Hermitage
Hermitage Museum
St. Isaac's Cathedral
Bronze statue of Peter the Great
On our last full day in St. Petersburg we spent the bulk of the day at the Hermitage Museum, one of the most spectacular art museums in the world. This museum is the 2nd largest in the world after the Louvre and it is immense. As the Winter Palace of the Czars, I suppose it could stand on its own as an architectural gem but it houses an astounding collection of art from all the masters, from Michelangelo to Picasso. Actually, the museum displays what they call only a small part of the 3 million pieces of artwork that it has. It is known principally for its collection of paintings but it also has a special section known as the “Treasury”. In this area, items crafted of gold, silver, and precious stones that date back to the 6th century BC are on display. Overall, the museum is a once in a lifetime opportunity to see examples of some of the best artwork in the history of the world.
The final spots on our tour of St. Petersburg were St. Isaac’s Cathedral and the huge statue of Peter the Great. St. Isaac’s is an icon of the local skyline and is as much a museum these days as it is a church. The 1,600 ton equestrian statue of Peter the Great was a tribute by Catherine the Great and is a key part of the local history here.
The Bottom Line
I can say candidly that Russia wasn’t on my “list” of places to visit when we started out. However, looking back, I’m very glad to have made the trip. The exposure to the art, architecture, history, and culture of Russia resets your thinking about that part of the world. Our generation, more often than not, thinks about Russia in terms of the Cold War or the breakup of the Soviet Union. All of that is overshadowed by the grandeur of the past millenium in what is now Russia. Thanks to the seemingly innate ability of our guides, Sveta and Anna, to put all that we saw in context historically, we were enlightened regarding the artistic and cultural contributions of the country. And speaking of our experience with the guides, it met all the right criteria. Everything went off as planned. The guides spoke nearly perfect English, they were always on time, tickets to venues were all managed seamlessly, and their command of the places and historical events surrounding them was truly impressive. When literally everything takes place without a hitch, a well-deserved recommendation is in order—our thanks and appreciation go to Russian Tour Guides.
Karl Dring, General Manager, GlobalPoint Travel Solutions
Tags: Architecture, Art, Culture, Europe, hermitage museum, History, moscow, Russia, sightseeing, st. petersburg, Tour, travel
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