Beautiful St. Petersburg
When and Where: 08/2008 – St. Petersburg
35th Country Visited; 23rd European
Country Visited
Interesting Facts:
·
Russia, the largest country in the world, is more
than double the size of the continental US.
·
At it’s closest point, Russia is just over 2
miles away from the US in the Bering Strait
·
Russian kids are taught how not to smile. In Russia, smiling is a sign of weakness.
·
Saint Petersburg has three times more bridges
than Venice.
I had a brief two-day stay with my family in Russia back in
2008. Unlike most countries, tourists
are restricted and must partake in organized tours which only visit certain
areas. My visit to Russia was limited to
St. Petersburg. My first impression of
Russia came from my cruise ship window.
I saw people walking about the port area; all of the workers looked down
trodden, as if they didn’t want to be there and were stuck in a place and
time. No one looked happy or
welcoming. The damp dreary weather added
to the bleak mood on the shore. As we
each passed through the cold sterile immigration checkpoint, I felt like I was
witnessing a staged event. As we
wandered about the city, I noticed few Russians made eye contact and even fewer
engaged in conversation with tourists.
After winding our way around the streets and canals, it was apparent
that St. Petersburg is a world class city.
This picturesque city has many immaculate buildings and bridges ornately
outlined in gold. Our first tour stop
was St. Isaac’s Cathedral, the largest church in St. Petersburg. The church was lavishly decorated in dark
reds with a gold and marble altar. The
average Russian person lives well below the US definition of the poverty
guideline. But the flamboyant cathedrals
throughout the city accentuate the wealth and power the Russian Orthodox Church
wields. While I was in St. Isaac’s
Cathedral, my brother was outside haggling with scalpers to purchase an
Alexander Ovechkin hockey jersey. We
then went on to see The Hermitage, the large, opulent museum of art and
culture. Founded in 1764, this
prestigious building covering more than 700,000 square feet, is a great source
of Russian pride. We also passed by the famous
Winter Palace, which served as the home to Russian Emperors from 1732 to 1917.
On the second day, we were greeted by better weather. The sun was out and I was ready to
sightsee. We toured the canals around
St. Petersburg. The city is pristine
with no graffiti or trash. It was clear
why St. Petersburg is called the “Venice of the North”, though St. Petersburg
is the prettier city. We had an hour of
free time to shop in St. Petersburg.
During this time, I snuck away from my family (and the tour guide) and
walked over to the Church of the Spilled Blood, the most beautiful church I’ve
ever seen. The Russian Orthodox Church, with
multi-colored onion-domes and gold inlay, stands out prominently along one of
the canals. Undoubtedly, my visit to the
church was the highlight of my time in St. Petersburg.
Looking back, I regret going to Russia. I would never support a country or regime
that has inflicted such evil acts on its neighbors and citizens. Putin is a dangerous thug and gives Russia a
bad name. The Russian people, some of
whom are very nice and kind, elected this maniac. And the Russian Orthodox Church supports
Putin. Chances are, Putin will remain in power until he dies. Two weeks before my trip, Putin sent his
troops into a region of Georgia. It was
a short battle and Putin took claim to a region of Georgia, much like he did to
the Crimean Peninsula of Ukraine in 2014.
What Putin and his band of thugs have done to Ukraine is beyond horrific
and thus I will never again travel to Russia under any circumstances.
The canals of St. Petersburg
St. Petersburg canals
Church of the Spilled Blood
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