Apparently this is the ship that started the Revolution.
Our first day in St. Petersburg was a whirlwind tour of the city. We drove by every single major sight, and stopped at a couple must-sees.
We went to the Hermitage Museum, and I guess after the Louvre, I wasn't as impressed as I should be. I think I was expecting more stereotypical Russian pieces, but I would have to wait until we went to the Russian Museum a little later in the trip.
You might notice that there are some blank frames. That's because they died in the war and their bodies couldn't be found so they couldn't make a portrait of them.
Photos from a performance by a local folk group. I loved the huge triangular guitar and the costumes were so colourful. It was what I had imagined Russian folk dancing to be like - courtesy of RAD character dancing! So many of the steps I'd done myself...
One night, we ate dinner Nikolayevsky Palace. It was a beautiful room, complete with a pianist seranading us in the background. Outside, there was an ensemble and dressed up dancers (such a tourist trap this was) - you could easily imagine yourself back in time dressing in a ballgown walking down the staircase.
The Church of Spilled Blood. This was the type of church I was waiting for. It's what you would stereotypically think of for a Russian Orthodox church (with the onion shaped domed roofs). This one was really colourful...moreso than the ones that I saw in Helsinki and Tallinn last year. So cool.
There are chandeliers in the subway station! Actually, each station had a different theme. Now, I like subways. A lot. I don't know why, but I do. And I don't find them confusing. Even if there are lots of different lines and stuff. I guess it's a whole different story when you're in a city where the language is written in characters that you don't know how to read and don't sound like what you'd assume them to sound like. It was the first time that I can remember (so that doesn't mean too much) that I felt completely lost. I had to ask people where I was going. It was kind fun though, I just went with the flow and luckily ended up where I wanted to go. But it was a ride, that's for sure.
This is where Alexei Mishin and company are based. Some serious history with this rink...I desperately wanted to go inside and just take a look at the place and hopefully be lucky enough to see a session and probably some 4 year olds landing quads or something, but I was too scared that I would go in, and someone would accuse me of being a spy and deport me out of the country. I'm not kidding. At least I've seen it from the outside!
More sights from around the city...
Clockwise from right:
- the Bronze Horseman
- exterior of the Hermitage Museum
- Smolny Cathedral
- rostral column
You need a visa to get into Russia, and a reason to get such a visa. This job that I have has too many perks. We were actually in St. Petersburg attending an MUN. I just got to come along for the ride while the little ones were hard at work.
The MUN was taking place at school No. 157 (how communist). Look at the classroom. That would be a great room to teach in. So much character.
While students were trying to solve world problems, teachers could see more of the city. This really was a different kind of trip. Most of the time we're herding and stressed out. Here are the 
Russian pieces of art (at the Russian Museum) that I was waiting for. After seeing a lot of old art in the past three years, it's interesting to compare the different styles from different time periods and parts of the world. 
Nice old school Lada.
I couldn't take any pictures/videos of it, but one night we were treated to a ballet performance. I was hoping that it was the Kirov, because people who had been on the trip before were saying how amazing the performance was. I should have known that they were catering to teenagers and tourists whom they assumed knew nothing about ballet and of course the people whom I talked to also didn't know very much about ballet. It was SO horrible. I really really wish I could have taped it, because it was laughable. The performance was a collection of excerpts from famous ballets and other pieces danced to music by Russian composers. I tried not to cover my eyes when one dancer was doing her string of fouettes. I thought she was going to twirl right off the stage, she was travelling so much. Another dancer was barely capable of getting on her full pointe. If was really really scary. I thought she was going to break an ankle or something. I thought all Russian ballet dancers were amazing. I guess I was wrong. One thing that I did enjoy was a piece that I swear I danced myself back in day as a character dance for the old Royal Academy of Dancing grades examinations. I don't remember the grade, but I remember the steps. at that moment, I wanted to call up my old dance teacher and tell her about what I was watching. It was so neat.
After the conference was over, we went to the town of Novgorod.
On the way, we stopped in Pushkin and visited Catherine Palace.To protect the floor, we had to wear these slippers (reminded me of those Sleep Country Canada commercials). This palace was quite bling-ing.
My favorite was the Amber Room (shhh...we weren't supposed to take pictures in there). Look at the huge furnace thingamabobber. And all those paintings. The facing wall was like a mirror image (on purpose). Another big heating device and a wall full of paintings. Different paintings and of differing sizes, but the content of the painting(s) directly facing were similar in content/character. Neat huh?
Some sights of Novgorod:
My favorite of Novgorod was this little wooden village. There was an artisan there selling some beautiful object that he'd made. Yes, I bought some along with some other things along the way, including a petrushka doll.
Another dream come true. Can't wait to have the chance to go back.
