Red Square & Moscow Metro

#Red_Square_Moscow_Metro

As i enter this city of 13 million residents i get the vibe of Manhattan with its modern buildings, skyline and Gorky Park (which is much larger than Central Park) as in any given day there could be 100,000 people on its grounds
You can "smell" the wealth here as actually there are more billionaires (84) than again New York (62) 
but i am in Moscow for the history, as i make my way to Red Square

St Basil 
A) Ivan the Terrible and its Rumor; he was so awestruck by the architects work of this cathedral that he blinded them, so they could never replicate its beauty anywhere else
Not True thankfully
B) Demolish; in the 1930s Joseph Stalin planned to tear it down as it obstructed his military parades (this is a reoccurring theme as you will read) 
It was only spared when the architect Pyotr Baranovsky threatened to take his own life,
 then the plans changed
C) Originally White; the famous candy colored onion domes were only added in the 17th century after those descriptions were read in the Book of Revelations 

 

Inside the Walls 
A) Foundation; underneath the square there is a hidden 3 meter (9 feet) layer of limestone
B) Luxury Shopping; yes a retail mall (GUM ....pronounced Goom) which opened in 1893 and is famous for its 60,000 individual glass panes, its meticulously restored historical marble bathrooms (for a fee that you to use 😅) plus its period correct creamy
 waffle ice cream cones
C) Winter Fun; a large section of the historic cobblestone is flooded to build an
 open air ice skating rink

The Cathedral
It is a cluster of eleven distinct chapels built onto one shared foundation
and now functions as a museum.
Visitors can explore the labyrinthine interior of its narrow corridors and winding staircases which i found very interesting
But please remember there is no flash photography or the use of tripods plus if there is an exhibition on there is zero picture taking, as unfortunately i found out  

Kazan Cathedral
I discovered that this is a total replica ( rebuilt in the 1990s) as the original was torn down by the Soviet Government in the 1930s just to clear space for their heavy military tanks for its use in parades
Also the Resurrection Gates (north entry point) had to be done over for the very same
vanity indoctrination event 

Red in Embarrassment
In 1987 a eighteen year old West German amateur pilot Mathias Rust departed from Helsinki Finland and flew over 800 kilometers (500 miles) of Soviet airspace undetected by keeping at a low altitude. This is known as nap-of-the-earth and it works by utilizing the earths curvature plus physical terrain that blocks the radars line of sight
Unable to land directly inside Red Square because of the usual large crowds, he touched down on the nearby Bolshoy Moskvoretsky Bridge and then taxied into the square

For Peace
He did this flight to promote unity with west-east relations, which in turn allowed Soviet Leader Mikhail Gorbachev an opportunity to purge hardline military officials (using the excuse) that it proved their defenses where not as unbreachable as they boasted about
Very handy timing for Gorbachev, as these Generals also opposed his perestroika and glasnost reforms

The Aftermath
After signing a few autographs Rust was arrested and convicted of violating international flight rules, plus illegally crossing the border
He served 14 months of a four year sentence before being pardoned

Today
Lives in Berlin, works as a financial analyst, yoga instructor and
a professional poker player

Concerts at Red Square

Paul McCartney
A full circle moment, as for decades the Beatles music was restricted and discouraged by the Soviet Government as they deemed it "propaganda of an alien ideology"

Fun Facts
1) He played Back in the USSR twice as Vladimir Putin arrived one hour late, just to make sure the Russian President heard the signature song of his people
2) Former Premier Mikhail Gorbachev hung out backstage to chat with Sir Paul and gave him a signed copy of his latest book
3) After the concert McCartney and team rented bicycles to ride around the square, stopped by a local security guard yelling "Niet" and told them that its forbidden because of the sacred brickwork, but quickly added Great Show Last Night

