Henri Matisse - La Danse
As I already described, we
had our hotel on the Nevski Prospect. From there, most sights of St.
Petersburg are easily accessible by foot. So we took an enjoyable
walk towards the Palace Embankment. First we walked along the Kazan
Cathedral. Later on the other side we caught a glimpse of the most
famous Church of the Spilled Blood. Hermitage was our first goal. The
churches were saved for later in the day.
The tickets purchase was a
bit confusing. As usual, in Russia the foreigner pays more for the
entrance. Theoretically I am a russian, but Ukrainian on paper (born
in the USSR), so it is usually not a problem for me to purchase the
tickets for local prices. At the counter the Russians suppose to show
their ID, after waiting too long in the queue. Foreigners can buy
their tickets at the vending machines and go straight inside. I
didn't accept I was a foreigner first and waited too long in the
queue. Later I understood that showing the passport was essential and
I would not get my local discount. So I paid the full price anyway.
Seeing all at once in the
Hermitage museum is a mission impossible, everybody knows that.
Walking along the halls is the best option. I didn't want to miss
couple of works and searched for the halls I wanted to see. One of
the most popular art pieces in the museum is Rembrandt's Danae. After
the painting was brutally damaged by a crazy visitor, Danae is
restored and back on the wall again.
There is so much classical
art so after a while I wanted to be cheered up by something more
contemporary. On the last floor the French impressionists provide a
right contrast in the collection.
We did not stay too long
at the Hermitage, because there is more to see in St. Petersburg.
The ultimate way to
discover St. Petersburg is by boat, which goes along the canals and
river. Here you see several sites at once. This trip has given me the
ideas for the next time.
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