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A
trip to Russia
Part
3: Alexander,
are you still around?
One of my favorite stops was "The Church of Our Savior
on Spilled Blood" named so because Alexander II was murdered
where this church now stands. He set peasants and serfs free
during his reign and was dubbed as "Alexander the Liberator".
I always appreciate those in leadership who is for the people,
especially, the underdog. I wondered if his spirit was still
present.
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Anyway,
it is a colorful church that closed its services in the 1930s,
when the Bolsheviks warred against religion and destroyed
Christian churches
all over the country. It remained closed for thirty years
and re-opened in 1997. It is my favorite place in St. Petersburg
because of the colorful facade and shiny golden onion domes.
It is a place you typically see when viewing pictures of St.
Petersburg.
I
was excited to finally arrive, but was awestruck that the
"black-market" had booths across the street. It
was a beautiful day, cloudy then sunny, then cloudy again,
which made the colors blink vibrant
and dull on the church and domes.
I
wiped tears from my eyes... I couldn't believe I was standing
in RUSSIA looking at a beloved symbol typical of Russia. A
reality rang deep within me of how many years had passed and
the Cold War was over. It was a pivotal point.
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It was a reality of dormant fear and hatred learned as a child
towards Russia and Communists that suddenly revealed itself.
I had no idea those feelings were buried deep within me. "These
people are beautiful." I thought to myself, "How
could I hate them? These people aren't my enemy."
Immediately,
a flood in my emotions filled me, especially of betrayal,
kind of like finding out about Santa Claus for the first time.
Shortly, compassion filled me causing this latent fear and
hatred to leave; I felt freedom, liberated... Alexander, are
you still around?
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Even
though it was a long day, we had to keep going. Later in the
evening we had a lovely Russian dinner and went to a folkloric
show. All of the authentic Russian dances and songs were heartfelt
by the performers. They were dressed in traditional Russian
costume displaying, with pride, their culture to the audience.
Finally, I found some smiles.
A festive evening was truly in store for us. We clapped and
hummed along with what we knew. Some danced in the isles.
We had no clue to begin with what we were getting ourselves
into for the evening. What a way to end the day.
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The
next day we traveled to Peterhof, not too far from St Petersburg.
It is a grand palace built by Peter-the-Great in the 1700s.
Oh yes, there was gold inlay everywhere, ballrooms, tiled
fireplaces, authentic tableware, and portraits of the Imperial
family were present amongst the many treasures.
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The
palace, set on the Baltic (Gulf
of Finland), is a quaint place for a
get-away
for Peter. It is known as the "Russian Versailles"...
well, no comparison in my book. The
backyard fountains are dotted with golden
statues
on stair after stair... awesome to enjoy.
We
stopped on our way back to
St. Petersburg, only to be surrounded by gypsies. It was grievous
seeing children begging, or placed out front, to earn money
for the group.
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They
were hungering for money, "sincerely" begging for
something to eat, needing money to fill their stomachs. They
looked well fed. I guess it's seeing children used for monetary
gain that bothered me. I saw this in Mexico as well. The rest
of the group stood in the background who later approached
us to buy their wares. I felt surrounded and uncomfortable.
You could almost see their drool for money, a determined look
in their eyes. It was not a pleasant experience and one that
I was glad to leave behind.
It was time
to say good-bye to St. Petersburg and head overnight for Tallin,
Estonia. Memories and emotions felt about St. Petersburg continues
to be hidden away within me. I told myself that I would return
someday.
- KS, 2003,
S.W. USA -
someday took only one year ~
and the return to Russia is already online:
"Cannons and Cathedrals"
additional infos about the trip and the author
can be found here
this
travelogue is part of the subside travelzine
about bookshelf
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