I'm still in awe that I am living in St. Petersburg, let alone that it has been two weeks here already! Last weekend was our first real weekend in the city and CIEE planned a few excursions for us to see St. Petersburg, but also gave us ample time to explore on our own. Saturday morning we all met by the Alexander column in Palace Square (directly across the Hermitage) for a scavenger hunt. Our "mission" took us all around the city center showing us important places we might need during our time here in St. Petersburg. Some stops included the international medical clinic, the train station, the post office and even the Zenit store which is the local soccer team.
That evening our group was given tickets to see the last showing of Swan Lake at the Mixhailovskiy Theatre. It was so nice to dress up and get to really immerse myself in Russian culture. Attending the ballet was on top of my "to-do" list in St. Petersburg! The theatre itself was beautiful and performance was truly amazing (although a much less tragic interpretation of Swan Lake I must say...) The theatre was located in Arts Square which is a square in the center of the city that is filled with museums, theatres, and concert halls. Truly a beautiful place!
Sunday morning we had yet another excursion. This time, we took a bus tour to the local WWII cemetery and memorial. Our tour guide Julia told us all about the long Siege of Leningrad and the horrific tragedies that happened to the people of the Soviet Union. It was so interesting to hear Russia's perspective of the war, a side that is not always told in the US! It makes sense as to why the locals are so concerned with food waste here, during the war rationing forced each individual to have less than 5oz of bread each day! And mind you it was bread filled with sawdust and other materials to provide more sustenance. Definitely puts a lot of things in perspective. Overall, my first weekend here was exciting, informative, and a lot of fun!
That evening our group was given tickets to see the last showing of Swan Lake at the Mixhailovskiy Theatre. It was so nice to dress up and get to really immerse myself in Russian culture. Attending the ballet was on top of my "to-do" list in St. Petersburg! The theatre itself was beautiful and performance was truly amazing (although a much less tragic interpretation of Swan Lake I must say...) The theatre was located in Arts Square which is a square in the center of the city that is filled with museums, theatres, and concert halls. Truly a beautiful place!
Sunday morning we had yet another excursion. This time, we took a bus tour to the local WWII cemetery and memorial. Our tour guide Julia told us all about the long Siege of Leningrad and the horrific tragedies that happened to the people of the Soviet Union. It was so interesting to hear Russia's perspective of the war, a side that is not always told in the US! It makes sense as to why the locals are so concerned with food waste here, during the war rationing forced each individual to have less than 5oz of bread each day! And mind you it was bread filled with sawdust and other materials to provide more sustenance. Definitely puts a lot of things in perspective. Overall, my first weekend here was exciting, informative, and a lot of fun!
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