Eastern Europe (2018)

Day 1 – July 15, 2018

Los Angeles

We were picked up, at 12:00,  by a Lyft ride and headed to LAX.  A couple of hours later we were seated on an Aeroflot carrier and headed to Moscow, Russia.  We arrived 11 hours later.

Day 2- July 16, 2018

Moscow

Going through Immigration was tiring.  The officials demanded documents of our reservations in the hotel, a proof of returning ticket and flipped through the pages of our passports number of times. 

  

 Igor, our driver, was waiting for us at the Arrivals Lounge.  We headed to the Golden Ring Hotel, our home for the next few days.  We found the hotel elegant and clean and its best value was the location:  Right next to Arbat Promenade and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Building.

After a short rest we headed outside and found a great bakery where they serve breakfast, lunch and dinner.  We ordered a chicken pie and chicken salad and they were very good.

 We found a beauty salon for Tova and while she was treated, I walked around the street, saw the river that crosses the city.  Moskva River is a river flowing through Moscow province. It is an important source of Moscow’s water supply. I ended up in a very elegant mall.  The name of the mall was Evropeyskiy Shopping Center.

I returned to the beauty salon and along with Tova we arrived to Arbat Promenade. We walked around this beautiful street that is unique because not only that it has the shops, cafes, artists and restaurants – it has a lot of history, which we would learn tomorrow as our official tour will begin.  We saw hundreds of people walking by – most were tourists.

We returned to our hotel and unpacked.  We were sound asleep by 10:00.

Day 3 – July 17, 2018

Moscow

We woke up at 5:00 am (jet legs galore!) and at around 7:00 went to the bakery we found yesterday.  Breakfast was what the doctor ordered and we felt so much better after the having the most important meal of the day!

         

After breakfast we walked to the shopping mall that I had visited yesterday.  At the entrance to the mall, the whole block was decorated with hearts made out of flowers in colors.  We also visited the metro station across the street.  

A huge fountain is right next to both building and we crossed the Moskva River by walking on a huge walking bridge and ended up in a park.  The homes around the park were very upscale and by seeing the different flags on the buildings, we figured that its’ tenants are foreign diplomats.

We arrive back to the hotel just in time to meet with Michael, out guide for the next few days.

  

We arrived to the now familiar Arbat Promenade and met 2 couples from Israel who will be part of the group today. Their names were: Shimon, Tzippi, Eitan and Einat.

We walked to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Building and Michael gave us some useful information:  The skyscraper has 27 levels and is 172 meters (564 ft) tall.  It was laid down in 1948, when a flat top was constructed, but completed in 1953, when according to sources, Stalin demanded to top the building an iron spire.

    

We entered the Arbat Promenade. Michael, once again, proved to us all why he is recommended by so many travelers to Moscow.  He was a walking Encyclopedia:

  “The Arbat”, as many call it, is a pedestrian street about one kilometer long in the historical center of Moscow. The Arbat has existed since at least the 15th century, which makes it one of the oldest surviving streets of the Russian capital. It forms the heart of the Arbat District of Moscow. Originally the street formed part of an important trade-route and was home to a large number of craftsmen.

In the 18th century, the Russian nobility came to regard the Arbat as the most prestigious living area in Moscow. Almost completely destroyed by the great fire of 1812 associated with Napoleon's occupation of Moscow, the street required rebuilding. In the 19th and early 20th centuries it became known as the place where petty nobility, artists, and academics lived. In the Soviet period, it housed many high-ranking government officials.  As of 2016, the street and its surroundings are undergoing transition, and it is considered a desirable place to live. Because of the many historic buildings, and due to the numerous artists who have lived and worked in the street, the Arbat has also become an important tourist attraction.

Since 1986, the Arbat has been dotted with distinctive street lanterns. It has several notable statues, including one to Princess Turandot in front of the Vakhtangov Theatre, and another to Soviet-era folk singer, bard and poet Bulat Okudzhava, who wrote several poignant songs about the Arbat. The street is home to the headquarters of oil company TNK-BP - a modern building at the beginning of the street. The nearby Pushkin Memorial House is known for having been the residence of Alexander Pushkin and his wife Natalia after their wedding.  Michael told us how Pushkin was killed in a duel with D’Anthès, his wife’s lover:  Pushkin and his wife met D’Anthès in 1834. D’Anthès a handsome and dashing Frenchman who had joined the Tsar’s army to advance his career. He began paying court to Natalya in 1835, and the whole affair came to a head when Pushkin found out about it and challanged D’Anthès to a duel.

