This trip was a very short side trip from Finland: Just a couple of days in Saint Petersburg; a hop by plane across the Gulf of Finland.
Renamed Leningrad in the communist period, St. Petersburg now has its original name, given by its founder: Peter, The Great, Tsar and Emperor of all the Russias. St. Petersburg is home to many beautiful buildings, several of which were damaged during the Nazi siege that lasted 880 days and through three brutal winters (1941-43). The art treasures of the Hermitage Museum (Part of Peter's winter palace) were packaged and buried in the cellar during the siege. Peter decided the location of his town: in a swampy area at the mouth of the Neva River, a nightmare for builders. Like in Amsterdam, buildings are supported by ancient wooden pilings driven into the soggy earth. And there is more to the Amsterdam connection: Peter himself, traveling incognito, lived in Amsterdam and learned how to build ships from the Dutch shipwrights. He took this knowledge back to Russia and used it to build his naval ships. St. Petersburg remains the home of the Russian Navy to the present.
There was a distinct lack of color in St. P in 1996. Everything seemed to be a shade of brown except for the outstanding historical buildings. I spent most of my time in the Hermitage mostly due to the freezing weather. There were very few people on the streets and I wondered where they were. Finally I discovered the amazing subway; the unmarked indoor malls and department stores. Everyone was indoors and I could not blame them: I slipped several times on the sandy, brown ice that covered the sidewalks. Only the hotel entrances were clear of ice. The bright signs that we are used to from western cities were nonexistent. Even the subway signs were tiny and brownish. But it was well worth the aggravation and I hope things have improved.
Perhaps the greatest museum anywhere, the Hermitage is home to more Rembrandt paintings than the Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam. And it houses a great collection of modern art including some stolen from Germans right after WW II. I doubt the Russians will ever give it back. Catherine the Great, born German, had an eye for great art. Her agents were actively buying in the Netherlands when the price was right.
The following are photographs I took of artwork in the museum, Cameras, but no flashes, are allowed.
The Russian museum in St. Petersburg houses a great collection of Russian art from 12th century to the 20th. Russian masters such as Repin, Shchedrin, Ivanov, Levitan, Chagal, Altman, and many, many more are presented.
The end for now
Copyright 2000, David A. Cohen All rights reserved.
