Peter and Paul Cathedral One of the first locations we visited was the Peter and Paul Cathedral inside the Peter and Paul Fortress. It was amazing with gilt decor everywhere and large marble sarcophagi near the front on the left and right sides. All of the czars are buried here. There are a few exceptions (non-imperial family) that are buried in the back in a special chapel built in the 20th ... View Post
Tour Guides in Russia
So, I decided to go to Russia. Now what?! After thinking about it for 30 seconds or so, I realized I needed to book a tour to see all the sights that interested me. I looked online and found several companies that offered tours. The interesting thing about these tours is that they are all for small groups of people. Not a group of 20-30 people in a bus, but a private car with a ... View Post
Impressions of St. Petersburg
St. Petersburg is the second largest city in Russia at almost five million people, and it’s where we are living for the next week. Overall the city is fine, but it’s got quite a few problems in my eyes. Personally, I would much rather have spent another week in Iceland instead of staying here. One of the things the city has going for it is the food. All the ... View Post
St. Isaac’s Cathedral, St. Petersburg
St. Isaac’s Cathedral, a church in St. Petersburg, Russia, is the third largest domed cathedral in the world. It was ordered by Tsar Alexander I in 1818, and after being built for 40 years by Auguste Montferrand, it was finished in 1858. It has a height of 102 meters and an interior space designed to hold 14,000 standing worshipers. The building has so much gold, marble, and heavy ... View Post
Going to Russia – Are You Crazy?
I remember when I first told people I was going to Russia on this trip. WHY? Was the most common response I received. There are several reasons I chose to go, but the top reasons are that Howard’s family is from Russia (Lithuania, actually) and he really wanted to go to St. Petersburg one day. When he was alive we would talk about where we wanted to travel, and St. Petersburg was always near ... View Post