It also contains numerous restaurants, including The Hard Rock Cafe. Most of these restaurants are geared towards visitors to Moscow and are considered by many residents to be over-priced and of low quality compared to those in other parts of the city. There are also a few restaurants and cafes that cater to the working population and middle class.

There were street artists, street performers and numerous souvenir shops where one could find anything from Matryoshkas (or Babushkas), a set of wooden dolls of decreasing size placed one inside the other to Russian Ushanka, a Russian fur cap with ear flaps that can be tied up or fastened at the chin.

We also noticed a huge mural of a general on one of the buildings: It was of General Georgy Zhukov a World War II hero, who participated in multiple battles, ultimately commanding the 1st Belorussian Front in the Battle of Berlin, which resulted in the defeat of Nazi Germany, and the end of the War in Europe.

We continued our excursion and arrived to The Russian State Library, which is the national library of Russia. Michael sounded proud, when he told us that It is the largest in the country and the fifth largest in the world for its collection of books (17.5 million over 275 km of shelves).  It was named the V. I. Lenin State Library of the USSR from 1925 until it was renamed in 1992 to its current name.

   

Next, we entered to Alexander Garden, the first public park in the city, located next to the Kremlin’s, western wall.  We visited the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier nearby.  The Tomb is dedicated to the Soviet soldiers killed during World War II. It is located at the Kremlin Wall in the Alexander Garden in Moscow.  We witnessed the “changing of the guards” routine, which was not very impressive.

   

The next stop was the highlight of the tour: The Red Square.  Michael told us many facts about this attraction: It is called in Russian “Krasnaya Ploshchad”. It is adjoining the historic fortress and center of the Kremlin.  The Kremlin and Red Square were added to UNESCO’s World Heritage List in 1990.  The Red Square is actually a city square (plaza) in the Capital. It separates the Kremlin, the former royal citadel and now the official residence of the President of Russia, from a historic merchant quarter known as Kitai-gorod. The Square is often considered the central square of Moscow since Moscow's major streets, which connect to Russia's major highways, originate from the square.

Dating from the late 15th century, just after the Kremlin walls were completed, Red Square has long been a focal point in the social and political history of Russia and the former Soviet Union. It has had several names, but the present name has been used consistently since the late 17th century. Always a market area, the square has also housed, at various times, churches, Moscow’s first public library and university, a public theatre, and a printing house.  The May Parade takes place here each and every year.  The Square has been the scene of executions, demonstrations, riots, parades, and speeches. It lies directly east of the Kremlin and north of the Moskva River.

In the center of the square is the astonishing St. Basil's Cathedral St.  This legendary building is officially called "The Cathedral of the Intercession of the Virgin by the Moat". The popular alternative refers to Basil the Blessed, a Muscovite 'holy fool' who was buried on the site (in the Trinity Cathedral that once stood here) a few years before the present building was erected.

The Cathedral was ordered by Ivan the Terrible to mark the 1552 capture of Kazan from Mongol forces. It was completed in 1560. That's pretty much all the genuine history that's known about this celebrated landmark. There, however, scores of 
legends.

   

  

We walked towards the river and onto Moskvoretsky Bridge where the views of the city were spectacular.  We also stopped at the place where Boris Nemtstov was assassinated.  Nemtsov was a Russian physicist and liberal politician and one of the most important figures in the introduction of capitalism into the Russian post-Soviet economy.  He had a successful political career in the 1990s under President Boris Yeltsin. From 2000 until his death, he was an outspoken critic of Vladimir Putin and was assassinated on February 27^th, 2015 with four shots fired from the back.  At the site of the assassination are plaques (in Russian and English), which eulogize him.

We strolled for a few minutes and arrive to Zaryadye Park, a landscape urban park located adjacent to Red Square.  It is the first public park built in Moscow for over 50 years.  It was inaugurated on September 9^th, 2017 by Russian President Vladimir Putin.  The highlight of the park is its' Floating Bridge:  The bridge is a thin air structure in the form of the letter "V" with a large outward extension above the water. It towers over the embankment and seems to hover over the Moscow River.  The bridge is unique in Russia: it is a 70 meter structure without a single support. The bearing structure of the bridge is made of concrete, and the decorative elements are made of metal. The deck is wooden. For security of visitors and residents, high fences are installed so that no one can climb or jump over the sides of the bridge. 

