March 25, 2008
Very often after the lectures I walked about the centre and went to Hermitage, the wonderful museum, known all over the world, where I usually went first of all to see my favorite picture “Danaya” by Rembrandt. After the Rembrandt collection I turned to the neighboring room and watched the pictures of famous Italian artist Titians. I became rather well acquainted with the museum with its labyrinth arrangement. The big windows gave much light in the daytime, the halls and rooms with lots of exquisite tables, arm-chairs, mirrors, clocks made by ancient European masters, all of them guilt with gold - really not only the pictures attracted the viewer’ attention. You could see the wonderful view of the Neva embankment from the windows.
The whole picture of the city centre with Winter Palace (a part of the museum), the wide Neva river, Petropavlovsk fortress, the Admiralty and the statue of the founder of all this beauty, Peter the first (the Horseman of Brass) made the impression of grand and strict beauty.
It is necessary also to mention the suburbs: the Tsar village with Katherine Palace and park and Alexander Park, Petergoff with a great number of fountains and much greater Pavlovsk park with its long alleys and strict planning.
In that special “Socialist Paradise” of Soviet Union most of the population received miserable salary, but the culture was accessible, as the people of art also got the same small sums. We had Kirov Theatre of opera and ballet, the Philharmonic Society, the houses, that left from tsarist time.
I was last time in Leningrad 18 years ago, I hope it is still as attractive as before.
No Comments » | 
Russia | 
Permalink
Posted by travelspace4u
March 20, 2008
I was born in Leningrad. At that time almost everybody whom I knew lived in flats, called “communal”, which meant that each family in the flat had only one, rarely two rooms. Our family of parents and three children occupied a 18 square meter room. Then the owner of all houses was the state, there was no private living area. After the revolution of 1917 in Russia every private ownership was abolished. There were 7 rooms in our flat, and 7 families lived in it. Then, in the thirties, before the war, when I was a child, even the former owners of the flat still lived in it. They occupied two rooms, their family consisted of three generations. We lived in the centre near the famous Technological Institute. When the second world war began, our family escaped from Leningrad, which was already shouted, to a small settlement near Saratov on the Volga. After the war we returned, our life almost did not change: the same small room, the same poverty. My school was good, the teachers educated. Though I had to work for my living at the age of 16, I finished evening school in time and decided to enter the Pedagogical Institute of Foreign Languages, I chose English as a specialty. I liked the language and worked hard, and became one of the best students. We hadn’t to pay for the studies, the education was free, and even students, that were successful, received a small sum as an allowance. Now I had more free time, and often went by tram to see beautiful streets, the Neva embankment, pictures parks of Leningrad and its suburbs. In summer alone or with a friend I liked to go to Kirov Islands, where a big park with many attractions, such as concerts of music, dances etc. impressed with its cleanness and fine arrangement. There were beaches and sometimes, when the water was not very cold, it was possible to bathe. We also liked to go with my neighbor and friend Tanya to the beach under the wall of Petropavlovsk fortress, it was very popular with young people of the city. We often just stood near the warm wall and enjoyed the sun, which was rather rare in Leningrad with its regular rains even in summer. The water in the Neva was always cold. Sometimes we hired an oar boat together with cousin’s or friends and floated on the river or ponds.
1 Comment | 
Russia | Tagged: Leningrad, St.Peterburg | 
Permalink
Posted by travelspace4u
March 17, 2008
13.08.07 We leave the hospitable house in Rappersville and go back to Munich. Misha sees us off. Again the change in Saint Gallen, and we are in the train to Germany. We found the train very crowded. The most of the passangers were muslem families, returning to Germany, probably, from temporary work. It was quite near evening, when we came to Munich. It took us a lot of time to find the reserved hotel because of some mistake, as the order Julia had made in the Internet. It was rather unpleasant to go by tram to and fro with luggage in a big street, and at last we understood, where to go after a lot of consulting with local citizens. At last we reached the hotel and found it nice and comfortable. We left the luggage and went out. The hotel appeared to be very near the railway station. In the street parallel to it, we tried in vain to find a German café, all of them were belonging to Eastern people. At last we found one and bought drinks and ice-cream. Contrary to our first day in Munich, when it was morning, now we were rarely meeting a white man in the crowd, moving in front of us. We turned again to the walking street. There were a lot of metal chairs, fixed to the pavement with chains, women in long black dresses were sitting on each of them, their children were playing near. I guessed that their husbands were those, talking and doing business in small groups in the street near the railway station. We again found young musicians, this time an orchestra of three, plaing wonderful classic music. They were working for money, and the public payed generously. The crowd of listeners stayed for a long time. At last, two babies about a year and a half went in the centre and danced till their parents took them away. It was the last day of our leave, we returned to hotel and on the next morning took the train to airport.
No Comments » | 
Europe | 
Permalink
Posted by travelspace4u
March 6, 2008
10.08.07 Luzern, a most good-looking town. The river Reus and a unique wooden roofed bridge with pictures, painted on triangle planks under the roof. They are genuine pictures of historical scenes. It was constructed and painted in the XY111-th century. There are many old houses, a lot of painted ones. This time we could use a most attractive side of our general ticket: an hour trip on a boat on Luzern lake. The team of the boat consists of a captain and a young girl, performing all the services on the boat.
11.08.07 It was Saturday. Misha took us to a walk in the forest. We met a lot of people, some of them jogging. All of them greeted us with a cheer “Grutzy”. The forest is very clean, it is constantly renewed: the old trees are cut out and there are many new plantings, carefully barred, the wood-processing is popular here. We also saw workmen in the wood.
12.08.07 It is the last day. We feel a slight enxiety before leaving. Julia offers to make a trip to Losanne and Lugano, three hours way there and as much back, this end of the country we didn’t see. But Rachel and I are against it, and on the recommendation of Rachel, who is responsible for another guide-book, we go not far off to Zug and Swits. The first is more interesting, there was a Christian celebration, there were tables and benches in the square, food and drinks were sold. It is on the bank of lake Zug, there are boats as well. The second town Switz , the name of the canton, it gave its name to the country.
No Comments » | Europe | Permalink
Posted by travelspace4u
