Red Dawn in Moscow and St Petersburg

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Russians regard Moscow as all business, with the real jewel in the crown the city of St Petersburg. In 1703, Peter 1st decided to create a new city modeled on his favourite capital - Amsterdam. So he selected some swamp, and set the peasants to work. The night train from Moscow was peaceful, and marked the end of the train, if not the vodka, in my Vodkatrain journey. If you combined the striking churches of Prague with the old buildings that sit alongside the Danube in Budapest, add the canals of Amsterdam with the colour of Copenhagen, you’ll understand why St Petersburg is renowned as one of the world’s most beautiful cities. It was built according to royal specifications to dazzle and impress, laid out with numerous palaces, cathedrals and manicured gardens. The fine canals that snake through the inner city give St Petes over 500 bridges, more than any other city in the world! But despite its magnificent appearance, the city has hosted three turbulent revolutions, and survived possibly the most horrific siege in modern warfare. The Nazi 900-day blockade of Leningrad, as it was called, led directly to over a million deaths in the city. Harsh winters, starvation, disease and bombings led to bodies piled up in the streets, cannibalism was a reality. More people died in this city than all the Allied troops in the war combined. It was all but destroyed by the end, which makes the St Petersburg of today all the more inspiring. How so many of the famous cathedrals survived is “a miracle”, according to our local Honcho Marina. Artworks and sculptures were stored and protected, bombs somehow missed important heritage sites. The feverish restoration of the city began post-war, and with last week’s G8 Summit in town, the city has been polished and cleaned up to look the best it has since its inception (a local told me that many street beggars were removed prior to the G8 summit, and were only now starting to return to the city). Nevsky Prospekt is the main artery that runs through the city, a wide bustling street from which all else stems. Including the Hermitage, probably the only art museum that competes directly with the Louvre in Paris. It was originally the Winter Palace of the Czars, but Catherine the Great was an avid collector and pretty soon, the palace was getting crowded with Da Vincis and whatnot. Today, there are over 3 million works of art - if you looked at everything for three seconds, you’d be here for 6 years! Like the Louvre, the Hermitage was overwhelming, and on summer weekend, overcrowded. Feet tire, minds drift, and even when looking at Da Vinci’s Madonna and Child, I just wanted to sit down for a half hour. Meanwhile, the Hermitage is in the world news this week because of a major theft ring being uncovered. Over the last couple of years, museum insiders have pilfered over US$5 million of art from its storage collections. And, as if the news were written by Dan Brown, the curator in charge of storage mysteriously died when the police uncovered the thefts! The enormous square outside, hosting a large phallic column and locals on their rollerblades, has also seen its share of upheaval. In a massacre that came to be known as Black October, hundreds of peaceful protestors were gunned down here by the armies of the Czar, leading to the revolution that killed off Russian royalty for good. I watched the sun cast a shadow on Alexander’s Column like a sundial, as locals played hacky sack, or rode bikes and rollerblades. I haven’t seen this many young couples making out since Buenos Aires. Adding to the romance, it’s wedding season. White stretch limos are everywhere; gorgeous, glowing brides live out their fairy tales on the canals, in the parks, outside the palaces. One of my favorite ways to discover a city is by foot with a good playlist on my iPod. The walking was so good here that for the first time, I have blisters! It felt like every street lead somewhere with something to see. As if the Fortress of Peter and Paul weren’t impressive enough, 16 countries are competing in a sand sculpture festival. It’s that kind of season, in that kind of town.

Gonzo Gallery for Red Dawn in Moscow and St Petersburg

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