While walking in the park, Michael pointed to the direction of a beautiful apartment complex.  This is where ONLY high officials and people with influence can live (until today!).  Some of the Soviet Union’s signs still exist in Russia…

Another beautiful structure we saw was the Four Seasons Hotel, a modern luxury hotel in Manezhnaya Square. Operated by Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts, it opened in 2014, with a facade that replicates the historic Hotel Moskva, which previously stood on the same location. It is in close proximity to the old City Hall.

    

We returned to the Red Square and entered to the nearby historic GUM Shopping Center, facing the Square, and wandered around some of the shops.  The center used to be once a place of Trading Rows but in the late 18^th century, Catherine II of Russia commissioned a Neoclassical architect from Italy, to design a huge trade center along the east side of Red Square.  It was called the “Upper Trading Rows” and was rebuilt after the 1812 Fire of Moscow.  We exited the mall to a side street with hanging light above us.  Michael told us how spectacular GUM and the streets around it plus, of course the Red Square are at night.  (We were scheduled to a private night tour of the square and I got excited…)

We walked towards the center of the city and on Tverskaya Street, known between 1935 and 1990 as Gorky Street, is the main radial street in Moscow. 

It begins almost at the Kremlin, crosses the Boulevard ring, and emerges into Pervaya Tverskaya-Yamskaya Street after Triumph square, finding its end at the Belorusskiy train station.

The main sight of this street is Tverskaya square; its age is nearly 200 years, and also monuments that are situated there. We passed City Hall built in 1782, statue of Yuriy Dolgoruky, the founder of Moscow, statue of Pushkin, Museum of modern Russia history, famous MHAT (Moscow Art Theatre) that played important role in the world art.  The statue of Chekhov near MHAT is the only monument to this famous writer in Moscow.  Also there are such buildings as English Club built in the 18th century and National Hotel.  "Cinema theater Pushkinskiy"¸Michael informed us,  "is the main and the biggest cinema of the country. It was founded in 1961. After renovation in 1997 it became one of the biggest cinema theaters in the Europe. Its hall is designed for 2057 seats."

As every main street in major cities of the world, we found on the street has many shops, mostly luxurious ones, night clubs and entertainment centers.

Not far from the theater we entered the Metro to view some art murals underground.  They were magnificent.

It was time for lunch.  We returned to Arbat Street and sat in Varenichnaya Restaurant know to have authentic Russian food.  The 6 of us sat and ordered a huge lunch that we were able to finish without any problem.

We said goodbyes to the charming couples from Israel and went to our hotel for some rest, as the day has just started for us.

As we were waiting for Michael to show up for our evening tour, I made reservations for the train ride to our next city, Saint Petersburg and also reservations to a show there.

  

Michael arrived with Igor, as it was a driving tour.  We started at Luzhkov Bridge, better known as The Bridge of Lovers.  At the center of the bridge we saw few trees all covered with padlocks, that were could be found on both sides of the bridge. At one end of the bridge there was a heart shaped made with flowers. 

   

We walked for a few minutes and entered a park where we saw the Children Sins Monument.  This monument  depicts the children (standing in the middle) surrounded by filthy grownups – each grownup has its own flaw or sin, one of the most common sins of the modern society, together they stand around the innocent children that have nowhere to go – going to either side would lead to some kind of attachment.

  

The next stop was the highlight of this evening: The Red Square night tour.   There are no words to describe the beautiful scene.  The square was a site to remember.  The Cathedral, with its glorious lights, and the GUM Shopping Center that looked like an attraction in Disneyland with thousands of lights all around were unforgettable.  We spent about an hour there and simply refused to leave.

  

We drove to the northern bank of the Moskva River and walked towards The Cathedral of Christ the Savior.  Situated only few hundred meters southwest of the Kremlin, it stand tall with an overall height of 103 meters, Michael told us, and it is the tallest Orthodox Christian church in the world, he concluded.  From there we crossed the Patriarshy Bridge, a steel pedestrian that spans Moskva River, connecting the Cathedral the downtown Moscow.  The views of the Kremlin at night were spectaculars.

