Mike & Heidi Mullins’ Friends

St. Petersburg - From Russia With Love

nobody@vox.com(Bill and Marge Pfeffer) — Mon, 18 Aug 2008 22:39:53 -0700

When we started this trip, there were three things I really looked forward to – the ruins at Angkor Wat, the Great Wall of China and the Hermitage Museum in St. Petersburg. Arriving in this northerly city on a brand new spiffy overnight train from Moscow (maybe the best train we’ve been on so far), we were greeted with wintry blasts of cold wind from the Gulf of Finland, despite being the middle of summer. Here it was the beginning of summer with light until 11:30 in the evening and everyone was walking around in winter coats.

St. Petersburg Canals

Met at the train station by a representative of our tour group, she led us to our home stay in the suburbs, a private room in a local family apartment, a cost effective solution to the high cost of lodging in this prior capital. Not sure what to expect, we gritted our teeth as she took us through the bland, concrete Soviet style high rise apartment blocks towards our destination, past graffiti sprayed walls and characterless buildings. Finally leading us up a dingy entranceway, we called the owner, got buzzed in and proceeded up to the 11^th floor on this ancient Flintstone freight elevator which buckled and groaned while grudgingly ascending, all the while wondering if this was its last trip up. Alex, the friendly owner, met us and led us through his three locked doors, into his small but charming apartment, and showed us to our room. Initially taken aback, we warmed to the accommodations over the next few days, and it turned out to be not as bad as we initially feared.

On The Way To Our Homestay

After Moscow, St. Petersburg has the look and feel of a European city, with its classical skyline of French colonial buildings bordering the river, with murky canals ribboning through downtown and ornate bridges spanning the waterways while statues of all shapes and designs dot the landscape. It’s really quite a contrast coming from Moscow, as it definitely feels European and cultured and classical and middle class as opposed to Moscow which has a feel of raw power and intimidation and grittiness and I don’t know – more Russian – plus you don’t see so many people walking around with alcohol here.

University Area, St. Petersburg

Founded in 1703 by Peter the Great on the mouth of the Neva River, the population runs around 5 million people with much of the architecture influenced by a many Italian designers and architects. Originally the capital of Russia until 1918 when it moved inland to Moscow, it later was renamed Leningrad (1924) and during World War II was under siege by Hitler’s advancing armies for 900 days. One million people starved to death during this epic holdout, yet the city held and ultimately cost Germany the war. Renaming itself St. Petersburg in the 1980’s, the city itself consists of many islands as it occupies a strategic position on the wind swept Gulf of Finland.

McDonalds in Russian

Certainly the number one reason to visit St. Petersburg is the Hermitage Museum, a former palace now packed to the rafters with a cache of fine art to rival the Louvre (an alleged 3,000,000 objects to view). The Louvre may have a more impressive collection, but remove the art from both museums and people would still flock to the Hermitage. Without the art, the Hermitage remains an impressive work of exquisite craftsmanship, each room jaw dropping and inspiring, perfectly complementing the paintings, with murals on the ceiling, mosaics and marble everywhere, a chandelier hung room etched in gold – everything beautifully rendered and composed. And when you tire of viewing the art, redirect your gaze through the oversized windows and admire the colorful classical skyline or the river and canals snaking alongside.

Loved These Pillars

As far as the art, there’s a room of Reuben’s, another of Rembrandts, two of the five Leonardo Da Vinci’s on display to the public, twenty or thirty Gauguin’s, an equal number of Matisse – we were completely overwhelmed by the breath and depth of the art on display. Name a painter and it’s likely there’s one on display here (or close by in storage as they rotate pieces). And not just paintings, with ancient marbled sculptures occupying a number of rooms, fine old porcelain objects, a remarkable collection of Egyptian artifacts (including an unwrapped mummy), exquisite textiles and some of the most amazing detailed wood cabinetry you’ll ever see.

Beautiful Italian Style Architecture in St. Petersburg

To avoid the long lines, we bought a two day pass for $52 which allowed us to walk to the front of the line each day. As it developed, we spent most of the first day on just the second floor, there’s just so much art and as you walk from one elaborate room to the next, it gets a little confusing – I found it easiest to use the map and cross out the numbered rooms as we left them – you can’t just wander on a whim. Every art lover should make a pilgrimage to this wonderful destination, although I wondered where the heck did the Russians get all of this art from.

