Europe Travel - Part 15

Saint Petersburg, Russia: In the Footsteps of Alexander Pushkin

by Tatiana Claudy

“Pushkin was our everything,” declared Apollon Grigoryev (Russian poet). “Pushkin represented everything that is spiritual and warm about us.” ¹ Alexander Sergeevich Pushkin was the great Russian poet of the 19th century whose poems marked Golden Age of Russian poetry. Even today his verses are so well-known that many Russians easily quote them by heart. Some lines they remember from their childhood, such as:

On seashore far a green oak towers,
And to it with a gold chain bound,
A learned cat whiles away the hours
By walking slowly round and round. ²

Or they may recite one of famous Pushkin’s romantic poems, like this one:

I loved you: and, it may be, from my soul
The former love has never gone away,
But let it not recall to you my dole;
I wish not sadden you in any way. ³

Alexander Pushkin was born in 1799 in Moscow but most of his life spent in Saint Petersburg (the Russian Empire’s capital). Pushkin is considered a literary symbol of this city where he has been commemorated in various ways: there are several Pushkin’s monuments Pushkin Street, and Pushkinskaya subway station.

Pushkin belonged to one of the most distinguished Russian noble families: his maternal great-grandfather, Abraham Hannibal, nobleman of African origin, was a godson of Emperor Peter the Great. No wonder that Pushkin has been chosen to attend the Lyceum, the school for young aristocrats in Tsarskoye Selo (Saint Petersburg’s suburb). He started his literary career by writing poetry for the students’ magazine and, at the age of 15, published his first poetic piece in a literary journal. His famed poem of that period was “Recollections in Tsarskoye Selo” which Pushkin read at the public exam:

Let’s heroes be exalted by the Poet’s lyre
Whose proud strings set warrior’s hearts on fire; ⁴

Among guests of honor was elderly Gavriil Derzhavin, called by his contemporaries the greatest living Russian poet. Derzhavin recognized the young poet’s outstanding talent and declared that one day Pushkin will replace him. Later Pushkin described this event:

And with a smile the world caressed us:
What wings our first successes gave!
Aged Derzhavin saw and blessed us
As he descended to the grave. ⁵

After his graduation from the Lyceum, Pushkin moved to Saint Petersburg and became one of the first Russian poets to praise this city, founded by Peter the Great. Pushkin’ poetry touched hearts of many of this city’ dwellers – past and present – by expressing in verses profound sentiments for Saint Petersburg.

As I stood at the embankment of the Neva River, looking across the water at Basil Island (with two magnificent Rostral Columns) and the Winter Palace (Russian Royalties’ residence), Pushkin’s famous lines came to my mind:

I love you, Peter’s great creation,
I love your view of stern and grace,
The Neva wave’s regal procession,
The grayish granite – her bank’s dress . . .
City of Peter, just you shine
And stand unshakable as Russia!
May make a peace with beauty, thine,
The conquered nature’s casual rushes; ⁶

Since my literary journey was dedicated to Pushkin, my next destination was the Summer Garden, the city’s most charming park modeled after the Versailles in France.

While I strolled on this lovely October day in the alleys among fountains and marble sculptures, admiring the nature’s farewell beauty, I imagined how Pushkin, dressed in his black cape and top hat, took his walks here. The poet always enjoyed the late autumn, his favorite season, which he described in such an idyllic way:

A melancholy time! So charming to the eye!
Your beauty in its parting pleases me –
I love the lavish withering of nature,
The gold and scarlet raiment of the woods . . . ⁷

The Summer Garden was one of Pushkin’s favorite parks where he promenaded and met his literary friends. This place was also popular among the city’s aristocrats. Not surprisingly, the poet mentioned the Summer Garden in his masterpiece, the novel in verses Eugene Onegin, which was called an “encyclopedia of Russian life.” A young aristocrat Onegin, the protagonist, in his early years was educated by a French tutor who took him for daily walks:

Monsieur l’Abbe, the Frenchman poor –
Not to exhaust the little child –
Made his tuition droll and mild . . . He softly groaned at child’s jests –
The Summer Garden was their place. ⁸

As much as I would be delighted to spend more time in this fascinating park, I had to move to the main destination of my literary journey – Pushkin’s memorial apartment at the Moyka River embankment, 12. I walked under the arch and in the inner square courtyard found the entrance to the last apartment where Pushkin lived with his family: his wife Natalia and their four children.

Since the Pushkins did not have their own house, they usually rented furnished apartments. Thus, in Pushkin’s memorial apartment there are few exhibits that belonged to the poet or his family members. Rooms are mostly filled with the 19th century furniture and home décor items that could be found in a typical apartment of a noble family.

Fortunately, Pushkin’s study is the exception: all items here belonged to the poet – the furniture, books, lamps, pictures . . . Sitting in this leather chair at this desk, Pushkin worked on his historic manuscript “The History of Peter the Great” and finished his historic hovel The Captain’s Daughter. I stood there in reverence, overwhelmed by this room’s atmosphere. On Pushkin’s table I saw manuscripts that he was writing, his ink pot and feather quills, and the book he was reading. The study looked like the poet could return any moment and continue to write . . . Sadly, his life ended tragically when he was only 37 years of age.

