Hermitage Winter Palace & Museum
Hermitage Winter Palace & Museum
St. Petersburg, Russia

This city should be on everyone's travel list because of its stunning palaces and graphic history.

The huge, Russian baroque style Hermitage kept Empress Catherine

the Great in high cotton during wintertime as she accumulated great works of art - her own Louvre.

In the late 1800's, this era of gilded Russian history ended abruptly.
The St. George Hall
St. George Hall abounds in beautiful walls, columns, ceilings, chandeliers, and inlaid wood floors.
The Pavillion Balcony offers up graceful curves, pastel colors, and delicate inlaid wood panels.
Catherine's Summer Palace (front)

Catherine's Summer Palace south of the city. The rural property is larger than the Winter Palace and every bit as lavish.

The Large Palace Church - Catherine's chapel - are topped with intriguing golden domes. No further words necessary.
Peter's Sumer Palace (front)

Peter the Great was busy building and fighting. But, he managed to put together a Winter Palace and garden "better than the French king's at Versailles".
The Peter and Paul Fort was an early stronghold against seafaring enemies. This central church is a beautiful and everlasting repository for his remains.
Russia has lots of churches - mostly Russian Orthodox Catholic. St. Nicolas is so beautiful I'd bet most people don't mind standing during services as is the custom. The Church on Spilled Blood refers to revolutionary times when a tzarist ruler was slain. Their history is full of hopes, struggles, intrigues and more sadness.
Church on Spilled Blood
St. Nicholas ROC Cathedral
Now that Russia is on the move, it's easy to forget how much adversity they've endured. Cold weather and poor crops are only a start. How about the many upheavals, the harsh leaders, the busted promises?

Our hotel was near the Victory Monument - a proud reminder of the city's deliverance from a 900 day blockade by the Germans during WWII.

Tough Times in Russia