b'Islands. Walking through the canal area makesoneappreciatehowmuchSt Petersburg is like the rest of Europe.St.Petersburg,establishedinthe early 1700s, was known as Leningrad during communist times. It is by far the most European city in Russia, and boasts more than 900 palaces, all con-structed during Peter the Greats reign, in his effort to bring Russia out of medi-eval times into a European style culture.Continuingmytrek,Ivisitedthe Church of the Saviour on Spilled Blood, which was built in the typical Russian architectural style of the 1700s. It is lo-cated on Art Square in the centre of St Petersburg and is a Russian Orthodox Saint Isaacs Cathedral, one of the worlds largest, was built in the early 1800s Church, which currently functions as a museum and church at the same time. NewYorkhasFifthAvenueandProvisionalGovernment.LaterthatJust outside of St. Petersburg, stands Toronto has Yonge Street. St. Petersburgsame year a detachment of Red Guardthe beautiful Imperial Palace built by is no different, and the main street issoldiers and sailors stormed the palace.Tsarina Elizabeth, in 1752 and named Nevsky Prospect, which is very vibrant.This action became a defining momentin honour of her mother, Catherine the At its end lies the Admiralty, the formerin the birth of the Soviet state.first. During its heyday, the gold leaf ex-headquarters of the Imperial RussianWithout doubt, one of the finest mu- terior of the palace was replaced every Navy, and the current centre of todaysseums in the world is the Hermitage.two years, at a tremendous cost.Russian Navy. A series of six buildings, its collections,No trip to St. Petersburg is complete PetertheGreatwantedtobringof which only a small part is on per- without a visit to Peterhof Palace, the Russiaoutofthemiddleages,andmanentdisplay,compriseoverthreesummerestateoftheTsars.Builtin alignedhimselfwithEurope.Hemillionitems.Iwanderedaroundin1714, the palace was fashioned after the founded the Russian Navy in 1711, andawe staring at the works of da Vinci,Palace of Versailles, in Paris.employed 10,000 men to build the firstVan Gogh and Rubens. It is said if youPeter the Great employed over 5,000 battleships. spend three minutes at each exhibit, itlabourers who worked for nine years Continuing along Nevsky Prospect,will take you just over a year to see theconstructing this beautiful estate. As in I arrived at the General Staff buildingentire collection.other Russian palaces, no expense was of the Russian army. Built in 1819, itSt.Petersburgisknownasthespared in the construction of Peterhof.consists of two wings. It was originallyVenice of Russia, because of its network part of the Winter Palace, which servedof canals and rivers. Bridges such asPlease turn to page 48as the official residence of the Russianthe Egyptian Bridge connect numerous Emperor from 1732 to 1917. The pal-aceanditsprecinctsnowhousethe Hermitage Museum.The palace was always off-limits to the common people, however the royal family decided to open it for everyone to admire and appreciate the beautiful artfoundwithin.Thishadanega-tive effect, as people soon realized the opulence that existed while they were starving.In1905,theBloodySundaymas-sacreoccurredwhendemonstrators marchedtowardtheWinterPalace. By this time, the Imperial Family had chosentoliveinamoresecureand secluded palace elsewhere.Following the February Revolution of1917,thepalaceoperatedfora short time as the seat of the RussianSt. Petersburg main street, Nevsky ProspectFOCUS - FEBRUARY 202345'