Pushkin’s scholars still debate events leading to his untimely death, and some believe his wife Natalia was partially at fault. Described by Pushkin as “the purest example of the purest delight,” she was one of the most beautiful women of Saint Petersburg. ⁹ Natalia, according to her contemporaries, was coquettish with her numerous admirers, including Emperor Nicolas I. Emperor granted Pushkin an intermediate court rank, therefore, the poet and his wife were obligated to perform the court’s duties and could not leave the city. Natalia’s stunning beauty captivated Dantes, a young French emigrant in Russian service, who openly pursued her – even after his marriage to Natalia’s sister. Pushkin’s family peculiar situation became the focus of gossip and jokes in the beau monde of Saint Petersburg. After receiving anonymous letters about the love affair of Natalia and Dantes, Pushkin had to defend his honor, in compliance with the custom among aristocrats, at the duel.

I walked down the stairs that Pushkin descended on January 27, 1837, going to the place of his last duel. He never climbed these stairs again – being wounded at the duel, he was carried by his friends to his study and placed on the sofa. After learning about his fatal wound, Pushkin wrote to Emperor Nicolas I, asking to forgive him for violating Emperor’s order prohibiting duels. Emperor responded by promising to take care of Pushkin’s family.

Outside of Pushkin’s apartment, multitudes of people were standing for hours, despite the cold weather, waiting for news about Pushkin’s health, praying, and hoping for his recovery. The best medical doctors tried to save his life, but their efforts were in vain: on January 29, 1837, Pushkin died. “The sun of Russian poetry went down! Pushkin died, died in his prime, in the middle of his great vocation!” – it was the only public announcement about the death of the great Russian poet. ¹⁰

The government, fearing that Pushkin’s death could provoke a political disturbance, chose for his funeral service the Church of the Savior Not Made by Human Hand, a small parish church in the neighborhood of his apartment. I visited this church and admired two white bas-reliefs on its bright-pink façade. Although it is not the most beautiful church in Saint Petersburg, this place is worth visiting due to its historical significance. Pushkin’s body was sent there secretly, at midnight, and only selected people attended the funeral service. The poet was buried in his family’s shrine at the Svyatogorsky Monastery (near Pskov, an ancient Russian town).

Yet Pushkin’s legacy is alive: on June 6 (Pushkin’s birthday), people gather in the courtyard of Pushkin’s memorial apartment to remember the poet by reciting his poetry. Pushkin’s poems inspired great composers to create operas: for instance, Mikhail Glinka (the founder of Russian opera) used Ruslan and Lyudmila (epic fairy tale), and Pyotr Tchaikovsky – Eugene Onegin.

As though foreseeing his destiny, Pushkin proclaimed:

No, I shall not all die. My soul in hallowed berth
Of art shall brave decay and from my dust take wing,
And I shall be renowned whilst on this mortal earth
Even one poet lives to sing. ¹¹

My literary journey came to its conclusion. I hope you enjoyed it, expanded your horizons with respect to Russian poetry, and became encouraged to follow the steps of Alexander Pushkin in Saint Petersburg on your own!

Footnotes:

[1]Alexander Pushkin on Bridge, Muzeon, Moscow

[2]Pushkin, A. S. Ruslan and Lyudmila. Russian Crafts.

[3]Pushkin A. S. “I Loved You” (translation by Yevgeny Bonver)

[4]Recollections in Tsarskoye Selo (Russian text – translation by Tatiana Claudy)

[5]Pushkin A. S. Eugene Onegin. Chapter 8 (translation by Ch. Johnston)

[6]Pushkin A. S. The Bronze Horseman. Poetry Lovers Page

[7]Pushkin A. S. Autumn

[8]Pushkin A. S. Eugene Onegin. Chapter 1 (translation by Yevgeny Bonver)

[9]Pushkin A. S. Madonna (Translation by Tatiana Claudy)

[10]Translation by Tatiana Claudy

[11]Alexander Pushkin, “The Monument” (“Exegi Monumentum”)

If You Go:

Visas for Russia (Most foreigners need visas to visit Russia.)

The Summer Garden (Free admission, closed on Tuesdays)

Alexander Pushkin’s Museum and Memorial Apartment (The Moyka River embankment, 12; closed on Wednesdays; adult ticket is $4, photo or video permission – $4; Audio-guide is available in English, French, German, and Italian).

Church of the Savior Not Made by Human Hand

Recommended Reading:

Collection of Poems by Alexander Pushkin

Alexander Pushkin’s Biography

Natalia Goncharova wife of Pushkin

Recommended Theaters Performing Operas Based on Pushkin’s Poetry:

Mariinsky Theatre

Mikhailovsky Theatre

About the author:
Tatiana Claudy, originally from St. Petersburg, Russia, lives with her family in the USA. Her passions include literature, art, music, languages, traveling, and photography. During her travels she loves to explore historical sites and take literary journeys. She is a freelance travel writer and aspiring mystery writer.

