Tuesday 05 September 2017

Our first full day in  St Petersburg


Catherine Palace Tour...



On our way to Catherines Palace at Pushkin, we spotted this colourful building from the coach.


Pushkin pondering.......... monument to Alexander Puskin in the Lyceum Garden.


......outside his house in the palace grounds.



Approaching Catherines Palace.....and through the security checks...



The impressive front facade of the palace....



... and the well-tended grounds.



The band of the Imperial Guard (!) was there to greet us.



Kay - with a magnificent headdress - note the fashionable plastic overshoes.



The Main Staircase.



The Great Hall - being readied for a corporate event.



The Cavaliers' Dining Room - the porcelain structure in the corner is a heater.



The Main Enfilade - with two dumb waiters?



Ceiling painting.



As photography was forbidden, I scanned this image of the Amber Room from a postcard.



This room is named the Picture Hall for some obscure reason.



The Green Dining Room.



Move along please.....



Catherine the Great in all her splendour. She probably had to go through a door sideways in that outfit!



Another Katharine - in the grounds of the palace.



Reflections.



The Cameron Gallery.



Steps leading up to the Cameron Gallery.



Kay on the steps of Russia.



The Grotto (Morning Hall) Pavillion.



I asked Kay to step back a bit for a better shot - but she refused!



View across the lake to the Turkish Bath Pavillion.



The baroque-style Hermitage Pavillion.

St Persburg City Tour




Taken from the coach - the cruiser Aurora - which took part in the 1917 February Revolution.



Scan from a postcard of the Aurora - now a museum.



The Rostral Column - victory symbol of St Petersburg.



The Peter and Paul Fortress - from the banks of the River Neva.



Bas-relief image of the waterfront - the Rostral Columns are on the left and right - with the Stock Exchange building in the centre.



Peter and Paul Cathedral inside the fortress.



The Cathedral.



Inside the Peter and Paul Cathedral.......







The Russians have a tradition where the wedding party visit the city landmarks - I took this photo with the brides permission.



Ornate fence surrounding the Church of the Saviour on Spilled Blood.



Good 'ere innit.



The Church of the Spilled Blood.



Saint Isaac's Cathedral.



Monument to Nicholas I in St Isaac's Square.



On our way back to the ship, we drove through an industrial district - where they build submarines.
For the geeks - it's a Victor III Class SSN.



No comment.

Cossack Folklore Show.




Hearty young Cossacks.....



The Three Roubles.



Prima Donna.



Lots of whooping and thigh slapping.



Lessons on how to win the girl.



These two figures were fighting it out - on the stage and amongst the audience - rolling and tumbling......



... until 'they' were revealed to be just one man inside the costume.



My dance partner - doing it properly.

©Ken Duffey

  October 2017