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  • 8/3/2019 White Nights, Big Cities

    1/4

    as long military history and exquisite arts charm San Diegan

    /www.sdnn.com/sandiego/2009-09-19/travel-tours/san-diegan-savors-history-and-arts-in-russia[10/16/2009 6:57:23 PM]

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    The spires of St. Basil's Cathedral brighten

    Moscow. (Photos by Bryna Kranzler)

    Russias long military history and exquisite arts charm

    San Diegan

    Start planning now for a summer 2010 visit.

    By Bryna Kranzler, SDNN

    Saturday, September 19, 2009 2 comments | read comments | post a comment

    When my husband suggested Russia as a vacation

    destination, I didnt have any particular expectations.

    Neither of us had been there before, though I had a

    personal, if slightly unorthodox, connection to the country: It was

    where my grandmother and namesake was born (though her town

    is now part of Belarus), and where my grandfather, whose memoirs

    Im currently editing, was twice sentenced to death by Czar Nicholas

    II.

    Having only that knowledge as background, I began reading about

    Moscow and St. Petersburg; I started with guidebooks, moved on to

    classic Russian novels, and ended with a biography of Stalin at the

    urging of a friend who insisted it would enhance my Russian experience.

    What it did, instead, was remind me that in the relatively recent past, citizens with inconvenient opinions

    were arrested, sentenced, and imprisoned or executed with remarkable efficiency and without any pretense

    of justice.

    My nascent paranoia was reinforced immediately upon landing in Moscow.

    As I and the other passengers prepared to disembark,

    the pilot announced that Russian authorities would

    not allow passengers to enter the country before

    verifying that no one aboard was sick. Fear of a swine

    flu epidemic was spreading at the time, but I didnt

    expect to find myself in a scene out of a modern-day

    Dr. Strangelove.

    Shortly, each cabin was invaded by brick-shaped,

    uniformed and mask-wearing health care workers

    carrying what looked like laser guns, which they

    pointed at each passengers ear. Accepting the instant

    temperature readings as surrogates for health, theydeparted as silently as they had appeared.

    This welcome to Russia made me wonder what to expect at Passport Control, but surprisingly, the official

    merely stamped my passport and waived me though without a glance at my photo. Was this a ruse to make

    me let down my guard?

    Not grandpas Russia

    After a day of looking over my shoulder I accepted that this was not my grandfathers Russia, and soon I felt

    as comfortable in Moscow as I am in any other cosmopolitan city.

    Russias capital is filled with drab government edifices and utilitarian Soviet-era apartment buildings. But

    there are bright spots: One example is St. Basils Cathedral with its iconic, onion-shaped domes. Reportedly,

    Ivan the Terrible was so taken by its beauty that he had the architect blinded so that he could never create

    anything as magnificent, again.

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  • 8/3/2019 White Nights, Big Cities

    2/4

    as long military history and exquisite arts charm San Diegan

    /www.sdnn.com/sandiego/2009-09-19/travel-tours/san-diegan-savors-history-and-arts-in-russia[10/16/2009 6:57:23 PM]

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    In Moscow Metro stations, find murals like this one.

    The fountain at Peterhof

    Despite its size, it is possible to see

    the highlights of Moscow in just a

    few days. One reason is the citys

    Metro system, its subway, which is.

    itself, a must-see.

    Construction of the underground

    network began in the 1930s, under

    Stalin, who anticipated needing a

    way to transport soldiers and

    weapons during the coming World

    War. Each station is unique. Some

    are decorated according to the

    theme of the trains destination

    (theater or recreation, for

    example). Find marble arches,

    bronze statues, and chandeliers,

    along with mosaics, murals or

    statues depicting significant events

    and figures in Russian history.

    A plus: The Metro is efficient.

    Reflections of history

    Statues and monuments reminding the public of Russias military victories are as ubiquitous in parks,

    public squares and intersections as Starbucks stores are in the United States.

    Military leaders are also celebrated in the many palaces including St. Petersburgs Catherine Palace,

    summer residence of several generations of Czars. One dining room features 332 portraits of generals who

    participated in the 1812 war against Napoleon. Among the paintings are five framed, blank canvases in

    memory of the generals who died before their likenesses could be preserved.

    Contributions of ordinary soldiers are also recognized, with one museum even acknowledging the Border

    Guards dogs.

    One of Russias most important military victories was over one of the worlds greatest superpower at the

    time - Sweden. It took place in the 13th century when Prince Alexander of Novogrod prevented the Swedes

    from crossing the Neva River to invade Russia. This earned him the name Nevsky (meaning of the Neva

    river) as well as sainthood several hundred years later. Today, there are Russian Orthodox churches

    around the world named in his honor, including ones in Estonia, Yalta and New Jersey.

    Czar Peter The Great earned his moniker by defeating Sweden

    in the 17th century, for control of the Baltic Sea. To ensure that

    history would not forget this accomplishment, Peters summer

    residence, Peterhof on the outskirts of St. Petersburg, features a

    gaudy but impressive cascade of golden fountains. The focal point

    of the fountains is a stature of Samson (i.e., Peter) ripping apart

    the jaws of a lion (symbol of Sweden).

    Creative arts

    Russias collection of art, some of which has never been seen

    outside the country, is probably the best reason to visit.

    The greatest assortment of treasures can be found in St. Petersburgs Hermitage. One of the oldest and

    largest museums in the world, it is comparable in size and scope only to the Louvre in Paris.