All photos by Tatiana Claudy

Pushkin Monument in the courtyard of Pushkin’s Memorial Apartment
The Neva River embankment
The Summer Garden
Pushkin’s Study in Pushkin’s Memorial Apartment
The Staircase in Pushkin’s Memorial Apartment
The Church of the Savior Not Made by Human Hand

Cruising the Historic Baltics

by Matthew Adams

Mediterranean cruises might be the preferred choice for many travelers. There will undoubtedly be lots of sunshine during a summer Mediterranean cruise, and there are fascinating historic destinations in Spain, Italy, Greece, France and Croatia. However, Northern European cruises that sail through the Baltic Sea also stop at plenty of intriguing destinations in countries such as Sweden, Russia, Germany, Denmark and Poland.

Princess Cruises’ Baltic Heritage cruise is one that includes several northern European stops on its itinerary. I took a 14-day Baltic Heritage cruise aboard the Emerald Princess that departs from Southampton. The Sapphire Princess is another ship that you can take the Baltic Heritage aboard. The Baltic Heritage cruise primarily encompasses Scandinavia and the Baltics.

The Baltic Heritage cruise first stopped at Zeebruge, Belgium. From there, I took an excursion trip to Bruge. The city was once a commercial metropolis in Europe, and the Historic Center of Bruge has preserved its historic architecture. Bruge is the Venice of the North that includes an extensive network of canals. There I took a canal boat trip that provides a unique view of the city’s historic center.

Stockholm, Sweden is the third stop on the Baltic cruise. As a city situated on an archipelago, extensive waterways also wind through Stockholm. The city includes the Vasa Museum, which is one of Sweden’s most notable museums. It houses the salvaged and restored 17th century Vasa warship that sank on its maiden voyage. Alongside the ship itself, the museum showcases thousands of artifacts found with the warship and its armaments.

After Stockholm (and Helsinki), the Emerald Princess sailed for St Petersburg, Russia. This is undoubtedly the cruise’s most notable stopping point where the ship remains for two days. St Petersburg, formerly Petrograd, is the historic heart of Russia. That was the capital of the Russian Revolution where Lenin and the Bolsheviks seized the Winter Palace. Lenin first arrived in Petrograd in 1917 after the tsar’s abdication during the February Revolution, and he led the communist coup in October 1917. Thus, Petrograd also became Leningrad during Soviet era.

There are plenty of intriguing historic sites at St Petersburg. The Peterhof Palace and Hermitage Museum are probably the city’s primary attractions. The Hermitage Museum is one of the world’s largest art galleries that showcases Russian, Italian Renaissance, French Neoclassical, Dutch Golden Age and German art from various eras. St Petersburg is also notable for its rich Neoclassical and Russian Baroque architecture.

Thereafter, the Emerald Princess sailed westward and stopped in Tallinn. That is the capital of the former Soviet republic of Estonia. In Estonia, I strolled to the Viru Gate, which is the entrance to the remarkably preserved Old Town. The Viru Gate consists of two round towers that were, and still are, a part of the Walls of Tallinn. Today, Tallinn is among Europe’s best preserved medieval cities and its Old Town a UNESCO landmark.

The final port of call was Gdansk, Poland. “Gdansk is where World War 2 started,” the tour guide informed us at the Solidarity monument. The German warship Schleiswig Holsten fired the first salvos of the war at the Westerplatte gateway in Gdansk. The war that followed devastated the city, but Gdansk has now been rebuilt. There I strolled through the Long Lane, from the Golden Gate to the Green Gate. If you visit Gdansk, check out the new Museum of the Second World War that recently opened, which is one of Europe’s largest WWII museums.

Thereafter, the Emerald Princess departed Poland and returned to Blighty. The Baltic Heritage cruise provides an intriguing voyage of Northern Europe at its various stopping points in Scandinavia and the Baltics. From Bruge to St Petersburg, the Princess Cruises’ Baltic cruise includes unique heritage sites that few other cruises can match.

If You Go:

Baltic Heritage Cruise

Museum of the Second World War

Stockholm Super Saver: Stockholm City Walking Tour Including Vasa Museum plus Bohemian Stockholm Walking Tour

About the author:
Matthew is a freelancer who has produced a variety of articles for various publications and websites such as Swing Golf Magazine, TripAdvisor, Naval History, Artilleryman, dotTech, Bright Hub, Coed Magazine the Washington Post and Vagabundo Travel. Matthew is also the author of Battles of the Pacific War 1941 – 1945. Check out the book’s blog at battlesofthepacificwar.blogspot.co.uk

Photo credits:

Emerald Princess by alex.ch under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 2.0 Generic license.
The Emerald Princess docked in Tallinn by Matthew Adams
A gallery within the Hermitage Museum by jpduretz via Pixabay
One of the Viru Gate towers in Tallinn by Matthew Adams
Long Lane, Gdansk by Matthew Adams

Greece: An Inspiring Day at the Achilleion, Corfu

by Ruth Kozak

I’m standing in a beautiful courtyard overlooking a panoramic view of flowering gardens, a green forested hillside and far below, the sparkling blue Ionian Sea. Surrounding me stand the Muses: all nine of them. I’m next Erato, the Muse of poetry. Beside her Terpsichore holds her harp and Melpomine smiles silently. This is the magnificent peristyle of the Achilleion Palace, once the home of Elisabeth, Empress of Austria and Queen of Hungary. The peristyle is dominated by the nine marble Muses together with states of Apollo and the three Graces.

