Thursday, March 28, 2013

Early Spring in Downtown

I have already talked about the fall and winter in St. Petersburg. Today, I want to continue talking about the early spring in downtown.
I'm standing
on the embankment of the Neva river on Vasilievsky (Basil's) Island. The buildings had appeared on this island just after the inception of the new capital. 


 
The golden dome of St. Isaac's Cathedral is shining on the other side of the river. The Cathedral was named in honor of the Patron Saint of the city. It had been built 40 years and the result was excellent. Many visitors climb high the colonnade to see the city from there.
Here, on island, the pier is located for ships coming for a visit.


You can see moored modern sailing ships. One of them (the third) is the famous sailing training vessel "Mir" ("Peace").


As always, lots of ducks and gulls are on the ice near the water. The people and the sailors feed them up in the winter.
The Church of the Resurrection is located at the entrance to the Smolensk Orthodox Cemetery on Vasilievsky Island. It was built in 1901-1904. Its restoration began in the 1990s and continues nowadays.

Spring comes, March is sunny and a bit windy. The ice on the Neva began to melt and float away into the Gulf of Finland. But the canals are still covered with ice. The gilded griffins wait for spring on a bridge across Griboyedov canal.



 If you look closely at the canal ice you will see traces of the feet and rails. On the left it's seen the colonnade of the Kazan Cathedral. 


 The Kazan Cathedral was built in imitation of the St. Peter's in Rome.


The Savior-on-blood Cathedral is visible in the distance. I think you remember it in fall and in winter time.



Happy Easter! Have a nice holidays!

63 comments:

  1. Amazing architecture! So very beautiful... and those tall ships... fantastic! Larry

    ReplyDelete
  2. Una entrada con unas fotos extraordinarias Nadezda.Gracias por compartir estas preciosas imágenes!!Me gusta esta arquitectura.
    Buena Pascua también para tí:))
    Un beso.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Como vez la nieve esta todavia y la ciudad sera mas preciosa cuando todo se pone verde. Gracias, Laura!

      Delete
  3. Hello Dear Nadezda.
    Beautiful photos of amazing post.
    St. Petersburg is a charming city with great architecture.
    I dream to get to know this beautiful city.
    But still I move away ...
    I hope that it be realized in the next year.
    HAPPY EASTER !!!!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Lucia, I hope your dream come true one day!
      Happy holiday!

      Delete
  4. Dear Nadezda,i realy love your header!!Amazing spring flowers!!Wonderful post and very beautiful pictures and photos of your fantastic country!Amazing architecture!I feel sorry i did'nt visit your city when i was to Moscow!!Maybe some day!Happy Easter to all!Our Orthodox Easter is on May!!Long time!!Hope you have a lovely weekend!
    Dimi..

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Dimi, yes, may be one day...When leaves appear the city will nicer. Thank you!

      Delete
  5. What beautiful architecture Nadezda! I hope you have a good Easter weekend!!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thank you,Optimistic Existentialist!
      Happy Easter to you to!

      Delete
  6. You live in a beautiful city, Nadezda, and your photos really captures the beauty :-)
    I love those golden domes and the unique architecture. I hope you have a wonderful Easter holiday.

    ReplyDelete
  7. A wonderful tour! I can see all the majesty of the city's buildings and statues and bridges just waiting for spring to really arrive.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Laurrie, the people wait for spring as the city does. Thank you!

      Delete
  8. Dear Nadezda, I love these photos of beautiful buildings and amazing sailing ship all lovely in sunshine. Looks cold!
    I remember the beautiful Saviour-on-blood cathedral and enjoy seeing the close-up photo of domes - wonderful!
    Greetings to you from far away Melbourne. Betty

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I'm glad you remember my last posts with wintry and fall photos of Saviour-on-blood cathedral!
      Thank you and nice weekend!

      Delete
  9. Hi Nadezda
    Thanks for the terrific tour of St. Petersburg! Hope the weather starts warming up for you soon. We all want to see those first spring flowers.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I do hope too, Astrid!
      Thank you!
      Have a nice weekend!

      Delete
  10. Glorious!



    ALOHA from Honolulu
    Comfort Spiral
    ~ > < } } ( ° > <3

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Cloudia, send us a bit of warmth!
      Happy Easter!

      Delete
  11. Nice pictures you show from today. Thank you for taking me on this beautiful journey. Interesting to see pictures from another country. Wish you a happy Easter Nadezda - Hugs Hanne Bente

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hanne Bente, you're welcome!
      Have a nice Easter weekend!

      Delete
  12. Stunning pictures of the beautiful St. Petersburg, Nadezda! Happy Easter!

