the Petersburg administration Olga Taratynova says that installation required the efforts of almost 3,000 people and was so well planned that it took just a little over 100 minutes. The Alexander Column is known as a miracle of engineering calculation. For 170 years now, it has been standing in the square unsecured, sustained solely by its own weight of 600 tons. One of the legends of Petersburg says that in the early years of the column's history, the inhabitants of the city feared it might collapse, and in order to dissuade them, the author of the column -- the famous Auguste de Montferrand -- used to take a walk around the monument every day. The figure of an angel, one of the symbols of Russia's Northern Capital, crowned the column exactly two years later, on August 30th, 1834, the day of the inauguration of the column. In 2002, the authorities of Petersburg decided to restore the column. The last time it underwent restoration was 40 years ago. This time, restoration works will amount to the cleaning of patina off the angel and covering its figure with a unique anti-corrosion coating. From the creator of Petersburg's marvelous Isaac's Cathedral came this monument to the Russian military victory in the war with Napoleon's France. Named after Emperor Alexander I, who ruled Russia in 1801-25 (during the Napoleonic Wars), the column is an excellent piece of architecture and engineering.The Alexander Column (Aleksandrovskaia Kolonna), which is the focal point of Palace Square, was designed by the French-born architect Auguste de Montferrand and built in 1830-34. The pedestal of the Alexander Column is decorated with symbols of military glory. The monument is particularly impressive on a sunny Petersburg evening shortly before dusk, when the last beams of sunlight are reflected in the polished red granite of the column.

Saturday 21 June

Peter-and-Paul Fortress

Built to secure Russia's hold on the Neva delta, the Peter and Paul fortress anticipated the foundation of Petersburg by a year- and may even have suggested to Peter the Great the idea of founding a city. The construction began on May 16, 1703 and this is the day when the city got its start. The fortress' role as a prison for political convicts dates back to 1718, when Peter the Great's son, Alexey, was tortured to death here. Known as the ?Russian Bastille", its grim reputation struck terror until the Soviet period. In 1921 it was turned into the state museum with many permanent exhibitions dealing mostly with the History of Petersburg. Peter & Paul Cathedral (arch. Tressini, 1732) is a real landmark of the city and its main attraction. Sited around the nave are the tombs of the Romanov monarchs from Peter the Great onwards, whose coffins repose in vaults beneath the sarcophagi. The Peter and Paul Fortress was the first structure to be built in Peter the Great's newly founded city of Petersburg in May, 1703. Located on one of the city's 42 islands, the fortress has six bastions named after some of the prominent individuals who supervised their construction, including one dedicated to Tzar Peter himself. The original walls were built of clay and the present-day brick walls were added later between 1706 and 1740. All construction work on the fortress was carried out under the close supervision of Petersburg's first architect Domenico Trezzini and the Tzar himself. Construction on The Peter and Paul Cathedral began in 1712, but was only completed some 21 years later in 1733, eight years after Peter the Great's death. For a long time the Cathedral was the city's main church and until 1917 it was the burial and resting place of the Russian tzars. Though ideally positioned to sustain an enemy attack, the fortress was never actually involved in any fighting. It was, however, used to house the city garrison and a section of the complex was soon converted into a high security political prison. Peter the Great's rebellious son Alexei was its first inmate. The fortress soon began to play a significant role in the lives of the people of Petersburg. Not only did it help them to keep track of the time with its traditional 12 o'clock cannon shot, introduced by Peter the Great himself, but blank cannon shots fired from the fortress also helped to warn of the infamous floods that have always threatened the lives and property of the city's residents In 1917 the fortress became one of the city's major revolutionary centers. On October 26, 1917 members of the Provisional Government were arrested at the Winter Palace and brought to the Peter and Paul Fortress. These deputies were to be some of the last inmates of the Old Regime's infamous political prison. During the Soviet era the fortress was turned into a museum. In 1932 the Gas Dynamics Laboratory was built into the complex and was to witness some of the first Soviet rocket engines ever to be built. During the Blockade of 1941-44, when the entire city of Leningrad was under siege from Nazi troops, the fortress was severely damaged but was subsequently restored to its former glory. When Peter the Great re-conquered the lands along the Neva River in 1703, he decided to build a fort to protect the area from possible attack by the Swedish army and navy. The fortress was founded on a small island in the Neva delta on May 27, 1703 (May 16 according to the old calendar) and that day became the birthday of the city of St Petersburg. The Swedes were defeated before the fortress was even completed. For that reason, from 1721 the fortress housed part of the city's garrison and rather notoriously served as a high security political jail. Among the first inmates was Peter's own rebellious son Alexei. Later, the list of famous residents included Dostoyevsky, Gorkiy, Trotsky and Lenin's older brother, Alexander. Parts of the former jail are now open to the public... In the middle of the fortress there is the Peter and Paul Cathedral, a church where all the Russian Emperors and Empresses from Peter the Great to Alexander III are buried. The Cathedral was the first church in the city to be built of stone (in 1712-33). The design of the cathedral is most unusual for a Russian Orthodox church (come over to St Petersburg and you will learn why).On top of the gilded spire is an angel holding a cross. This weather-vane is one of the most prominent symbols of St Petersburg. At 404 feet the cathedral is the highest building in the city.Other buildings in the fortress house the City History Museum and the Mint, one of the two places in Russia where coins and medals are minted.Location: Zayachii ostrov (island). All building are closed on Tuesdays. An admission fee is charged for the cathedral and the museum.

