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The Winter Palace, built by Empress Elizabeth, has more than 700 rooms and over 2000
windows and 250 external columns. It is this palace that the Bolsheviks stormed in
October 1918 to take power and mark the beginning of Communist Russia. Since that
time the palace has been in the hands of the Hermitage Museum.
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From our viewing location near Birzevoi Bridge (Birzevoi Most) you can look east
and see Zayachy Island. Peter and Paul Fortress, which covers most of the island
is the birthplace of St. Petersburg. Peter the Great lived on the island in a log
cabin during the early days of the city's founding. The gold steeple standing above
the trees is the 270 year old (approx.) Cathedral of Peter and Paul.
The black spots on the frozen Neva River and in the foreground are people ice fishing.
This was the first time B had seen real live ice fishing. His comment to L was, "We
from the South do not walk on frozen water." |
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