Winter Views

I thought I'd share from photos of St. Petersburg in Winter.

First, some basic geography.  St. Petersburg is located on the western coast of Russia, on eastern shore of the Baltic Sea at the head of the Gulf of Finland.  As a seaside city, our climate is described as a "humid continental climate".  So while it doesn't get really cold (we average -5 to 10C in the winter), it's usually wet & very humid which can make it feel cold, especially when there is wind coming off the gulf.  And the winter is long ...... VERY LONG.   Spring may technically start in late March, but it won't start to warm up & the trees won't start to bud here until early May.

I miss & can't wait for Spring.  But St. Petersburg can be beautiful in the winter, very atmospheric & especially lovely when the snow is fresh & white.  I recommend a visit during winter if you really want to understand the city. 

So since Spring is several months away, here are some images of the city in winter.

The Neva River, not far from my apartment.  The Neva flows from Lake Lagoda in the East, to the Gulf of Finland.  In the distance, you can see a building called the Kunstkammer, which is a museum housing a collection of Peter the Great's"curiosities".  I haven't been there yet, sounds a little weird!.  You can also see one of the famous St. Petersburg bridges in the distance, which I'll post about later.  This bridge is the Dvortsovyy Most (Дворцовый Мост), or Palace Bridge, named after the famous Winter Palace which is nearby.

The Church On Spilled Blood (Храм Спаса на Крови), is one of the more iconic & well-known images of this beautiful city.  It was built in 1881 on the spot that Tsar Alexander II was assassinated by a bomb thrown by a group which called itself the "People's Will" group, who were attempting to over through the Tsar's autocracy.  Not a great photo, because it doesn't do justice to the amazing colors of the domes, or the details on the window frames.

    A pavilion along the Moika River, in the Mikhailovsky Sad or Garden (Михайловский сад).  This garden is part of the Mikhailovsky Palace (now housing the Russian Museum) & is one of my favorite gardens within the city center.  Even in winter.  More pictures in the future.........

The Eternal Flame, in the Field of Mars.  The Field of Mars (Ма́рсово по́ле) is a large park in the city center, Named after the Roman God of War, it was used for miltary manoeuvers & parades in the late 18th century.  After the February Revolution of 1917, it became a memorial.  184 citizens who were killed during the revolution are buried here.  The flame was lit in 1957, and was the fiurst of it's kind in Russia.  It's a very popular spot for locals & tourists throughout the year, but I especially like it in winter.