The Peter And Paul Cathedral

Sobor Petra i Pavla or Petropavlovsky Sobor. The Peter and Paul Cathedral was built between 1712 and 1733 by Domenico Trezzini on the same site as a wooden church erected in 1703, the year that Peter the Great founded Petersburg. First to be built was the cathedral's bell-tower with its gilded spire, which quickly became the focal point of the fortress and the surrounding area. The rest of the Cathedral was completed later and is perhaps one of the more unusual Russian Orthodox Church buildings in the city. The bell-tower makes the Peter and Paul Cathedral the tallest building in Petersburg (122.5 meters or 404 feet 3 inches high). The gilded spire of the Cathedral is topped with a weather vane depicting an Angel with a Cross. The bell tower also shows an old clock face, newly restored and chiming precisely on the hour! The cathedral's interior is decorated in the baroque style of the early 18th century. The elaborately decorated gilded iconostasys (icon wall) was made in Moscow between 1722 and 1726 entirely from wood. All of the Russian tzars from Peter the great onwards (with the exception of Peter II and Ivan) are buried in the Cathedral. Peter the Great's tomb sits in the South-Eastern corner of the church near the icon wall and is adorned every day with fresh flowers, while the newly installed tombs of Nicholas II and his family lie in the South-Eastern corner, in the St. Catherine's chapel. Admission to the Cathedral is from 11 am to 6 pm with a museum ticket. From 6 pm to 7 pm, Thursday to Tuesday, admission to the Cathedral is free. "The Angel" as a Symbol of the CityThe weather vane sitting atop the gilded spire of the Peter and Paul Cathedral has over the years become a symbol of the city of Petersburg. Locals often refer to it simply as "the Angel". Constituting the highest point in downtown Petersburg (at 122.5 meters - 404 feet 3 inches) the Angel is said to both watch over and protect the Venice of the North. A careful program of restoration of both the Angel and its mechanism was completed in 1996 and now visitors to the fortress can again see the Angel keeping vigil over Peter the Great's city.

The Prison of Trubetskoy Bastion

Tyurma Trubetskovo Bastiona. Having never taken part in any real wartime action, it was decided to convert part of the fortress complex into a high-security political prison. Peter the Great's own rebellious son Alexei was among the first inmates of the prison. This "Russian Bastille" was to see many prominent inmates, including the leaders of the Decembrists Uprising, the writer Nikolai Chernyshevsky and Vladimir Lenin's elder brother Alexander. Many of the above were imprisoned in the Trubetskoy Bastion, built between 1870 and 1872, which was converted into a museum this century to showcase the horrors of the Tsarist regime and which now offers tours to curious visitors.

The Gas Dynamics Laboratory

Built in the 1930s and located near the main entrance to the fortress, this exhibition tells the story of the pioneering Gas Dynamics Laboratory. Many of the Soviet era's greatest achievements in the fields of rocket engine and missile building were based on research carried out within the walls of the Peter and Paul Fortress.

Transport in the City

Getting around Petersburg is relatively easy. There is a fantastic Metro system: perhaps the deepest in the world (tied with North Korea for deepness, no doubt!) Metro tokens for one journey, called zheton (plural - zhetony) cost 5 rubles - $ 0.18.

Monthly pass for all city transport (Metro, trams, trolleybuses and regular buses, but not T-buses and E-buses) is called yedinaya kartochka and for the last two weeks of the month cost only $3.

There are now semi-private T-buses and E(express)-buses which accept payment in cash only. You normally pay the conductor on a T-bus and the driver on an E-bus. 6 rubles - $ 0.21.

The city is awash in Taxis, and many are safe and efficient. They are also relatively cheap, costing about R35 for the first 1km, or R100 around the downtown area.

St. Isaac's Cathedral

We had originally planned to visit the inside and the dome of St. Isaac's Cathedral, but the weather was foul, and there was no point paying for an obscured view. Also, the inside is empty. It was once the main church of Petersburg and the largest church of Russia. It was built in 1818-58 by a French-born architect Auguste Montferrand, who was commissioned to build the most spectacular church - a prime landmark of the Russian Imperial capital. One hundred and eighty years later the gilded dome of St. Isaac's still dominates the skyline of Petersburg. Although the cathedral is smaller than a newly rebuilt Church of Christ the Savior in Moscow, it has by far more inspirational facades and interiors. The facades are decorated with sculptures and massive granite columns (made of single pieces of red granite), while the interiors dazzle the eye with mosaic icons, paintings and columns made of malachite and lapis lazuli. A large stained glass of "Resurrected Christ" located inside the main altar is truly fascinating. The church, designed to accommodate 14 thousand standing worshipers, was closed in the early 1930s and reopened as a museum. Nowadays, church services are held here only on major occasions.

DLT department store

DLT (Dom Leningradskoi Torgovli) (House of Leningrad Trade)

Gostiny Dvor

Not really a department store, Gostiny Dvor (Merchant's yard) is more of an 18th century shopping mall, with hundreds of small shops in one of Europe's largest buildings. A significant part of its trading space is rented out to smaller shops. Constructed in 1757-85, Gostiny Dvor has a reputation for being one of the world's first shopping malls and occupies a whole city block south of Nevsky Prospect. Originally it consisted of 178 separate shops, but in 1955-58 the store, severely damaged during the 900-day Siege of Leningrad, was renovated and the inner walls were torn down, providing plenty of space for the largest store in St Petersburg. The two-storey yellow-and-white building of Gostiny Dvor is familiar to all the locals due to its prime downtown location. One-fourth of the complex is currently under renovation, and a long wooden fence stretching along Nevsky has become a St Petersburg version of London's Hyde Park Speakers Corner, attracting activists from different parties, special interest groups and what not... The fence was recently removed but the "Speaker's Corner" is still there.

