For the Love of (St.) Pete(rsburg)!

I was told years ago that if you threw a kopeck into the Neva River and made a wish to return, you would someday do so. I think I threw my kopeck, complete with visage of Comrade Lenin, into the Neva on a cold November day in 1992. I wasn’t sure if I would ever, indeed, return but I thought I’d set the wheel of fate in motion. Apparently, the story is true as I began my Trans-Siberian adventure in St. Petersburg on August ninetieth.

Palace Square and Winter Palace

Fortunately, St. Petersburg has changed…and it hasn’t. I think I was struck by the good mood and the smiling faces. After all, I had only seen Russia in the fall and the winter when a dour face met me on every street corner. I was also amazed at the amount of tourist groups walking around the city, invariably led by a person carrying a tiny flag that identified the nationality of the group. Before, I felt like foreign visitors were few and far between. I was also impressed by the amount of restaurants and coffee shops. As I have previously stated, back in the goodle days, most restaurants/cafes were Soviet-type affairs with substandard (to say the least) service. Now I’m helped by waitresses/waiters with smiles on their faces and a willingness to help understand the menu. I also found that the metro had been greatly improved. There were newer trains along with the old Soviet standards. Connections were easy, payment understandable, and the stations themselves were often decorated with murals and statues. The only frightening parts were the blast doors at many of the stations as well as the metal detectors at all stations. These are the result of the terror attacks not so many years ago.

When you have only two and a half days to see one of the greatest cities in the world, the inclination is to do as much as possible. That proved to be a bit shortsighted as you really need to take your time and build in meal and rest breaks. I learned this the first day when I went tramping throughout the city, trying to hit as many hot spots as possible. I walked from my hotel past the Peter and Paul Fortress over the bridge and all the way to Nevskyi Prospect. I was so intent on taking pictures that I didn’t stop to rest for at least three hours. True, I got to see Palace Square, the Hermitage, churches, but I was so worn down that I had less energy on Day Two. Instead of going to the Hermitage, the Bolshoi Ballet, and the Peter and Paul Fortress, I mainly stuck to the Fortress.

Peter and Paul Fortress from Across Neva

Closer view of Peter and Paul Fortress

The Peter and Paul (no Mary) Fortress is located on Zayachy (rabbit) Island and is the place where Petersburg began to grow. It was a military bastion as well as the burial place for a great number of the Czars. As a student of history, I was looking forward to this visit most of all. I tried to get there early but I was so worn out from my previous day’s jaunt that I was at the gate by 1100. And that’s when I saw them…the hordes and hordes of tourist groups. This was my first real interaction with them and it was not much fun. I realize that it’s difficult to be an individual traveler when everyone seems to be with a family or a tour group, or tour groups full of families. The camera and phones are in the air and no one seems to be looking where they are going. It was particularly fun inside the main church were the remains of the czars rest. I was trying to read the information plaques and snap a few discreet shots but I was constantly dodging the hordes. I guess that was a small price to pay as I got to see the graves of Catherine the Great, Peter the Great, assassinated Alexander III, and best of all, the last czar, Nicholas II and most of his family. After finding my way out of the church I made my way over to the prison. At one time the place was filled with revolutionaries who were looking to overthrow the Romanovs. Other than say, the Decembrists (not the band), I hadn’t heard of half of these groups. It was interesting to see the cells of Lenin’s brother (who died in the prison, I think) and Maxim Gorky who was briefly imprisoned here. And it wasn’t only the czars who used this place, the Soviets took full advantage of it as well; albeit, for a shorter amount of time. They are still finding the remains of former tsarist officials buried in the yard. 

Grave of Czar Peter - Who's Great Now?

Grave Alexander III

After four hours of walking around the fortress, I planned to eat and hit the next spot. But lunch ended up being a banana back at the hotel and a two-hour nap. At that point, I knew that any ideas of doing more touring were out the window. I had even planned on doing a run down by the Neva – Negative! I was able to rally and get some dinner. I also took some time to take exterior shots of the Church of the Resurrection, more commonly known as Church on the Spilled Blood. The church was built on the spot where Czar Alexander III was assassinated in 1881. I was excited that I was getting some great shots when the rain came pouring down. That pretty much was the end of my day but I felt like I had accomplished quite a bit in less than ten hours.