Scorpions
They are considered the Cold War Ambassadors for having played the famous Moscow Music Peace Festival (1989) which inspired the anthem hit song "Wind of Change" 
They returned to play inside Red Square (2003) with the Presidential Orchestra of the Russian Federation for an epic show

Pink Floyd
The band collective never played inside the square but had five sold out shows at the Olimpiyskiy Stadium (1989) as the Soviet fans were only able to listen via underground or bootleg recordings, hence the large numbers attending
But Roger Waters returned solo (2006) to perform at Red Square to create the signature
 quadraphonic sound 

All of this proves to me once again you CANNOT suppress your citizens as its an unsustainable strategy as we humans need to be stimulated, so in this case with music   

The Outer Walls
It was named for its beauty and not for the color of the brick or communism
In Old Russian the word "krasnaya" it meant both red and beautiful, so the name was used to highlight the charm of the plaza

Interesting Things
A) Not a Square; geometrically it is a rectangle with an area of 800,000 sq feet
B) Hidden Defense; until the year 1812 a massive moat separated the square from the Kremlin walls which was paved over after the Napoleonic Wars
C) Zero Marker; near the Resurrection Gates is a bronze marker that denotes the starting point of all Federal Highways in Russia, which visitors can stand on to make a wish

Grand Kremlin Palace
The building serves as the official working residence of the president of the Russian Federation
I felt fortunate to get this close for a photo as its a highly secure government facility so is strictly off limits to any tourists
So my guide told me that actually no one lives in the 700 room building and is used for just official events, treaty signings and diplomatic handshakes

Entrance to the Metro
Using light reflection as a creative use of my photography

Moscow Metro
It is known locally as the "Palace of the People" because of its architecture, chandeliers
 and museum grade artwork

 Massive Transit Network
It has a total route length of 535 kilometers (332 miles) with 304 stations which makes it the longest metro system in Europe with only China with a greater distance

Some Highlights
A) Subterranean Greenery; one stop has unique pyramid shaped glass terrariums built along the platforms to house live plants
B) Built on a River; another station is the only one in the world built directly on a bridge spanning a river that is 284 meters (931 feet) long 
C) Deepest; it has the longest escalator (126 meters - 413 feet) to reach your boarding area at 84 meters (275 feet) underground which is the equivalent of a 28 story building
D) Physics; the tunnels are intentionally designed with a slight incline before the stops and slopes immediately after them.
This uses gravity to assist the trains with its braking and acceleration 

Prehistoric Fossils
Many of the stations are lined with natural marble and limestone that may contain millions of year old marine fossils that include perfectly sliced ammonites, nautiluses and ancient corals

Wartime Secrets
A) Nuclear Shelters; many of the stations were built to double as fallout areas with massive hermetic blast doors hidden at the base of the escalators
B) Underground City; during the Second World War over 500,000 citizens sheltered in the Metro
 There were outfitted with fully functional libraries, hair salons, shops and the trains were
used as sleeping quarters
C) Another Subway; rumor had that Stalin had built a deeper parallel network to connect the Kremlin directly to government bunkers and strategic airports 
In 1991 a western intelligence report acknowledged underground structures and connections designed to allow political leadership to evacuate safely 

Hard Rock Cafe
Well if anyone knows my history you now if there is one, i will find it
But after my meal and going to the gift shop i was told they had zero in stock but would mail it to me
After eighteen months i was giving up hope, but then it arrived 😀

Drawing
I sketched as much as i could during my full day here, but you had the feeling of being watched, so did not want to push my luck
Finished the rest by memory with my time in Red Square

Las Vegas, Howard Hughes, Nova Scotia & The Mob

#LasVegas_HowardHughes_NovaScotia_TheMob

When traveling i try and find some interesting historical facts, as really the world is small when we start connecting the dots of our yesteryear
With my trip to Las Vegas i discover the connection with the arrival of Howard Hughes, which led to the Mob leaving the area and finally to my city of Halifax 
Lets began the investigative journey

 