    The museum was seeded by Peter the Greats personal collection, but grew so large under Catherine the

    Great, that five buildings had to be added to the original Hermitage to house it all.

    (While Peter and Catherine bought or commissioned their art works, some later additions to the museum

    were acquired after the Russian Revolution when personally collected art was considered Property of

    the State.)

    Together, the six buildings reflect the entire range of human history in art, from prehistoric stone artifacts

    found throughout Russia to one of the worlds best collections of 20th century Western art. Among the

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    as long military history and exquisite arts charm San Diegan

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    READER COMMENTS comment rules | moderation | privacy

    Comment by: Patricia Schwab Posted: September 20, 2009, 11:24 am

    was attracted to the article by the photo of St. Basils because I also was impressed by its beauty while on a

    nursing study tour to the Soviet Union in 1981. At that time the Soviets needed to infuse the economy with

    The Tikhvin Cemetery in St. Petersburg

    highlights is Matisses The Red Room.

    Only a small fraction of the 3 million items in the Hermitages collection are on display at any time. If one

    wanted to glance for just a few seconds at each piece in the collection, it would take nine years to see it all,

    according to estimates.

    Tikhvin Cemetery

    In an interesting juxtaposition of values, creative artists in Russian history are accorded respect similar to

    military heroes.

    In addition to a statue of Dostoevsky and a bust of

    Pushkin positioned on prominent street corners in

    Moscow, there is a dedicated burial area (known asthe Master of Arts Necropolis) in St. Petersburgs

    Tikhvin Cemetery. Many famous Russian writers,

    composers, actors and artists are buried there beside

    their colleagues, some of whose remains were

    moved from their original resting places.

    Although draped in greenery that keeps it

    perpetually shadowed, the cemetery has the feel of a

    sculpture garden where one can appreciate the

    impact that music, art, and literature have had on

    the Russian people, and the world.

    IF YOU GO

    W H E N T O G O: Summer is an ideal time to visit

    St. Petersburg especially during the w eeks before

    and after the Summer Solstice known as White

    Nights. During this time, the sun never sets

    completely. Night, at its darkest, looks like dusk.

    Stores are open late; streets are as crowded as they

    are at midday.

    Be forewarned: It can be disorienting to return to

    your hotel in daylight and discover that its 11 p.m.

    The extended sunlight confuses the circadian rhythms and makes sleep difficult, but theres probably no

    better time, or place, in the world to be an insomniac.

    The White Nights ar e a time of celebration when numerous cultural events ar e scheduled: concerts,

    operas, ballets, as w ell as the annual St. Petersburg Film Festival. A popular and unanimously

    recommended activity is taking the 2-to-5 a.m. cruise down the Neva River to wa tch a sequence of

    draw bridges open.

    K N O W B E F OR E Y O U G O : It is helpful to memorize, or bring a cheat sheet for, the Cyrillic alphabet a nd

    the English sound-equivalent of each letter. While Cyrillic looks very foreign, when you tra nslate the

    letters into English sound-equivalents you w ill discover that a bout half the strange-looking w ords are

    actually in English or approximate it closely (i.e, a sign reading Pectopah translates into Restoran-

    restaurant). But its easy to be misled; the Cyrillic a lphabet contains 12 English letters, only 5 of w hich

    share the same sound.

    Exchanging money: Banks and official exchange kiosks in Russia accept only crisp and clean bills for

    conversion into rubles. Should you insist on exchanging the ordinary , crumpled bills (of any currency),

    there is a 7 percent surcharg e. Merchants either refuse such bills or increase their prices to accommodate

    the transaction cost.

    T a x i s : While legitimate ta xi companies do exist, most people arent w illing to wa it the 45 minutes to an

    hour that it may take for the car to arrive, if it shows up at all. The more typical approach is to waive

    down a car, w hich will likely be driven by an ordinary citizen who wa nts to make extra money. (Our first

    driver w asnt familiar with the destination to which hed agreed to deliver us while the second was a s

    efficient and speed-limit-defying as the best of professionals.)

    Tags: Moscow, Russia, SDNN, St. Petersburg

    This entry was posted on Saturday, September 19th, 2009 at 11:53 am and is filed under Travel. You can follow any responses

    to this entry through the RSS 2.0feed. You can skip to the end and leave a response. Pinging is currently not allowed.

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    ravel dollars so various professional groups were granted visas. Individual travel was not allowed. Our well

    monotored tour took us to Moscow, Erivan Armenia, Tbillsi Georga, Baku Azerbaidzhan, & Kiev Ukrainian.

    We saw great Art along with great poverty and empty store shelves. The black market was flourishing and

    verywhere we went people told us the 60 year experiment with communism was finished and the government

    was imploding. Upon returning to San Diego my family & friends were still under the allusion that the Soviet

    hreat was still upon us. Only a few years later did they admit that my reports may have been valid.

    Comment by: David Wincelberg Posted: October 14, 2009, 11:12 am

    This article states that it would take nine years to view each of the 3 million items in the Hermitages

    ollection for a few seconds each. Suppose you looked at each item for five seconds. That would require 15

    million seconds or 4166.6 hours or 520.8 8-hour days. If you looked at these items every day, you would need.43 years. If instead, you viewed these items for five days a week, you would spend about two years on this

    ask. In either case, nine years is much more time than you would need.

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