Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
MONUMENT
MILLENNIUM OF RUSSIA MONUMENT
OFFLINE MAP
This 16m-high, 300-tonne sculpture was unveiled in 1862 on the 1000th anniversary
of the Varangian Prince Rurik's arrival. A veritable who's who of Russian history
over the last millennium, it depicts some 127 figures - rulers, statesmen, artists, schol-
ars and a few fortunate hangers-on as well.
The women at the top are Mother Russia and the Russian Orthodox Church.
Around the middle, clockwise from the south, are Rurik, Prince Vladimir of Kyiv
(who introduced Christianity), tsars Mikhail Romanov, Peter the Great and Ivan III,
and Dmitry Donskoy trampling a Mongol Tatar. In the bottom band on the east side
are nobles and rulers, including Catherine the Great with an armload of laurels for all
her lovers. Alexander Nevsky and other military heroes are on the north side, and lit-
erary and artistic figures are on the west.
MMUSSEUUM
CHURCH OF THE TRANSFIGURATION OF OUR SAVIOUR
OFFLINE MAP
(
Церковь Спаса Преображения на Ильине улице
; ul Ilina; adult/student R100/60;
10am-5pm Wed-Sun, closed last Thu of month)
This church is famous for housing the only
surviving frescoes by legendary Byzantine painter Theophanes the Greek (they came
close to extinction when the church served as a Nazi machine-gun nest). Restoration
has exposed as much of the frescoes as possible, though they are still faint. A small
exhibit upstairs includes reproductions with explanations in Russian. Note Theo-
phanes' signature use of white warlike paint around the eyes and noses of his figures,
and their piercing expressions.
Знаменский собор
; adult/student R70/40; 10am-5pm Thu-Tue)
, a 17th-century
Moscow-style complex, its interior also festooned with somewhat more vivid fres-
coes.
