Politics & Poetry

Although I've promised to make a post everyday, I feel that it would be too short of an update to post daily. So, I'd like to talk about both Monday and Tuesday in this post. On Monday, I went on a class excursion to the State Museum of the Political History of Russia. At the museum, our group visited a set of different exhibits; most of them related to the Soviet period of history. By far my most favorite exhibit was the one focusing on World War II and Josef Stalin's rule.

This Russian made radio was found in Hermann Goering's office.

Josef Stalin death mask! Creepy.

Also, on the tour I saw many items related to the Russian revolutions of 1917. Probably the coolest item/place was Lenin's personal desk and items. Within the same room there is a balcony where Lenin spoke four separate times! I personally found that to be pretty amazing.

Lenin's personal desk.

The balcony where Lenin spoke.

Today was another incredible day. I went on another class excursion, this time to a famous underground cafe where Russian poets, writers, and painters would meet. This time in history is known as the Silver Age. Over the course of this trip, I've become very fond of Russian poetry literature. Particularly Pushkin and Dostoevsky.

The stage within the cafe!

I apologize for such a short update. Thanks for reading. Have a good night/day everybody!

An Eventful Weekend

Before I begin, I'd like to apologize to my readers for a lack of blog posts over the weekend. I felt that I'd be wasting a post by not sharing anything new with everyone. Now that it's Sunday however, I think it would be an excellent time to recap my weekend. My friday morning was spent touring the Baltika brewery in St. Petersburg. I actually learned a lot about beer making and just how big of a company Baltika is. It's very common to find Baltika's products in all of the stores/supermarkets here. On friday night, a group of us attended a party in the city celebrating the end of the theatre season. It was a lot of fun, especially having the chance to celebrate with Russians and not only Americans. Each day I grow fonder of the Russian people; particularly how friendly and outgoing they can be.

Entrance to the Baltika brewery.

For the most part, I spent Saturday relaxing around the dorm. However, a small group of us decided to go out to eat at a restaurant called the Zoom Cafe. The food was excellent, as was the atmosphere. We tried various appetizers, including bruschetta and potato pancakes with sour cream. For my entree, I had veal stroganoff. Loved it. Finally, I had an orange cheesecake for dessert. This type of cheesecake was much different from what I'm used to. Regardless, it was incredible.

Orange cheesecake!

Today, we visited the opulent Peterhof Palace. Originally built by Peter the Great, the palace itself was improved by various rulers. Some of the biggest changes occurred under the reign of Catherine the Great and Elisabeth I. When visiting the palace, I was in complete awe of just how grand everything was. It reminded me of Versailles a lot. By the time we left the palace, I definitely agreed that I wouldn't mind living there!

Shot of the palace from the main gate.

Taken from the back of the palace.

One of many beautiful fountains!

Enjoy the pictures everybody. Thanks again for reading. Keep an eye out for another update tomorrow.

Until then.

Re-Living History: 1905 and Cossack Entertainment

Being the history nerd that I am, I felt like a kid in a candy store today. This morning, I attended my St. Petersburg in War & Revolution class and learned a great deal about Catherine II's reign. A very impressive historical figure indeed. The day truly began when I went on a field trip to a few key locations in the Revolution of 1905. Firstly, we visited the Narva Gate, one of many places where the Bloody Sunday shootings occurred. It was at the Narva Gate that Tsarist troops fired on a peaceful crowd of workers and their families. This group of protestors was led Father Gapon, a Russian priest who was concerned with the health of the working class. Father Gapon survived the shooting himself and eventually fled to Finland where he was then assassinated by the Soviet government for having connections to the Tsar's secret police.

The Narva Gate

There is something surreal about visiting places where incredible historical events occurred. Whilst standing under the Narva Gate, I imagined Tsarist troops firing at a large crowd of workers right in front of me. Our next stop was visiting the monument of Dimitri Mendeleev; the inventor of the periodic table. On the way to the monument, we also saw the building where the first official Soviet met. On the wall of the building, there was a plaque showing that Lenin spoke at that location. I found it surprising that a lot of USSR signs, monuments, and plaques still exist all over the city. 

Monument to Dimitri Mendeleev.

Leftover Soviet plaque/sign.

Our field trip ended with a visit to the Alexander Gardens, another place of tragedy on Bloody Sunday. While sitting in the garden chatting with my professor, I could feel the weight of the past on my shoulders. By far my favorite part of the day was going to see a Cossack folk music/dancing show at one of the theaters in the city. I learned just how amazing and diverse Russian culture actually is. Not only was the show itself incredible, but I gained even more respect for the Russian people. What an amazing country. One which I quite frankly think is greatly misunderstood. I'm already excited for tomorrow.

A big THANK YOU to everybody for reading this blog. I greatly appreciate it. 

Visiting Kronstadt and Exploring the City

Admittedly, today was the best day I've had so far in St. Petersburg. My day began with another bowl of kasha, which is quickly becoming one of my favorite meals! After breakfast, I went on a field trip to Kronstadt, a town within the St. Petersburg on the island of Kotlin. Almost immediately I noticed that the Russian navy has an extremely large presence within the town. Seeing that the town gives direct access to the Gulf of Finland. 

