On our way to the boat cruise we stopped along
the Neva river bank to see the Polar Ice Breaker, Kpacnh, the Russian
submarine, C189 and the Russian Orthodox Church of Our Mother of God...next we
stopped at the pair of Sphinxs flanking the river...these Sphinx were purchased
in 1832 by the Russian ambassador to Egypt. Known as the Venice of the North,
St. Petersburg has a beautiful labyrinth of rivers (Neva, Fontanka, Moira) and
numerous canals across the city giving it a distinct character...water is
actually a great place to get the best views of all the magnificent
architectural structures St. Petersburg has to offer...the cruise lasted 1 hour
and took in the city scape along the Neva River embankment of the most famous
and beautiful buildings and historic monuments like the; Hermitage Museum, St.
Isaacs Church, Peter and Paul Fortress and Cathedral and the Marble Palace and
the Trinity Bridge one of the 13 functioning draw bridges on the River.
Changing direction, we went to the Fontanka River by the Peter the Great’s
Summer Palace and Garden...by the iconic Church on the Spilt Blood. After the
boat ride we made a brief stop at the two-column beautiful Monument of the
Russian Defeat of Sweden and onto the battleship Aurora. We stopped at the
iconic Church of our Saviour on Split Blood for a tour...inside the church
there were 7000 square meters of magnificent massive and intricate mosaics
depicting Christian religious figures….
Next we walked through the Square of Art to the Russian Museum...then we
drove by Mariinsky Theatre, home of the Russian ballet followed by a brief stop
at St. Nicholas cathedral. On our way out of the city we stopped at the
spectacular St. Isaacs Cathedral, dominating the skyline of St. Petersburg,
with its gilded dome, St. Isaac's, is the city's main church and largest
cathedral in Russia, features an incredible façade richly decorated with lavish
sculptures and massive red granite columns....the interior is adorned with
incredibly detailed mosaic and pictorial decorations. On our way out of the
city, we had a quick stop at the Izmaylovsky Squadron Monument entirely made
from cannons and the beautiful turquoise domed Holy Trinity Cathedral and
impressive the Navarsky Monument dedicated to the Russian defeat of Napoleon.
During the drive to Peterhof Palace we passed Constantine Palace, President
Putin’s venue for official political activities and visiting delegations...both
a G8 and G20 summits were held at this Palace. This is the first time we have
seen single family homes and passed the only golf course in St. Petersburg.
Even though weather turned to rain, Peterhof is gorgeous despite the weather.
The Peterhof summer estate is another UNESCO World Heritage Site built by Peter
the Great in 1710, a spectacular Grand Palace, fountains, amazing gardens and
waterfalls is one of Russia’s most visited attractions. We could not say enough
about our guide Slava and driver Alex from Alla Tours for their service,
professionalisms and knowledge during our time in St. Petersburg. We all had a
wonderful time on our first trip to Russia and St. Petersburg. Looking forward
to our return visit.
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