  

Igor was waiting for us at the other side of the bridge and we drove to the Moscow University's Science Park.  We were there to look at the city from the top of the hill. Superb views overall. We were right on top the stadium, that just a couple of days ago hosted the World Cup.

Our last stop was at the Radisson Hotel where a “Mini Moscow” display was at the lobby.

We returned to our hotel at midnight!

Day 4 – July 18, 2018

Moscow

We woke up at 7:00 and headed to our favorite bakery for breakfast. Afterwards, 

Michael came over to our hotel and we started our day. 

     

We drove outside of the center of the city and arrived to a wedding venue by the name of Izmailovo Kremlin, Moscow's other, lesser known Kremlin (citadel) that is a fairytale-like cultural complex modeled after Old Russia. We found a place that looks like a palace or a castle and saw some couples that were getting married today. 

Outside the venue we toured the Izmailovo Souvenir Market and bought a couple of T-shirts and some souvenirs.

 

Our next stop was at the Novodevichy Convent, Established in 1524.  It is probably the best-known convent of Moscow. Unlike other Moscow other religious site, it has remained virtually intact since the 16th century. In 2004, it was proclaimed a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

  

Michael, once again, showed off his knowledge: he told us that he thinks that the Convent is, in his opinion, one of the most beautiful sights in Moscow. The main reason for his affections to this place it’s the architectural harmony of which its position, on the banks of the Moskva River, allows excellent views. The convent is also famous for its New Cemetery, which became the most prestigious in the city in the last century and the final resting place for a number of great cultural and political figures.

Novodevichy was positioned strategically to protect the main southern access road to the city at the point where it crossed the Moskva River. The convent has enjoyed a prominent place throughout its history, in part as a repository for powerful and troublesome women, most famously the Regent Sophia, Peter the Great's half-sister, who did much to rebuild the convent in the 1680's before being confined here in 1698. During Napoleon's invasion, the monastery weathered French efforts to blow it to pieces, thanks to some quick-thinking nuns who managed to extinguish the fuses on casks of gunpowder after the soldiers had fled.

The convent also made notable appearances in 19th Century fiction, as the site of Pierre's proposed execution in War and Peace, and as the meeting place for in Anna Karenina (the Maiden Field, below the convent walls, was Moscow's most fashionable skating rink, visited frequently by Tolstoy).

As we were about to enter the New Cemetery, rain started to pour.  We sheltered at the entrance to the cemetery and decided to skip this site.  We asked Michael what is the significance of this place and he told us that The cemetery is well known and that people from all over the world come here not just to pay homage to the great and good buried here - Chekhov, Yeltsin , Shostakovich and Stanislavsky, to name but a few - but also to marvel at the extraordinary granite and metal monstrosities that crown the graves of various politicians and military commanders of the Soviet era.

   

On the way back to Central Moscow, we fought a very heavy traffic and finally arrived to Victory Park, completed in the mid-nineties, and is something of a last gasp for the Soviet tradition of monumental triumphal art. Located on and around the Poklonnaya Gora - the hill where Napoleon waited in vain to be given the keys to the city when his troops were surrounding Moscow in 1812 - the park is set in an area steeped in Russian military history.

The central avenue is called "Years of War": It has five terraces, symbolizing the five years of conflict, and there are 1,418 fountains - one for every day (1,418 days of war). It runs past a memorial chapel, mosque, and synagogue to the circular Victors' Place, which has a triangular obelisk soaring 150 meters and surmounted by a statue of Nike, the Goddess of Victory.   On 9 May, Michael told us, Victory Day in Russia, the park becomes the center of Moscow's celebrations, and as many of the remaining veterans and survivors as can make their way here, along with scores of the younger generations. In Russia the emphasis is on celebration rather than remembrance, and this is one of the most popular public holidays.

On May 1, 2017, Moscow’s only Flower Clock started ticking in the Park. To decorate the clock, more than 12,000 violets in blue, white and yellow were planted.  

Michael had another group tonight and asked us to hurry but we told him he could leave as we wanted to stay longer to admire.

At the end we compromised to 20 minutes, and we walked around marveling and breathing the beauty of this place.

     

We returned to the hotel and after a short break headed to the same restaurant on Arbat Street and tried different dishes.  So Yummy!

