right place. If he had not unthinkingly jumped into the cold Baltic water to rescue a sailor from drowning, (see what kind of man he was!), and quickly died of se- vere exposure to the cold, very young, in his fifties, perhaps he would have succeeded in his life to im- plement all the reforms he began. Still, even if the creation of St. Petersburg was the only thing that re- mained of his legacy, even that is enough for one man to have done in his life for humanity. Well, that’s my overall impression of this city. Quite coincidentally, although I know myself that there is no place for coincidence, I was awaited at the entrance to the city by Pushkin. It was as though he knows that I swallow the letter of Tatyana and Onegin whenever I need emotional comfort. In truth, this ca- pricious gentleman is difficult to avoid, because he can be encountered at every step. His work was so indebt- ed to Mother Russia that his monuments are irregu- larly spaced over the large circumference of the city. Even the Imperial Village is named after him! Or is he just so loved by the people that everyone wants him in their neighbourhood? Speaking of taking steps, be careful, because the Russian ‘step’ is actually a little bigger than all of the other most known. That breadth, that monumentality, vast distances and urban distances, is known to tire out a traveller, as much as any other extreme sport. After a six-day city break, I am more than in need of recovery at a spa, for which my feet are crying out. As much as I loved them, nurtured and looked af- ter them, this time I ruthlessly exploited them. That’s be- cause this town cries out for total surrender in the form of full-day marching and touring numerous attractions. My favourite is the Church of the Saviour on Spilled Blood, erected in honour of Tsar Alexander II, on the site of his assassination. This beautiful construction, built in the style of medieval Russian churches, now has a muse- um character. It’s pointless to tell you what to tour. Simply, for starters, sit at one of the city’s countless cafés and let the city pass you by. For more, just Google! In any case, everything is upgraded with the prefix -very. Wherever you turn, someone important in the history of mankind has stepped, written verses to remember, resided, or been killed by their own or someone else’s hand. St. Petersburg is beauty in its essence. It will seep in- to you deeply, into every pore of your being. And for cer- tain it will enrich and exalt your spirit. This city offers everything but indifference. And, yes, in Tsarist Russia, everything that looks golden is gold. Or, at least, gilt! Because that’s how the Russian emperors and empresses loved. And they had it, so they could! I make my farewell to St. Petersburg with ‘see you’, because love cannot disappear merely by uprooting, when souls meet. Wherever you turn, someone important in the history of mankind has stepped, written verses to remember, resided, or been killed by their own or someone else’s hand
time deep and warm. Above all, loyal. Because here there is no redundant numbness and polite smiles, de- cency and social acceptability at work, which are charac- teristic of the western part of the world. With Russians, as a rule, you always know where you stand. They show their emotions strongly and openly. St. Pete’s hijacks you wildly, like the prince did to Cinderella, as soon she managed to put on the shoe, he lifted her onto the horse and led her into the unknown. For her, but not him! It’s just that here I am “her”, like a traveller - intentionally, while the prince is the city, in all of its divine wholeness. And then love, at first sight! And they say that love cannot come from a passionate adventure! Oh, how the naïve and ignorant err! Wise was the Peter I, the Russia tsar, who they say left the most striking mark on the history of the Rus- sian Empire. Travelling around the world, he picked up all the best that he saw, hired the best Italian master, Domenico Trezzini, as the architect of the city, and set about creating a city to sit himself. Luckily, he had good taste and knew how to choose the right people in the
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