Russia is known for its vast size, extreme cold, great novelists, and amazing architecture that will truly knock your socks off.
- The Peter and Paul Fortress is the original citadel (a core fortified area of a city) of St. Petersburg. Founded by Peter the Great in 1703, it is known for its unique design by Swiss architect Domenico Trezzini in the Petrine Baroque style. It is also known as the birthplace of St. Petersburg and shares a picturesque view of the Neva River. Once used as a prison, it is now part of the St. Petersburg Museum of History, where visitors can enjoy festivals and concerts.
“At the center of all that is Russia – of its culture, its psychology, and, perhaps, its destiny – stands the Kremlin, a walled fortress a thousand years old and four hundred miles from the sea. Physically speaking, its walls are no longer high enough to fend off attack, and yet, they still cast a shadow across the entire country.”
― Amor Towles, A Gentleman in Moscow
- The Moscow Kremlin is a fortified complex and the heart of Moscow. Built between the 14th and 17th centuries, it is one of the most impressive examples of architecture anywhere in the whole world. Complete with twenty towers (nineteen of which have spires). It is a symbol of Russian power and pride. The word “Kremlin” (meaning “fortress inside a city”) is forever linked to the most pivotal political moments in Russia since the 13th century and is a UNESCO World Heritage site.
- The Winter Palace was the official home of the Russian tsars since the 18th century (until 1917) and is now part of the Hermitage Museum. Built in the Elizabethan Baroque style, it may be the most impressive attraction in St. Petersburg due to its size and ornate appearance. With 1,786 doors, 1,945 windows, and 1,057 elegantly and lavishly decorated halls and rooms, the Winter Palace is truly breathtaking and over-the-top.
- St. Basil’s Cathedral “is officially called Cathedral of the Intercession of the Most Holy Theotokos on the Moat. It is located in Moscow’s famous Red Square. The cathedral has a unique shape, almost like a bonfire rising into the sky. That makes it one of Russia’s most unique buildings. Part of the building is now a museum, but special services are still held there occasionally.”
(Russiau.com)
- St. Isaac’s Cathedral, built in honor of Saint Isaac of Dalmatia, is located in St. Petersburg and is known for filling the skyline with its magnificent golden dome. The cathedral is so vast that it can accommodate up to 14,000 people! Although it is now only rarely used as a place of worship, it is mainly a museum and boasts a fantastic monument to Nicholas I.
For more information on the sites discussed in this blog, visit the links below. To collect your explorer pins, and to read about adventure and exploration, visit Spartan and the Green Egg at the website.
- https://www.britannica.com/place/Moscow/The-Kremlin
- https://whc.unesco.org/en/list/545/
- https://www.spartanandthegreenegg.com/product/st-basil/
- http://www.saint-petersburg.com/museums/peter-paul-fortress/
- http://www.saint-petersburg.com/virtual-tour/st-isaacs-cathedral/
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