3 unforgettable days in St. Petersburg, Russia

Unquestionably, the main attraction of our trip to Europe on board the Azamara Club Cruise will always be the visit to St. Petersburg in Russia. We know little of this part of the world, this land of Czars, which made it doubly more interesting. It had been dubbed as an empire of evil in the 16th century, and because of that reputation, there is a fascination attached to one’s visit to Russia today.   

History tells us that Peter the Great founded St. Petersburg inspired by London, Paris, Vienna and most especially, Venice, with its beautiful canals and graceful passageways one finds difficult to associate with a disgraceful past. Unbelievably, the city remained capital of Imperial Russia for over 200 years until after the Russian revolution of 1917.

Today, St. Petersburg is Russia’s cultural center associated with such names as Dostoyevsky and Tchaikovsky, collections from Pablo Picasso and Rembrandt, and of course, as the home of the world famous Russian ballet.

On the first of three days of sightseeing, we were taken around town on a bus and shown the Peter and Paul Fortress and Cathedral, the gigantic Hermitage Museum, second only to the Louvre in Paris in size and collection.

On the second day, we were shown practically the same sights. The big difference was that we were on board a boat sailing the Neva River, with the sun setting on the horizon that made the trip totally romantic. And, as if these were not enough, the organizers threw in music and singing from a local band led by Michail Kniazev.

At the end of the evening, we felt like singing and dancing once we had returned to our home on the ship. As a memento of the days’ activities, we brought back a CD of their songs titled Charm of Russia. It is obvious the second day’s visit to St. Petersburg was our very favorite.

On the third and last day, we were allowed entry into some of the more famous of the churches and cathedrals in St. Petersburg. The Winter Palace is the most celebrated of all the buildings of imperial St. Petersburg, being residence of the Czars and home of the Hermitage, the world’s largest museum of art. Originally, the collection here belonged to Peter the Great who purchased them during his many trips abroad and displayed them around his home as decor. Much later, European aristocrats and monarchs led by Catherine the Great added to this private collection now open to the public. Visitors have constantly been asked to make several trips to best appreciate the collections in the Hermitage. That would have been ideal, but impossible for people on a cruise.

Lastly, we have been advised not to miss the Church of the Resurrection of the Christ, popularly known from the gruesome moniker of Savior on the Spilled Blood, after the assassination of Emperor Alexander 11 on the actual spot on which tourists would be standing. There are much, much more to see but time was running out and activities on board the ship awaited.

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