Tuesday, July 9, 2013

St. Petersburg Canal Walk

I took a walk the other day after lunch to clear my head, get some fresh air, and enjoy the sunshine.  I walked along the Moika and Griboedova (Мойки и  Грибоедова) canals, which are fed by the Neva River.

Some people call St. Petersburg "the Venice of the North".  Although I think Amsterdam more deserves that title (my favorite canal city!).  Copenhagen and Stockholm also have great canals.  But who cares.  They are still nice to walk along, and very scenic.  The canals have some of the best architecture in the city.



Below is the Bank Bridge, along the Griboedova.  One of my favorites.  The gryphons remind me so much of the scene in the movie White Nights, when Isabella Rossellini's characters runs across a bridge to reach the American Embassy (leaving poor Gregory Hines behind to rot away & freeze in a Russian Gulag). 

The film was made in 1985, so it wasn't filmed in Russia.  I've wondered whether they filmed that particular scene on a sound stage or found a suitable look-alike in another city.
 


The Singer Building (as in sewing machines) along the Griboedova, with Kazan Cathedral in the background


 

Hard to read, but a bank.  "First Society Mutual Credit".  Nice bank!

Church of Spilled Blood, from a distance


A scene from the Moika


 

This is the back entrance to one of the University of St. Petersburg buildings,  It's along the Moika, and I walk along this section most days between work & Nevsky Prospekt
 


I'm not sure how much business the Cartier store is getting.  I have never seen anyone go inside.  Maybe in Moscow, but St. Petersburg isn't quite as rich or "about all that" (as I try to make my point nicely)


Beautiful colors


 
 

 
     

1 comment:

  1. Oh,Jen,your pictures are beautiful.. I love the one of the Church on Spilled Blood. The Petrograd (been reading a book set in 1910 Russia) canals are lovely.

    ReplyDelete