Elisabeth, known fondly as “Sisi” was the daughter of Duke Max of Bavaria and his wife Ludovika. As a child she was shy and not considered pretty but she grew to be a vibrant, attractive young woman who shared a love of the ‘lower classes’ with her father, and enjoyed long walks and horseback riding. At the age of sixteen she became the wife of the Emperor Franz Joseph of Austria and was named Queen of Hungary and Bohemia. However, Franz Joseph, it seems, was a ‘mama’s boy’ and clung to his own mother, who took over the care of the couples two daughters, Sophie and Gisela, who were kept in a nursery near the grandmother’s apartments and raised by attendants chosen by their grandmother.

Sisi had little part in their upbringing and almost no contact with the little girls, but during a state visit to Hungary she insisted that the children accompany her. Unfortunately, they became ill and little Sophie died. This misfortune was used by Sisi’s mother-in-law as proof that the young Empress was unfit to be a mother. Her eagerly awaited son, the Crown Prince Rudolf was born a year later but he was also taken into to the care of his grandmother. A third daughter, Marie Valerie was born in 1868 and unlike with the first three children, Elisabeth insisted on raising Mari Valerie herself.

Her only son, Crown Prince Rudolf, was never close to her when he was growing up although he shared her liberal, anti aristocracy, republican beliefs. He was a precocious, delicate young man who feared military training. He’d had an even worse relationship with his father who had refused to allow him to attend university Despondent and rejected, he and his 17-year-old mistress had committed suicide in his hunting lodge. Elisabeth blamed herself because she had not shown him more support. From the time of his death, she wore mourning clothes for the rest of her life.

After the wedding of her youngest daughter in 1890, Elisabeth started spending more time away from Vienna. Following a visit to Corfu she decided that this was a perfect location for her to build a palace. The design was meant to represent an ancient Phaecian palace. It was designed by Italian architect Raffaele Caritto and built on a 200,000-square metre area that Elisabeth’s husband had owned. Ernst Herter, a famous German sculptor was commissioned to create works inspired from Greek mythology such as his famous sculpture, Dying Achilles, that forms the centrepiece of the Achilleion Gardens. She also had a cenotaph in memory of her son placed in the Achillean garden which she was able to see from the peristyle.

From the courtyard of the Muses I walk down the marble steps into the lush garden. In front of me is the magnificent life-sized sculpture of the dying Achilles, his eyes gazing skyward as if supplicating help of from Olympus. Around me are flowering bushes and palm trees, the solitude broken by the chirring of birds. At the foot of the garden there’s an imposing bronze statue of Achilles standing guard surrounded by palm trees. He’s wearing full hoplite armour and brandishing a sword. This statue was commissioned after the Achilleion passed to the ownership of Kaiser Wilhelm in 1907. He also placed a life-size statue of Elisabeth in the garden in her memory.

That morning I spent browsing the ornately decorated rooms of the palace. Empress Elisabeth loved Greece, its language and culture and the palace was designed with the legendary hero Achilles as its central theme. She admired the Troy hero and said: “I want a palace pillared with colonnades and hanging gardens, protected from prying glances – a palace worthy of Achilles who despised all mortals and did not fear even the gods.”

The palace abounds with Classic Greek statues and paintings honoring Achilles. As you enter, there is a staircase with statues of Zeus and Hera. On the right is a portrait of Empress Elisabeth was regarded as one of the most beautiful women in Europe. The ceiling is decorated with a beautiful fresco depicting the “Four Seasons” The upper level of the Main Hall is dominated by a famous painting “The Triumph of Achilles” by Franz von Matsch. In it Achilles is seen dragging Hector’s lifeless body in front of the Gates of Troy.

The Empress’s Catholic chapel is one of the most impressive rooms with its dome-shaped ceiling depicting the Trial of Jesus. In another room known as the “Arcade of the Wise Men’ there are thirteen busts of ancient philosophers and one of Shakespeare.

I wandered into Elisabeth’s room where there is memorabilia and paintings of the Empress and her husband together with records from her assassination. After the wedding of her third daughter, Maria Valerie, the Empress had started to travel, usually under an assumed name. Tragically, during an overnight stay in Geneva, 1898, her presence in the city was announced in the newspaper. As she was walking from her hotel to her ship on which she was to leave for France, she was accosted by an Italian anarchist, Luigi Lucheni, who had come to Geneva with the intention of assassinating the Prince of Orleans. When the Prince failed to arrive, Lucheni chose her as his victim, in spite of knowing, nor caring that she shared his opinions on aristocracy. He stabbed her with a sharp file puncturing a tiny hole in her heart that went un-noticed until she later fainted from loss of blood and it was too late for the doctors to save her life. Luchini was sentenced to life in prison but hanged himself in 1910. After Elisabeth’s death the Achilleion stayed closed for nine years until it was sold by her daughter who had inherited it, to the German Emperor Kaiser Wilhelm II.

As I stand in front of the marble statue of Achilles, dying of the mortal wound to his heel inflicted by Paris, I think of this brave, beautiful woman who had such a zest for life and a love of nature and art who so tragically died by an assassin’s hand. I have been inspired by the beauty she created here at the Achilleon and feel privileged to have been a ‘guest’ in her sanctuary with the Muses and her hero, Achilles.

