Russian Visa
Catherine Palace
The Catherine Palace - Author's daughter Casey
The leading role in design of the palace belongs to Italian architect Bartolomeo Rastrelli, who by 1756 created an architectural masterpiece, which the delighted Empress Elizabeth named after her mother, Catherine I. In the later part of the 18th century the palace was modified by Catherine II, “the Great”.
Like the honored guests of the Russian tsars, the nowadays visitors can also admire the full splendor of the palace interiors. Many restored rooms are open for public and contain objects of applied art, fine furniture, Russian and European paintings, unique collections of porcelain, amber, weaponry, artistic bronze and sculpture.
By far the most famous of these rooms is the well known “Amber Room”. First given by Fredrick the Great to Peter I, the amber panels were stored for many years. Finally they were assembled in this room and the room was considered to be extraordinary. During World War II the room was plundered. The amber was thought to have first been stolen by the Nazi’s during the Siege of Leningrad. What eventually happened to the precious works of art has been the subject of many books and wide speculation. After the war the Soviet began to restore the “Amber Room” as well as the entire palace from memories and pictures. The restoration of the Amber Room lasted 50 years.
Now the Catherine Palace and the magnificent “Amber Room” are among the “must see” sights in St. Petersburg and, indeed, the world!
The Catherine Palace is located in the village of Pushkin, a few miles from the center of St. Petersburg.
This picture is of Casey, the daughter of our American director. She is shown on the Catherine Palace grounds with one of the lesser buildings in the background.
St. Basil’s Cathedral
St. Basil's Cathedral - Moscow,Russia
St. Basil’s Cathedral is a magnificent piece of architecture that appeals to everyone. The Cathedral is a uniquely Russian structure. The towers and domes lack symmetry and consistency, yet the effect of each structure taken together is a wonderful sight. There are nine separate chapels, one under each of the domes. The central tower unifies the structure into a whole.
The Cathedral was built 1555-1561 to commemorate Ivan’s the Terrible’s defeat of the Tatar City of Kazan. The statue in front of St. Basil’s dates from 1818, and portrays Minim and Pozharsky who drove Polish invaders out of Moscow in the early 1600′s. It was moved from the middle of Red Square in 1936 because it impeded the many parades that marched through the Square.
The Cathedral was named after Basil, one of Russia’s barefoot “holy fools” (the most famous one being Rasputin). Basil died while Kazan was still under siege.
