Cathedral at Peter & Paul Fortress
April 26, 1996 I jogged in the morning. Then walked to the Peter and Paul Fortress. Saw the church and a few exhibits. Peter the Great is buried in the church. The fog over the Neva River hid the city on the opposite bank.
In the afternoon I took a tour of Petrodvorets, a palace built by Peter the Great based on Versailles. The original was destroyed by the Germans in WWII. A great reconstruction effort over the last 40 years has resulted in an extravagant tourist trap. The marquetry work was really excellent. In the gallery room, 360 portraits of young women hung from the walls. Actually the 360 portraits were of only 10 models.
That evening, Mariya took me and her 9 year old daughter to Chopsticks, a Chinese restaurant in an expensive hotel. Nice decor, but very fancy prices for mediocre Chinese food. At the apartment, I met a new roommate, Dick. He was assisting with tourist promotion.
Photo: Russian Museum
Statue of Peter the Great
Photo: Ice on Neva River at Peter & Paul Fortress
Church of the Resurrection of Christ
Photo: Church of the Resurrection of Christ, St Petersburg
