Russia: St Petersburg

St Petersburg is the most European city in Russia. We went there in 2009 for a meeting on an EU project called ISAAC, focused on heritage tourism. The May weather was marvellous, and we stayed in a nice hotel next to the Fontanka River in walking distance of Nevsky Prospect.

The Hermitage

The highlight of our trip was a private tour of the Impressionist paintings in the Hermitage and Russian art in the Russian Museum. The Hermitage Museum, founded in 1764 by Catherine the Great is lavish and ornate with the most impressive collection of art.  The collections occupy a complex of six historic buildings along Palace Embankment.  They include the Winter Palace, home of the Tsars, the centre of imperial power. This was the scene of the Bloody Sunday massacre of protesters in 1905 and was subject to storming by Red Army troops in the October 1917 Revolution.

Peterhof Palace

We also had a boat trip to the Peterhof Palace, the Russian Versailles, begun in 1714 by Peter the Great as his Monplaisir’.

Russia: St Petersburg, 2017, 32 pages, ISBN 9781912460120