If You Go:

About the Achilleion:
The palace became a centre of European diplomacy until the outbreak of World War I when it was used as a military hospital by the French and Serbian troops. After the war ended, it came into the possession of the Greek State as part of the war reparations in 1919. From 1921 to 1924 the palace housed the Save the Children Fund orphanage. During the years 1941-1944 the palace was used by the Italian and German occupation forces as a military headquarters, but at the end of the war was returned to the Greek State. In 1962 the Achilleion was leased out, and the upper floors were turned into a casino. The casino scene in the James Bond film For Your Eyes Only was filmed at the Achilleion. By 1983 the palace came under the management of the Greek Tourism Organisation and was restored to a museum and used for the European Union Summit. Ever since, the Achilleion has been used as a museum and a venue for various events.

How to get to the Achillion, Corfu

Biography of Elisabeth

About the author:
W. Ruth Kozak is a travel journalist and historical fiction writer and the former editor/publisher of Travel Thru History. She loves to visit Greece and enjoys writing about the history of that beautiful country. Ruth’s historical novel about the fall of Alexander the Great’s dynasty SHADOW OF THE LION, is available in two volumes on Amazon.com – SHADOW OF THE LION: THE FIELDS OF HADES and in its entirety as a Kindle ebook.

All photos by W. Ruth Kozak

Iceland: Cosmic Reykjavik Winter Wander Land

by Dr. Marc Latham

Iceland celebrates its centenary as a fully sovereign and independent state on December 1st, 2018, although it was in a union with Denmark until 1944. Before that, Iceland’s men’s football team will be the smallest population country to compete at a World Cup in the summer. Iceland is regularly near the top of global social performance league tables, such as equality and happiness. Its landscape has become a magnet for media natural locations, including Game of Thrones. Tourism has gone through the roof (of the world), with three times as many tourists a year as the 350,000 population.

While tourism is a boom for Iceland’s economy, its media reported it’s causing problems for its citizens, with so many Reykjavik flats being turned into tourist accommodation that it’s pricing first-time buyers out of the market. Of course, Iceland’s problems didn’t start with tourism, and it is just a side-effect of a general success story; kind of like hitting the wall in a marathon.

In fact, a tourist office presenter said Iceland’s tourism success started after a couple of internal disasters that shook the country to its core: in 2010 the Eyjafjallajökull volcano erupted, and the problems it caused to transatlantic flights received widespread media attention, drawing the world’s gaze to Iceland’s hazy natural beauty. That ‘natural disaster’ happened as Iceland was still recovering after the 2008 financial collapse, when its three biggest privately owned banks defaulted. However, their currency crashing helped tourism by making Iceland cheaper for tourists. It is still expensive if you ‘live normally’ there, but can be done cheaply, as I did.

Iceland has little arable land for growing anything, so tourism has become a precious lifeline for the country. Hopefully the popularity of wildlife tourism will outweigh meat tourism; so cetaceans, large fish and birdlife benefit from the influx of people. At the moment, puffins are in sharp decline. Climate change thawing the Arctic Circle may also increase movement through Iceland’s currently isolated position near the top of the world.

I found relative tranquility only an hour or two north of Reykjavik in Borgarnes. It was mid-January, when prices are also supposed to be cheaper than in the summer or winter peak seasons. However, I didn’t go on any excursions, where the main saving can be made. I’d chosen Borgarnes because it looked to be central to the Northern Lights band forecast for that week. I didn’t see them there, although I saw online they’d made it to near Vik, about 200 miles east of Reykjavik. Ironically, I think I saw the white ribbon type while strolling around the capital, first being alerted to a rainbow, which seemed to illuminate the aurora. The aurora happen any time of day, but are usually invisible to the naked eye while there is sunlight.

I was disappointed not to see the big Northern Lights show. However, it had snowed a lot the week before I arrived, and was snowing quite heavily when I flew in, so it looked as I’d imagined Iceland; although I’d seen enough media coverage to know it is often not covered in ice and snow. There were also mostly blue skies and colourful twilight times, and no travel disruption, so I considered myself mostly lucky. Reykjavik’s mountain panoramas looked amazing: to the north, east and south. Arctic Sea inlets and islands, some with geothermal activity, completed the picture-postcard scenery in the west.

While planning my trip I’d thought about hiking from the airport to the nearby Blue Lagoon pool overnight, before deciding against it; that idea seemed crazy after I arrived, as freezing snow blew around Iceland’s international airport in Keflavik, Reykjanesbar, making walking any kind of distance without special equipment look impossible. The bus journey to Reykjavik was like travelling through a winter wonderland. Keflavik housed an American military base during World War Two, with a plane from that era visible on the journey. The area also houses the Rock n’ Roll museum.

I had seen the northern panorama featuring an aurora before in the media and read the seafront was a viewing area, so walked there later in the day. After reaching Laugarnes park I walked past the interesting artifacts outside the Sigurjón Ólafsson Museum to a lighthouse facing Videy across the Videyjarsund inlet. I reached there about the sunset time of 16.30, but it didn’t go fully dark for another couple of hours! I stayed out until about 21.30 before calling it a day/night.

