In The Footsteps
Of The Tsars
St Petersburg’s imperial past lives on in its
architecture, the large squares and majestic palaces
WE DON’T consider
ourselves Asian or European. We are large enough to have an identity of our
own,” my English-speaking taxi driver, Elena, says as she drives my husband and
I into the city from the airport. This was obviously a debate she’d had many
times before.
As we speed through the
streets of St Petersburg, the contrasting shades of its history are striking.
Between rows of neoclassical buildings and quaintly tucked away cathedrals, I spot
typically grey and sparse Soviet-era concrete apartment blocks, telling signs
of its tumultuous past. My first brush with St Petersburg, or Leningrad as it
was known back then, was through old black-and-white photos of my grandfather’s
visit here in the early 1960s. I’m told ‘burg’ was too Germanic sounding for
the Soviet leaders, who changed the name multiple times before coming full
circle in 1991. But the St Petersburg I had set out to discover was that of the
Romanovs.
TRAILING THE ROMANOVS
To understand the city, a
short history lesson was in order. On our first evening here, our tour guide
told us that in 1703, Tsar Peter I (popularly known as Peter the Great) decided
he wanted to build a modern, more European capital for Russia. The result was a
jewel of a city that was an amalgamation of all the great western European
cities and then some. Situated at the head of the Gulf of Finland and divided
by the Neva and countless other smaller rivers and canals, Peter I named his
city after his patron saint, Peter.
Next morning, we cross
the Neva to visit Zayachy Island. Here sits the majestic Peter and Paul
Fortress, the first structure to be built in Peter I’s new city. The cathedral
of Saints Peter and Paul, also within its confines, is the oldest in the
city and its 40-foot-high gleaming golden spire is an iconic part of its
skyline. The church’s cheery pink-and-green marble interior is the resting
place for all, except for two, Romanov rulers.
ext on the itinerary is
Peter I’s first residence. Surprisingly unassuming by royal standards, this
wooden cabin, painted to resemble the stone structures of Europe, was the
Tsar’s residence from 1703 to 1708. As evening falls, we brave the freezing
wind and rain and walk back across the Dvortsovyy Most bridge towards the
Palace Embankment and onto the city’s main thoroughfare, Nevsky Prospekt. The
setting sun puts on quite a show for us and the view is overwhelming. Baroque
palaces in shades of blue and green, and rococo mansions stretch endlessly
ahead. I realise that St Petersburg’s UNESCO protected city centre is in effect
a museum in itself. In the following days, even a casual stroll down its
streets is like a crash course in history and architecture. It is, after all,
home to great structures such as the Kazan Cathedral and St Petersburg’s most
famous landmark, The Church of Our Saviour on Spilled Blood. We make our way to
Senate Square to pay our respects to another city landmark, the statue of the
Bronze Horseman, which was commissioned by Catherine the Great to honour Peter
I. The larger-than-life representation of the city’s founder seems apt after
all we learnt about him during the day.
The next day we head to
the State Hermitage Museum. This is the largest art museum in the world with
over three million works housed in 10 buildings, seven of which are monuments
of historical significance. The spectacular mint green, white and gold Winter
Palace situated in Palace Square is the museum’s main building and was the
official residence of the royal family from 1732 to 1917. After spending the
better part of a day here, we head next door to Peter’s original Winter Palace.
Catherine the Great built over this palace when she commissioned the Hermitage
Theatre. But archaeologists were able to recover an enclosed fragment of the
palace and its courtyard. The museum has on display exhibits related to Peter’s
life, including his carriage, a recreation of his workshop, his dining room and
an almost eerie life-sized waxwork of the emperor.
The following day, our
trail leads us out of St Petersburg and into its suburbs to visit two of the
finest Romanov residences. We’re told a visit to Catherine Palace and Peterhof
is a must.
Named after Peter I’s
second wife, Catherine I, the long and flawless blue, white and gold façade of
the Catherine Palace makes for a pleasant sight against the day’s grey sky.
Located in Tsarskoe Selo, the palace is surrounded by acres of parkland. There
isn’t any sign of spring for miles around us, but the bare trees lend the
gardens a certain stark beauty. As I wander through the almost fairytalelike
hallways of the palace, it becomes easier to understand how a line of great
rulers became increasingly disconnected from the needs of their subjects – the
main reason for the revolution and the subsequent violent end to Russia’s
imperial era.
A short car ride away is
Peterhof, Peter I’s summer residence, built on the shores of the Gulf of
Finland. Inspired by the Palace of Versailles, it became a symbol of the new
Russia and in many ways outdid its inspiration. Each generation of Romanovs
added their own style to the palace and today the interiors are dazzling.
Baroque rooms, stuccowork, gilt and chandeliers are everywhere. The palace’s
most famous feature is the cascade fountains. The Grand Cascade comprises of 64
fountains at different levels and is decorated with 200 ornamental statues. The
majestic gardens around Peterhof are home to smaller cascades, beautiful
landscaping and even the famous Joke Fountains that spray unsuspecting
passersby if they happen to step on certain paving stones.
On our second-last day
here, we visit the Yusupov Palace on the banks of the Moika. The imperial
yellow residence that belonged to the Yusupov family makes up in beauty what it
lacks in size. But its main claim to fame is that it was here that Grigory
Rasputin, the mad monk and mystical advisor who caused Nicholas II and his wife
Alexandra Feodorovna’s downfall, was killed in 1916. With a prior booking,
visitors can visit a display that uses pictures, documents and life-sized wax
figures to recreate the assassination.
In July 1918, just months
after Rasputin was assassinated by the Tsar’s inner circle, the Bolsheviks
murdered Nicholas II and his family. And just like that the Romanov’s
300-year-reign, and with it Russia’s monarchy, came to a macabre end.
We decide to take a canal
cruise later that evening to give our feet a break from all the endless
walking. Viewing the ‘Venice of the North’ from the water is a special
experience. In the distance we see the blue, white and gold onion domes of the
Spilled Blood Cathedral built on the site where Tsar Alexander II was
assassinated in 1881. As I step out of the boat, I recall that first evening
and our tour guide telling me that St Petersburg is more European than Europe itself.
Her statement makes perfect sense now.
TO RUSSIA, WITH LOVE
Currency: 1INR = 1 Russian Rouble
How to get there: Flights to Moscow are more frequent than those
to St Petersburg. From Delhi, Aeroflot and Air India fly to Moscow daily. From
Moscow you can either take a short flight to St Petersburg or enjoy the Russian
countryside, and take the high-speed Sapsan train. It gets you there in about
four hours. Alternatively, Emirates flies from most Indian cities to St
Petersburg via Dubai.
Don’t miss: St Petersburg is home to the famous White Nights
Festival that extends from May till July, during the season of the Midnight
Sun. It celebrates the arts with daily performances of the ballet, opera and
theatre. During this time, carnivals also spring up throughout the city. The
reason locals celebrate this event is because it signals the end of the winter
thaw.
Mihika Pai HTBR10JUL16
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