Howard Hughes
Most know him from his Hollywood film producing career, but he was also a highly skilled pilot (Hughes Aircraft Company) who helped design some protypes, which then he flew
 to world speed records
Unfortunately during one of these test flights in 1946 he crashed and survived, but this left him with severe injuries which then led to a lifelong dependency on prescription painkillers
Add to the fact he was already battling other anxieties plus then developed extreme Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD) and Allodynia (extreme sensitivity to normal touch)
This all led to being a recluse, which then he chose to spend the rest of his life in darkened, heavily guarded hotel penthouses around the world

Las Vegas Connection
It was during his stay in seclusion at the Desert Inn (1966) when management tried to evict him to accommodate for some high rollers coming in for the New Years Eve celebrations
Hughes did not want to leave so he bought the hotel / casino, thus his legacy began in the desert
He went on to buy many others which today have all have been replaced, but you can still walk the lobbies of a few of the new structures to feel the history
The Desert Inn.....Wynn Las Vegas and Encore
The Sands Hotel and Casino....The Venetian and Palazzo
The Frontier Hotel and Casino....lot owned by Wynn Resorts with no future plans
The Landmark Hotel and Casino....Las Vegas Convention Centre
The Sliver Slipper.....land open for development
The Castaways.....The Mirage

The Change
The State of Nevada welcomed the wholesome image of Howard Hughes which they thought would clean up the reputation of the city
The issue before was that the local law dictated that every stockholder of a casino had to be licensed, which made it impossible for any large corporation to own it
Hughes successfully lobbied for the law to be changed thus allowing publicly traded companies to invest in Vegas, this was the beginning of the end for the Mob in the casino business here

The Legacy
Howard Hughes left the city in 1970 and was flown to the Bahamas and never returned to Nevada
After he passed away in 1976 his Corporation developed an award winning 22,500 acre master-planned community of Summerlin (located in the Las Vegas Valley)
Known for its 300 parks, 320kms (200 miles) of trails, multiple schools and with over 130,000 residents with some of the highest home values in the State

The Beginnings
The area started in 1905 as a railroad town to attract settlers and businesses, then with the breaking of ground for the Boulder Dam (now the Hoover Dam) in 1931 this brought a huge influx of workers, thus expanding the growth
Then legalized gambling was introduced in 1931 with the first hotel / casino called El Rancho that opened on the Strip in 1941

The Mob
 It basically shaped the Las Vegas history from a remote outpost into a International gambling location in the 1940s and 1950s
Syndicates from New York, Chicago and Los Angeles used the city to legally legitimize their revenues by secretly "skimming" millions in untraceable cash from the casino profits

Al Capone
He never actually was in Las Vegas but his Chicago Mob certainly had ties to the city as
 previously mentioned
He went to Federal Prison in 1932 which was years before mobsters like Bugsy Siegel developed the Strip in the late 1940s

Money From Prohibition
During the 1920s & 30s organized crime made much of their wealth from alcohol and this becomes the East Coast Canadian connection
Al Capone (1926) flew to Saint Pierre and Miquelon off the coast of Newfoundland (French overseas territory) to setup a transshipment hub. The liquor that was imported from Canada, Europe and the Caribbean was legal because of who owned the islands, as it bypassed both the Canadian and American domestic alcohol laws
Through this revenue source they (Chicago Mob) were able to be a "player" in the Las Vegas market

 KeyTip

 Mob Museum;
 General Admission is $34.95 but you can save $7.00 by booking online for visits
 before 11.00am or after 5.00pm
You can also do an add-on fee for the Crime Lab or Firearms Training Simulator

Personally i enjoyed the 1920s style Speakeasy located in the basement called The Underground, which has period correct cocktails, a working moonshine still and live jazz music
 For me it was to get a feel of the history of those times during prohibition and as you continue reading the connection to my city of Halifax 