WE WERE SOUND ASLEEP AT AROUND 7:00!

Day 5 – July 19, 2018

Moscow

Woke up at 6:00 and went to breakfast at, the now familiar, bakery.  Michael showed up at the hotel at 10 and we started our day.

         

First stop was a 20 minute walk from the hotel to Gorky Park, situated just across the Moskva River.  Michael told us that the park’s 90^th Anniversary will be celebrated in a couple of weeks.  The park was colorful and pleasant.

   

We walked to the nearby Metro station, which was decorated with murals on the walls and ceilings.  We rode to Moscow Choral Synagogue, one of the main synagogues in Russia and in the former Soviet Union. It is located in central Basmanny District and close to the former Jewish settlement in Zaryadye, the oldest trading settlement outside the Kremlin walls.  The interior and the exterior were beautiful.

  

We found a nearby street café and had coffee and cakes,  In the near distance I spotted a beautiful cathedral.  Michael told us that this was St. James Cathedral.  

However, we did not have any time to spare over there.

    

Once again we were in the Metro Station and rode to the Monument to the Conquerors of Space.  Michael informed us that it was erected in Moscow in 1964 to celebrate achievements of the Soviet people in space exploration. It depicts a starting rocket that rises on its exhaust plume. The monument is 107 meters tall, has 77° incline, and is made of titanium.  There is a  Memorial Museum at the base of the monument.  

     

Once again: no time to walk in there, as the monument is located outside the main entry to  All-Russia Exhibition Center,which was our main reason to arrive here. The Exhibition center was formally know until 1992 as the Exhibition of Achievements of the National Economy, and was established in 1935 as the All-Union Agricultural Exhibition (VSKhV). It is the largest  exhibition space in Moscow, covering over 10,000 square meters. This place was by far the highlight of today and one of the most beautiful exhibitions I have ever seen.

  

We saw many people zooming around on roller skates and bicycles across the vast area that the venue covers. The VDNKH is also home to many rides and carousels, shooting galleries and cafes. People come here to relax with their families and, of course, to visit the specialized exhibitions dedicated to jewelry, furs, food, cats and dogs, equipment and much more.

    

On our way, back to our hotel, Michael gave us the Moscow Metro Tour.  We have toured many metro stations in the world: The Subway in New York, The Tube in London, and the one in Shanghai, China, but here in Moscow we discovered the most beautiful in the world! They used to have palaces for kings, and the metro stations in Moscow, were designated to be palaces for the people! 

We saw the most beautiful metro stations in Moscow built under Stalin: Komsomolskaya with impressive mural mosaics of Russian glorious victories, Revolution Square with magnificent sculptures of the Soviet people, Novoslobodskaya with the stained glass, although under the ground, and Mayakovskaya Lobby, the Hall of Fame of the WWII. 
Michael told us fascinating stories and secrets hidden underground, urban legends and funny stories. 

We used the metro system and arrived to the same shopping mall we had visited on our first day in the city.  I was looking for a nice leather wallet and we finally found a beautiful one. 

We walked to the same restaurant we had visited in the previous days and once again dinner was absolutely delicious.  As we walked out of the restaurant, a major rain storm was above us, I mean IT WAS POURING!!!  Arbat Street was flooded with water and we got completely soaked, as we ran for about 15 minutes and finally reached our hotel.

It was time to pack, as tomorrow we were heading to St. Petersburg.

Note: Both of us caught a severe cold and the next of the trip was a losing battle against the cold symptoms.

Day 6 – July 20, 2018

St. Petersburg

We woke up at 5:00, both congested and coughing continuously.

We met our driver, Igor, at 7:45 and then arrived at the train station and waited for our train.  Igor was kind and very helpful. 

  

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The four hours’ drive to St. Petersburg was a pleasant one.  We were seated in the comfortable business class car.  Drinks and snacks were served during the trip.

We arrived to St. Petersburg at around 1:00 and met with our next guide Julia that was waiting for us outside on the platform.  Her driver Sergei was waiting in the car and they took us to the Indigo Hotel, which was comfortable, clean and just plain gorgeous!  We were upgraded to a mini suite.  Life is good!

