July 20, 1997
Hey all,
Well, our train for Moscow leaves in a couple hours, and I find myself back in the Internet Cafe, so I'll say "Hi!" (I acknowledge it's a long "Hi").
St. Petersburg is an absolutely interesting city. There is a level of history here that is intense, yet artificial. The city was built by Peter the Great to be Russia's window to the west, and it is still struggling to define its soul: Russian or European? With the fall of communism, there is a great level of opportunity and pockets of incredible wealth, but the average citizen is only struggling to survive. The residents and the government take great pride in the upkeep of the great monuments of Russian history, but the side streets are messes of decay, poverty, and desperation. It is a combination I have never seen anywhere else in the world.
Over the last few days, I have seen a fantastic number of sights, and it would surely bore you all to tears if I tried to related them all. So, I'll try to limit myself to the highlights... I said try...
Hopefully, I can share more with you when I return.
If any of you have been to Versailles, I am sorry to say that you have missed out. A few days ago, we went to Petrodvorets (also known as Peterhof) which was just one of the palaces of the imperial family. The gardens are beautiful in a way that make the gardens of Versailles look like I had been the master gardener. Secluded spots for quiet contemplation, 200-year old fountains that are more complex in their actions than anything I've ever seen, secret fountains that spray unwitting tourists with a cool blast (except, of course, that the children flock to fountains and destroy any surprise), a cascade of gold, water, and marble leading out to the ocean... I could go on.
The Hermitage lived up to its billing as one of the world's great museums. We spent hours there, and were too exhausted to see it all, even though only 15% of the collection was on display. Fantastic.
For all you literary fans, you might be interested to know that the flat where Raskolnikov killed the old woman in "Crime and Punishment" is still standing, and is in no way a tourist trap. It's a smelly apartment building with no hawkers of Dostoevsky memorabilia (as one would expect in America), but merely a sense of awe that this was the spot chosen for the pivotal moment in one of the greatest pieces of literature ever written. It's simple, yet stunning.
A special joy in all of this was that I was able to share much of it with Christina, an old friend from Wash U. We were in Russian classes together, and would often sit for lunch and discuss Russian, family, religion, etc. for hours. Well, she just finished her two years of the Peace Corps in Kazakhstan and just happened to be in St. Petersburg at the same time as we. It was really good to see an old friend, hear stories of poverty that make everything I've seen on this trip seem posh in comparison, and just reconnect.
Take care, and wish me luck in Moscow... The excitement continues.
Lance
