This is the view from our window in the Pushka Inn. I can see why they call St. Petersburg the Venice of Russia. The canals run throughout the city. Since it was built on a marshland, this was the way of channeling the water. Hmm, do I dare say that St. Petersburg was built on a “piglet meadow?”

                      Hermitage and the building where the army was staffed across the plaza

Off to the Hermitage at 10:30 this morning, with just a few thousands of people waiting to get in. I don’t think that I have ever experienced so many people heading in the same direction except possibly a Grateful Dead concert. I would imagine there was every nationality there. Cameras galore, mostly cellphones, selfie sticks, a woman tearing along the corridor snapping random pictures with no regard to what they were, and others videoing, videos. (Does that make sense?)

I have cut out most of the people,there are a couple hundred coming up the stairs and on the top of the stairs

I am thinking of upgrading our house and thought you might enjoy some photos of ideas I have collected today. I am sure that I can re-create these ceilings in our house.

 

 

Actually today’s blog will be mostly pictures of the Hermitage as this is where we spent the day. Headed out later tonight for a canal cruise, and tomorrow an overall view of the city. Then headed for Peterhof to see the amazing fountains. It is quite exhausting covering these cities.

After being in the Hermitage I can see why all of the serfs revolted. I find it hard to believe that there was so much opulent wealth. Not only the Emperors and Empresses, but the merchant class also had oodles of money. Catherine the Great’s collection is remarkable. Seems she had a few “important men” in her life (think lovers) that gave her rather extravagant presents. One is a peacock clock out of gold where every animal moves and the peacock’s feathers expand on the hour. There was a video of it as they do not wind it often, it looked like not only the peacock’s feathers moved but its head sounded out the hour. Also an owl moved its head, a squirrel moved, a bug moved, I think indicating the seconds and there were other animals moving. It was quite the present.

                    Throne room(the smaller one for intimate meetings!) and a hallway that Catherine the Great wanted to have it painted like the Sistine Chapel 

We are lucky that these collections have survived wars and people are interested in preserving them. I shutter when I think of all of the works that were destroyed in Iraq and the Middle East. The Russians sent most of their work to the Urals during the World Wars. And there is every indication that this museum has been well taken care of.

It houses the most ancient mummy in the world I believe our guide told us. Yuck!

                     Mary Madeline (don’t know the sculptor)       Boy done by Michaelanglo

Also paintings by DiVinci , a sculpture by Michelangelo, and many other famous Italian painters of the 14^th-18^th century are to be found here. French paintings, Asia art, and primitive Russian archeological items were displayed in the basement area where only a few people were admiring them. I found this to be the most fascinating. The museum is so large that you could not possibly see all of it in many days.

Gathered around the DaVinci painting we were warned about pickpockets in the museum, there are crowds close together so it is a perfect place .

Painting of Mother and Child done by DaVinci 

This is the third warning that we have gotten since we arrived. I guess we have to take it seriously. I can see by the amount of people crowding into various rooms how easily this would happen.

Mosaic on the floor and a matching piece as a table. Incredibly small pieces 

 

We are excited to be here and experiencing all of this. I am glad that we have the guides, even if I have complained about some, because it really educates us and helps us to understand the Russian history. We did have to buy a children’s book on the Romanov family since it is hard to keep them in the right period of history. There are so many Alexander’s, Ivan’s, Nicholas’s and Catherine’s, I get them all mixed up in the different periods. The war of 1812 is really a time that is glorified in Russian history as Russia was able to turn back Napoleon, that was a great feat.

 

We had our last train ride of the trip on the high-speed train… four hours from Moscow to St. Petersburg and very smooth. This would be a great way to travel throughout the U.S. if we could ever get our act together to improve our infrastructure.