St. Petersburg: The Journey Begins

It's 10:47 PM and light still fills the sky. I can officially say that I've spent a full day within the gorgeous city of St. Petersburg. And really, what an amazing city it is. Although I've spent only one day in the city, I feel as if I've seen so much. Practically every street, building, or park has a story to tell. I apologize in advance for any wacky sentences or words in this post; the jet lag has been brutal. Today, I took a bus tour of the city. Our guide shared all sorts of interesting information, particularly the history of certain buildings. Essentially, the city itself is very old. It is not uncommon to see statues and monuments dedicated to certain rulers, political figures, and artists.

Monument to Catherine the Great

Without posting every single statue or building I've seen, there are a few key sights I'd like to share. Firstly, I had the opportunity to briefly see the Smolny Cathedral, which was originally established to house Peter the Great's daughter, Elizabeth, who refused to take the throne and instead wished to become a nun. Probably the most interesting thing I saw on the tour today, was the Peter and Paul Fortress. It was originally established as a base for military personnel and political prisoners. Behind the fortress's menacing stone walls, lies the Peter and Paul Cathedral. The cathedral serves as a burial ground for almost all of the Russian Tsars/Emperors from Peter the Great to Nicolas II. I won't go into detail about the stunning interior of the cathedral. Instead,  I'll let you take a look for yourself.

Smolny Cathedral

Within the Peter and Paul Fortress's walls lies the cathedral.

Inside the Peter and Paul Cathedral

Tsar's tombs.

The final historical site I visited was The Church of Our Savior on Spilled Blood. In 1881, a group of revolutionaries threw a bomb at Tsar Alexander II's carriage, mortally wounding him. It was decided to build the church right on the spot where Alexander II was assassinated. This was by far one of the coolest places I visited today. The artwork is breathtaking and the church's history itself is fascinating. I highly recommend you read about it more for yourself. 

The Church of Our Savior on Spilled Blood

Inside the church.

The church's ceiling.

The exact spot where Alexander II was assassinated. 

On top of seeing some amazing buildings, I've also had the pleasure of trying Russian cuisine. And I must say, it's excellent. For breakfast I tried a hot cereal called kasha, which is a lot like oatmeal. If you can get your hands on it, I highly recommend you do so. Lunch, consisted of borsch, a beat soup with sour cream, chicken kiev, olivier salad (Much like potato salad), dumplings, and shashlik (Russian shish kebabs). Everything was delicious. I've learned quite quickly that Russians love to put dill on many different dishes. 

A bowl of traditional borsch, with sour cream. Yum.

Well, I'd say that this concludes my adventure for now. Tomorrow will be full of more exciting and amazing new things to see. I can't wait to share it with you. Dasvidania.