The following gives you an idea of what sort of shops are to be found on the two floors. Flr 1: Shoes for men, women and children, cosmetics, luggage, watches, toys, stationery, safes, photography supplies, food products, spirits, furs, hats, jeans clothing, lingerie, tights & stockings, sports goods, children's knitwear, ready-made clothes for women, camping supplies, goods for dogs, children's bicycles & baby carriages, costume jewelry, home appliances, TVs, paints & varnish, small kitchen appliances, household chemicals, drills & saws, hardware, electrical tools, garden supplies, linens & towels, saunas & shower rooms, cosmetics. Food products, shoes for men, women and children, cosmetics, jeans clothing, clothing for women, rubber shoes, CDs, costume jewelry, tights & stockings, luggage, shirts, rugs and carpets, video tape rentals, electronics, children's video games, TVs & A/V equipment, electronic equipment parts, batteries, home appliances, electrical supplies & goods, running shoes, sport goods, cassettes, musical instruments, confectionery, spirits. Flr 2: Clothing for men, engraving works, currency exchange office, information service, cafe, tableware, men's perfumes and accessories, costume jewelry, jeans & jeans clothing, women's clothing, shoes for men and women, cosmetics, women's overcoats & raincoats, linens, shawls, leather, haberdashery, tights & stockings, handbags, Littlewoods store, children's clothing, eyeglasses, hats, furs. Fast-food cafe, women's clothing, fabrics, tulle, shoes, sewing notions, towels, linens, kitchen appliances, blinds, small kitchen appliances, luggage, children's clothing. Perinnaya Liniya, flr 2: Leather goods, sewing notions, fabrics, linens, tulle, blankets, mirrors, cosmetics, men's knitwear, goods for women, tights & stockings, leather goods, lingerie, men's accessories, men's shoes, men's shirts, men's clothing, A/V equipment, photography supplies, toys, fast-food cafe, glassware, Khokhloma, Gzhel handicrafts, china, crystal, customer service.

The Admiralty

The original Admiralty was one of the first structures to be built in St Petersburg. It was designed to be a dockyard, where some of the first ships of Russia's Baltic fleet were built. The Admiralty was also fortified to be an extra defense for the newly obtained Neva delta. The Admiralty that we can see today was built in 1806-23 by Adrian Zakharov. He maintained the original plan of the building, but turned it into a marvelous example of the Russian Empire style, with rows of white columns, plentiful reliefs and statues. The gilded spire of the Admiralty (and particularly its weather-vane korablik - "a little ship") is a famous Petersburg landmark. The tower of the building, topped with the spire,can be clearly seen from three streets: Nevsky, Gorokhovaia Street and Voznesensky Prospect. The Admiralty used to be the naval headquarters of Russia till 1917, and now serves as a naval college. The gardens in front of the Admiralty are particularly beautiful in summer.

Kirov Ballet

Tonight we attended a grand performance of the classic ballet "Swan Lake" at the famous Mariinsky (Kirov) Theatre. The Mariinsky theatre/ballet company is now in it's 200th season. You just do not see that sort of age in North America. Our seats are in a box in the first circle, Loga 15 (two away from stage right), seats 1&2.

"SWAN LAKE" at the Mariinsky (Kirov) Theatre, "Stars of the White Nights" Festival,

19:00 Ballet - Petipa/Tchaikovsky. 1st Circle, Loga 15, Seats 1&2.

The history of Mariinsky (Kirov) theatre begins with the Grand theatre of Petersburg built in 1783. Since the beginning of the 19th century the Petersburg ballet group has been known as the finest example of Russian classical ballet school. Mariinsky theatre's stage has presented innumerable world-famous pieces of Russian opera: several major works by Glinka, Borodin, Rimsky-Korsakov and Mussorgsky were performed here for the first time. Tchaikovskiy's ballets and operas were also staged at the Mariinsky theatre. World-known dancers of our century, such as Galina Ulanova, Rudolf Nureyev, Natalia Makarova and Mikhail Baryshnikov started their remarkable careers in this theatre. Today the conductor Valery Gerbiev who directs the opera, the orchestra and the ballet leads Mariinsky theatre. The world-renowned theater, known during Soviet times as the Kirov Opera and Ballet Theater, resumed its original name in 1992. The present building dates back to 1859, when an earlier theater was remodeled and got its name - the Mariinsky. During the pre-revolutionary years the theater was constantly under royal patronage. Fiodor Shaliapin sang on its stage and among the most prominent dancers were Vatslav Nizhinsky, Matilda Kshesinskaya, Anna Pavlova and many others. The building and its marvelous 1625-seat hall were severely damaged during the 900-day Siege of Leningrad and restored in 1944. Since then the theater has maintained its excellent reputation particularly for classical ballet. The most prominent conductors were Yuri Temirkanov and Valery Gergiev (currently Chief conductor) and among ballet directors - Leonid Yakobson. The famous Rudolf Nureev danced here too.

