Spotlight on St. Petersburg
St. Petersburg. The very name brings to mind some of Russia's greatest poets, writers and composers: Pushkin, Dostoevsky, Tchaikovsky. The 19th century was a golden age for St. Petersburg's wealthy classes. It was a world of ballets and balls, of art and literature, of tea and caviar.
The golden age ended with the advent of World War 1. Working people were growing more and more discontented. In 1917, Communism came, promising peace and prosperity.
St. Petersburg had become Petrograd in 1914. People wanted a Russian name for their city. Ten years later, the city's name changed again, this time to Leningrad. Then in 1991, Leningraders voted to restore the city's original name. Some people opposed the name change altogether. Others thought it was just too soon. Old, run-down Soviet Leningrad, they said, was not the St. Petersburg of 19th-century literature.
What, then, is St. Petersburg? In the confusing post-Communist world, no one really knows. The quiet, if Soviet-style, dignity is gone. The Communist sayings are down, and gaudy advertising up. Candy bars and cigarettes are sold from boxy, tasteless kiosks. And clothing? Well, anything goes. Everyone wants to be a little different. But many people do not know the true meaning of freedom. Personal crime has gone up, up, up in the past few years.
Yet in spite of this, you can still find some of the city's grand past. Stand at the western tip of Vasilievsky Island. To the right is the elegant Winter Palace, former home of the Czars. Its light blue sides and white classical columns make it perhaps St. Petersburg's most graceful building. It houses one of the worlds most famous art museums: the Hermitage. Inside, 20 km of galleries house thousands of works of art. Look over your right shoulder. The massive golden dome of St. Isaac's Cathedral rises above the skyline. You'll see, too, why St. Petersburg is called a "floating city." Standing there, nearly surrounded by water, you can see four of the city's 42 islands.
Take time to wander among Kazan Cathedral's semi circle of enormous brown columns. Or, if you prefer Russian-style architecture, cross the street and follow the canal a short distance. The Church of the Resurrection occupies the site where Czar Alexander 11 was assassinated in 1881.
Travel outside the city to Petrodvorets Palace for a taste of old imperial grandeur. After a visit to France in the late 17th century, Peter the Great decided to build a palace for himself better than Versailles. His dream never came true in his lifetime. It took almost two centuries to complete the palace and park complex.
