photo by Bill
A thick glass column below.
Subways were built during the soviet era.
Later we went to Peter the Greats' Palace and saw the gardens which had many grand fountains.
photo by Bill
photo by Bill
This group of young boys who attend a military school were there on a field trip walking in formation.
The afternoon found us at the palace where Catherine the Great spent her summers. Of course it was glorious.
So fabulous that we had to wear these shoe covers like doctors wear so our peasant feet would not scuff the royal floors. Well, the floors were nice.
The ceilings were all nice too, painted in elaborate murals.
Not to mention the golden walls, mirrors, and sconce candelabras. It was blinding. There was room after room like this.
photo by Bill
Shiny domes towered over the backside of the palace which was under construction, thus covered with a realistic painted netting.
They used these ceramic stoves to heat the rooms rather than fireplaces.
Believe it or not, I think these are some kind of fringed tulip.
The palace was devastated during World War II but they managed to hide away the art and some of the furniture. It took a really long time, but finally it was rebuilt with historical accuracy using photos that were taken before the Nazis began bombing it. The most challenging part was the recreation of the amber room, the walls completely covered with mosaics of amber. They spent a fortune to acquire the amber and make every detail exactly match how it looked originally. It was breathtaking. Of course no photos allowed.
Oh, and I forgot to mention I ate borscht for lunch and it was good!
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