From Russia With Love A Voyage From - PowerPoint Presentation

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From Russia With Love

A Voyage From

Moscow

to St. Petersburg

Part 2

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Welcome to Kizhi

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Kizhi Island Is Unique

An island in Lake Onega, the second largest lake in Europe

Less than 100 km(62 miles) from the Artic Circle

Open air museum

Permanent exhibitions of architecture, but the background for fascinating exhibitions of social history and ethnography. All together, it gives an excellent glimpse into life in the Republic of Karelia in far northern Russia.

The Church of the Transfiguration, which was in the process of being restored, is the tallest structure on the island. With its striking silvery domes, 22 in all, it stands at 37 meters tall and can be seen from all the neighboring islands.

After a fire destroyed the original church, it was rebuilt in 1714

without using a single piece of metal

, but instead small wooden pegs that acted as nails and resisted wear.

At one point, the entire structure was elevated a few centimeters above the ground while the foundation was strengthened.

No smoking is allowed in or near the wooden structures. The Annunciation Chapel, separate from the main church, is used during cold months to avoid lighting a stove in the main church, due to fire danger to the structure

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Church of the Transfiguration

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Church of the Transfiguration

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Church of the Transfiguration

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Close-up Views of Domes

22 Domes-symbolic of the age at which Christ began his ministries. Combined with 9 domes on the smaller “winter” Church of the Intercession, and two on the

belltower

, the number 33 is symbolic of the age at which Christ was crucified.

Domes are covered with hand-made aspen shingles

Unesco

World Heritage Site

Most structures were moved to the island and reconstructed as a museum

In winter, the lake is frozen solid and transportation to other islands and the mainland is by horse-drawn sleigh

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Bell Tower

Repair work to Church of the Intercession

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Grave Marker in Cemetery

Church of the Intercession—10 domes

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Altar and IconsChurch of the Intercession

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Typical Russian Farmhouse

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Architectural Details on Farmhouse

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Interior of Farmhouse

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Traditional Russian hand-work for a young woman’s dowry

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Hand-made Aspen Slats for Dome Repair

Traditional hand-carved wooden toys

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Church of Lasarus Resurrection

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One Last Look From the Belltower

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Cruising Lake Onega—Europe’s Second-Largest Lake

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Sunset on Lake Onega

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Mandrogy (Russian translation—Tourist Trap)

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Artisans’ Homes on

Mandrogy

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Matryoshka dolls-Traditional Russian Hand Craft

Also known as

Russian nesting dolls

,

stacking dolls

Wooden

dolls

of decreasing size placed one inside another--number of dolls vary in each set

The first Russian nested doll set was made in 1890 by

Vasily

Zvyozdochkin

Themes may vary, from

fairy tale

characters to

Soviet leaders

, or even animals

Matryoshka is often seen as a symbol of the feminine side of Russian culture

Matryoshka is associated in Russia with family and fertility

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Partially finished dolls

The Finished Product Awaiting Tourist Dollars

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Giant Children’s Sliding Board

Carriage ride, anyone?

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Our Next Adventure—A Vodka Museum

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Samples, Anyone??

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Craftsmen and Their Workshops

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Lake LadogaNot a place you want to be on a stormy night in a small cruise ship unless you have some dramamine!

Largest lake entirely within EuropeMethane lake on Saturn's moon Titan named for Lake Ladoga

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Our Home Away From Home

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Dinner!

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And

Dessert !

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Good Morning, St. Petersburg

Russia's second-largest city

Important Russian port on the Baltic Sea

Situated on the Neva River, at the head of the Gulf of Finland

Founded by Tsar Peter the Great in 1703.

In 1914, the name was changed from Saint Petersburg to Petrograd , 1924 to Leningrad, and in 1991 back to its original name.

Home to the

Hermitage

, one of the largest

art museums

in the world.

During

World War II

,

German forces

besieged Leningrad following the Axis invasion of the Soviet Union in June 1941.

The siege lasted 872 days, or almost two and a half years. More than one million civilians died, mainly from starvation.

