Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
268
secular lines are almost reminiscent of the
Capitol Building in Washington, built just
2 decades earlier. Compare this to other
Orthodox churches you see around Rus-
sia. Marshal Kutuzov, who led the Russian
victory over Napoleon, is buried here.
Even if you don't go in, note that the
church's entrance is on the east side instead
of facing the street, to satisfy Orthodox
church canon.
Cross the avenue again and stop at the corner of
Nevsky and Griboyedov Canal to admire:
4
Dom Knigi
This Art Nouveau treasure is just another
building along Nevsky, but worth noting
are its glass dome and mystical mosaics. It
once belonged to the Singer sewing
machine company, whose name is still
engraved on the facade, between the sec-
ond and third floors. For decades it was
Dom Knigi, or House of Books, Lenin-
grad's main bookstore. After a recent reno-
vation, it now houses the bookstore on the
first floor and an upscale shopping mall on
the higher levels.
Cross Griboyedov Canal and head north along it, past
the boatmen hawking canal tours, toward the dizzy-
ing domes of the:
5
Church of the Savior on the
Spilled Blood
Built 7 decades after Kazan Cathedral, this
church sprang from an entirely different era
and worldview. Though constructed during
Russia's industrial and economic boom of
the late 19th century, the Church of the
Savior harkens back to the piled, etched,
color-coated domes of medieval Russian
churches, and is slathered with gold and
precious stones—a much more Russian
style of church-building than the reasoned
lines of European-style Kazan Cathedral.
Inside the Church of the Savior, note the
spot where Czar Alexander II was assassi-
nated by a revolutionary. This politicized
location is part of the reason for the
church's nationalist design.
Walk around the cathedral along the outer edge of
Mikhailovsky Gardens, stopping to study the undulat-
ing patterns of the cast-iron fences surrounding the
gardens. This could be a good moment for coffee, or
something more substantial.
TAKE A BREAK
The one-story pink pavilion in
Mikhailovsky Gardens was once
a public toilet, but don't let that deter you.
The
Park Giuseppe
restaurant (
&
812/
571-7309
) now has a splendid terrace
overlooking the gardens and the Church
of the Savior. Good pizzas (by Petersburg
standards), strong coffee, and a good
selection of teas and desserts are the
menu highlights.
Continue to follow the fence around to the entrance
to the gardens.
6
Mikhailovsky Castle & Gardens
The warm coral of the castle's exterior
makes it look almost inviting despite its
grim history. The paranoid Czar Paul I
had it built because the Winter Palace
made him feel too exposed to threats from
without and within his court. (Paul was
right about the threats, but not about the
security of his new home: He was assassi-
nated by advisers soon after he moved in.)
Compare the high fences enclosing the
gardens and the inaccessibility of this cas-
tle courtyard to the more sociable Winter
Palace, facing the Neva River and opening
onto Palace Square. Mikhailovsky Castle
was later an engineering school and is now
the Engineering Museum.
Circle the palace and turn right onto Italianskaya
Ulitsa, heading straight until you reach the Square of
the Arts. Take a rest on a bench in this small rectan-
gular plaza, then wander its circumference to study
its components:
7
The Russian Museum
This museum is housed in the trium-
phantly classical Mikhailovsky Palace
(Dvorets), not to be confused with the
Mikhailovsky Castle (Zamok) that you
14
