Day 3  -  Monday August 28th

St. Petersburg/Peter & Paul Fortress and St. Isaac's Hermitage Museum/ Optional Ballet Performance

This morning you’ll visit the chief monument to Peter the Great’s reign, the Peter & Paul Fortress. On May 27, 1703 (considered the city’s birth date), Peter the Great laid the foundations of the fortress on an island in the Neva River to protect the city and Russia’s access to the sea from the Swedish armies during the Northern Wars. Within the fortress is the St. Peter-and-St. Paul Cathedral, whose lovely spire is topped by a golden angel holding a cross. This figure is the symbol of the city. Peter the Great and all the Russian emperors and empresses are buried here, and the Cathedral recently made headlines when the remains of the last Romanov family (Nicholas, Alexandra, and their children) were laid to rest here.

You’ll also see St. Isaac’s Cathedral (named for Peter the Great’s patron saint) on this excursion. This is the largest church in the city, built originally to be the main church of the Russian Empire. The dome of the cathedral, which dominates the city’s skyline, is gilded with more than 200 pounds of gold, and the interior is elaborately decorated with exquisite mosaics, icons, malachite, and lapis lazuli. This grand church can seat 14,000 worshippers.

We dine this evening at a local restaurant.

Then, join us this evening for an optional visit to one of several St. Petersburg ballet or Opera companies.

Or, your evening is at leisure.

                                             _{Photos by Kelli and Ron}
 
                                        St. Isaac's cathedral            Church of Spilled Blood           

_{Photos by Sue and Mati
    
St. Isaac's                                                    Mati on Isaac square}

  
Louise, Kelli & Joyce pondering their next move!      Chezma Church/John the Baptist church   

   
 Church of Spilled Blood - Assassination site of Emperor Alexander  Tourists waiting to board the bus                                       

News from our Friends:

Hello All:

Continuing exhausting pace with good weather--actually warm--until today's afternoon rains.

Our hotel is inconveniently located outside of town, but since the tour bus takes us everywhere, it's not a problem.

The city has been spiffed up a lot since we were here in 1994—more landscaping, flowers, much new construction and restoration.

Recently the G-8 summit met and the city was even made grander looking.

St Petersburg is being overwhelmed by tourists from the cruise lines. This week from one Princess cruise ship, 70 buses went to the Hermitage.

Everything here has 2 prices: one for the Russians and one for  everyone else., even museums. Russians pay about $4 to get in Hermitage, foreigners

pay $15.

More later.

Mati