Emperors statue in front of Pavlovsk palace
April 27, 1996 Today, as yesterday, there was some snow. I took another tour to Pushkin and nearby Pavlovsk. These were also living palaces of the old royal families. Likewise, the Germans had destroyed much of both in WWII. In each reconstructed room was a 1944 photo showing the damage. Two Finnish women and I were the only ones taking the English language tour. There were many German tourists. Again the woodwork in the floors was very impressive.
At Pavlovsk, the buildings were much smaller. The large forest park surrounding the palace was very pleasant. Undoubtedly, many of Russia's 19th century writers, poets, and composers had wandered these same forest paths.
Returning to the apartment, I had no key, and no one was there. I checked out some of the shops nearby. This part of St Petersburg appeared to be more affluent. An Adidas store sold shoes and clothes at full retail US prices and a lot of people were buying. Likewise for the adjoining Philips electronic store.
Photo: Band at Pushkin
Pushkin palace entrance
Photo: Statue of Pushkin
Park at Pavlovsk