Saint Pierre and Miquelon

Why you ask does France maintain a presence here, as it was the last of its
 holdings in North America. 
After losing the Seven Years War it had to decide what to give during the negotiations, so it surrendered mainland Canada to Britain, kept the lucrative sugar colonies of the Caribbean and this area off Newfoundland, mostly because of the the Grand Banks and its cod fishing industry.
 This was all signed under the 1763 Treaty of Paris 

 Present Day for France
 It forced a direct maritime border with Canada, which ensures a "seat at the table" for any North Atlantic Ocean resource rights to be discussed

Today
The territory relies heavily on financial support from France, but the 6000 residents are full citizens that can vote for the French President plus Parliament and uses the Euro

Interesting Fact
France has the most time zones (twelve) of any country, not through its mainland (one zone) but because of its global network of overseas territories 
This is the legacy of its once world empire that still has holdings in every corner of the world
A) Pacific; New Caledonia , French Polynesia ( including Tahiti and Bora Bora) 
B) Indian Ocean; Reunion and Mayotte
C) Caribbean; Guadeloupe, Saint-Martin, Martinique and Saint-Barthelemy
D) Atlantic; Saint Pierre and Miquelon

  

The Start of an Industry
With the local cod fishing industry in decline, the people of Saint Pierre and Miquelon quickly converted their warehouses to accommodate the millions of alcohol bottles each year
So my Province of Nova Scotia joined into the fun 😄as the boatbuilders here used their world class maritime expertise to construct ultra fast rum running ships, all designed to out pace the US Coast Guard

Supply Route
They would leave Nova Scotia to Saint Pierre and Miquelon, pack their holds with up to 300,000 cases of liquor per month and transfer their liquid gold to the waiting vessels outside the US territorial waters.
This area was called Rum Row, which would of been on the New Jersey,
  New York and Long Island Coasts

One example of a Prohibition Home in my Province
Oland Castle of Halifax

When the Canadian Prohibition was on (1916-1921) it was devastating to many businesses, but Oland Brewery doubled it sales through these smart strategies
A) Near Beer; they manufactured a legal low alcohol product for the local market
B) Export Exploitation; they continued brewing full strength beer and legally sending it overseas.
But much of this "export" was routed to Saint Pierre and Miquelon which (as you read) magically ended up in a Speakeasy of many American Cities, this lucrative business lasted until 1933 when the US got rid of its Prohibition Laws

Fun Facts
A)  The original owner / builder (1890-1901 to construct) was a wealthy German tobacco merchant named Alexander Hobrecker, who used local marble from a Cape Breton quarry to build the structure to resemble a European Castle
Then Sidney Culverwell Oland took over ownership in 1927 which was bought by his brewery made fortune
Yep, looks like money to be made in all those "sin habits" that humans have jajajaja
B) Rumor: during World War 1 that the castle was built as a hidden headquarters for the German Kaiser  Wilhelm if he ever had to flee Europe
Not True; maybe some of that full strength beer made it to the streets of Halifax at this time, if you wanted to believe this 😅

Present Times
Okay my journalism work is over, time to have some fun
The modern Las Vegas has evolved from the mob-era casinos into great viewing architecture, large entertainment complexes and with many upscale dinning experiences

The Family Destination
It started taking shape in the 1990s when the large Casino Resorts like the MGM Grand and Treasure Island built theme parks, arcades plus other family friendly attractions

Anything Beatles for me, plus the fact that Cirque du Soleil was originally
 founded in Montreal Canada, thus added to my national pride

I can say that i was at The Joint, a 4,600 seating capacity venue located inside the Hard Rock Hotel
to see Motley Crue 
It is now operating as The Theatre and under the banner of the Virgin Hotel

Elton John did 207 sold out shows from September 2011 to May 2018
I am glad to say i seen one of them 

Weddings
There are over 50 chapels on/near the Strip with an average of 300 ceremonies per day.
 With your choices of walk-in, drive-thru, or all the way up to the luxury resorts for your special day  

