Europe - Russia - St. Petersburg - Day 3

St. Petersburg, Russia - Day 3

This morning we took a boat ride on the Neva River to see the historic downtown from the water.

Frank on the Neva River

We stopped on Nevdsky Prospect Street.

and visited the not so typically Farmer's Market

Caviar

Russian Vodka

Cheese and Bread

Yummy!

The visit to the Faberge Museum was a highlight of the day. "The museum's collection contains more than 4,000 works of decorative applied and fine arts, including gold and silver items, paintings, porcelain, and bronze."

Wikipedia

 "A highlight of the museum's collection is the group of nine Imperial Easter eggs created by Fabergé for the last two Russian Tsars."

Wikipedia

 The First Hen Egg - 1885

The Renaissance Egg - 1894

The Rosebud Egg - 1895

The Coronation Egg - 1897

The Order of St. George Egg - 1916



 

The Bay Tree Egg - 1911

The Lilies of the Valley Egg - 1898

 The Cockerel Egg - 1900



The Fifteenth Anniversary Egg - 1911 

The Church of the Savior on Spilled Blood

"This church was built on the site where Emperor Alexander II was fatally wounded by political nihilists in March 1881. The church was built between 1883 and 1907. The construction was funded by the imperial family."

Wikipedia

We spent 3 days in St. Petersburg. It was indeed a Grand Tour. 



Europe - Russia - St. Petersburg - Day 2

St. Petersburg, Russia - Day 2 

We attended a symphony last night featuring Vladimir Ashkenazy and the Royal St. Petersburg Philharmonic Orchestra.

All of tonight's attendees were transported from the ship to attend the unique symphony; I think all of the 699 passengers were in attendance.  This was an event put on by the Azamara Cruise line free of charge.

The Conductor and the Captain of the Azamara Cruise Ship. 

This morning we took a ride on the Moskovsky Railway Station; I've never seen anything like it.

 Photo provided by Russian Rail.Com

Because of the Neva river and swampy ground in St. Petersburg. Constructors had to dig subway tunnels under the rivers.

Very long escalators - I think 300 feet down.

Photo provided by Russian Rail.com

Admiralteyskaya is the deepest Russian-subway-station



We traveled to see The Peterhof Summer Estate of Peter the Great in the 18th Century.

The Peterhof summer estate is a complex of palaces, gardens, fountains, and waterfalls. These palaces and gardens are sometimes referred to as the "Russian Versailles."

 Enjoying the view from the Veranda

We visited St. Peter's & Paul's Cathedral.

Nicolas II of Russia

Nicholas II was the last Emperor of Russia, ruling from November 1, 1894, until his forced abdication on March 15, 1917.

The Russian Imperial Family 1913

Czar Nicholas II and his family are executed by the Bolsheviks in 1918, bringing an end to the three-century-old Romanov dynasty.



Europe - Russia - St. Petersburg - Day 1

St. Petersburg, Russia - Day 1

We took a Baltics Summer Cruise to St. Petersburg; here is a brief summary providing you with some necessary information about the city, The Imperial family, and the major museums in St. Petersburg and its suburbs.

  

The State Hermitage Museum is one of the five largest art museums in the world.

 

It was founded in 1764 when Empress Catherine the Great acquired an impressive collection of paintings. Its collections comprise over three million items, including the most extensive collection of pictures in the world.

  

 Before it was the Hermitage Museum, this is was the Imperial Family's Winter Palace.

With so much gold and opulence, when is the last time you saw stuffed horses?

 

Portrait of an Old Woman – Rembrandt dated 1614

The Treasure Gallery

The General Staff Building, one of the most famous architectural monuments in Saint Petersburg are part of the six Hermitage Buildings.

 Paintings and sculptures from the 19^th and 20^th centuries are displayed here, including the Impressionist and post-impressionist paintings.

Each Impressionist and Post-Impressionist had his own room. Renoir Room, Cezanne Room, Monet, Degas and Pissarro Room, Paul Gauguin Room, Vincent Van Gogh Room each room had 10-20 paintings displayed.

The Impressionists' paintings were a massive quantity.

 The Catherine Palace is a Rococo palace located in the town of Tsarskoye Selo, 30 km south of St. Petersburg, Russia. It was the summer residence of the Russian tsars. ...



The summer palace is a fascinating opulent testament to excess and aristocracy.

This is the world-famous Amber Room.

Life was good for the Emperor and Empresses of Russia.