    ReplyDelete
  13. Oh, so woderful pictures! Thank you!!
    And happy Easter to you!!
    I love to see the pictures of St. Petersburg

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Meggie, I'm glad you're well.
      Hope the weather is warmer in our Baltic area. Thank you!

      Delete
  14. What a treat it was to see your pictures Nadezda! Such beautiful architecture. The sailing ships are just beautiful as well. I grew up by the ocean and it made me feel nostalgic for home. Have a great Easter!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I agree, Jennifer. When I come to the harbor and see sailing ships ---am so glad, it's so romantic!
      Have a nice Easter weekend!

      Delete
  15. Such beautiful buildings around the square. I love old architecture. Have a Blessed Easter weekend Nadezda.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Old architecture needs constant attention and good maintenance. I like those buildings look nice.
      Thank you, Lona!

      Delete
  16. What a gorgeous city, you have offered us so many wonderful photos! I love the touch of gold here and there, makes everything seem magical. The columns in your 12th and 13th pictures are magnificent, something you will never see being built in modern times. Happy Easter Nadezda!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Rosemary,most of buildings had been constructed in the 18-19 centuries and have columns, porticoes and balconies with cast iron ornaments on the railing. I love those decorative elements!
      Thank you!

      Delete
  17. Lovely bright photographs of St.Petersburg, thank you for the tour downtown. This architecture, I hope to be able to visit St.Petersburg once.
    Happy Easter weekend!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I'm glad you liked the architecture of my city. Thank you, Janneke!

      Delete
  18. Beautiful pictures Nadezda! Happy Easter!

    ReplyDelete
  19. What a beautiful town! I like it very much.

    Happy Easter, too :-)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Ewa, thank you for stopping by!
      Have a nice Easter weekend!

      Delete
  20. Wonderful pictures of St Petersburg in winter. Such splendour!

    We have plenty of snow but never the low temperatures you have. We had no frozen river this year.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Frico, hope the snow melts soon in your village and here and we'll be able to garden.
      Thank you!

      Delete
  21. Hi Nadezda,
    What beautiful architectures St. Petersburg has!!
    I've never been to Russia,but your photos motivate me to visit beautiful country.
    Thank you for sharing,
    HAPPY EASTER:-)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. You're welcome, Keity!
      Glad you're with us now,thank you!

      Delete
  22. These pictures remind me of my all too brief visit to St. Petersburg two years ago. I so loved the Church of Our Savior on Spilled Blood, St. Isaacs, the foot bridges over the canals, and so much more.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. It's a pleasure you remember all those places in my city, Jason! Thank you!

      Delete
  23. This month of March has been cold in Europe and north of us. Here we have not seen any snow and now with April starting we won’t see any. I wish I had had my digital camera when we stayed in St Petersburg. I took many pictures with my film camera but they were not that great. I’ll write a post on our trip though, sometime in the future. I’ll gather all the postcards I bought there which are better than my photos! Hope you had a nice Easter – did you eat some Easter chocolate?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Now we all understand the film cameras were not comfortable in use, one couldn't immediately see the result and repeat taking photos if necessary. I hope read your post in future. Thank you, Vagabonde!

      Delete
  24. I miss St. Petersburg... Thank you for the tour and the lovely images. Happy Easter to you too.

    ReplyDelete
  25. Thank you for sharing these photos of your beautiful city! I love the big sailing vessels. I hope you had a blessed Easter, too, Nadezda!

    ReplyDelete
  26. Thank you for sharing your beautiful city with us. Every aspect of it is stunning. Hope you had a very pleasant Easter celebration, Nadezda.

    ReplyDelete
  27. I have no words for this post !!! Only ,amazing !!!
    Olympia

    ReplyDelete
  28. Hope you had a wonderful Easter! Your photos are amazing and really make me want to visit : )

    ReplyDelete
  29. Just inside to say hello. Yet we have not really got spring here. Weather pt. Sol minus 3.4 degrees. Wish you a good day :) Hugs Hanne Bente

    ReplyDelete
  30. I had always heard St Petersburg was beautiful but until I started following your post, I had only seen a few pictures. You live in such a wonderful city. Those cathedrals are gorgeous! :o)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Tammy, glad you better know my city now. Thank you!

      Delete
  31. Happy Easter, Nadezda! St. Petersburg is such a beautiful city! You are very lucky to be able to see it all the time. Savior-on-Blood Cathedral is so gorgeous! Someday I hope to visit and see for myself the wonders of your city!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Peter, everyday things-to-do don't let to visit downtown. But I love to look at my favorite places and when have free time I take my camera and go there. Thank you!

      Delete
  32. The domes in the city and the ships are magnificent!

    ReplyDelete

Thank you for stopping by Nadezda's Northern Garden blog!
I'm glad to read your friendly comments very much.
Feel free to comment on the posts or photos
I warmly welcome the new followers on my blog.