We walked to the nearby main street of the city and Tova found a beauty salon, while I was walking the street up and down, looking for a restaurant that serve chicken soup (Jewish penicillin for a cold!!!).  Once I found one, I headed back to the beauty salon to pick Tova up and we had an early dinner with soup, noodle, dumplings plus kasha (buckwheat) with sour cream.

      

We returned to the room, took a short nap and got ready to attend the so called Red Army Show, which turned out to be a beautiful folklore singing and dancing of old Russian songs and tales.  At intermission we were treated to some snacks and (what else) shots of Vodka.

As we came outside of the theater at 10:30 PM, daylight was still part of the day.

Day 7 – July 21, 2018

St. Petersburg

We woke up at 6:00 and tried to find a restaurant for breakfast.  As we walked, a group of drunken was approaching towards us.  They were quite violent. We spotted them about 50 yards from us, as they tossed an empty bottle of Vodka and slammed it on the street shattering pieces of glass everywhere.  Few people, walking their dogs in front of us, turned around and we did just like them.

Julia came at 10:00 and we started our day.

The first attraction was Nikolsky Cathedral.

   

Designed in Russian baroque style the blue and white Nikolsky Cathedral (or St Nicholas Cathedral) was a real stunner with its spires and golden domes. It was constructed in a square that had originally been built as a naval parade ground. Visiting the church, however, was limited to just a small area and photography was not allowed inside.

  

We drove to the banks of the Neva River, where we stopped next to 2 magnificent Sphinxes, in front of the Academy of Fine Arts. They are roughly 3,500 years old and are considered among the finest examples of Ancient Egyptian colossal sculpture kept outside Egypt. They once stood on the Alley of Sphinxes in front of the tomb of Pharaoh III for nearly two centuries, however, it has been the waters of the River Neva rather than the Nile that reflect in their bottomless eyes.

  

In the middle of the river we saw a submarine with sailor rehearsing for some kind of a ceremony.

We walked along the bank and then returned to our car, as rain has started to build up. It was a perfect time to go to the world’s most famous museum:  The Hermitage.

The lines were as long as the Nile’s delta and as rain was pouring down it was miserable, but Julia using her connections, was able to bypass the lines and in a matter of just a few minutes we were inside this amazing site.





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We stopped at the end of the first staircase, as Julia briefed us: This is the most popular visitor attraction in the city, and one of the world's largest and most prestigious museums. With over 3 million items in its collection, new-comers can only hope to get a brief taste of the riches that is exhibited here, from Impressionist masterpieces to fascinating Oriental treasures. “One estimate has it that you would need eleven years to view each exhibit on display for just one minute” Julia told us, “so our guided tour will ensure we catch all the collection's highlights.”

    

It was founded in 1764 when Empress Catherine the Great acquired an impressive collection of paintings from the Berlin merchant Johann Ernst Gotzkowsky. The museum celebrates the anniversary of its founding each year on Saint Catherine's Day December 7th) and It has been open to the public since 1852.

There are about 350 rooms of exhibits and the Hermitage is crowded by over 2.5 million visitors per year,

    

 We entered the Winter Palace, where the bulk of the Hermitage collection (and the most impressive one) is housed.  The Palace was formerly the official residence of the Romanov Tsars, and its several annexes. Our mouths drop in awe to the beauty and the richness of the collection there.  The collection is incredibly varied, ranging from ancient Siberian artifacts to post-impressionist masterpieces by Matisse and Picasso. Equally impressive are the lavishly decorated State Rooms of the Winter Palace, testament to the incredible wealth and extravagant tastes of the Romanov Tsars.

    

The next attraction was The Western European Art, one of the finest in the world, containing masterpieces from all the major centers of artistic development in Europe from the 13th to the 19th centuries. Based on the collections bought up by Catherine the Great to fill the walls of the Small and Great Hermitages, it has been expanded over the years through further Imperial purchases, Bolshevik confiscation of private collections, and appropriation of artwork in conquered Germany.

    

Among the most famous works in the collection, which occupies the first floor of the Winter Palace and the Great Hermitage, are the major collections of paintings by Rubens and Rembrandt, two of twelve surviving works by Leonardo da Vinci - the tiny Benois Madonna of 1478 and the more impressive Madonna Litta of 1490-91 - and canvases by Titian, Michelangelo, Caravaggio, El Greco and Goya, to name but a few.

