As being half Russian and having a bachelor degree in History and Russian language, it was one of my dream to visit the Russian Federation. Finally, I made up my mind and decided to make my dream into reality. I traveled to St. Petersburg from Helsinki, Finland by train. It took me 2 hours and 45 minutes to get into Finlandskaya Railway station in St. Petersburg Russia.
Helsinki Central Railway Station
I remember the sceneray was beautiful, everywhere was green and I was very curious about what is going on around me. At half point I met
one Finnish passport officer and one customs officer. They were in good mood and it took few seconds to check my passport. Few
minutes later the train stopped in the Russian side of the border which is city of Vyborg. I saw five passport officers and a dozen of
customs officers. The passport officer statred at my face and passport for couple of minutes and finally he dated my passport. I was
pretty nervous. Then, the customs officer asked me if I have anything to clam. Roughly, an hour after the passport check I was in
Finlandkaya Railway Station in St. Petersburg.
***********
I got a cab and told the driver to take me to the hostel. The name of driver was Gennady and I had a nice conversation with him from
the train station to the hostel. During driving I was two things in the streets which brought my attention. At first, I saw a crowd of people
in one street. I asked Gennady that what is going on? He told me this is Udelnaya Flea Market. You can find anything from the Soviet era,
including antiques and memorabilia. The second thing I saw was a nice classic building in Nevsky street which is the oldest street in
St. Petersburg. I asked Gennady to tell me more about this building. He told me this is Singer Company buliding, a branch of Singer
sewing machines in St. Petersburg. This building constructed in 1902 by Pavel Suzov. Currently there is a big bookstore in this bulding.
one Finnish passport officer and one customs officer. They were in good mood and it took few seconds to check my passport. Few
minutes later the train stopped in the Russian side of the border which is city of Vyborg. I saw five passport officers and a dozen of
customs officers. The passport officer statred at my face and passport for couple of minutes and finally he dated my passport. I was
pretty nervous. Then, the customs officer asked me if I have anything to clam. Roughly, an hour after the passport check I was in
Finlandkaya Railway Station in St. Petersburg.
***********
I got a cab and told the driver to take me to the hostel. The name of driver was Gennady and I had a nice conversation with him from
the train station to the hostel. During driving I was two things in the streets which brought my attention. At first, I saw a crowd of people
in one street. I asked Gennady that what is going on? He told me this is Udelnaya Flea Market. You can find anything from the Soviet era,
including antiques and memorabilia. The second thing I saw was a nice classic building in Nevsky street which is the oldest street in
St. Petersburg. I asked Gennady to tell me more about this building. He told me this is Singer Company buliding, a branch of Singer
sewing machines in St. Petersburg. This building constructed in 1902 by Pavel Suzov. Currently there is a big bookstore in this bulding.
Singer Building
I checked in to hostel around 10:00 AM. I had plenty of time to explore. I followed the Nevsky Street toward the south. It ended up with
a bridge which connects the street to the Vasilevsky Island. The first place I visited was Kuntskamera Anthropological museum. It is the
first museum which is established in Russia by the order of Peter the Great in 1727. Peter the Great sent his agents around the world to
bring artifacts from different places. The section about Native Americans and Inuit Americans from Alaska brought my attention.
a bridge which connects the street to the Vasilevsky Island. The first place I visited was Kuntskamera Anthropological museum. It is the
first museum which is established in Russia by the order of Peter the Great in 1727. Peter the Great sent his agents around the world to
bring artifacts from different places. The section about Native Americans and Inuit Americans from Alaska brought my attention.
There is another museum next to Kunstkamera. It is Zoological museum, this museum is branch of the Russian Federation Academy of
Science. It has roughly 30000 animal specimens from every corner of the world. The unique thing about this museum is the taxidermy
methods for the specimens are pretty old. The skeletons are inside their skin. In some parts of the museum I saw the specimens are
deteriorating because the lack of maintenance. Especially in the insects section.