Swan Lake, a fantasty ballet in three acts, four scenes. Music: Pyotr Tchaikovsky. Choreography: Marius Petipa and Lev Ivanov (1895). Libretto by Vladimir Begichev, Vasily Geltzer. Revised choreography and stage direction by Konstantin Sergeyev. Set design by Igor Ivanov. Costume design by Galina Solovyova . Premiere: 15 January 1895, Mariinsky Theatre, St Petersburg. Premiere of Konstantin Sergeyev?s version: 8 March 1950, Kirov Theatre, Leningrad . Running time: 2 hours 55 minutes. The Performance has two intermissions .

When we say "Russian Ballet", we imply Swan Lake. Tchaikovsky?s masterpiece is a savoury dish readily used to serve to messengers from a friendly state and to open a theatrical season or a tour. Swan Lake is a must in tourist routes, usually mentioned second after a visit to the Hermitage. The ballet companies of the whole world seek to have it in their repertoires, but they tacitly admit the superiority of Russian performers. But who instilled the Russian soul into the story of the German Prince Siegfried and the Swan Queen with the French name of Odette? Not Tchaikovsky - he aestheticised minute emotional movements with a French rather than Russian grace. Neither was it Marius Petipa, for he deliberately evaded the Russian theme throughout his long sojourn in the country. The ballet was Russified by Lev Ivanov, Maestro Petipa?s modest assistant. It was he who invented, in his lakeside act, the spell-bound white maidens, arms folded over their tutus and their heads bowed, creating a pose suggesting the silhouette of a bird with folded wings. He endowed the dancers with a national grace and flowing majesty of movements, made them "sing" the music with their hands so that they immediately conjured visions of languid sorrowful songs, pensive mermaid-like round dances, vast fields and ungainly northern scenery amongst the audience. The "swan" scene staged by Lev Ivanov was shown earlier than all other episodes of the ballet. It occurred in 1894, at a concert in memory of Tchaikovsky. Marius Petipa, abandoning all other activities, accepted the sudden challenge from his talented rival - he staged scenes of palatial balls and court festivals in Swan Lake. He juxtaposed the white queen Odette created by Ivanov with a black counterpart, Odile, contrasting daring fascination and tender craftiness with elegiac languor. To contrast with the simple flowing dance of the swans, he created a tracery of court waltzes and the vibrant colours of Hungarian, Polish and Spanish folk dances. The premiere of Swan Lake took place in 1895.

It was the first time in Russian ballet that dancers had performed a role created by different choreographers. It became a turning point in the biographies of the most famous Russian ballerinas - Marina Semenova, Galina Ulanova, Natalia Makarova, Alla Osipenko, Galina Mezentseva. This role is danced today by Altynai Asylmuratova, Ulyana Lopatkina, Yulia Makhalina, Irma Nioradze, Svetlana Zakharova, Sofia Gumerova, Darya Pavlenko and Veronika Part.

The ballet let out just after 11:00 pm, and we walked back in the light to Nevsky along the Moika Canal. We made it back home by 12:30, and had to ring to be let in. The streets were crowded.

Sunday 22 June

To start our morning we took the Metro south to Ploschad Pobedy.

Monument to Heroic Defenders of Leningrad

(Pamiatnik geroicheskim zaschitnikam Leningrada)

There was a ceremony just beginning

We went home and changed into our finest clothes for brunch.

Sunday brunch at the Taleon private club. Tuxedo. Confirmed table for four. (corner of Moika and Nevsky)

Every Sunday from 12:00 till 16:00 we have a Brunch with black and red caviar, lobsters, champagne and lots of other delicious dishes. While you eat, listen our Live paino music. Enjoy our first-class service and excellent meals. The exquisite and noble interiors of one of the most beautiful mansions in St.Petersburg awaits you. Formally the private residence of the famous merchant Stepan Eliseyev, it has been completely restored to it's former grandeur and is now home to the Taleon Club. Taleon is internationally managed and provides a wide variety of entertainment and outstanding service that guarantees an evening out second to none. The Restaurant of the Taleon Club is located at the second floor of the old Stephan Yeliseyev's mansion. In front of it, in the entryway, you can now see his portrait. It signifies the historical memory for an outstanding banker of the beginning of 20th century, a great philanthropist, a noble collector of Rodin and Bartolome and simply a decent man who solicitously cared for his ancestry mansion. And so do its present owners that had restored the architectural finishing of the house. In this somewhat small, but elegant hall you will be served with delicious dishes of refined European and Russian cuisine prepared by head cook Alexander Dregolsky. The restaurant has everything for connoisseurs of luxurious amusements and pure art, as well as for particular gourmets. You will hear the masterpieces of the "gold classics" of contemporary Russian and foreign variety performed on the piano. The restaurant of the Taleon Club was voted the best luxury restaurant in Saint Petersburg in 1999, 2000 and in 2001. Alexander Dregolsky - Head-Cook of Taleon Club Restaurant.

"Russia and Power" wax figure museum, In the Beloselsky-Belozersky Palace.

The museum includes 200 wax images. The main exposition is placed in Petersburg. The movable exposition is also carried on. According to the topics, the exhibits of the Historical Museum of Wax Figures can be divided into the following exhibitions: "Moscow Tzars", "The House of Romanovs", "The Great Adventurers", "Russia: Terror or Democracy ", "Russia and Power" (The History of the Russian State), the main exposition of the museum, includes 106 figures and covers the period of Russian History from Ivan the Terrible to the present days, Russian monarchs and their association, military men and statesmen, took part in the intrigues and palace revolutions, the great writers, humanists and thinkers are represented here. Home of the Municipal Cultural Center this palace features a rich program of concerts throughout the year. The palace's splendid interiors were beautifully preserved because it used to be the Communist Party district headquarters.