The next morning I exited the hostel at about 11 and was delighted to see the clouds sunrise pink. After walking north the previous day I walked south, and ended up on a cycle path alongside the sea to the local airport, before heading north to the city centre. I found the small lake known as Tjornin (the Pond), which was mostly frozen, and looked particularly picturesque when crepuscular sunlight shone down in the distance, seemingly interacting with birds excitedly flying above a warm patch of water and human feeding.

I walked down to the seafront again, and was met by snow showers. After visiting a Bonus supermarket the other side of a small horseback-viking statue to buy lunch I walked inland through the centre, passing a house commemorating Torfhildur Şorsteinsdóttir (Hólm); considered Iceland’s first female novelist, who lived in Canada for several years, and died a month before independence a century ago; and past the Loki cafe to the star of the Reykjavik skyline. Hallsgrimskirkja church has an impressive architectural design reminding me of Tromso’s Arctic Cathedral, but on a much grander scale and complemented by a big viking statue ‘guarding’ its front; although it doesn’t have a fjord in front and mountains behind! This mixing of Viking paganism and Christianity epitomises Iceland. I walked back to my hotel past The Perlan observatory, media and exhibition centre; a pretty colourful building providing impressive views of the capital area from a hilltop forested park.

I would have liked to go on the Golden Circle excursion on my last full day in Reykjavik before travelling to Borgarnes. Having already seen many waterfalls, although all are differently nice, the biggest attraction would have been visiting Pingvellir national park. Its rift valley housed what is thought to be the first parliament in the world. Starting in 930 AD, Iceland’s leaders met for a fortnight each year in an open-air assembly called the Althing to make laws and settle disputes. It continued there until 1798, before moving to Reykjavik, where it is still sits. The park is also noted for being where the North American and Eurasian continental plates meet; causing Iceland’s geological problems. It is possible to swim in the Silfra Fissure between the plates, which seems a novel thrill.

However, I thought I hadn’t seen enough of Reykjavik, which was free, and I didn’t have to get up early and spend an unknown time on a bus, so instead I walked a few miles out to the Mjodd bus station in bright blue sky, to recce where I was catching the bus the next day. Although I’d still like to visit Pingvellir, I was happy with my decision for a number of reasons: I saw the eastern panorama clearly, and the completely snow covered mountains were clouded over the next day; as I thought I may, I got a little lost on my practise trip, and found it straightaway the next morning with my rucksack on; I found a post office and supermarket at the Mjodd complex; and saw the rainbow and northern lights while returning.

Moreover, I got a little lost walking back too, and ended up in Kopavogur, seeing the mountain peaks of the southern panorama, as well as a nice church and fairy lights scene near the art museum. Iceland keeps its winter decorations up until the end of the Thorrablot celebration in mid-February! I later found out that Kopavogur is a hotbed for Huldufolk elves experiences/tales, so wondered if they’d somehow entranced me down there! If they did, it was a good experience anyway, as sunset turned the clouds pink after reaching a fjord inlet south of the one under below my hotel, and there was also hot geothermal water there too.

It’s those little adventures and discoveries that make wandering around cities worthwhile, and especially if they are relatively expensive and safe like Reykjavik; remembering the ethos of the Beats in the 1950s, that the journey experience is what it is mostly about; enlightening movement. I had left ready for a day in the freezing temperatures; well wrapped up with layers of clothes, and knew pretty much where I was, with the western sea providing a compass point.

After returning from beautiful Borgarnes, on my last night in Iceland, I returned to Reykjavik’s centre and saw my second football stadium at Hlidarenda, home of Valur; one of Iceland’s oldest teams along with Fram (also Reykjavik); who finished fourth in the Iceland league last season. The first stadium I’d seen was the Kopavogsvoller, another gem found on my detour to Kopavogur; home of Breidablik, who finished sixth in the Iceland league last season. The stadiums only hold a few thousand people, making the Iceland men’s national team’s success all the more remarkable, although the international players play abroad. The women’s team has always been quite successful, along with other teams in northern Europe.

After not eating or drinking in a restaurant or bar all week I celebrated the end of a relatively successful expedition; allowing myself a little Arctic-exploring-style romantic daydreaming; by spending my kroner coins on three pints of Gull at the Olsmidjan bar, which I’d noticed was remarkably cheap in the centre. Having missed the Friday and Saturday nights that I’d read were when Icelanders let their hair down and went wild I was pleasantly surprised how busy and bustling the centre was, seeing the stylish shops and bars lit up for the first time, creating a totally different atmosphere to the previous time in a daytime snow-shower. In the bar four locals looked as if they had been drinking all day, making me reminisce about similar Sunday evenings I’d experienced; not wanting the weekend to end or week begin; as I looked into the dark street past the candlelit table, not wanting my fairytale to end or reality begin.

If You Go:

I read Lonely Planet’s Iceland guide (2017) before going. Straeto run buses in Reykjavik and nationwide, both operating on the same system of paying for the distance you cover, with tickets buyable in many outlets, including the airport shop/cafe. The airport to Reykjavik, and Reykjavik to Borgarnes were both four sectors, payable by four tickets. The buses also take cards or cash, but don’t give change. The airport bus leaves from the same place as the hotel and car hire courtesy buses, which are signposted.

