Oto in Motherland: a (huge) photo log

This forum is for members to discuss topics that do not relate to anime music videos.

Postby Otohiko » Tue Dec 26, 2006 4:19 pm

Moika river, continued
Image

Stroganoff Palace
Image
I went there to exchange currency

A map of places visited so far...
http://i126.photobucket.com/albums/p101 ... l/map1.jpg
1 - Where Oto's friends live/Oto used to live/where the cruiser guns are
2 - Oto's school/Hotel Pribaltiyskaya/where Oto lived between ages 7-10
3 - Submarine/Torpedo Boat/St. Petersburg passenger port
4 - Oto's kindergarten/"Turnip" slide/where Oto lived between ages 1-6
5 - Hospital where Oto was
6 - Vasilievsky Island Spit/Where Oto was born
7 - Winter Palace
8 - Peter and Paul Fortress
9 - Artillery museum
10 - Troitsky Bridge
11 - Saviour on the Blood/Summer Gardens/Revolution monument/Mikhailovsky Palace
12 - Tauric Gardens
13 - Smolny Cathedral
14 - Griboedov Canal Area
15 - Airport area
16 - Where Oto stayed during the trip





Alright, time for a break-in-posting (there's still a lot left).

You can breathe now :roll:
Otohiko
 
Joined: 05 May 2003

Postby Jnzk » Tue Dec 26, 2006 4:42 pm

Otohiko wrote:http://i131.photobucket.com/albums/p301/myspb2006/PICT0425.jpg

(is it me or does that guy look like Putin?)

That was my first thought too! :lol:
User avatar
Jnzk
Artsy Bastid
 
Joined: 28 Jan 2003
Location: Finland

Postby BunofGovt » Tue Dec 26, 2006 11:48 pm

Awesome photojourney. Thank you for sharing. Can't believe I spent the last almost 2 hours looking at them. Will make sure to set aside time to view the next installments. :D
"Didn't I say something clever earlier?"
"Dunno, I was probably asleep when you said it."
User avatar
BunofGovt
 
Joined: 29 Jun 2004
Location: If I tell will you come visit?

Postby Otohiko » Tue Dec 26, 2006 11:57 pm

Thank you! Been working on the next installments all day. :P

In case anyone is wondering, up to now it's been exactly 35% of the pictures. If anyone would like to stop it, better act now before I start spamming them again :roll:
Otohiko
 
Joined: 05 May 2003

Postby NeoQuixotic » Wed Dec 27, 2006 12:23 am

Otohiko wrote:Thank you! Been working on the next installments all day. :P

In case anyone is wondering, up to now it's been exactly 35% of the pictures. If anyone would like to stop it, better act now before I start spamming them again :roll:

Go ahead and spam away ^_^! This is very interesting and the photos are great! The only other country I've been to is Canada and only about 10 miles north of Minnesota in Ontario for 3 hours :roll:. I'd love to visit Finland or Denmark sometime, but I don't have the time or money :cry:.
Insert clever text/image here.
User avatar
NeoQuixotic
Master Procrastinator
 
Joined: 01 May 2001
Location: St. Louis Park, MN
Status: I haz job!

Postby Otohiko » Wed Dec 27, 2006 6:04 pm

Don't get too jelaous. As I said, when I lived in Russia I rarely left the city at all, and only been to Moscow once. The only other country I actually visited was Estonia, where I have relatives; and I took a stroll through a town in the Czech Republic once but that's about it. I've never even been to the US.

Travel often = money. I swore to myself that as soon as my expenses stop outweighing my income, I'll dash off to Europe.
Otohiko
 
Joined: 05 May 2003

Postby Otohiko » Wed Dec 27, 2006 6:08 pm

Heading on another excursion, this time to Peter and Paul’s Fortress, starting again on the bus.

Buildings on Gavanskaya Street (not far from that submarine’s location)
Image

Along Bolshoi Prospekt
Image
Image

At the old Stock Market building, there’s a bronze relief at which people leave coins for some reason.
Image
My coin is strategic!

*to be continued*
Otohiko
 
Joined: 05 May 2003

Postby Otohiko » Wed Dec 27, 2006 6:09 pm

A big floating fountain on the Neva
Image
Understandably, it’s under repair. Will be back on in later pictures.

