SAVIOR ON THE SPILLED BLOOD CATHEDRAL, ST PETERSBURG

Without wanting to turn this blog into a full blown Russian extravaganza...the Savior on the Spilled Blood Cathedral was positively jaw dropping in its golden mosaic-tiled beauty, undoubtedly one of the highlights of St. Petersburg.

As if the wildly ornate exterior with its jagged domes and spiky, textured surfaces weren't enough, its the cathedral's incredible interior which really leaves the visitor in awe of what humankind is capable of achieving in the celebration of Christianity. Every conceivable space inside the church is a tribute to the power of religion, reflected in stunningly intricate mosaic designs representing 68 biblical and evangelical scenes.

Built on the site of Tsar Alexander II's assassination along the Griboedov Canal, surprisingly the church is just over a century old, though its design is a tribute to 17th century structures found in the Russian city of Yaroslavl and similar to Moscow's St Basil's Cathedral. Its enormous, elongated arches and magnificent dome interiors contain the country's largest mosaic collection, also one of the largest in Europe.

The church interior radiates with an intense sunlit golden hue, reminiscent of the spectacular St. Mark's Basilica in Venice. The main colour palette of the Spilled Blood's design is limited to this rich gold, offset by vibrant blue tones which created a sense of pleasing harmony and a calming, hypnotic ambience. The buzzing hoards of visitors, coach-loads of Russian cronks plus the usual suspects found at any international tourist site seemed to exit the church mesmerised, stumbling around in a trance-like state, awaiting the sensory-overload comedown while lining up to stuff their gobs with ice cream outside. Definitely worth a peep if ever you find yourself visiting Russia's great European city.  

GORKY HOUSE, MOSCOW

This opulent art nouveau staircase forms the centre piece of Moscow's Ryabushinsky Mansion, now known as Gorky House since 'the father of Soviet literature' resided there for the last 5 years of his life. Originally commissioned by the wealthy industrial/banking Ryabushinsky family, the exquisite building was completed in the first years of the 20th century, now standing as a monument to aesthetic excess on the Malaya Nikitskaya ulitsa (ie street, fool) in an otherwise unremarkable part of the sprawling, polluted city.

The photos below attest to the strangely gloomy atmosphere pervading the building, its exotic interiors, while obviously stunning, evoked a peculiar feeling of claustrophobia. Presumably reaching a terrifying climax for the mansion's residents with the great unwashed baying for bourgeois blood around 1917. The architects left no detail untouched, no cornice unadorned and the mansion stands as a beautiful example of the relatively short but impressive period of art nouveau influenced architecture and interior design in Russia.

HEARTY RUSSIAN FAYRE

Dumplings...my sweet little luscious Russian dumplings...better than sex, we wolfed down a number of servings on the Eastern front - delicious little parcels of hearty meat, delicately hand-made then boiled and drowned in melted butter, vinegar and sour cream. Divine. Blini with caviar, tangy, satisfying fruit pastries drenched in rich cream (below), one could truly indulge every gluttonous whim in Moscow and Petersburg and my travelling compadre and I eagerly obliged. Then theres the handsome samovar (below), the traditional tea making urn common to many a Russian household (including Tolstoy's Moscow crib) decorated with shushki, the small, mildy sweet bread rings often accompanying tea.

In Moscow we loved this restaurant below (memory and Inspector Google both failing me on the name), evoking the atmosphere of an old Soviet apartment. Admittedly a cosily decorated bourgeois number, rather than a depressing communal 1930s one inhabited by drunken poets and elderly peasant headscarf-rocking babushkas. Complete with singing canary, waitresses in cute uniforms and an inquisitive house cat stalking the diners, the ambience was charming and the authentic Ruski nosh utterly delicious. Just the ticket to load up on before sweating out the toxins at the Sanduny banya, the historic Russian baths frequented by the likes of Clinton (Bill and George)...not that I in anyway advocate doing this with a skinful of top-grade voddie coursing through the veins.

Russian food supplies in London are available at the fabulous Kalinka store on Queensway. Primrose Hill's Trojka is a favourite restaurant of mine, for its authentic, cheap traditional food, wide range of heart-stopping vodkas, vibrant crimson interiors and traditional music.

THE HERMITAGE MUSEUM, ST PETERSBURG



Anybody who happened to catch the innovative, jaw-dropping opus that was 2002 film Russian Ark will attest to the magnificence of St. Petersburg's spectacular Hermitage Museum. The Winter Palace, ancestral compound of the Romanov dynasty and Peter the Great's historical residence houses a spectacular collection of paintings, sculpture and artifacts plus an eye-popping array of interiors exquisite enough to put any royal family to shame.

The Hermitage takes a solid seven hours to waltz through - and it pays to prioritise certain wings of the extensive complex as theres no way to get the full monty in one day. Initially we wandered gingerly through the opulent rooms, each one more awesome than the last, until we were almost yawning - desensitised to the overwhelming razzamattazz of it all. Richly gilded ornamentation, delicate plaster detailing, luxurious drapery and spectacular chandeliers created a visual cacophony, a veritable Wonka factory for the interior aesthetics nerd. It felt impossible not to let our imaginations get carried away within these incredible spaces and get a sense of meaning behind the eventual revolt against such a decadent monarchy.

With a collection spanning over three millions works, we a beat a retreat for the Russian and western European art sections after ogling those magnificent interiors. Featuring works from the likes of Picasso, Matisse and Chagall, the exhibits were extensive...though I suspected the creme of the Western European crop had already been snapped up by the French and Italian national galleries.

The Hermitage felt more like an overall experience, than a museum and its rich combination of royal history, architecture, interiors and art enabled a real insight into the very heart the Eastern European cultural landscape. 

THE CHROME DOMES OF OLDE MOCKBA

No I don't mean thick set, intimidating, bald Soviet men, I'm referring of course to the Russian capital's skyline, many of it's finest churches decorated with iconic onion domes of all styles. Predominantly shimmering gold or often tiled (below), domes also appear painted in striking matt green and blue colours. Moscow's churches create a dramatic aesthetic, your eye inevitably drawn towards towards God as you squint blindly, muttering about crow's feet as you try to absorb the curvaceous harmony of a dome's structure.

Often the thick-walled church interiors proved to be small and austere in design, far outweighed by the immense scale of the exterior domes. St. Basil's (below) was an exception according to my travelling amigo, who returned awe-inspired after viewing the interior while I haggled again with crazy old poster man back at Izmailovsky market to replace our lost wares. These beautiful orthodox buildings were often tucked away in tiny Muscovite alleyways, their vibrant pastel colour schemes appearing oasis-like amidst chaotic modern scaffolding - only after we had taken several bum steers and almost given up hope of ever deciphering the local street signs.

The dome shape is said to resemble a burning candle, its religious symbolism obvious, though there are many theories as to the significance, if any of the design. The onion dome is synonymous of course with traditional Russian architecture and the aesthetic charm of many of Moscow's finest certainly put the dour interiors of a lot of poor old (and now bankrupt) England's churches in the shade.    

ЧЕРНЫЙ ЧЕРНЫЙ ЧЕРНЫЙ

Bonjour mes amies, tis your humble correspondent back from the dead...arrrggghh just want to put Russia to bed now since this one's been a long time coming...have been otherwise engaged with all manner of psychodrama...will roll out the domes domes domes imminently but first heres my fave piece from the Hermitage...this delectable lady in black (apologies for the dreaded reflection) :)