Russia to Riga to Boston

We are back from our short trip to Russia. We saw many churches and palaces both in St. Petersburg and Moscow. The highlight of course was visiting Anatoly the grandfather of one of the Riga Fulbright students. Without him we would have been lost in Moscow, with him we visited the Kremlin and it's many churches, Red Square and beautiful Metro stations with mosaic ceilings and marble walls. We walked along Tverskaya Street from Puskin Square to Red Square. Went on a city tour to take in a panoramic view of Moscow a city of 10 million people. The Cathedral of the Church of Christ the Savior started in 1817 by the Emporer Alexander I and took 40 years to build. In 1883 it was sanctified in the presence of Emporer Alexander III.

In 1931 it was destroyed by order of Stalin's political bureau. The site was turned into an open air swimming pool which could accomodate 20 thousand. In 1994 the swimming pool was closed and the reconstruction of the church began opening it's doors December 31, 1999. The icons, candles and painting on walls, pedestals, iconoclasts and are dazzling. After Moscow we spent a day in St. Petersburg "the Venice of the North". Another very large city. Did the city tour and spent four hours in the Hermiage, after we could find where to buy the tickets. Saw paintings by Picasso, Monet, Manet, Cezanne, Van Gogh, many religious painting including one by Fra Fililp Lippi and elaborately decorated rooms of the Winter Palace. All the while being able to look out the windows at the Neva Embankment. I have no pictures of St. Petersburg since my camera died in Red Square. I have since recharged it for our final pictures of Riga. We leave for home tomorrow and will be in Boston Monday afternoon.