Grayline and Reykjavik Excursions have desks at the airport with more regular buses to Reykjavik, and don’t work out that much more, so are probably a good idea unless you have time for a pleasant adventure!

The excursions seem very good and hotels book them for you, so it’s easy. The Straeto bus service isn’t comprehensive, so it is difficult to go anywhere independently, especially in winter.

I stayed in the Capital Inn in Reykjavik, and HI Hostel in Borgarnes. The Capital Inn is on the left of the road into Reykjavik from the airport, so keep an eye out and you can get off on the next stop, if you risk the Straeto; which stops to change bus beforehand at Fjordur!

About the author:
Dr. Marc Latham travelled to all the populated continents during his twenties. He studied during his thirties, including a BA in History, and spent his forties creative writing. He lives in Leeds, now writing from the https://travel25years.wordpress.com/ website; having completed a decade-long fantasy fiction concept. The last of a trilogy of comedy fantasy travel by web maps and information had an X-Files theme, before the return of the series after a long hiatus. I also found out while researching this Iceland trip and article that my concept theme has an uncanny correlation with the recent musical output of Iceland’s biggest superstar, Bjork; she started writing her Utopia album in her homeland’s countryside when I was finishing my trilogy in Iceland. On my trip to Iceland, I think I experienced a little of Bjork’s inspiration. My books are available on Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/author/marclatham

Photos by Marc Latham
Eastern panorama
Borgarnes sunset
Rainbow and Aurora
Kopavogsvoller Stadium

Saint Petersburg, Russia: The Window to Europe

by Tatiana Claudy

“Saint Petersburg is a window through which Russia looks at Europe,” stated Francesco Algarotti, a Venetian poet. [1] Fyodor Dostoyevsky called this city “the most intentional town” because Peter the Great, the Russian monarch, ordered it to be built on a swampy terrain in the delta of the Neva River to guard Russia from its adversaries – Swedish King Karl XII and his mighty navy. [2] The time will come when for its richness, splendor, and sophistication the city will be called “the Northern Palmyra,” and numerous visitors will admire grandeur of the capital of the Russian Empire. Yet sometimes the city’s first buildings, constructed the 18th century, are overshadowed by more magnificent palaces of the 19th century. Today I am going to visit these first buildings – the architectural marvels and silent witnesses of the early history of the city.

The foundation of Saint Petersburg is enveloped in legends. According to one, on May 16, 1703, Tsar Peter surveyed the Hair Island and pronounced: “Here the city will be built!” Suddenly an eagle flew above his head, and this has been considered a good omen. According to another legend, at first wooden gates have been constructed, and an eagle descended on them. Tsar Peter took the eagle in his hands and walked through the gates of his newly-founded city.

The first building of the new city was Peter the Great’s cabin put up by soldiers in three days on the banks of the Neva River. This construction does not resemble a royal residence – it is a one-story wooden house built from square beams, painted red and designed to imitate a brick wall, according to a Dutch architectural style. Its four-slope green roof has been originally decorated with a wooden model of a mortar to show that the house belonged to a military man. I visited this palace, one of the smallest in the world (12 meters long, 5,5 meters wide, and 2,72 meters high), and was amazed to see the humble dwelling of a Russian tsar. The cabin itself is off-limits for tourists, but they can peek through barred windows to see two main rooms – Tsar Peter’s study and the dining room.

In the center of the study, there is a massive oak table with a carved chess-board (Tsar Peter loved to play chess and checkers). On the table, there is a pipe belonged to the tsar, a brass candleholder for three candles, a brass inc-pot, and a map. On the wall, we can see Peter the Great’s portrait representing him at the time when he started to build a new capital. Another interesting object is the chair made from pear-tree wood by Peter the Great who was a skilful carpenter. The cabin has no heating because it was designed as a summer dwelling. Tsar Peter lived there for several weeks before his departure for the Northern War and, upon his return, a stone palace was built for him (Winter Palace). To protect the cabin from the elements, a case has been constructed around it. Today, inside this case, tourists can see not only the cabin, but also “the grand-father” of the Russian navy – a wooden boat made by Tsar Peter. The cabin was not only the first house and first palace erected in the new city – it became one of the first Russian museums when Peter the Great signed an order to preserve it for the posterity.

While the original building of Tsar Peter’s Winter Palace does not exist anymore, his Summer Palace has been restored and turned into a museum. In 1710, Domenico Trezzini (an Italian architect) created this royal residence according to the Petrine Baroque architectural style. This two-story building resembles a Dutch nobility house of the 18th century –windows are divided into squares and outer walls are adorned by 29 bas-reliefs with allegoric scenes glorifying the Russian navy and its victories. The palace stands on the bank of the Fountanka River, and guests of the tsar arrived by boats. The royal family lived here from May till October. The palace’s collection includes many genuine items, for instance, Tsar Peter’s watch with a compass and the quilt made by his wife, Catherine (future Empress Catherine I). I believe that the most interesting room is Tsar Peter’s workshop: being skilful in14 trades, he daily worked with a turning lather. The workshop was Tsar Peter’s favorite room, and only selected people had an honor to meet with the tsar there. The Summer Palace is located in one of the most romantic places of Saint Petersburg, the Summer Garden, designed to resemble the Versailles and decorated with marble sculptures, fountains, flower beds, and pavilions.