The Antiquities Collection was our next tour.  Located on the first floor of the Old Hermitage, this section of the museum deserves greater attention because it is housed in some of the most beautifully decorated rooms in the Hermitage.

Covering 31 halls, the Antiquities Collection includes Assyrian, Mesopotamian, and Egyptian artifacts, as well as huge quantities of Greek and Roman statuary. Admittedly, many of the statues, such as those included in the gorgeous, green marble Jupiter Hall, are more decorative than historically significant, many of them being Roman copies of Greek originals. Among the highlights of the Antiquities Collection are the superb collection of Attic vases, with their distinctive black-and-red pictorial designs, and Catherine the Great's splendid collection of ancient cameos and engraved intaglio seals, with examples dating back to the Aegean era (2nd millennium BC).

As we walked out, rain was still there but only light showers.  

We drove to the Spilled Blood Church, known also as The Church of Our Savior on the Spilled Blood.

We found a marvelous Russian-style church was built on the spot where Emperor Alexander II was assassinated in March 1881. Julia told us that after assuming power in 1855 in the wake of Russia's disastrous defeat in the Crimean war against Britain, France and Turkey, Alexander II initiated a number of reforms. In 1861 he freed the Russian serfs (peasants, who were almost enslaved to their owners) from their ties to their masters and undertook a rigorous program of military, judicial and urban reforms, never before attempted in Russia. However, during the second half of his reign Alexander II grew wary of the dangers of his system of reforms, having only barely survived a series of attempts on his life, including an explosion in the Winter Palace and the derailment of a train. Alexander II was finally assassinated in 1881 by a group of revolutionaries, who threw a bomb at his royal carriage.

The decision was taken to build a church on the spot where the Emperor was mortally wounded. The church was built between 1883 and 1907.

   

The Cathedral of the Savior on Spilled Blood has five onion-domes exuberantly decorated and covered in jeweler's enamel. Its peculiar multicolored exterior makes it stand out from St. Petersburg’s typically strict architectural proportions and color combinations.

The highlight of both the interior and exterior of the Cathedral are its mosaic collection based on the paintings of Vasnetsov, Nesterol, and Vrubel. With a total area of 23130 square feet, it is one of the largest mosaic collections in Europe.

The Cathedral is decorated with Italian limestone and various semiprecious stones like jasper, mountain crystal, topaz, and others. On the outside, there are twenty granite plates which tell the most important events of Alexander II's reign.

When we came out of this magnificent Cathedral, one of the most beautiful Cathedrals I have ever seen, the skies turned to “cloudy only” and we headed to our next attraction:  Kazan Cathedral in Nevsky Prospekt.

   

 The impressive Cathedral of Our Lady of Kazan. Kazan Cathedral, constructed between 1801 and 1811, was built to an enormous scale and boasts an impressive stone colonnade, encircling a small garden and central fountain. The cathedral was inspired by the Basilica of St. Peter's in Rome and was intended to be the country's main Orthodox Church. After the war of 1812 (during which Napoleon was defeated) the church became a monument to Russian victory. Captured enemy banners were put in the cathedral and the famous Russian Field Marshal Mikhail Kutuzov, who won the most important campaign of 1812, was buried inside the church.

    

The cathedral was named after the "miracle-making" icon of Our Lady of Kazan, which the church housed till the early 1930s. The Bolsheviks closed the cathedral for services in 1929, and from 1932 it housed the collections of the Museum of the History of Religion and Atheism, which displayed numerous pieces of religious art and served anti-religious propaganda purposes. A couple of years ago regular services were resumed in the cathedral, though it still shares the premises with the museum, from whose name the word "atheism" has now been omitted.

St. Isaac's Cathedral was our last stop of the day.

  

St. Isaac's Cathedral was originally the city's main church and the largest cathedral in Russia. It was built between 1818 and 1858, to be one of the most impressive landmarks of the Russian Imperial capital. One hundred and eighty years later the gilded dome of St. Isaac's still dominates the skyline of St. Petersburg. The cathedral's facades are decorated with sculptures and massive granite columns (made of single pieces of red granite!), while the interior is adorned with incredibly detailed mosaic icons, paintings and columns. A large, brightly colored stained glass window of the "Resurrected Christ" takes pride of place inside the main altar. The church, designed to accommodate 14,000 standing worshipers.