Church On Spilled Blood

Although the star attraction, the Hermitage is not the only beautiful structure in St. Petersburg, as many colonial buildings line the streets, especially the main drag of Nevsky Prospekt. It’s certainly a more affordable city than Moscow, as there are street vendors where one can eat cheaply in addition to bargain rate cafes here and there. Our homestay accommodation turned out to be ok, although it would have been nicer to be one subway stop closer to town as there wasn’t really any place to walk to out where we were – it was essentially a residential area – yet the price was right. Alex the owner was very nice, and we got to spend five days in this unique city, although I never once was able to get into the place using the four supplied keys, Alex always waited up for us.

At The Ballet

One night we went to a ballet performance of Romeo and Juliet at the Alexandrinsky Theatre (thanks Brock), since we really wanted to attend the Bolshoi in Moscow which was regrettably closed for repairs. We sat in balcony box seats for around $38 each, not so bad when you consider the theatre itself was rather small and rather well known and historic. And the ballet wasn’t so shabby either, although we had the choice of seeing Swan Lake and I would have probably preferred that.

View of the Hermitage from the Inside

Being this far north is certainly challenging weather wise, as it’s very cold even in the dead of summer, perhaps 70 degrees to them constitutes a heat wave. From here, we’re arranging transport over to the Baltic States – Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania – those little irrepressible rascals that escaped from the clutches of big brother Russia, to see how things are developing in their newfound capitalist and freedom loving environments. Then on to Poland and wherever cheap transportation takes us, as our cost structure has escalated dramatically since crossing the Urals from Asia into Europe.

This Room Had Ancient Armor

A Little Side Room

Beer Vendors on Every Corner

Cool Little Hallway

Everything in the Hermitage is Ornate

Fine Artifacts at the Hermitage

Great Little Painting

Imperial Family Cathedral, Hermitage

Just Another Beer Store

Life Imitates Art

Look Right, Look Left, Look Up

Mummified Remains of Young Woman - Very Spooky

Really Nice Marble Busts

Room of Ruebens

Sample Extravagant Room at the Hermitage

Strange Cops Hanging Out on Table Next To Us

There Were Many Brides on 08-Sept-08

This Is The Fourth Time I've Seen That Painting

This Room Was Lined With Portraits of Russian War Heroes

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Moscow - Back In The USSR

nobody@vox.com(Bill and Marge Pfeffer) — Sun, 17 Aug 2008 23:15:00 -0700

View of Red Square from St Basil's Cathedral

With a Tony Soprano meets Boris Yeltsin fabled atmosphere, we weren’t sure what to expect after arriving in this capital city following our 5000 mile train trip across the heartland of Russia. Six dollar big Macs, gorgeous stiletto heeled Russian women right off the set of a 007 movie, midnight sunsets, a hundred brands of vodka in your local convenience store, muscled pistol packing bodyguards in body armor guarding the many Ferraris, Mercedes and Land Rovers, pin striped businessmen on cell phones, all night dance clubs – did I mention the KGB, Kremlin and Red Square.

Voskressensky Gates, Red Square

Moscow is an intoxicating affront to your senses – love it or hate it, this city is a walking tavern with everyone cruising the streets holding open containers of alcohol, while high end restaurants dot the streets and police and military cast a wary eye on everyone passing by. Reeking in history, intimidating, intriguing and impressive, this eroded super power, although not for the faint of heart, is high on our list of traveler’s destinations. Not the destination for the novice traveler, this is one place you need to be on your toes and really blend into the surroundings - no flashy clothes, stick to the large crowds, don’t wander after dark, avoid all eye contact with anyone wearing a uniform.

Russian Orthodox Church

Ground zero for the Cold War, historic, picturesque and essential Red Square is the epicenter of Moscow. Passing through the south entrance of Voskressensky Gates and climbing the cobble stoned entry, you can’t help but reflect on how this country was our sworn enemy for so many years throughout the Cold War. Proudly this square was used to extravagantly parade the military might of this nation and proclaim the virtues of Communism. Lenin, Stalin, Khrushchev, Brezhnev, Gorbachev, Yeltsin and Putin – indelibly etched in our consciousness - who doesn’t recognize these former leaders. Yet who can name the leaders of China or Germany or France during these same periods of history.

