Baltic Cruise Summer 2012

1. From Russia, with Disdain
Из России, с презрением

4. DOB Oct 07,1952 He just turned 60!
Born in the Soviet Russian city of Leningrad (now St Petersburg), Vladimir Putin
studied law and joined the KGB after graduating from university.
Served as KGB agent in East Germany 1985-90
Elected President in 2000 and 2004
In 2008 Putin becomes Prime Minister after Dmitry Medvedev's landslide win in
March Presidential Election
In March 2012 Wins a 3rd term as President

7. Baltic Amber
Fabulous Faberge
When your guide stops you from
buying in a museum souvenir
shop, it means that she will bring
you to another place where she
is paid her 10-20% interest on
your account. You do better at
the open markets, but watch out
for “gypsies” and pickpockets!

8. Lotte Lenya
50 Shades of Red—
from pink to burgundy
are hot with many
Russian women

9. The Yusupov Palace

15. St. Isaac's Cathedral. “St. Isaac's
Cathedral was once the main
church of St. Petersburg and the
Russian Empire's largest church. It
was built in 1818-58 by French-born
architect Auguste Montferrand.
One hundred and eighty years later
the gilded dome of St. Isaac's still
dominates the skyline of St.
Petersburg. The facades are
decorated with sculptures and
massive granite columns (made of
single pieces of red granite), while
the interiors dazzle the eye with
mosaic icons, paintings and
columns made of malachite and
lapis lazuli. A large stained glass of
the resurrected Christ, located . The church, designed to accommodate
inside the main altar, is truly 14,000 standing worshipers, was closed in the
fascinating. early 1930s and reopened as a museum.
Nowadays, church services are held here only
on major occasions

19. Church on Spilled Blood - built between 1883 and 1907

21. Winter Palace of the Hermitage - main
residence of Tsars after the 1760s

50. To create this extraordinary chamber,
Rastrelli used the panels of amber mosaic
originally destined for an Amber Cabinet at
Konigsberg Castle and presented to Peter
the Great by Friedrich-Wilhelm I of Prussia,
and surrounded them with gilded carving,
mirrors, more amber panels created by
Florentine and Russian craftsman
(comprising a total of 450kg of amber),
and further mosaics of Ural and Caucasus
gemstones. The room was completed in
1770. Due to the fragility of the materials
used, a caretaker was employed constantly
to maintain and repair the decorations,
and major restoration was undertaken
three times in the 19th century. The room
was used to house a substantial collection
of amber-work and Chinese porcelain. In
1941, when German troops took Tsarskoe
Selo, the Amber Room was dismantled in
36 hours, and shipped to Konigsberg in a
tawdry pretense at historical fidelity. As
the Nazi war machine crumbled, the
panels were crated up and moved out of
danger, but their eventual fate is unknown.