We took the Metro north to the last station, and then the transfer bus to the next working station, and then caught a private bus the last 4 km to the cemetary.

Piskaryevskoye Cemetary

At this sobering place one can truly understand the scale of tragedy that this city (then called Leningrad) lived through during the Second World War (the 900-day Siege of Leningrad). For over 2 and a half years the Nazis kept Leningrad under siege, but its heroic defenders, both soldiers and civilians, did not surrender. In Petersburg we take pride in the fact that during almost 300 years of the city's history enemy forces have never taken the city. Hundreds of thousands of people died in the city (mostly of cold and starvation) during the siege. About half a million of them, including 420 thousand civilians, are buried in the cemetery's 186 mass graves. The slightly raised mounds are marked by year and a long alley leads the visitor to a monument with a statue of the Motherland, portrayed as a grieving woman. Many of St Petersburg families come to the cemetery once or twice a year to bring flowers and pay tribute to the city's defenders, perhaps to members of their own family, who died during the Siege, which the Russians call Blokada. Near the entrance there is an eternal flame, where everyone stops in silent mourning and two pavilions, with an exhibit of photographs that need no captions. During summer time Russians drop coins into the little ponds and the money goes for maintenance.

The poem by Anna Akhmatovna tells us that "nothing is forgotten, no one is forgotten."

We walked to the earest train station and caught a hard seat train to Finland station.

Monday 23 June

As Peterhof was closed this day, we dicided to walk in the area east of Palace Square.

We even ventured into the touist souvenir market near the world's ugliest yet most compelling cathedral. Tour busses stop here, and tourists who do not know any better are generaly gouged for everything they can spare, and some they can not.

Church of Our Savior on the Spilled Blood

We did not go into this monstrousity, but it is interesting to look at from the outside. This hideous Russian-style church was built on the spot where Emperor Alexander II was assassinated in March 1881. In 1861 he freed the Russian serfs (peasant slaves). Within the first half of his reign military, judicial and urban reforms were undertaken and Russia became truly a capitalist country. However, in the second half of his reign Alexander II was no longer keen on continuing reforms. Alexander II was assassinated by revolutionaries, who threw a bomb at his royal carriage. It was decided to build a church at the spot where the emperor was mortally wounded. The church was built in 1883-1907 and was officially called the Resurrection of Christ Church (a.k.a. Church of Our Savior on the Spilled Blood). Most of the money for the church was donated, by the royal family and thousands of private donors. Both inside and outside, the church is decorated with unique mosaics, designed by the most prominent Russian artists of the time (V.M. Vasnetsov, M.V. Nesterov, M.A. Vrubel, etc.) and created in 1895-1907. For all the "Russian look" of the church, its main architect A. Parland was not even a Russian by origin. The church was closed for services in the 1930s, when the Bolsheviks were destroying churches nationwide. After twenty years of restoration, it finally reopened in August 1997. The police sent two men to keep control at the opening, but several thousand people showed up. There was a near-riot. A view of the church from Nevsky Prospect is breathtaking.

Alexander Nevsky Lavra

On 16 May 16 (27 May, n.s.), 1703, St Petersburg, the Northern Russian capital, was founded by the order of Peter the Great. The city was built on lands where Slavic tribes had lived for many centuries. The Volkhov River, Lake Ladoga and the Neva were part of a waterway running from the Baltic to the Black Sea. Early in the seventeenth century these lands came into the possession of Sweden. For a long time Russia struggled to win back her lands and only in Peter I's reign, when in the Northern War of 1700-21 Russian troops smashed the well-drilled Swedish army, did Russia finally establish herself on the banks of the Neva, thereby regaining an outlet to the Baltic. The Emperor decided to immortalize the name of the great commander and patriot of Ancient Russia, St Prince Alexander Nevsky, and by his order in 1710 to the south-east of the city center the Alexander Nevsky monastery was founded. The place for the monastery was chosen by Peter I himself on the left bank of the Black (Chornaya) river (now the Monastyrka river) not far from its confluence with the Neva, this locality bearing a strong resemblance to the place of the famous Nevskaya battle.

The Alexander Nevsky Lavra is a true artistic landmark of St Petersburg. Founded by Peter the Great's decree in 1710, the monastery became one of the first building sites in the Northern Russian capital, parallel with the Peter and Paul Fortress, the Admiralty and St Basil (Vasilyevsky) Island. The first wooden buildings of the monastery were erected on the left bank of the Black (Chornaya) River (now the Monastyrka river).

