Thursday, May 31, 2018 - St Petersburg City Tour

We had the city tour today.  First stop was the Memorial Sign Strelka Of Vasilievsky Island. The Strelka (spit, literally arrow) has one of the best views in the city, with the Peter and Paul Fortress to the left and the Hermitage, the Admiralty and St Isaac’s Cathedral to the right.

View of the Peter and Paul Fortress

The Strelka

Then, we visited the Peter and Paul Fortress to see the Saints Peter and Paul Cathedral. It was impressive to see both interior and exterior of this Cathedral.  

Peter and Paul Cathedral

Inside of Peter and Paul Cathedral

Afterwards, we visited Church of the Savior on Spilled Blood.  This is the main attraction of St. Petersburg and it is the spot has most of photos taken in St. Petersburg.  Unfortunately, it was under maintenance until the Russia World Cup 2018 to be open on June 14, 2018.  We can only took photos of half of the building to avoid ugly contraction plastic covering on the outside of the building.  The inside was as impressive as usual.

Side View of Church of the Savior on Spilled Blood

Inside of Church of the Savior on Spilled Blood

We had lunch at Russian Vodka Room No1. It has a Museum of Russian Vodka situated next to the restaurant. Prior to lunch, they gave us an introduction of vodka and its material, production processes, and product selection criteria.  They also provided a vodka tasting with 3 different kinds of vodka along with appetizers. The lunch was authentic Russian food and we all had a great time.

Introduction of Vodka

Vodka Tasting

Then we visited the St. Isaac’s Cathedral.  It is the largest Russian Orthodox cathedral in the city. It is also the largest orthodox basilica and the fourth largest (by the volume under the cupola) cathedral in the world. It is dedicated to Saint Isaac of Dalmatia, a patron saint of Peter the Great.

Inside of St. Isaac’s Cathedral

Outside of St. Isaac’s Cathedral

The last and the best attraction of the day was the Hermitage Museum (Winter Palace).  First, we had the opportunity to take pictures outside of the museum near Alexander Column.  Then we went in to see the best part of 2.8 million items on display.  Peacock Clock, Leonardo Da Vinci Room, Knight’s Hall, Main Staircase are among attractions our local guide had shown us.

In Front of Hermitage Museum

Alexander Column in Palace Square

General Staff Building in Palace Square

Main Staircase of Hermitage Museum

Hermitage Museum Grand Ballroom

Hermitage Museum - the Throne Room

Peacock Clock

Then we went to see a Russian Folk Dance performance in the Nikolayev Palace.  It was a 2 sessions singing and dancing show.  As part of their acts to involve guests in the show, John Ying was invited on to the stage performing along with their principal dancer.  He did a wonderful job in providing entertainment.  It was an interesting and fun time for all of us.

Nikolayev Palace

Staircase of the Nikolayev Palace

After the show, we had dinner in one of their dinning rooms.  The decorations were palace style and all servants dressed in palace costume. There was also a pianist playing wonderful music while we ate our gala dinner. 

Group Photo after Dinner at Nikolayev Palace