A Catherine the Great-Inspired 36 Hours in St. Petersburg: Day 2 at Catherine’s Palace

When you wake up and open the blinds in the Port of St. Petersburg, the view seems like it is constructed out of socio-economic satire. To my left, shiny new condominiums were recently finished or in the final stage of construction. Still further to my left was a developing soccer stadium, scheduled (and politically pressured) to be ready by the 2018 FIFA World Cup, Sochi-style, as St. Petersburg is one of the host cities. In contrast, directly ahead of me were dismal, rundown, seemingly Soviet-era apartments with external AC units. I later found out, they were in fact Soviet, state-owned apartments. They’re apparently still in operation.

With my day already starting with Russian real estate development, it was time to head out to  St. Petersburg’s countryside to observe the land use of the tsars. Our destination: Catherine’s Palace.

Now I’m calling my visit to St. Petersburg, including the visit to Catherine’s Palace, Catherine the Great-themed, but for those of you who are rusty on your Russian history, the palace isn’t named for that Catherine. It was originally commissioned by Catherine I, the possible wife (no record exists) of Peter the Great. However Catherine II, or Catherine the Great, later renovated the palace as she was not a fan of Empress Elizabeth’s (the intermediary owner’s) Rococo style. Catherine the Great’s changes are apparent in the palace and the gardens.

Inside the palace, my favorite features were the excellent spaces for ballroom dancing (under gilded ceilings and chandeliers no less) and the blue and white porcelain ovens. The most awe-inspiring feature? The Amber Room, the original panels of which have never been found after the Nazis pillaged the palace, and are probably in some treasure vault in Brazil or Argentina currently. With the help of German “apology funds,” the room has been beautifully recreated with authentic amber. It is such an attraction that since President Putin visited the Amber Room, photography is forbidden- probably to encourage sales of Amber Room books in the gift shop. A fun little detail about the tour: visitors are required to wear ER-style shoe covers throughout the walk through the palace. This makes for excellent skiing and twirling through some of the grandiose ballrooms.

While I agree with Catherine the Great that the architecture is a bit on the “whipped cream” side, I enjoyed the outside tour of the palace even more than the inside. Why? Onions. The gold onion domes that flank the palace were the crowning piece of the palace that I wanted to observe and photograph from every angle. A walk through the gardens provided just that opportunity.

My first visit to Russia was perfect. Not only did I get to trace some of Russia’s vibrant history, but I got my full fill of onion domes. Thank you, St. Petersburg!

A slideshow of some of my shots of Catherine’s Palace is included below.

 

Photos: Nikon 2300, 135mm lens

 

 

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