Walking and Waiting

Walking/waiting the watchwords for today. On the sidewalk and prepared to walk to the Hermitage Museum, 2.3 kms away. Unfortunately the rain was intermittent and we needed the umbrella. It took thirty minutes to get to the Palace Square and we saw a lineup outside the Hermitage entrances when we arrived. Getting in line we waited. ten minutes later the gates opened, at 10am. Why they did this when tickets do not go on sale for another thirty minutes is beyond me - rules and Russia. There are automatic ticket machines just inside the gate and yet they are ignored by the absolute majority of people - stupid. We stepped out of the line to use them why don't the rest of the people in line?

Anyway we were still wet when we finally got in and braced to fight the masses of people, as Rick Steves - the travel guru, says about the place, "Be prepared to spend three hours at the hermitage - two to see the place and one to fight the crowds!" We did and it is almost as though the waves of groups just keep coming at you - like fighting the Russian hordes - they just keep coming.

Beside watching out for people one could only stand amazed at the opulence and fashion of all of the rooms. Most of the rooms contained paintings produced by the Great Masters and collected by Catherine the Great and her successors. It is hard to imagine the wealth of these collections.

What is more amazing is that when the Nazis attacked Russia the curators and Citizens loaded trains full of the masterpieces in the collections to safety. So most of the collections emerged intact for the reconstruction after the war.

It is easy to lose direction as one just cannot keep going in a circular direction as the rooms meander as most of the original rooms are intact and they were once apartments for the Royals. But smaller rooms do lead into bigger rooms and most of the smaller rooms are furnished with original 19th Century pieces, of the highest quality. As we left after ninety minutes of being pummeled by the sights we have the images stamped into our consciousnesses.

Emerging into the Palace Square we encountered a line that was three times the length it was at 1030. How the people at the end of the line would get in by closing time was the question. Even more so the question was why they didn't use the ticket machines? 

Moving out of the square, and still fighting wind and rain with only one umbrella the Kazan Cathedral loomed into view. An imposing structure, modelled on St. Peter's in Rome, the Russian Monarchy really liked to copy other people's civilisation, and we entered for free. Entering for free is a rarity here as all Museums like to charge. The Hermitage being the most expensive so far 700 Rubles each ($17). The Cathedral is a memorial to the might of the Russian Military through the ages and especially commemorates the wars of the 18th/19th Centuries. As it was a working Cathedral worshipers mingled with tourists and the lineup to worship, pray and kiss the Icons on the Altar panel was moving and surprising considering that Russia had been a secular State for so long, well at least since 1917.

One more museum to go and we called it a day. Again, on the walk to the hotel along the Nevsky Prospekt, the last one beckoned. The Strogonov Palace/Museum is an imposing pink stone structure and for only 300 rubles apiece we were in. Again the same setup as the Hermitage - impressive rooms, most without furniture and some with but the decoration of the walls and trim was the attraction to most visitors.