The grass again!
Image
No translation this time

Peter and Paul’s fortress from afar
Image

A flowerbed before the Stock Market building
Image

Thar, my strategic coin:
Image


*to be continued*
Otohiko
 
Joined: 05 May 2003

Postby Otohiko » Wed Dec 27, 2006 6:10 pm

The Stock Market building itself. It now houses the central Navy museum.
Image

That “ship” is semi-floating restaurant.
Image
Don’t be fooled. It might look okay from a distance, but it’s the ugliest fucking thing ever from up close :roll:

The Artillery Museum from the vicinity of the fortress
Image

In the walls of the old fortress
Image

The iconic spire of the fortress’ Peter and Paul cathedral
Image

*to be continued*
Otohiko
 
Joined: 05 May 2003

Postby Otohiko » Wed Dec 27, 2006 6:10 pm

The Boat House
Image
A little building used to store Peter the Great’s personal boat. The boat is now in the previously-mentioned Naval Museum, but its replica is in the boat house too. The building also serves as one of the ticket offices for the museums at the fortress.

The fortress was built in 1703 to defend the entrance into the Neva river from Swedish ships. Here Peter also decided to start building Russia’s new capital, and that’s how the city started. The fortress was never used for its intended military role, and instead housed the country’s central mint (where they make the coins) and prison.

It was a big bummer that one of the coolest attractions in it, the prison, was closed for restoration during my visit :(

I know the fortress rather well since my mother, a historian by education, worked here as a tour guide for a while.


Image

We stood in line to the ticket office, only to get this before our turn was up:
Image
We laughed unbelievably hard in front of a rather big crowd, much to their understanding :lol:


Peter and Paul’s Cathedral is, among other things, the resting place of Russia’s imperial family, all the Romanovs from Peter the Great on. Most are buried in graves like this:
Image

The decorations are gorgeous, but as seen here – the cathedral is under restoration work.
Image

*to be continued*
Otohiko
 
Joined: 05 May 2003

Postby Otohiko » Wed Dec 27, 2006 6:11 pm

Peter and Paul’s Cathedral, with lots of tourists
Image


The grave of Alexander III
Image

The grave of Alexander II, distinct due to the Tzar’s tragic assassination by revolutionaries and his role as a reformer who finally got rid of serfdom in Russia in the 1860s
Image

Ceiling ornaments
Image

The grave of Peter the Great, perhaps Russia’s greatest leader in history and founder of the city
Image
I believe those are some of the medals issued in his honour.

*to be continued*
Otohiko
 
Joined: 05 May 2003

Postby Otohiko » Wed Dec 27, 2006 6:11 pm

In the background – the graves of Catherine the Great and her loathed husband, Peter III (whose overthrow and assassination she arranged).
Image

Altar under restoration
Image

Far in the background – the grave of another assassinated Tzar, Paul I.
Image
Interesting Oto fact:
I have a direct genetic link with Paul I via my ancestors in the German nobility.

Peter and Paul’s cathedral, outside
Image

The Commandant’s House
Image
With the Commandant’s chicks :o

*to be continued*
Otohiko
 
Joined: 05 May 2003

Postby Otohiko » Wed Dec 27, 2006 6:12 pm

Inside the Commandant’s house, is a museum of St. Petersburg, starting with its prehistoric past.

For example this prehistoric stone donut:
Image

Ancient shield.
Image

A model of the Oreshek (“Tough Nut”) fortress near St. Petersburg on Lake Ladoga, now known as Schlisselburg
Image
Image
Image

*to be continued*
Otohiko
 
Joined: 05 May 2003

Postby Otohiko » Wed Dec 27, 2006 6:12 pm

Oreshek model, continued
Image
Image
Image
Image
Image

*to be continued*
Otohiko
 
Joined: 05 May 2003

Postby Otohiko » Wed Dec 27, 2006 6:13 pm

Hi, Tiny Peter
Image

Stone-age bowling ball:
Image

Bricks. Best exhibit evar.
Image

Hi, Huge Peter
Image

Model homes.
Image
No, they really are model homes. These were the designs for first St. Petersburg homes by the city’s first major architect, Italian Domenico Trezini. Unlike most cities, St. Petersburg was not built “organically” – it was designed from the beginning in an unlikely low-lying, poorly-defended location – but designed for greatness and such.

*to be continued*
Otohiko
 
Joined: 05 May 2003

PreviousNext

Return to General Discussion

Who is online

Users browsing this forum: No registered users and 0 guests