St. Petersburg, Russia
My first stop on my Russia tourism trip was St. Petersburg. The visit took me first to the Aurora Battleship that fired a shot signaling the storming of the Winter Palace for the October Revolution in 1917. Being an engineer, I was permitted to go into th engineering room, which I enjoyed. The second tour was to various places in St. Petersburg to include the cathedral where Catherine the Great's casket is located as well as the remains of the Tzar and family. The next tours were to the Winter Palace and Summer Palace. Outside the Summer Palace is a WWII memorial to the men and women who defended the city during the 900 day siege by the Germans. Following 4 days of tours in St. Petersburg, I took the high-speed train to Moscow.
Below are photos the Aurora Battleship
Cathedral of St. Paul Fortress
The St. Petersburg Cathedral of St. Paul Fortress is the location of Cathern the Great's casket and the remains of the last Russian Tzar, Nicholas II and family who were executed in 1918 during the Bolshevik Revolution.
Below are photos from St. Petersburg City and St. Paul Fortress
St. Petersburg Winter Palace
The Winter Palace was truly stunning. When you consider what was put into building the palace and the lifestyle of the average Russian at the time, the Russian Revolution is easier to understand.
Below are photos from St. Petersburg Winter Palace
Winter Palace
Video is of images from the Winter Palace
St. Petersburg Summer Palace
The St. Petersburg Summer Palace was occupied by the German Army during WWII where they destroyed much of the palace. This is the location of the famous, Amber Room where the amber was taken from the walls to return to Germany but never be seen again.
Below are photos from St. Petersburg Summer Palace
Leningrad 900 Day Siege Memorial
Returning to my hotel, we stopped at the 900 day siege memorial facing the Summer Palace. Most westerners are not familiar with the hell the Russians experienced by the Germans during the siege. The intent was to starve them into submission, but they held out until the Germans finally retreated. This was my final tour in St. Petersburg and I departed the next day by high-speed train to Moscow. The last two pictures are of the train that traveled around 175 mph taking 4 hours to reach Moscow. On the ride, we passed through complete cities that were dark and abandoned following the Cold War.
Below are photos from Leningrad 900 Day Siege Memorial
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