Now I am going to the Basil Island to visit the first stone building of Saint Petersburg, the Menshikov Palace, designed by Francesco Fontana (an Italian architect) according to the traditions of the Petrine Baroque style. This three-story mansion was the residence of Prince Menshikov –a close friend of Peter the Great and first governor of Saint Petersburg. Since Tsar Peter did not have his own official residence, he often used the Menshikov Palace (especially the Assembly Hall) to celebrate royal weddings (the wedding of his son Prince Aleksey and the wedding of his niece Princess Anna, the future Russian Empress Anna Ioanovna) and meet with foreign ambassadors. Above all, Peter the Great used this palace to persistently promote European culture during parties called “assembles.” Since 1718, under Tsar Peter’s order, assemblies were obligatory for nobility, including noble women for whom assemblies became first opportunities to leave their homes and attend social gatherings. At assemblies, participants demonstrated their skills in European manners, dancing, music, and the art of conversation. Here is a description of a ceremonial dance at an assembly: “Along the entire length of the ballroom, to the sound of the most melancholy music, ladies and gentlemen stood in two rows facing each other; the gentlemen bowed low; the ladies curtsied even lower, first to the front, then to the right, then to the left, to the front again, to the right again and so on.” [3]

This palace, decorated with tapestries, Chinese lacquer cabinets, and marble sculptures, was also one of the richest in Europe in the 18th century. It took me about two hours to see its numerous rooms.

In my opinion, the most fascinating are four rooms whose walls and ceilings are completely decorated with Dutch porcelain tile (about 28,000 pieces). These rooms are unique and can be seen only in the Menshikov Palace. Dutch porcelain tile was very expensive: even in Holland, where it has been produced, this tile was used to decorate only panels. Yet in the Menshikov Palace there are even several stoves decorated with Dutch tile. Peter the Great was very pleased with the luxury of the Menshikov Palace because he considered this building and its interiors to be a proof that new Russia was in no way inferior to any European country.

As many monarchs of the 18th century, Peter the Great was interested in curious objects and collected them. In 1718, he ordered that if anybody finds unusual stones or bones, old inscriptions on stones, and other ancient and extraordinary items, this person had to take findings to the city’s commandant. To keep these exhibits, Tsar Peter founded the first museum of natural history and culture, Kunstkamera (German “art chamber”). There is a legend about how Peter the Great had chosen the location for the future museum: he noticed an unusually growing tree and decided to build on this place a museum of curious objects. The building is the oldest edifice in the world constructed especially to house a museum collection: designed according to the Petrine Baroque style, it has in the middle the tower decorated with a sphere. To attract people to the museum, Tsar Peter ordered to give every visitor a glass of wine and a free cup of coffee (a new and exotic drink in Russia in the 18th century). At those times, the museum has been one of the best in Europe, with free entrance for everybody. Today the museum is one of the most interesting in Saint Petersburg: tourists can see not only Tsar Peter’s collection, but other unique objects, for instance, the collection of artifacts brought by Miklouho-Maclay, Russian explorer, from New Guinea.

Tsar Peter has dedicated his life to transforming old Russia and opening new horizons for Russian people. In his letter to Anne, Queen of England, he wrote: “I do not labor to wring out Russia from Russia, but to strengthen and uplift it in itself.” [4] Alexander Pushkin, the great Russian poet, wrote about Tsar Peter’s vision:

Here a great city will be wrought…
Here, by the new for them sea-paths,
Ships of all flags will come to us –
And on all seas our great feast opens.[5]

I hope that my today’s historical journey will help visitors to learn more about the early history and first buildings of Saint Petersburg – “the window to Europe.”

Footnotes:

[1] Serov V. Encyclopedic Dictionary of Idiomatic Words and Expressions. Letter “O.” (translation by Tatiana Claudy)

[2] Dostoyevsky, F.M. Notes from the Underground. Part I, chapter II. Project Gutenberg.

[3] Pushkin A. S. The Negro of Peter the Great.

[4] Miller O. F. On Attitudes of Russian Literature to Peter the Great. (Russian Edition). (translation by Tatiana Claudy)

[5]Pushkin A. S. The Bronze Horseman. Poetry Lovers Page

If You Go:

Visas for Russia – Most foreigners need visas to visit Russia.)

The Cabin of Peter the Great (Petrovskaya Embankment, 6. Metro station — Gorkovskaya. Adult ticket $4)

The Summer Palace of Peter the Great – (The palace is currently closed for reconstruction.)

Peter the Great Museum of Anthropology and Ethnography (the Kunstkamera) (Universitetskaya Embankment, 3. Adult ticket $6)

The Menshikov Palace (Universitetskaya Embankment, 15. Adult ticket $6)

About the author:
Tatiana Claudy is originally from St. Petersburg, Russia, but she lives with her family in the USA. Her passions include literature, art, music, languages, and photography. During her travels she loves to explore historical sites and take literary journeys. She is a freelance writer and an aspiring mystery writer.

All photos by Tatiana Claudy

The Kunstkamera
The Cabin of Peter the Great
The Study of Peter the Great in the Cabin
The Summer Palace of Peter the Great
The Menshikov Palace
The Sea Study