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Peter the Great

His grandfather Michael I was founder of the Romanov dynasty in Russia.Ruled the Tsardom of Russia and later the Russian Empire from 7 May 1682 until his death in 1725, jointly ruling before 1696 with his elder half-brother, Ivan V, because Peter was only 10 years old when he became Tsar.Through a number of successful wars, he expanded the Tsardom into a much larger empire that became a major European power.He was highly intelligent and well educated. He traveled across Europe, in disguise as Peter Mikailov, working as a carpenter and shipbuilder to learn the trade.

Peter founded the first navy in Russia in 1698 in the newly founded city of Taganrog.He brutally suppressed all rebellions during his reign. He was known for his temper, and could be cruel at times. Catherine often tempered his fits of rage.His primary military success came in the war against Sweden. After initial setbacks against Charles XII’s Swedish army, Peter the Great was able to tilt the war in his favor through statesmanship, generalship, and diplomacy.

He is known for founding and developing the city of Saint Petersburg, which remained the capital of Russia until 1917. He moved the capital from Moscow to St. Petersburg in 1712.

He married a servant and made her an Empress. In 1724, Peter had his second wife, Catherine,

crowned as Empress

.

He led a cultural revolution that replaced some of the traditional medieval, social and political systems with ones that were modern, scientific, Westernized and based on the Enlightenment.

In 1725 the construction of

Peterhof

, a palace near Saint Petersburg, was completed.

Peterhof

was ravaged by German troops during the Second World War, but quickly restored to it’s former glory by military engineers and volunteers.Internet photo

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City Tour of St. Petersburg

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Peter and Paul Fortress

Original citadel of St. Petersburg

Used as prison and execution ground by Bolshevik government

Part of the State Museum of Saint Petersburg History

The cathedral's bell tower is the world's tallest Orthodox bell tower.

High ranking political figures imprisoned here include Leon Trotsky, Fyodor Dostoevsky , Maxim Gorky, and the Decemberists.

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Touring St. PetersburgDowntown St. Petersburg

Neva River

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More sights around St. PetersburgSt. Nicholas Cathedral

A Pirate Ship in St. Petersburg??

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Marinsky Theater-Equivalent to Moscow’s Bolshoi

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Swan Lake—Poetry in Motion

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The Hermitage

Second largest museum in the worldFounded in 1764 by Empress Catherine the GreatOver three million items, including the largest collection of paintings in the worldOpen to the public since 1852.Six buildings in the main museum complex: the Winter Palace, Small Hermitage, Old Hermitage, New Hermitage, and Hermitage Theatre

Catherine acquired the best collections offered for sale by the heirs of prominent collectors. She was an avid collector.Collections include: Classical antiquities, Prehistoric art, Jewelry and decorative art, Italian Renaissance, Italian and Spanish fine art, Dutch Golden Age and Flemish Baroque, German, Swiss, British and French fine art, French Neoclassical, Impressionist, and post-Impressionist art, Modern, German Romantic and other 19-20th century art

The richly decorated interiors of the first floor of the Winter Palace are part of the Russian culture collection and host the exhibitions of Russian art from the 11th-19th centuries. Temporary exhibitions are usually held in the

Nicholas Hall

.

Immediately after the

Revolution

of 1917 the Imperial Hermitage and Winter Palace, former Imperial residence, were proclaimed state museums and eventually merged.

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Our Fearless Leader, Nikolai “Russians never rush, but, they never hesitate!”