Science. It has roughly 30000 animal specimens from every corner of the world. The unique thing about this museum is the taxidermy
methods for the specimens are pretty old. The skeletons are inside their skin. In some parts of the museum I saw the specimens are
deteriorating because the lack of maintenance. Especially in the insects section.
I left Vasievsky Island. I saw another bridge which connects the mainland to another Island. This Island is Zayachy island. St. Peter and
Paul Fortress and Cathedral is located in this Island. It has a nice golden color and inside the cathedral there is the resting place of
Peter the great. This cathedral was build in 1733 by Dominico Trazinni. It has the world tallest bell tower for the Russian Orthodox Church.
Paul Fortress and Cathedral is located in this Island. It has a nice golden color and inside the cathedral there is the resting place of
Peter the great. This cathedral was build in 1733 by Dominico Trazinni. It has the world tallest bell tower for the Russian Orthodox Church.
I was wondering around in the street. I saw a local wax museum which brought my attention. There is a big wax museum few minutes a
way from my home town in Grand Prairie, Texas. This museum is much smaller than Louis Tussad's Palace of Wax. The figures in this
museum are mostly Russian and Eastern European historical figures such as Leon Trotsky the founder of Red Army and father Georgiy
Gapon, the Russian priest and political activist. He was assasinated by the Socialist Revolutionary Party in 1906.
way from my home town in Grand Prairie, Texas. This museum is much smaller than Louis Tussad's Palace of Wax. The figures in this
museum are mostly Russian and Eastern European historical figures such as Leon Trotsky the founder of Red Army and father Georgiy
Gapon, the Russian priest and political activist. He was assasinated by the Socialist Revolutionary Party in 1906.
About a month before my trip, I booked a ticket to the Russian circus online. By the way, it was my first visit to circus. Circus Cinisellini has a
long history in Russia. It is the first brick-bulit circus in Russia instead of the big dome shape tent. This building opened in 1877, with large
stage and stables. I saw several amazing performances such as acrobatics, horse riding by professionals from Caucasus Mountans, Clowns,
and performance by animals such as parrots, dogs, cats, and monkeys. I saw a group of five monkeys playing musics by musical instruments. I
am wondering what they did to those poor animals which are able to play music better than humans. I talk to a local guy in the circus. He told
me the performers are constantly practicing and they are far a way from their families most of the times.
long history in Russia. It is the first brick-bulit circus in Russia instead of the big dome shape tent. This building opened in 1877, with large
stage and stables. I saw several amazing performances such as acrobatics, horse riding by professionals from Caucasus Mountans, Clowns,
and performance by animals such as parrots, dogs, cats, and monkeys. I saw a group of five monkeys playing musics by musical instruments. I
am wondering what they did to those poor animals which are able to play music better than humans. I talk to a local guy in the circus. He told
me the performers are constantly practicing and they are far a way from their families most of the times.
This is my picture in front of the Palace Bridge. It connects the Palace Square in St. Petersburg's main land to the Vasievsky Islans. Around
midnight this bridge opens in half and big ships and ferries tresspassing the Neva River. This bridge was bulit between 1912 to 1916 by a
French company Societe de Construction des Batignolles.
midnight this bridge opens in half and big ships and ferries tresspassing the Neva River. This bridge was bulit between 1912 to 1916 by a
French company Societe de Construction des Batignolles.
This is me in front of the cooper statue of Peter the Great. This statue comissioned by Catherine the great and created by a French
sculptor Etienne Maurice Falconet in 1782. Alexander Pushkin the famous Russian poet described this statue in one of his novel
The Bronze Horseman which is one of his greatest work in Russian literature.
sculptor Etienne Maurice Falconet in 1782. Alexander Pushkin the famous Russian poet described this statue in one of his novel
The Bronze Horseman which is one of his greatest work in Russian literature.
This is the church of Savior on Spilled Blood, one of the iconic image of St. Petersburg, Russia. This church constructed by the Romanov
royal family in 1907. In this place Tsar Alexander II was assassinated in March 1881.
royal family in 1907. In this place Tsar Alexander II was assassinated in March 1881.