Hey Who Does Not Like Free
KeyTip; here are a few recommendations for my fellow travelers

A Four Story Building M&Ms self guided tour to see the Chocolate Wall, Character Meet and Greet and a NASCAR Display (full size replica) of their sponsored race car 

Carroll Shelby Heritage Center
Self Guided Tour with areas to see the auto shop, car collection and racing history

Circus Circus
Free performances on the Midway Stage that include acrobats, aerialists and jugglers
No tickets are required with the shows running every hour

Pinball Hall of Fame
No entry fee, just pay for the games you want to play (25 to 50 cents) with a selection (hundreds) of vintage arcade games from the 1950s and up, way cool 😎 

Fountains of Bellagio
With 1200 water nozzles and 5,000 lights synchronized to a changing rotation of music, so no two shows are the same. 
It attracts big crowds so to get a good and free viewing location, arrive early

 Malls
Always "free" to window shop plus you never know what you will see by walking

Time to Leave
 As i have been to the desert many times i felt the need to pay homage to her, so this is how i remembered the old Vegas and put it into a charcoal drawing 

Harvard & Titanic Connection

#Harvard_Titanic_Connection

Living in Halifax i have been fascinated with the doomed liner story as my city played a role in the final acts of this saga.
So i went to Cambridge Massachusetts to follow up on this chapter, which is on the Wideners

 

The Wideners
They were based in Philadelphia who made their wealth (in the beginnings) with lucrative Civil War contracts and later into street railways, utilities, steel plus tobacco
 The family matriarch / philanthropist Eleanor survived the sinking after escaping on lifeboat No.4, while husband (George) and son (Harry) perished in the disaster
With the family in grief, it led to the construction of the Memorial Library for the rare book collection that Harvard graduate Harry had accumulated

Campus Myths
A) The Swim Test; rumor claimed that Eleanor Widener stipulated in her donation that all students must pass a swimming test before graduating, her logic was if her son had known how
 he might of survived

Not True
The actual reason; it was a real undergraduate requirement (back in the day) but nothing to do with the endowment as it was to protect crew members of the rowing team who were on the Charles River training and competing  (started in the 1880s) plus later it was formalized when the US Navy had a presence on the grounds

B) Ice Cream Clause; another story was that Mrs. Widener left additional funds to ensure that the dining halls served ice cream daily, as it was her sons favorite dessert
Not True

C) No Architectural Alterations; if a single brick is touched or the facade is changed, the ownership of the building reverts back to the Family Estate or the City of Boston.
 When the university eventually needed more room for books (as its now the largest academic library in the world) they could not build up or out because of the provisions of the contract, so they dug multiple levels of subterranean floors which created a labyrinth beneath the campus yard
So in total its ten levels ( four underground) and 92 kilometers / 57 miles of bookshelves

Not True
While the family did want the exterior structure to be maintained for its integrity of a monument, common sense said the building would / has undergone massive modern renovations to upgrade the security, technology and to safeguard the collection
So now the university maintains the classic aesthetic out of historic preservation plus respect, not because of any legal forfeiture

True
D) Fresh Flowers; the Harry Elkins Widener Memorial Room must perfectly replicate his home study with his 3,300 rare books (which cannot be moved) and also have fresh cut blooms that must be placed
on his desk every week 

Since i am here lets discover more history;
 First i find out the famous crimson hue associated with Harvard happened by accident, as the university did not have an official color.