Making Our Way to the Point of Entry

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Bathroom Break—Bathrooms designed by Versace

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Palace Grand Staircase

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Beautiful Parquet Floors and Chandelier

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Throne of Peter the Great

Small Throne Room

of the

Winter Palace

,

St Petersburg

, also known as the Peter the Great Memorial Hall, was created for Tsar

Nicholas I

in 1833

His portrait hangs behind the throne

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Portrait Hall Major Military Figures During Peter the Great’s Reign

Portrait of Alexander I

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Hall of St. George

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Inlaid Wood Floors—up to 26 kinds of wood in some floors

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Silk Flemish Tapestry

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Ornate Hallway Ceiling

My New Dining Room Chandelier

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Portrait of Catherine the Great

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Tiled Floors in Palace

Tile Floor Detail—1/4 inch tiles

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Inlaid Tables

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Ornate Decorations

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Catherine’s Peacock Clock Obtained by Catherine in 1781

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Large Meissen Porcelain Vase

Carved Serpentine Urn

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Silk Flemish Tapestry

Byzantine Icons between Faux Lapis Columns

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Tsar’s Doors—Gold Inlaid Panels

Doorways Leading to Another Section of Palace. Style Change from Italian Baroque to Neo-Classical

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So much for the Palace. Now for the museum items.

I promise not to show you all 3 million!

If you were to view each item for 5 seconds, it would take more than a lifetime to see every item in the collections!

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Leonardo DavinciMadonna and Child(Madonna Litta)

Madonna and Child Benois

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Ceiling Fresco

Controversial Nude by Romano

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Hallways reminiscent of the Vatican near Sistine Chapel

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Raphaello

Madonna and Child

Madonna with the Beardless Joseph

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Unfinished Sculpture by Michelangelo

Internet photo

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Carved Lapis Vase

Ornate Neo-classical Ceilings

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Rialto Bridge in Venice by Mariecchi

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Portrait of Actress Antonio Zarote by Goya(reputed to be one of his lovers

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Paintings by RembrandtReturn of the Prodigal Son

Danae—This painting was attacked by a man in 1985 wielding a knife and sulphurous acid, badly damaging the painting. It was fully restored and returned to public display in 1997.

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A couple sculptures

Kiss of Cupid and Psyche by Canova-one of several copies in various museums around the world

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Greek and Roman Sculpture Gallery

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Peter Paul Rubens

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Impressionists

Bush by Van Gogh

Haystack at Giverny by Monet

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Family Portrait by Matisse

Tahitian Pastorals by Gaugin

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Pablo PicassoAdvertising for the Special Picasso Sculpture and Painting Exhibit at the Hermitage

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Winter PalacePalace Square Obelisk

Palace Square Gate

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Hermitage—one more look

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Catherine Palace (Tsarskoye Selo)

The Catherine Palace originally was commissioned by Peter the Great for Catherine, his wife. Catherine I ruled Russia for two years after Peter’s death in 1725.Originally a modest two-story residence, their daughter, Empress Elizabeth, redesigned it into a palace. Starting in 1743, Bartholomeo Rastrelli

, Chief Architect of the Imperial Court, was instructed to completely redesign the building on a scale to rival Versailles.The interiors of the Catherine Palace are no less spectacular, including the Portrait Hall, which contains portraits of both Catherine and Elizabeth, and the Picture Gallery, covered with 17th and 18

th

century paintings.

Internet photo

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Palace Gate

Internet photo

Internet photo

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The Royal Chapel Domes

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Ornate Palace Facade

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Palace Interior

Fabrage Egg Collection

Glass Eggs and Crystal

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The Gold Room

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Detail from the Gold Room

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Russian “Selfie”

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Palace Small Dining Room

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Two Interesting Features of the Small Dining Room

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Catherine II the Great’s Coronation Gown

Empress of Russia from 1762 until 1796, the country's longest-ruling female leader. She came to power following a coup d'état when her husband, Peter III, was overthrown. Catherine faced down many uprisings during her reign. She was even known to lead her soldiers into battle when her generals hesitated.

She had many lovers, and used them to her advantage always.She considered herself an enlightened ruler.She was a champion of the arts, amassing one of the world’s most impressive art collections in St. Petersburg’s Winter Palace (Hermitage Museum) and even trying her hand at composing opera.

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The Amber RoomOriginally installed at Charlottenburg Palace, home of Friedrich I, the first King of Prussia.