St. Basil's Cathedral, Red Square

Ironically, the square is now bordered by Gucci, Armani and other designer stores on one side and Lenin’s – Mr. Communist himself - mausoleum on the other. We did get a peek at this former leader as we queued up and passed by his body lying swathed in red velvet in a rather simple and subdued setting. He looked pretty good, although Uncle Ho in Hanoi is probably the best, with the pompous Mao at the bottom of the list (bury the Chairman already and make the building into a museum or school). At the far reaches of the square sits the majestic and Disneyland like St. Basil’s Cathedral (built 1561) with its fabled onion domes, whose architects and designers were blinded after construction was completed by Ivan the Terrible to insure its uniqueness. An inspiring day to walk around these hallowed grounds and inhale centuries of history.

Red Square is Huge

Bordering Red Square is the infamous Kremlin (from the 1150’s), somewhat disappointing in that it’s expensive and limited in its attractions open to the public. There are maybe half a dozen Russian Orthodox churches you can visit, although when we were there two were closed for restoration, while most of the other official government buildings were off limits and heavily guarded by unsmiling military. Nice overlooks of the city, a pretty garden, a couple of cathedrals, but for $15 each, although essential, it’s not worth it – Red Square is better and free.

The Convent at Novodevichy

Built back in the 1930’s and 1940’s, the Metro system is not as spiffy and modern as Hong Kong or Shanghai, but more than makes up for it in extraordinary character. With 15 lines and 150 stations, it’s convenient and efficient with trains scheduled every three minutes. With no self service ticketing kiosks, you’re treated to the rare pleasure of queuing in line to buy your tickets from a frumpy Soviet woman who grumpily dispenses your tokens with nary a smile or acknowledgement as if it’s your fault she’s there and not at home boiling cabbage and potatoes and watching TV. Arriving at each Metro platform is like stepping into a time capsule – Mayakovskaya (built 1938) with it’s patriotic mosaic themes emblazoned on the ceiling, Komsomolskaya (1935) - elegantly festooned with crystal chandeliers and marble, Ploshchad Revolyutsii (1938) and its 76 life sized bronze figures, Novoslobodskaya (1952) elaborately adorned with remarkable stained glass windows (in a subway station!!!), Kropotkinskaya (1935) encased in marbled walls and accented with marbled columns. All of them a work of art and reminiscent of an Art Deco motif, it’s essential to hop on and off for a couple of hours and visit the more unusual and artistic stops – and it’s only 75 cents.

Hundreds of Kinds Of Beer Sold Everywhere

The Metro itself is clunky yet durable in the lovable style of the Soviets, with tunnels hundreds of feet underground and people transported downwards on aged industrial strength escalators built between the two World Wars. A rattletrap of heavy gauge metal bolted together from the 1930’s and 1940’s, it’s a miracle these subways are still in service after all of these years. Careening down the tracks at haphazard speeds, the entire carriage swaying and rocking on 75 year tracks, powered by age old engines and lacking any modern technology (no digital map showing where you are like in Hong Kong), its raucous and timeless and next to impossible to talk to the person next to you because of the substantial decibel levels. Hang on, because the acceleration is uneven and immediate and the deceleration sudden and unexpected. Bouncing around on this relic is the most fun we’ve had since the public buses in Indonesia. Absolutely endearing and memorable.

Russian Orthodox Churches in the Kremlin

While visiting the monastery Novodevichy Convent, one of the more majestic churches in Moscow, we were drawn to the cemetery next door, which turned out to be one of the more surprising and memorable sites we’ve seen on our trip. The final resting place for war heroes, politicians, literary figures and other people of importance, the actual grave sites are outstanding in their artistic design, with life sized rock carvings of the actual person, or just a bust of their head, or their picture etched into granite – it’s kind of hard to describe and something you have to see to appreciate –we were blown away and wandered up and down the aisles seemingly always finding another one that outdid the last.

So Many Bronze Statues in the Subway

Moscow is best appreciated by hitting the streets and wandering around, as there are many classical churches and old French inspired buildings on every block (even the grocery store across the street from our hotel was a historic building). We made a stop at the Pushkin Museum and were disappointed – it’s again expensive ($15 each) with a very limited art showing. They had room after room of sculptures, except they were plaster casts of the real thing – like a fake David and so on – how bizarre. When I asked the lady at information where all the good art was, she said next door at this other museum (also $15), which we decided to pass on – after all, you can only spend so much money at these attractions. Don’t waste your money at the Pushkin.