As being a United States Navy veteran visiting the Central Navy Museum was one of my favorite places in St. Petersburg. It has some
permanent exhibition about development of Russian navy from the imperial era to the modern day Russian Navy. Peter the great was the
founder of the Russian Navy. He personally built his first navy ship and launched it on Lake Ladoga.
permanent exhibition about development of Russian navy from the imperial era to the modern day Russian Navy. Peter the great was the
founder of the Russian Navy. He personally built his first navy ship and launched it on Lake Ladoga.
I took this photos in Arctic and Antarctic Museum. This museum was established in 1930 as a part of Soviet Union Arctic and Antarctic
Research Institute. There is another arctic museum which is located in Rovaniemi, Finland. This museum has many authentic artifacts
compare with Arkticum Museum in Rovaniemi Finland. In the second floor they had interesting artifacts which was made from walrus
tusk by the Eskimos in Siberia.
Research Institute. There is another arctic museum which is located in Rovaniemi, Finland. This museum has many authentic artifacts
compare with Arkticum Museum in Rovaniemi Finland. In the second floor they had interesting artifacts which was made from walrus
tusk by the Eskimos in Siberia.
This photos were taken in Russian Ethnographic Museum. This museum is belong to anthropology branch of Russian Federation Academy
of Science. It is a huge museum which introduces who Russians are and what other ethnicities live in Russian Federation and former Soviet
Union. Not everybody in Russia is Russian and not every Russian is from Russia. There are about 185 different ethnicities live in Russia and
35 different languages spoken in Russia. The section which was dedicated to the Eskimos in Russian side of the Bering Strait brought my
attention. They made statues of Lenin and Stalin with whales bone and walruses tusk, but the interesting fact is none of them ever met
Lenin and Stalin.
of Science. It is a huge museum which introduces who Russians are and what other ethnicities live in Russian Federation and former Soviet
Union. Not everybody in Russia is Russian and not every Russian is from Russia. There are about 185 different ethnicities live in Russia and
35 different languages spoken in Russia. The section which was dedicated to the Eskimos in Russian side of the Bering Strait brought my
attention. They made statues of Lenin and Stalin with whales bone and walruses tusk, but the interesting fact is none of them ever met
Lenin and Stalin.
This is the Museum of the Soviet Archade Machines. When you enter this museum you feel that you are trapped in a time capsule or a time
machine bring you to this location. When you buy a ticket for this museum the cashier will give you a handful of Soviet Union 15 Kopecks
coins, then you have the opportunity to play with different Soviet eras electronic games. When I played with those games I felt that I was a
Soviet teenager from the early 80's who was playing with those games. Also, the Soviet vending machines which dispense water or juice
were very unique also.
machine bring you to this location. When you buy a ticket for this museum the cashier will give you a handful of Soviet Union 15 Kopecks
coins, then you have the opportunity to play with different Soviet eras electronic games. When I played with those games I felt that I was a
Soviet teenager from the early 80's who was playing with those games. Also, the Soviet vending machines which dispense water or juice
were very unique also.
This is the State Hermitage Museum, a museum of art and culture. It is one of the world oldest and largest museum in the world.
If you visit St. Petersburg without visiting Hermitage, you have not accomplished your visit. This museum was established by
Cathrine the great in 1764 and opened up to public in 1852. Threre are several sections in this museum which classifies the arts
and cultures. The most interesting section of the museum was the artifacts which belongs to Ancient Egypt.
If you visit St. Petersburg without visiting Hermitage, you have not accomplished your visit. This museum was established by
Cathrine the great in 1764 and opened up to public in 1852. Threre are several sections in this museum which classifies the arts
and cultures. The most interesting section of the museum was the artifacts which belongs to Ancient Egypt.
Some random photos
Me with one of the local street performers.
For listening to my Podcast about this trip please go to
soundcloud.com/user-469996252/st-petersburg
soundcloud.com/user-469996252/st-petersburg