Russia 2012: Moscow Kremlin

Our Russian adventure started in Moscow. We flew Air France to Paris, then boarded Aeroflot for the 3 hour flight to Moscow. Steve thought he booked Air France all the way to Moscow; we only learned we were flying Aeroflot as we boarded the plane and noticed the different color of the fuselage. With some trepidation we buckled-up. Russia isn't known for air traffic safety. But the flight was easy and the service was good. We did find it odd that the passengers all clapped when the wheels touched down....

Moscow is a lovely city, though it did not benefit like St. Petersburg from having 200 years of Tsars building palaces, and imported Italian and French architects to design city streets and houses. However, its skyline has the 7 Sisters, plenty of gilded church domes, and of course it has Red Square and the Kremlin, plus many other attractions that make it one of Europe's great capital cities.

Moscow and its people have endured a lot over the years. The city's history seems to have an endless cycle of being built, conquered, burned, re-built, re-conquered, and re-burned - and a plague and purge or two to fill in between. We were warned the Russians seem cold to Westerners - who can blame them. But once we left immigration, we found Muscovites welcoming and doing their best to make us feel welcome. They succeeded.

We are sure Anna and Kate got tired of hearing Maria and Steve say "I can't believe we are here", but standing in front of Lenin's tomb in Red Square was simply incredible. Our hotel was only a 10 minute walk from Red Square. We weren't able to visit during our first day because it was closed due to a demonstration, so we walked to it at night and took in the sites in the darkness - simply spectacular. The next we visited again before our tour started and enjoyed it during the day. 

Waiting to get access to the Kremlin. 

The girls from inside the Kremlin walls.

Dormition Cathedral - where Tsars were crowned and burried up to Peter I.

Cathedral of the Annunciation - former personal chapel of Russian Tsars.

Tsar Bell is one big bell. 450K lbs - it broke after being casted and was never rung.

Tsar Cannon - at 80K lbs much lighter than the bell. 

Anna in Cathedral Square inside the Kremlin.

Maria on the Kremlin walls

Kremlin Armory building.

Kremlin Walls and cathedrals in background.

Kremlin Armory

The tour of the Kremlin, with its ancient city walls, armory and churches containing the tombs of Russian Tsars before Peter the Great was fantastic. Steve is reading War and Peace (still.....) and particularly enjoyed seeing the Tsar's cannon, which was featured during his reading that week. 

Russia 2012: St. Petersburg City

Russian shawls purchased with Natasha's help. Each has a name - Kate's is called Foreign Woman, Anna's Sunny Summer.

Just off the train from Moscow - ready to see this new city.

Meat pies at Stella's for our first lunch.

St. Petersburg is Russia's most western city.

Kazan Cathedral at night.

One of many statues commemorating Russia's history.

Kazan Cathedral.

Fancy desert for Anna.

Kate has one too.

Evidence of the Soviet era - Mr. Lenin.

Shopping for scarfs.

Nevsky Prospect at night.

Bridge near our hotel. 

Natasha Kulagina - our guide for the week. We really enjoyed her.

Statue to honor Dostoevsky who wrote his books near here.

Another beautiful cathedral near Dostoevsky's flat where Crime and Punishment was written.

Plaque marking the location where Dostoevsky lived.

The apartment where Dostoevsky wrote Crime and Punishment.

St. Petersburg is simply an incredible city. Even with more than 5 million people and bustling economy, the city has preserved its history - and what a rich history it has. From name changes - St. Petersburg to Petrograd, to Leningrad then back to St. Petersburg; to its revolutions in 1917; to its seat of the Russian Empire for almost 200 years; to the 3 year siege by the Nazi armies during the Second World War; to its Soviet Era then back to market economy - it has many stories to tell. We enjoyed our time here immensly. When not seeing it palaces, museums and cathedrals with Natasha, we enjoyed walking its streets and exploring. Near our hotel is where Dostoyevsky wrote Crime and Punishment, and a 10 minute walk put us right on the famous Nevsky Prospect. We took advantage of the longer and longer days to enjoy evening walks, but enjoyed the city at night, too. The people were wonderful. We simply adore St. Petersburg and its people.

Russia 2012: St. Petersburg Peterhof Palace

View of the church - the gilded domes incredible.

Peterhof Palace grounds - front.

Peterhof Palace grounds - front.

Peterhof Palace - fountains leading to the sea.

Peterhof Palace.

Peterhof Palace.

Kate and Peterhof Palace.

A great way to start the day.

Driving up to the palace. 

More of the Palace grounds.

Some refer to Peterhof Palace as the Russian Versailles; I can see why. Though the gardens and fountains weren't in full bloom, it is easy to imagine what the palace grounds and gardens would look like during the summer. Peter the Great built this palace as a place for him to stay en route to Europe. It is  strategically close to Kronstadt fortifications. It was important for Peter to have the fountains, one of the main beauties of the palace, so site selection was time consuming - legends say it took two years to find the ideal location. It took another 11 years from 1714 to 1725 to complete it. Construction continues today as,  like Catherine Palace, the Nazis captured the Palace in 1941, looted and destroyed anything that remained at the Palace. Restoration began after the war continues today. The splendor of this Russian treasure is truly a site to see. No photos are allowed inside, so we can only share the exterior.

Russia 2012: St. Petersburg Catherine Palace

Kate outside Catherine Palace.

To protect the beautiful flooring, booties are used to cover shoes.

Staircase at Catherine Palace.

One of many ballrooms.

Heating element based on Delft design Peter the Great loved.

Reception room - note the beautiful flooring.

Recreated period eating arrangement - in here all that glitters is gold!

Dress of Empress Elizabeth.

Each doorway carefully adorned - next room is famous Amber Room.

The rooms get changed to adjust to changing fashion. 

Outside the palace the grounds are works of art - one can only imagine them in the summer.

Even on a cloudy day, the Palace shines.

Palace gates give you an idea of what the inside will look like.

Like most Russian places, Catherine Palace has a long history dating back to 1717 when Catherine I built a palace on the current grounds. In 1733, Empress Anna expanded the palace. Finding the Palace outdated and not to her liking, Empress Elizabeth ordered it raised and rebuilt. Bartolomeo Rastrelli was given the job and he designed the current palace in the Rococo style. Construction lasted almost 4 years. The end result was magnificent - over 100 kg of gold was used in gilding the 1,000 ft long exterior, more inside. The structure was almost entirely destroyed by Nazi forces during Second World War, however careful documentation and removal of most of the items enabled Russia to restore the building to its prior beauty, including The Amber room, which was only recently opened again. We are grateful this was able to be done for Catherine Palace is certainly a wonder to be seen.