In the second half of the eighteenth century the Baroque gave place to Classicism. The architecture of the buildings erected in this style is magestic, austere, expressive and, at the same time, simple and rational. The principal church, the Trinity Cathedral (Troitsky Sobor) built by Ivan Starov in 1790, can serve as a brilliant example of the style of Russian Early Classicism and of Russian applied art of the eighteenth century (the interior). Ivan Starov also worked on the main entrance to the monastery, the stone wall and the adjoining Alexander Nevsky Square which architecturally connected the monastery with the center of the city. He also united the aisles of monastery cells with the walls of the oldest cemeteries of St Petersburg. Peter the Great's beloved sister Natalia was buried in the monastery in the St. Lazarus Chapel built in 1717. This started St Petersburg's oldest cemetery where courtiers and high dignitaries were enterred. The famous Russian general of Peter's time B. Sheremetyev, the commander of the cavalry in the Patriotic war of 1812 F. Uvarov were buried there. Among the many outstanding personalities interred in the monastery cemetery were the great Russian scientist M. Lomonosov, the architects I. Starov, A. Voronikhin, G. Rossi, playwright D. Fonvizin. Many tombstones were designed by talented sculptors and architects such as I. Martos, M. Kozlovsky, A. Voronikhin, G. Quarenghi, F. Gordeev and others. In view of the great cultural and historic importance of the Alexander Nevsky Necropolis it was made a state preserve, and a Museum of Urban Sculpture was organized there in 1930. The Tikhvinskoye Cemetery was founded in 1823. In 1935 it was made into a necropolis of eminent art figures. Here were interred Pushkin's contemporaries - the writer M. Karamzin, the poets V. Zhukovsky and E. Baratynsky and the fabulist I. Krylov. Later here were buried the composers M. Glinka, M. Mussorgsky, P. Tchaikovsky, A. Borodin, A. Dargomyzhsky, the famous writer F. Dostoyevsky, the renowned artists I. Kramskoi, A. Kuinji, B. Kustodiyev, the art and musical critic V. Stasov, the actresses V. Komissarzhevskaya, V. Michurina-Samoilova, E. Korchagina-Alexandrovskaya, and the actors Yu. Yuryev and N. Cherkasov. The tombstones were designed also by Soviet sculptors M. Manizer, V. Ingal, M. Anikushin, and others. In 1960-1970 besides works on restoration the reconstruction of the district near the Lavra was carried out. Nowadays the ensemble of the Alexander Nevsky Lavra is one of the architectural, religious and historic centers of St Petersburg.

Tuesday 24 June

Having pre-paid tickets off of the internet from the Hermitage.ru web site made life easier. We walked around the gigantic, and ever growing line, and right in the door. We handed in our recepit and they handed us tickets. We breezed right in.

Hermitage, and Palace Square.

The Hermitage Museum is Russia's best gallery of world art, one of the most prominent art museums in the world and definitely the main tourist attraction of Petersburg. The museum was founded in 1764 when Catherine the Great purchased a collection of 255 paintings from Berlin. Nowadays, the Hermitage has about 2.7 million exhibits and displays a full range of world art from Ancient Egypt to early 20th century Europe. It includes works by Leonardo da Vinci, Michelangelo, Raphael, Titian, unique collections of Rembrandt, Rubens, French Impressionists (Renoir, Cezanne, Manet, Monet, Pissarro), plus Van Gogh, Matisse, Gaugin and sculptures by Rodin. The collection is huge and very exciting. They say that "you can be absorbed for days in its treasures and still come out wishing for more".

The main building of the Hermitage Museum is the Winter Palace which was once the main residence of the Russian Tzars. Magnificently located on the bank of the Neva River, this green-and-white Baroque-style three-storey palace is truly impressive. It has 1786 doors, 1945 windows and 1057 halls and rooms, many of which are open to the public. The Baroque Winter Palace was built in 1754-62 and Catherine the Great was the first monarch to live there. Many of the impressive interiors have been remodeled after the huge fire of 1837. Some of the best Russian and foreign architects worked hard to make this residence of the Russian tzars one of the world's most laxurious palaces.

Hermitage collections are displayed in four buildings which together make a huge museum complex: Winter Palace, Small Hermitage, Old Hermitage and New Hermitage. hermitage Theater is used both for lectures and concerts. It had been calculated that if you decide to spend only one minute in front of each exhibit, you will have to stay in the Hermitage for 11 years.

Our first steps in the palace were up the famous Jordan Staircase to the second floor, We walked through the royal rooms and eventually wound up in the Malachite Room and the small dining room. I even found the October staircase to storm into the palace in a small re-enactment of the Octover Revolution. We moved up to the third floor and saw some of the most famous paintings in the world.

Wednesday 25 June

This morning we went to different museums right next door to each other.

Zoological Museum

Pam visited to Zoological collection while John went to the navy museum next door. There are over 17 million species in the colelction, but only a half million on display. Most of that number is made up of bugs. There are even two real mammoths in the hall of mammoths. Both were found in Siberia in the last century. There are dinosaurs, mammoths and whale skeletons, as well as stuffed animals and birds and butterflies. Although the museum's exhibits are rather low-tech and old-fashioned, future funding projects hope to liven up the museum with more interactive displays and multimedia presentations. The museum opened to the public in 1838, and since 1898 has occupied its current location, which previously housed part of the city's Sea Port Authorities. Today the turreted building of the Zoological Museum blends beautifully with the architectural ensemble of the Strelka of Vasilyevsky Island.

Central Naval Museum

Russia's main naval museum tells the fascinating story of the development, growth and achievements of the Russian navy. With a collection of over 800 thousand exhibits, the museum displays some fascinating naval memorabilia, armaments, authentic maritime equipment, quality models of historically significant vessels and numerous paintings by marine artists. The pride of the museum has to be the boat of Peter the Great, known as the "Grandfather of the Russian Navy". It was on this very boat that Peter learned to sail as a teenager and acquired his fascination for the sea, sea faring and shipbuilding. This fascination later prompted Peter the Great to found the Russian navy. If you are interested in military and naval memorabilia, this is THE place to go! The museum is located on the eastern tip of Vasilyevsky Island, in the impressive white, pillared building of the former Stock Exchange. The building, inspired by the best examples of ancient Greek and Roman architecture, was constructed by the architect Thomas de Tomon between 1805 and 1810. Back in the late 18th - early 19th century this part of Vasilyevsky Island was still a seaport, and visitors can see high up on the portico of the Stock Exchange building an imposing statue of Neptune, the ancient God of the Sea. Two Rostral Columns, monuments to Russia's many naval victories, flank the modern home of the Naval Museum. Visitors enter the museum through a small side door that faces the Hermitage.

