Cathedrals and the Hermitage

Yesterday was cold and rainy so it was a good day to stay inside and tour the large number of cathedrals in close proximity to our hotel. We started at the Karzan Cathedral, which looks like it has been transplanted from Rome. The outside was far more impressive than the interior.

We then moved on to the St. Isaac's Cathedral. St. Isaac's was the exact opposite of the Karzan, so-so on the outside, but stunning on the inside. The cathedral took over 40 years to construct, opening in 1848, and it is the largest guilded dome in the world. Alexander I commissioned the development of the cathedral, but typical of those days, he did not live to see its completion.

The Church our Saviour on the Spilt Blood (the one with the colourful onion domes) was constructed over the exact site where Alexander II was fatally wounded. Inside there is a memorial over the original cobble stone street where he was attacked. He was assassinated in 1881 and the church construction was initiated in 1887. The inside was entirely made of gold mosaics, which was quite impressive. During Soviet times, this church was used to store potatoes and at one point was going to be destroyed.

Today we spent 7 hours at the Hermitage. The collection was overwhelming. For those of you who have been to Italy, you'll know that sense of too many madonnas to mention. We were impressed by the Winter Palace itself, let alone the artwork it housed. The Hermitage has some impressive pieces by Leonardo da Vinci, Raphael, Michelangelo, Renoir, Monet, Picasso, Matisse and Van Gough. It was a long haul, but totally worth it. Tomorrow we will continue our tour of even more palaces and cathedrals.