By Fr. Rey Villanoy
Some five years ago I was on a cruise with my sisters Lourdes and Aida on the Baltics. One of the ports of call was this great city of St. Petersburg, founded by the Tsar Peter the Great in 1703 and former capital of the Russian Empire. It was rather a quick visit and somehow I could hardly remember what we did in this second important Russian city know as the Venice of the North because of its intricate canal system.
But not this time on my second visit which lasted three days. Indeed there is much to write about this city which in 1924 was renamed Leningrad after the Soviet leader Vladimir Lenin. In 1991 after the collapse of the Soviet Union it was again named St. Petersburg.
I will mention here three of the most important tourist spots which hopefully could give justice to this great city.
First, the Hermitage along Neva River. Founded in 1724 by Catherine the Great it is considered to be one of the largest and oldest art museums in the world. Among its massive collection of three million paintings were the works of Da Vince, Michelangelo and Rembrandt, among others.
The second is the iconic Church of the Spilled Blood of Christ which is a spectacular Russian landmark. Built on the exact spot where Emperor Alexander II was assassinated in 1881, the museum is world-renowned for its intricate 81-meter facade and over 7500 square meters of mosaics. It also features six onion-shaped domes.
The third is the Peterhof Palace which is a magnificent complex of palaces, fountains, and gardens. Commissioned by Peter the Great in 1709, it is widely known as the “Russian Versailles” because of its stunning fountains, European-inspired landscaping, and lavish Baroque architecture.
Yes, only three among the many of the most visited landmarks in this great city of St. Petersburg.