It was "adopted" during the Boston City Regatta in 1858 when a student handed out red Chinese silk bandanas for the crew to wear to distinguish themselves from other teams on the river during the race
The squad won the event and the color stuck, which later it was fully recognized by
 the Harvard Corporation in 1910 

As i walk the campus i was told the main area is over 200 acres with the total being 22 sq kms
 (8.5 sq miles) that goes all the way to the Charles River
And so with this large landmass there is what they call Harvard Time; a long standing tradition to give students seven minutes extra after their scheduled time to reach their destination

This is the most visited museum on the campus with over 250,000 visitors annually to
 explore the artifacts
 It was established in 1998 with three university research collections;
Comparative Zoology, Herbaria and Mineralogical / Geological 

Memorial Church
Sitting across from the Widener Library it was designed in the Georgian Revival style.
It was dedicated to the 373 Harvard men and women who died in World War 1, plus now has plaques inside to commemorate those lost in WW11, the Korean and Vietnam Wars

The university has a student body of between 21,000 to 25,000 enrolled with only a 4% acceptance rate. But it does provide financial aid for undergraduates whos family earns less than $100,000
with free tuition, housing and food

Harvard is the oldest institution of higher learning in the United States with 400,000 living alumni
Some of which includes 161 Nobel Laureates, 132 Pulitzer Price winners and 23 Heads of State

There is a history of US Presidents who have attended Harvard University for either their undergraduate or graduate studies

A) John Adams 1755
B) John Quincy Adams 1787
C) Rutherford B. Hayes 1869
D) Theodore Roosevelt 1880
E) Franklin D. Roosevelt 1903
F) John F. Kennedy 1940
G) George W. Bush 1975
H) Barrack Obama 1991

Helen Keller
She attended Radcliffe College (as Harvard was an all-male institution at this time, so its 'sister" place of learning) 
She was the first deaf / blind person in the United States to earn a Bachelor of Arts degree.
How this was achieved, her teacher Anne Sullivan accompanied her to classes and finger-spelled the lectures into her hand 
Then Helen typed her notes into braille plus used raised letter geometry figures to study

Harvard Finally Paid Her Recognition
In 1955 they awarded her an honorary Doctor of Laws degree, being the first they ever gave
 to a woman 

Other Firsts for Women
A) Credentialed Student; in 1917 Linda Frances James became the first woman to earn a credential when she graduated from the Harvard - MIT School for Health Officers
B) Medical School Student; Filipino pediatrician Dr. Fe del Mundo was the first to study at Harvard Medical even though the program did not officially admit women to the program until 1945
 She started in 1936 and was famously housed in a mens dormitory
C) Faculty Member; Dr. Alice Hamilton was appointed to the faculty rank in 1919 serving as an Assistant Professor of Industrial Medicine
D) Tenured; Astronomer Cecilia Payne-Gaposchkin became a full time professor in 1956

Some other famous female alumni;
 Margaret Atwood, Michelle Obama,
 Mary Robinson and Ruth Bader Ginsburg

Old Cambridge Baptist Church
The sign of the times; the church has a 40 year lease agreement with / as a Theatre which has raised $2.5 million to help preserve the historic structure

Odd Facts
A) In 1889 a massive fire gutted one side of the building, the first person who spotted the smoke was the President of Harvard Charles Eliot who showed up with a single bucket of water
B) Post Fire rebuild included a massive and rare Tiffany stained glass window
that was installed in the facade
C) Early congregation members were runaway slaves which quickly grew into a major hub for Abolitionist, Civil Rights movements and up to present day with LGBTQ

As we leave and since this trip was about uncovering the truths,
here are a few more

A) Since there were no portraits that existed of John Harvard when it was made in 1884,
 the sculptor just used a random student as a model
B) Also he was not the founder of the University, just the first major benefactor with donating half of his estate and 400 books.
The university beginnings was formed by the Massachusetts Bay Colony
C) The statue says the first year of Harvard was in 1638, but its actually founded in 1636

Saint Petersburg

#Saint_Petersburg_Leningrad

Originally founded as Saint Petersburg in 1703 it was the capital of the Russian Empire until 1918
The name was changed to Leningrad in 1924 (which remained during the Soviet era)
 until reverting back in 1991

KeyTip
For cheap travel within the city use the Metro and depending on length of stay
  St. Petersburg Card for unlimited public transport (bus, train, metro or trolleybus) plus museum access