Strelka (Spit)

Very early in the history of St Petersburg the Strelka (spit) of the Vasilievsky Island, the largest island of the Neva delta, was intended to become the heart of downtown St Petersburg. Some of the buildings, such as the Customs House, still remind us of that time. Eventually, the downtown moved onto the left bank of the river, but the early 19th century architects did not forget about the Spit of Vasilievsky Island. Neither did the Tzars, since the area could be clearly seen from the royal residence - the Winter Palace.

In the early 19th century one of the most elegant architectural ensembles of St Petersburg emerged on the eastern edge (Strelka) of the island. The imposing white colonnaded building of the Stock Exchange became its focal point, and was flanked by two Rostral Columns. The Stock Exchange, designed by the French architect Thomas de Tomon and built in 1805-10, was inspired by the best examples of Ancient Greek and Roman architecture. The two Rostral Columns, studded with ships' prows, served as oil-fired navigation beacons in 1800s (on some public holidays gas torches are still lit on them).The eastern edge of Vasilievsky Island, adjacent to the Strelka, is one of the cultural and intellectual centers of the city, with St Petersburg State University, the Academy of Arts and a number of museums, including the Navy museum, located in the building of the former Stock Exchange.The Strelka also has one of the best views in the city: you look left to the Peter and Paul Fortress and right to the Hermitage, the Admiralty and St Isaac's Cathedral.

There were several bridal parties on the Strelka, as well as a man with a small brown bear.

We walked over the bridge to Petrograd and on to the Artillery Museum. Aside from exhibits on all cannons ever made in Russia, and exploding dogs, there are many ballistic missiles and nuclear items. Also, Lenin's armoured car, "Enemy of Capital" is still on display.

Military-Historical Museum of Artillery

(Military-Historical Museum of Artillery, Engineering and Communications Forces)

Cabin of Peter the Great

The first living quarters built in the newly founded city of St Petersburg was a wooden house (cabin) for Tsar Peter himself. The cabin is very small - only 60 sq. meters. It is a strange combination of a traditional Russian house - izba - and a Dutch home with large and elaborate windows and high roof, covered with wooden tiles. Tzar Peter lived in this house between 1703 and 1708 and the living room, the bedroom, and the study, filled with Peter's original belongings, still bear the mark of his presence. Peter the Great wanted all the houses of his new city to be built of stone, the way it was done in Europe. But he could not afford a stone house at the time, so he ordered the walls to be painted as if the house was made of bricks.

We arrived just a bit too late in the day to visit the Aurora. However, the views form the embankment were fantastic. I bought a metal bust of Karl Marx from a vendor.

Cruiser Aurora

The ship was constructed in Petersburg New Admiralty in 1897-1903. Lying in Petrograd the Cruiser had appeared at the centre of events of Russian Revolution 1917. Being in close contact to the workers of a plant, the cruiser's seamen were involved in revolutionary propaganda. This was promoted by general situation in Russia, which was put on a verge of catastrophe by the war. Russian army, fatiged, bloodless, insufficiently armed, suffered tremendous losses and went from defeat to defeat. The national economy had come in decline: there were starvation, lack of bread, meat, kerosene, goods of the primary needs. There was obvious an inability of imperial government to cope with a crisis situation. The mutual relations between Aurora's officers and team became extremely strained. On 12th of March the crew had required commanding officer to release under the arrest a three imprisoned workers-propagandists. In order to disperse this mass-meeting commanding officer Captain 1-st rank M.I.Nikolskiy and Senior officer P.P.Ogranovich opened pistol fire; there were wounded. When on March 13, 1917 at the Cruiser it had become known about the occured Revolution, sailors together with the workers hoisted the Red flag over the ship. Commanding officer was killed, senior officer was wounded, most part of crew landed and joined the revolt.

When in October 1917 political situation in the country had become aggravated again and conflict between the Provisional Government and the Councils of workers', peasant's and soldiers' deputees had reached a deadlock, majority of the crew took Bolsheviks Party's side. Under the Baltic Fleet Central Committee's decision quite repaired AURORA was remained in Petrograd and was subordinated to Petrograd Council. Cruiser's sailors took part in October Revolt in Petrograd (7.11.1917), when Cruiser reestablished the traffic on the Nikolayevskiy bridge. Later Aurora blank-fired a forecastle gun to bringing moral pressure to defenders of Winter Palace, where the Provisional Government was. By November 11 repaired AURORA had returned to 2-nd Cruiser Brigade, but shortly after most part of her crew was demobilized according to the Government Decree of old Navy's dissolution and new Wokers' and Peasants' Red Fleet organization. Only about 40 men remained aboard for purposes of guarding and routine affairs. In 1918 the Civil war began in Russia. By the summer 1918 Cruiser was removed to Kronstadt and put in reserve, since there was no more possibility to remain it battle-worthy. 6-inch guns were dismounted and sent to Astrakhan for arming the floating batteries of red Volga & Caspian naval flotilla. Most part of cruiser's sailors either went to Civil war fronts or simply went home. In 1922 the ship was handed over Kronstadt port for long duration storage (laid up).