Peter the Great admired the room on a visit, and in 1716 the King of Prussia presented it to the Peter as a gift, cementing a Prussian-Russian alliance against Sweden.The Amber Room was shipped to Russia in 18 large boxes and installed in the Winter House, then re-installed in the Summer Palace after it was renovated to accommodate the panels. It was Catherine’s favorite room, and often her private sanctuary.

Adolf Hitler invaded Russia in 1941. The invasion led to the looting of tens of thousands of art treasures, including the Amber Room, despite attempts to hide it from the invaders.

The original Amber room was never recovered, but was reconstructed beginning in 1979 at a cost of $11 million dollars

. The reconstruction took almost 25 years.

Internet photo

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The Amber Room

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Painting of Catherine Palace at the End of WWII, before restoration

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Map of Palace Grounds

Catherine’s Personal Retreat on Palace Grounds--I believe they are called “she sheds” now.

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Alexander Pushkin reciting his poem at the Lyceum(Internet photo)

Imperial Alexander Lyceum at Tsarskoye SeloFounded by Tsar Alexander in 1811. Operated here for 33 years, then moved to St. Petersburg.Founded to educate youths of the best families who would afterwards occupy important posts in the Imperial service. 286 graduates:234 entered the civil service, 50 military service, 2 naval officersMany notable Russians educated here include: Alexander Pushkin(1817) and Dmitry Tolstoy.

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One last look at the Palace and Gardens

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A Few More Sights from St. PetersburgSmolney Cathedral

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Church of the Savior on the Spilled Blood

Built to honor Tsar Alexander II of Russia, who was assassinated at the site where the church now sits, hence the reference to "spilled blood".The construction was funded by the imperial family

Internet photo

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Cathedral was under construction for 40 years (1818-1858) and was commissioned by Tsar Alexander IColumns are made of single pieces of red granite weighing 80 tons (about 177,770 pounds) each.The iconostasis (the icon wall that separates the altar from the rest of the church) is decorated with 8 solid malachite and 2 lapis lazuli columns. The cathedral, which can accommodate 14,000 worshipers, now serves as a museum and services are held only on significant ecclesiastical holidays.

Several outer columns were damaged in a terrorist attack. They have not been restored as a reminder of vigilance to the Russian people.

St. Isaac’s Cathedral on Nicholas I Square

Internet photos

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How to Get Arrested in RussiaRide in a bus full of American tourists in St. Petersburg.Heavy traffic, bus driver Alexi hurrying to get back for dinner and evening performanceAccidentally cross center line in road, no oncoming traffic in that lanePulled over by Russian police, bus parked in middle of Nicholas I Square, bus driver taken away in police carWait an hour for police to come back with bus driver

Bus driver loses license to drive bus, given a note only to drive bus back to ship, fined $3000 to get his license back Alexi was too principled to allow passengers to help him pay finePolice corruption in Russia?? I report, you decide.

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Evening PerformanceRussian Folk Dancers in traditional folk costumes

(and VODKA for everyone!)

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Our Last Day—Magnificent Peterhof

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PeterhofCommissioned by Peter the Great as a direct response to the Palace of Versailles by Louis XIV of France. Often called the “Russian Versailles”Peterhof was Peter’s creation, containing many personal details and items that evoked his spirit and his vision of the future of Russia.Peter played an active role in the layout and design of Peterhof that he started in 1714, although it continued to be expanded after his death by his daughter, Empress Elizabeth.

Perhaps the greatest technological achievement of Peterhof is that all of the fountains operate without the use of pumps. Water is supplied from natural springs and collects in reservoirs in the Upper Gardens. The elevation difference creates the pressure that drives most of the fountains of the Lower Gardens, including the Grand Cascade. The Samson Fountain is supplied by a special aqueduct, over four km in length, drawing water and pressure from a high-elevation source.

Fountain Video

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Peterhof

Interior

(Internet Photos)

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Peterhof

Gardens and Fountains

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Peterhof

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Peterhof

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Goodbye to Russia and Our New Friends

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Thank You for sharing our adventure.