Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Figure 10.2. Russian Revolution
The Russian Revolution was a revolution within a revolution within a revolution. Five
days in February 1917 decided Russia's fate. The Czar's inner circle plotted against him.
The Parliament (The Duma) tried to put his brother on the throne. Most decisively, a spon-
taneous workers' and soldiers' uprising in Petrograd seized the arsenal and proclaimed a
Republic. Into this swirl, Vladimir Lenin stepped from his train and onto the platform of
the Finland Station. Seventy-plus years of what would be the tyranny of the Soviet Union
had begun.
WHY IS ST. PETERSBURG CALLED THE VENICE OF THE NORTH?
Sited on one hundred islands, cut by the flooding River Neva, the city is drained by a web
of canals, over which a profusion of bridges connect the islands. The nineteenth century
was a rich period of bridge construction; several are graceful and decorated spans of cast
iron. Many of the city's great palaces are on the waterways, and their waterside reflections
(in the best of light) give many city views an Impressionist-Venetian aspect. As a Baltic
port, the city lies at sixty degrees north. Midsummer, it enjoys nineteen hours of daylight.
The long hours of subdued twilight bring “white nights,” and the city's soft glow fuses with
its shimmering waters.
The city's great size (521 square miles), with a population of more than 4.5 million, de-
mands weeks, even months, for full exploration. Short-term visitors, if they can be coaxed
from the centers of tourism, will be rewarded with strolls through the city's parks, sitting
on benches and exchanging smiles and greetings with Peter-burgers at ease. Small side
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