We walked over to the Petersburg Hotel to see the sites and change money. Since the rates were awful, we only looked, then walked home.

It was late by the time we had to eat, and we decided on a Russian restaurant which turned out to have a strip show. It was in the old Senate building. The food was great, but we were the only customers: far outnumbered by the many scantilly-clad women bored out of their minds. The waiter was inpressed with the R50 tip.

Bronze Horseman - Monument to Peter the Great

An impressive monument to the founder of Petersburg - Peter the Great - stands on Ploschad Dekabristov, facing the Neva River and surrounded by the Admiralty, St. Isaac's Cathedral and the buildings of the former Senate and Synod - the civil and religious governing bodies of pre-revolutionary Russia.The monument was meant to be a tribute by Catherine the Great to her famous predecessor on the Russian throne. Being a German princess by birth, she wanted to establish a line of continuity with the earlier Russian monarchs. For that reason an inscription on the monument reads in Latin and Russian: Petro Primo Catarina Secunda - To Peter the First from Catherine the Second.An equestrian statue of Peter the Great, created by the famous French sculptor Etienne Maurice Falconet, depicts the most prominent reformer of Russia as a Roman hero. The pedestal is made of a single piece of red granite in a shape of a cliff. From the top of this "cliff" Peter shows the way for Russia, while his horse steps on a snake, which represents the enemies of Peter and his reforms. Ironically, the "evil" snake serves as a third point of support for the statue.According to a 19th century legend, enemy forces will never take Petersburg while the "Bronze Horseman" stands in the middle of the city. During the Second World War the statue was not taken down, but was protected with sand bags and a wooden shelter. In that way, the monument survived the 900-day Siege of Leningrad virtually unhurt.

Thursday 26 June

The attempt to visit Smolny was a failure. Although we got inside, we were dinied entry to the open public exhibit which the Smolny had advertized in international tourist magazines.

Smolny Institute: The Historical Memorial Museum Smolny

The Smolny Institute, now the City Administration Office, was built in 1806-08 to house the Institute for the Noble Young Ladies. In October 1917 Smolny became the seat of the Revolutionary Military Committee, which was the legal headquarters of the armed uprising. Smolny, which went down in history as the headquarters of the Great October Socialist Revolution, as the cradle of the Soviet State and the seat of the first Socialist government in the world, is inseparable from the name of V. I. Lenin. Lenin arrived at Smolny on October 24, 1917. He left Smolny 124 days later on March 10, 1918, when the government, which he headed, moved from Petrograd to Moscow. In Smolny there are several rooms in which Lenin lived and worked: his study where he signed the first decrees and enactments of the Soviet Government and met the workers, peasants and soldiers; the room of Lenin and his wife Nadezda Krupskaya, in which they lived from January 10, 1917 until March 10, 1918. In 1927 this room, retaining the original furniture, became one of the first Lenin's museums in Leningrad. The State Historical Memorial Museum of V.I. Lenin was opened in December, 28, 1991 and you can join reverential tours of the rooms which are closely associated with Lenin's name. The complex of the museum includes the historical hall where the victory of the October revolution was proclaimed, the memorial study and apartment where Lenin lived.

We visited the Bread Museum.

Friday 27 June

Today is a naval day here. I was invited to the 2003 International Maritime Defence Salon, and we have VIP passes to the trade show and fleet displays. We are also planning on seeing some naval demonstrations.

International Maritime Defence Show 2003, http://www.navalshow.ru/eng/index.html VIP passes to international naval festival at LENEXPO and Morskoy Vokzal. Russian Navy Day

Lunch was a Russian buffet at Sadko's in the Grand Hotel Europe. They have metal detectors at the doors, and heavily-armed security guards.

After lunch we walked all the way past New Holland to find the Red October Chocolate Factory. The factory is there, but it had no outlet store. So we walked back along the English embankment.

Circus

We sat in the third row, center stage, and ate lots of cotton candy/candy floss.

In 1939, the great creative merits of Leningrad Circus were rewarded with the Order of Red Banner of Labour. The Great Patriotic War, and the blockade of Leningrad interrupted the work of the circus. It was re-opened on 28th November 1944. Those were the years Leningrad Circus showed the pantomime "Celebration on Water" (1952); the colourful performance "Carnival on Ice" (1952); being the first attempt to create an ice arena; the topic water pantomime "Shot in the Cave" (1955); as well as topic performances "Women as Masters of the Circus" (1951); "Golden Fall" (1953); "Animal Circus" (1954) etc. At the same time, the Leningrad Circus opened the studio for musical clownery and equestrian acrobatics, its several graduates having still been working at the arena. The best creative traditions go on living at Leningrad (St Petersburg) Circus in the latest decades as well.

Saturday 28 June 2003

Final shopping trip on Nevsky Prospect, and visit to Faberge store.

After lunch we took a taxi back to Pulkova-2 Airport. (R 400)

Flight Home: We flew on Lufthansa from LED back to Frankfurt in three hours.

LH 3227 LED-FRA 14:45 - 15:45 A321-200 3hrs

We took the late afternoon flight from Frankfurt to Toronto, and due to the miracle of time zones, arrived only two hours later after and eight hour 15 minute flight!

LH 470 FRA-YYZ 17:15 - 19:30 747 8:15hrs

We took the last shuttle of the day back to Ottawa, arriving just before midnight.

AC 468 YYZ-YOW 22:10 - 23:10 A321 1hrs

(home by midnight!)