 

Here i am experiencing what they call "White Nights" with nearly 24 hours of daylight
as i take in all the culture 
The season typically runs from late April to end of August with many festivals and events
 But remember its prime time here, so expect higher prices for hotels plus flights
(if available, so book early)

Church of the Savior on Spilled Blood
The name comes from the area where the Tsar Alexander 11 was killed by a bomb in 1881
(there were six previous assassination attempts, the seventh was fatal)
 thus the site is a memorial to him

Interesting Facts
A) Two Decades; the church took twenty four years to build because of the complexity of 7,500 sq meters (80,700 sq feet) of mosaics, which took thirty artists to finish

B) Not a Church; there was no parish or public mass, so the state allocated money for its upkeep. 
Then after the 1917 revolution the local authorities cut off financing, forcing the church to cover
 their own expenses.
But the priests refused to cooperate with he Soviet Government, thus in 1930 the church was closed and then its bells were melted down

C) World War Two; ironically this global conflict saved the church from being destroyed
as the Bolsheviks had been on a mission to wipe out all such structures in the area

D) Griboyedov Canal; local officials attempted to dismantle the church as supposedly it impeded traffic along this waterway, the public protested and the Savior was once again saved 

E) Museum; in the 1960s the church was recognized as an architectural monument and was
 restored over twenty seven years, then reopened in 1997 

Wrought Iron
Meaning "to work" which describes how blacksmiths
hammered and shaped it

Matthew Clark
Was a Scottish engineer who played a major role in the construction of many classical buildings in Saint Petersburg (1810-1830s) with his innovative work introducing iron construction
 to civic buildings plus his pioneering of dome designs 

Eight Hundred 
With this number of spans you get the nickname "Venice of the North"

Other Bridge Facts
A) Anichkov; look for the horse sculptures which were buried during
the war for protection
B) Bank; narrow pedestrian crossover that has the glided winged lions statues
which rumor has, touching it brings good financial luck
C) Palace; it connects you to the Winter Palace area
D) Blue; claims to be the widest (100 meters-350 feet) in the world and crosses
the Moyka River 
E) Drawbridge; about a dozen that cross the Neva River and offering nightly openings in the tourist season during the White Nights timeframe

Ownership Rules
The citizens here can own various property types from homes, apartments or even land
which they pay taxes on
State Seizure
But authorities can take your property for "slandering the army" or collaborating with what they would consider an undesirable person or various organizations

Smolny Cathedral
Was intended to be a convent by Empress Elizabeth who planned to retire here as a nun,
 but her itinerary changed
After her death the construction was put on hold, finally to be completed ninety years later

KeyTip;
You can climb to the bell tower for great views of the city and adding to the
adventure, the stairs are narrow plus creaky
Just the way it should be 😆 

Neva River
From the Finnish word "neva" meaning swampy

A) Forced Labor; hundreds of thousands of peasants (many dying) helped build the city
 by draining the swamps for its land
B) Stone Tolls; land carts and water barges entering the city were forced to pay a "tax"
 in building materials, which was then used locally  
C) Canals; were cut out to help manage the water and its flooding, which then became
 transportation routes
D) Deep Metro; because of the waterlogged soil, the subway system had to have excavation at 85 meters (279 feet) deep in certain sections

St. Isaac Cathedral
Rumor is; because of its large dome (fourth biggest in the world) the Nazi land troops used it as a reference point during the war, which saved it from destruction
Also from the air, the golden dome was painted grey to avoid attracting the German bombers

Innovative Engineering
To support the massive structure on its marshy lot, over 10,000 tree trunks were sunk
 deep into its foundation 
Also by using electrotyping to create the lightweight six meter (19 foot) tall angel statues located
 on the property

KeyTip
Take the 262 steps to the colonnade (observation deck) for views of the city
 or they do have a lift for those unable to climb