City Tour of St. Petersburg, Russia

It is a very dark, slightly rainy day in St. Petersburg today.  But apparently it is like this more than 300 days a year??  But it will not dampen our spirits because we are in Russia.  Still can't believe it.

Above is the Winter Palace.  Between 1732 and 1917 this was the official residence of the Russia Monarch.  It is now restored and houses part of the expansive Hermitage Museum.

The Palace Square, and the Alexander Column honours the victory over Napoleon in 1812 by Czar Alexander I. He was Emperor of Russia from 1801-1825.  It is 155 feet and 8 inches tall.   It is a single piece of red granite.  Weighing over 600 tonnes, it took more than 3,000 men to raise it.  This square has been the site of many moments in history including protests by the people of Russia in the days of deplorable living and working conditions.  Today, it is still a massive square....can you see Little Debbie at the base of the column?

Only a fraction of the Hermitage Museum buildings.  It is the largest in the world.  Six buildings form the Hermitage Museum which was open to the public in 1852.  In 1764 it was founded by Catherine The Great to house her growing collection of pieces of art.  Today there is more that three million items on display.

A statue of Peter The Great, the first Czar of Russia.

The photo above and the next three below represent the General Staff Building which forms part of the Hermitage Museum, as well as it is located directly across the Palace Square from the Winter Palace.

It is two wings attached by this impressive arch way (below). 

Today the Western wing is the headquarters of the Western Military District.  The Eastern wing was given to the Hermitage Museum.

An incredible sculpture of victory tops the arch.

That is me standing in front of the Saint Isaac's Cathedral in St. Petersburg.  The largest Russian Orthodox cathedral in the city.  We stood a long ways from it to get it all in the photo.

It took 40 years to build.  This cathedral has had quite the history.  Beginning as an Orthodox church, then under the Soviet government it was stripped of all it's religious identity, followed by it becoming a  museum in 1931.  During WWII, the dome was painted gray to keep it hidden from enemy aircraft.  With the fall of communism, it returned to being an Orthodox church which it remains today.

It was a really chilly day, but we loved every minute of it.