One of the famous Kronstadt docks.

Historically, Kronstadt is an amazing place. In 1921, a large group of sailors and soldiers rebelled against the Soviet government. This event is known as the Kronstadt Rebellion. In addition to it's docks, the city contains a series of canals and is prone to flooding due to it being built on level ground. Because of the Russian naval presence in the area, there are a large number of memorials dedicated to Russian sailors during different times in history. One of the most beautiful memorials/buildings I saw, was the the Naval Cathedral. When looking on the outside of the cathedral, there are various anchor designs on the doors. 

Notice the naval influence.

The Naval Cathedral

Inside the cathedral.

Upon finishing the trip to Kronstadt, a small group and myself decided to head out into the city. I saw a lot of incredible things. Particularly, the Winter Palace; which serves as a symbol of tsarist power. Also, the palace was stormed by the Bolsheviks in 1917 officially ending the reign of the Provisional Government. Truly, the palace's beauty stopped me completely dead in my tracks. All I could do was stand in complete awe. After seeing the palace, our group also visited the Bronze Horseman; a monument dedicated to Peter the Great's founding of St. Petersburg. It was during this time that the sunset filled the clouds, casting a spectacular light over the city. I'll never forget the experience of looking across the canal at the other historical buildings.

The Bronze Horseman 

The Winter Palace

Finally, our group visited St. Isaac's Cathedral, yet another gorgeous building in the city. Normally, you can climb to the top of the cathedral to get an overhead view of the city. Unfortunately, it was too late. One thing I haven't gotten used to is the fact that there is still a large amount of light outside late in the evening. 10 PM feels more like 6 PM. When outside the cathedral, a small firework show began across the canal. Not a bad way to finish off the evening!

St. Isaac's Cathedral

Gazing at the sunset across the canal.

I can't wait to see what new adventures and sights tomorrow holds! Until next time. Once again, thank you for reading!

First Classes and Blini

I've officially spent yet another amazing day in St. Petersburg. Much different from yesterday, I spent the majority of my day in both of my Russian history courses. Both, I've begun to love already. There is a certain, unexplainable feeling when studying historical events and visiting places where they actually occurred. I highly recommend that everybody experience such a marvelous feeling themselves. In other words, study abroad! On top of starting my classes I tried yet another piece of Russian cuisine, blini. Which is a lot like a crepe and can be bought from stands in the city. There are many different flavors of blini. I ordered a blini filled with cheese, incredible. Being honest, my group couldn't read the menu at the stand. We ended up asking a Russian woman for help. Another thing I've noticed is just how friendly Russian people can be. All you have to do is make the effort to try and talk to them. Their response is even better if you attempt to speak Russian. Indeed, that is one of my missions tomorrow. Order another blini in Russian. We'll see how it goes!

I couldn't help taking a bite... blini is incredible.

I apologize for such a short post. Tomorrow I'll spend the day on another excursion in the city. Plenty of pictures to come. Thank you for reading. 

P.S. The World Cup aired at 12:00 AM here, hoping for the best. Go USA!

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.

Before I Leave

The countdown truly has begun. On June 28th, 4:00 PM, I'm officially off to St. Petersburg, Russia for a month. But before I leave, I'd like to share a new mindset I've developed over the last couple of months. Changing the way I think has been crucial in who I've become as a person. I'm hoping this will help my readers in one way or another.

Probably the most important thing I've learned is to live in the present; not the past or the future. While planning ahead is extremely important, it shouldn't be your main focus. Along with that, always enjoy the little things. That cup of coffee or book you're reading, savor it and take in every little detail. Most people will be shocked in how many of those amazing little details they are actually missing. The cliche phrase, "Stop and smell the roses" is one of the most truthful things someone has ever said to me. Similar to this idea, I've come to the realization that life is too short to not enjoy the little things. We only have one life, why not try and make the best of it? 

For the longest time, I looked at the glass as being half empty. I thought being a cynic was the only way to think about the bigger picture. On the contrary, this couldn't be farther from the truth. I've found that maintaining a positive outlook on life is essential to being happy. Sure, we all have moments where we feel down and don't want to get back up. But, it's important to get back up and keep pushing forward. In truth, I never was awarded anything for being a cynic. Nothing positive came along and changed my life. However, ever since I've become an optimist an unbelievable amount of positive things have come into my life. I promise the same will happen for you. 

Finally, I've officially decided to always follow my heart in things I want. If there is something out there you truly want, go for it. I'll agree that it is important to use your mind in making decisions. At the end of the day however, listen to your heart. There have been many occasions where I listened exclusively to my mind and ended up missing out on an amazing experience. Ultimately, my heart told me I should go on this trip. It was something I truly wanted to do. And what do you know? I'm actually doing it. All I can tell you is make the leap! Everybody deserves to have what they truly want.

Before I end this post, I'd like to say that my letter series will continue. Most likely once I return from Russia. For the time being, I'll constantly update this blog with pictures and posts about my experiences abroad. I'm hoping to inspire everyone to go out and see what the world has to offer. 

Until next time, 

Colby