"Imperial St. Petersburg" Saint Petersburg by starship

St. Petersburg is an extremely impressive city and a masterpiece of art & architecture. It is awash in a palate of color, and new vibrancy. As a lover of history, I was struck by the desire to learn all of the history of St. Petersburg in detail; but, of course, that would take more years than I have left in my life probably.

My earlier frame of reference about Russia in general consisted of growing up during the early 1950's & 60's when the "Cold War" between the US and Russia was a very real thing. The threat of attack by the Soviet Union was like an albatross hanging around the necks of the people. Children were taught what to do if an attack should occur, newly built schools were designed to have little window space in case of an attack; some people actually built bomb shelters & stocked them with supplies in anticipation of such an attack. Everyone of my age will remember the threat by Nikita Surgeyevich KRUSCHEV, "We will bury you!"* The "Iron Curtain" was more than just a term and the Berlin Wall was real and frightening.

Imagine then how amazing and exciting it felt to be in that very country which had once seemed so threatening !!! To be in the Russia of Lenin, Stalin, Kruschev and the Soviet era felt unimaginable ( I feel thanks must be due to former Presidents Gorbachev and Reagan for opening the borders); symbols and vestiges of the Lenin era are still visible if you look close enough at the details and perhaps at the people.

After returning home, I almost immediately felt that instead of this trip being a once in a lifetime experience, St. Petersburg has to be a place that somehow I MUST VISIT AGAIN!!

If I am lucky enough to return I have to visit Peterhof, Catherine's Palace, the Peter & Paul Fortress and of course, return to the Hermitage. One of my greatest wishes would be to see a performance of the Mariinsky Ballet Company (the Kirov Ballet)!!

Even though we visited St. Petersburg while on a cruise, we were lucky to be there for 2 full days. One of our tour guides, Julia, was particularly impressive. She had a good command of the English language and her knowledge of St. Petersburg's history, the architectural foundations of the city, its art, and the people who made it what it is, gave us a solid base of information and made us want to study more about St. Petersburg and Russia in general. However, one part of Russian history that she did not venture into was the Soviet era and its effect on the city and its citizens and I found this omission to be meaningful. "Globetrott's" page on St. Petersburg bridges the gap in history between the time of the tzars and now. His pages tell about what SPb was like during the Soviet era. Quite a contrast! I must admit I had the impression that individual freedom may still be tenuous.

It was disappointing that the sun made only brief appearances in each of the two days we were there. In fact, the skies were so overcast that the brilliant colors of the buildings were completely washed away in my photos---so much in fact that the pictures look like black & white film.

"Hero City"

St. Petersburg (then named Leningrad) was designated a "Hero City" for its outstanding heroism, unconquerable spirit, and refusal to surrender during the 900 day Seige of Leningrad in World War II. Almost fully encircled by German troops from September 1941 to January, 1944, and without food, fuel and the necessities of life, this city and its people withstood all attempts to conquer it. "The Road of Life," and to some the "Road of Death" over Lake Lodaoga was the only break in the Wehrmacht encirclement of the city. Though thousands of people froze or starved to death during the first winter of the seige alone, the city remained unconquerable. It is said that 300,000 soldiers perished in the defence of and relief of Leningrad. You have to been in awe of a people who suffered extreme deprivation and still had the will to survive!!

Alexander's Column in Palace Square

Born out of watery bog land, forged through war, St. Petersburg was virtually willed into being by Peter the Great. Peter, a man almost larger than life, wisely recognized his country's need to have access to the Baltic. Some sources say that this relatively young city was founded in 1703. Yet, Russia battled for the lands then held by Sweden and their fortress, Nyenskans, on the banks of the Neva river. When Russia won the Battle of Poltava against the Swedes in 1709, it became the crystalizing event, and the "foundation stone" in the construction of St. Petersburg. Around 1712, Peter the Great moved the royal family from Moscow to St. Petersburg and so it became the capital of the Russian empire. A man of great thought & foresight, Peter envisioned St. Petersburg as a grand city like those he traveled to in the long established cities in Europe. He invited notable architects from Italy, Holland, France and Germany to carry out his vision and we are the lucky recipients of their work today. When Peter the Great died in 1725, St. Petersburg was on its way to being one of the great cities of its time.

Although the function of the buildings may be different today than during the early years, major events in the city's history such as wars, the siege of Leningrad (St. Petersburg), and the Soviet regime apparently have done little to diminish the grandeur of that which was built when the wealth of the empire was lavishly bestowed on St. Petersburg.

Church on the Spilt Blood

I was extremely disappointed that I was not able to meet "Natalya2006" while in her beautiful city, even though she tried so hard to make it work. Not possessing an individual Visa for Russia meant that visitors were not allowed to wander at will or have unescorted time in St. Petersburg. I want to thank Natalya for her kindness and friendship although we ultimately did not meet in person.

• Pros:A historical and architectural treasure!
• Cons:A feeling of uncertainty.....
• In a nutshell:I must return to St. Petersburg!