One of the any Extravagant Moscow Subway Stations

So that’s the good of Moscow, the bad being how expensive this city is. It’s real sticker shock although we knew ahead of time to be prepared. Our Marriott Hotel wanted $40/day for internet access, a cup of coffee was $3, two Big Mac meals came to $15 (they have the largest McDonalds franchise in the world on Red Square – complete with metal detectors), there’s no way you’re going to go out and have a nice sit down meal. And there’s a disturbing lack of street food, places on the street where you can grab a cheap bite to eat – a hot dog, a crepe and so on. Forget souvenir stores, there’s nothing of value relative to the price. And it costs an arm and a leg to visit each of the sites, so you need to pick and choose carefully.

Nicely Done Grave Markers

For the ugly, it’s the obvious chronic alcoholism so prevalent in this city, with cheap beer sold at every little claustrophobic corner store and outdoor vendor. And not just 12 ounce bottles of Miller, we’re talking 24, 32 and even 64 ounce bottles of local brew with alcohol content of 8.4%. Everyone walks around with open containers of beer while empty bottles are piled everywhere and it’s shocking to see so many people hanging out first thing in the morning with a big beer in their hands. That and the cheap vodka, where a rot gut wine sized bottle can be had for $3 at most every store in town (we at least stick to the high end brands that set you back $8).

If The KGB Is So Secret Why Is It Listed On The Map

And before I sign off, a quick word about our train ride across Russia – a memorable and majestic ride on one of the most famous railways in the world, something I’ve always wanted to do since I was a little kid. Across 10 time zones and almost 5000 miles, passing through 87 cities and towns, we spent 4 days and 3 nights in our 1^st class cabin enjoying the scenery, drinking vodka, reading books, sleeping, lounging about, and catching up on our blog, occasionally getting off the train for 10-15 minutes at various stops along the way. Siberia is vast and studded with birch trees and lakes, very similar to the Northwoods of the Midwest where I grew up. It seemed spring like with wildflowers blooming everywhere, as we rode along the scenic route, passing the many wooden chalets and admiring the breed of people who live here during the excruciatingly cold winters.

Siberian Countryside

For the first day and a half we shared our individual train carriage with a group of Spaniards, who then unexpectedly got off the train in the middle of Russia – it turns out there was a total solar eclipse they were off to observe – and we were really the only people left in our car for the duration of our trip (very strange). Had we not had such restrictions on our visas, we would have gladly exited the train at that point to join this group and observe this once in a lifetime opportunity.

Short Stop

Ultimately, Moscow is a strange and lovable city for us – plenty of things to see and do, but affordability is a big issue. Great if you’re on a company expense account, not so great if you’re an independent traveler trying to economize. Fortunately, we had 2 free nights at the Marriott, a place where even the discounted rate is $400/night – certainly out of our range. Moscow is every adjective in the dictionary except cheap, yet certainly worth a visit.

Our Cozy 1st Class Compartment on Trans Siberian Train

Still, there is this underlying divide between the haves and the have nots. There are many wealthy people in Moscow, with high end designer stores everywhere, yet there are many that don’t share in this prosperity and probably never will. With alleged corruption and payoffs part of daily life, I don’t get a sense of a thriving economy so evident in China. In fact, other than natural resources, I’m not sure what Russia sells to the rest of the world. Curiously, our ATM card is blocked for use in Russia due to excessive computer fraud, something of a hassle for us since only one of our plastic cards worked for cash advances, and this is one place where you’d go to the ATM every day.

Red Square Sunset

Immense, clunky and deep down lovable, the people of Russia deserve better than they have, and hopefully someday will become as successful as the other former republics who have moved further down the road to freedom. A repressive and socialist country trying to shirk off its failed communist pedigree, it has the potential, but does it have the willpower and initiative – only time will tell.

More Grave Markers

Big Russian Engine

Cathedral of Christ the Savior

Chandeliers of Komsomolskaya Station

Drunken Soviet Sailors With Joe Stalin Impersonator

Elegant Stained Glass Windows at Novoslobodskaya Station

Fruit Vendor

Kazan Cathedral, Red Square

Khrushchev's Grave

Moscow Fountains

Mural of Lenin in the Subway

Neighborhood Grocery Store in Historical Building

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