Planning a short trip to the city of Saint Petersburg? Here are some recommendations*. To view all the photographs (with the captions in full) of each city, click on any image and navigate using the left and right keys.
Saint Petersburg, Russia
1. Once named Leningrad after the death of Vladimir Lenin, Saint Petersburg remains an important harbour city in Russia. With its many palaces and museums the former capital is a centre of history, science, and culture, and there is a neat juxtaposition of new apartment buildings and old architecture. In the picture is the Spit of the Saint Basil Island.
2. The Saint Peter and Saint Paul fortress is considered to be the birthplace of Saint Petersburg, and the first structure of the city. Constructed on the orders of Peter the Great – who had broken Russia’s landlocked predicament by defeating the Swedish garrison on the Neva River – in 1703, the fortress never did play a part in any war. Russia now had access to the Baltic Sea, and the fortress was also subsequently used to imprison dissidents.
3. The first cathedral of Saint Petersburg, the Peter and Paul Cathedral is the burial location of emperors and members of the Romanov royal family. At the top of the spire an angel clutches the cross, and legend has it that its condition is tied to the well-being of the city.
4. Salmon soup, blinis with mozzarella and tomatoes, and Russian dumplings filled with minced meat. Dumplings like these are common around Eastern Europe, though the ingredients and thickness of the dough vary.
4. Salmon soup, blinis with mozzarella and tomatoes, and Russian dumplings filled with minced meat. Dumplings like these are common around Eastern Europe, though the ingredients and thickness of the dough vary.
6. The Cathedral on the Spilled Blood is one of the most iconic landmarks of Saint Petersburg, and it was erected on the assassination site of Alexander II. I should superficially confess that the interior did not quite match up to the view from the outside, though precious metals were nonetheless used in its construction, and individual mosaics are incredibly detailed.
6. The Cathedral on the Spilled Blood is one of the most iconic landmarks of Saint Petersburg, and it was erected on the assassination site of Alexander II. I should superficially confess that the interior did not quite match up to the view from the outside, though precious metals were nonetheless used in its construction, and individual mosaics are incredibly detailed.
8. Four-course Russian dinner: “Vinaigrette: salad of potatoes, carrots, red onions, pickles and minced meat; baked mushrooms in a cream sauce with cheese; chicken Kiev; as well as blinis with strawberry jam.
9. Founded in 1764 by Catherine the Great, the State Hermitage houses a collection of art and artefacts from around the world. She started the royal art collection in this Winter Palace, where royal families used to reside in. The storming of the Winter Palace by Red Army soldiers was an iconic symbol of the 1917 October Revolution
10. View of the palace square, with the State Hermitage on the right and the Alexander Column on the left (with an angel holding a cross).
11. Saint Isaac’s Cathedral is the largest Russian Orthodox cathedral in the city, and it is known for its intricate interior design and decoration. It is also one of the biggest dome cathedrals in the world.
12. “Kulyebyaka” with meat pie, rabbit and mushroom pie, cowberry pie in the top picture, and the borsch soup in the bottom picture. The rabbit and mushroom pie was particularly good.
13. Catherine’s Palace was a summer residence of the Russian royal family, and the baroque-style palace – to the uninitiated – shares broad design similarities with the State Hermitage. The walk around the courtyard (has to be arranged beforehand) and the park is relaxing, but the interior design and decorations may not be as impressive.
14. The interior of Catherine’s Palace: dining and banquet halls, bedrooms, and function rooms. The high columns meant wallpapers were of different colours, and the ceilings were often adorned with paintings.
15. A centrepiece in one of the many rooms, where grand functions were held and prominent guests entertained.
16. The Cameron Gallery in the Catherine Park.
* Not an advertisement, and also not sponsored (unfortunately).
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Check out The Finland Chapter, from start to finnish.
Hello Jin Yao
Fascinating!
How do you “construct” your blog like this? It’s amazing, the captions, and I’ve never before seen the shutter and aperture of photos taken by an iPhone 4S!
By someone who claims not to know much about photography… 😉
It’s a WordPress blog. Is this the basic version, or some premium version you pay for? USD 100 a year? How do you chose the options to make a blogpost with photos and captions and how do you transfer the iPhone photos, figure you don’t write the blog post on the iPhone?
Myself have chosen a blog name, and have got basic WP account a few months ago, haven’t started to write yet. Nor explored the options/layout. As I go travelling in April I know for sure I’ll take many photos, and could start just off my blog by the photo/ caption concept.
Was about to send you a brief email, as I saw your newsletter on the blog, on the topic of you possibly coming Bergen, when I just discovered how clever this blog was. Missed this features on your previous photo blogs, sure they are designed the same way.
Okay, letting the dog out, then the email I’ve been promising you for months, Jin Yao, a brief version, at 2 am.
Kind regards
@ReporterPhoenix
Sent from my iPad ส่งจาก iPad
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Posted by Colin Tom | March 28, 2014, 9:07 amHei!
I’m using the basic version of WordPress (no upgrades purchased). The platform is always introducing new features, and bloggers can now create a gallery quite easily (as I have done on this Finland trip).
This is not the only layout available. You can choose from slideshows to galleries et cetera. I chose this particular format because my captions are usually longer.
We will continue our correspondence through email 🙂
Jin Yao
Posted by guanyinmiao | March 28, 2014, 1:24 pm