We were back at out our hotel just in time for an afternoon nap.  During the day we both sneezed and coughed (still under the cold spell that started in Moscow) and the nap was just what the doctor ordered!

We had a nice dinner at a small restaurant and ordered a hearty chicken noodles soup.  We then returned to the hotel.

Day 8 – July 22, 2018

St. Petersburg

Woke up at 6:00 again and decided that after yesterday’s experience we would rather have breakfast at the hotel.  It was great!  We met with Julia and our loyal driver Sergei at 9:30.

We drove through busy streets and finally got on the highway towards our next attraction: Pushkin Village, about 15 miles outside the city.  The sun returned upon us and a comfortable day welcomed us.

The site was named after Alexander Pushkin, a Russian poet, playwright, and novelist of the Romantic era and who is considered by many to be the greatest Russian poet and the founder of modern Russian literature.

We entered a nice park, where his gorgeous status of Pushkin stood tall in the center.  We then continued to the main attraction: Catherine Palace.

  

Before entering the main gates to this marvel of a palace, Julia gave us a details description of the background history revolving this place:

The Catherine Palace is named after Catherine I, the wife of Peter the Great, who ruled Russia for two years after her husband's death. Originally a modest two-storey building commissioned by Peter for Catherine in 1717, the Catherine Palace owes its awesome grandeur to their daughter, Empress Elizabeth, who chose it as her chief summer residence. Starting in 1743, the building was reconstructed completely as a redesign to look like the “rival” Versailles.

The resultant palace, completed in 1756, is nearly 1 km in circumference, with elaborately decorated blue-and-white facades featuring gilded atlantes, caryatids and pilasters designed by a German sculptor, who also worked on the palace's original interiors. In Elizabeth's reign it took over 200 pounds of gold to decorate the palace exteriors, an excess that was deplored by Catherine the Great when she discovered the state and private funds that had been lavished on the building.

  

The interiors of the Palace are no less spectacular. The so-called Golden Enfilade of state rooms,  is particularly renowned and forms the focus of the palace tour.

  

We entered via the State Staircase which, it blends effortlessly with the rococo grandeur of the interiors. With its ornate banisters and reclining marble cupids, it gives a taste of what is to come. The Great Hall, also known as the Hall of Light, measures nearly 9,000 square feet, and occupies the full width of the palace so that there are superb views on either side. The large arched windows provide enough light to relieve the vast quantity of gilded stucco decorating the walls, and the entire ceiling is covered by a monumental fresco entitled The Triumph of Russia. Using similar techniques but on a smaller scale, the White Dining Room is equally luxurious but, like many of the rooms in the palace, its grandeur is softened by the presence of a beautiful traditional blue-and-white tiled stove in the corner.

  

Other highlights include the Portrait Hall, which contains remarkably good portraits of both Catherine and Elizabeth, the Picture Gallery, in which almost every inch of wall space is covered with paneling comprising 17th and 18th century canvases and, of course, the legendary Amber Room.

  

      

We toured the magnificent Palace for nearly 3 hours and then went outside to its lavish gardens, with its groves of flowers, blue lake, and beautiful trees.

Our next attraction was Naval Cathedral of Saint Nicholas, which was built in 1903–1913 as the main church of the Russian Navy and dedicated to all fallen seamen.

We parked about 4 blocks away and I noticed Sergei, our loyal driver, is actually has been acting also as our bodyguard.  He walked us through crowds, stopped cars so we could cross streets and always was on the lookout.

   

The golden Baroque spires and domes of the Cathedral rises among the trees and shines above the bland residential and commercial buildings in the area. It is home to a number of revered 18th-century icons and a fine carved wooden iconostasis.  It’s has a gorgeous and beautiful bell tower.

   

The area was originally settled by sailors in the time of Peter the Great, and the first, wooden chapel was built for them and bore the name of St. Nicholas the Miracle-Worker. As the area grew along with the new capital, Empress Elizabeth issued a decree to build a stone church for the regiments living here.

On our way back, we watched the tall spires, in the outskirt of the city.

     

      

We drove back to the city and once again took a long nap.  We woke up very hungry and felt much better. Julia recommended to go to Gusi-Lebedi Restaurant for a tasty local food.  We found this elegant restaurant to be a hidden gem. The restaurant is located inside the home of what used to be a Russian aristocrat and was a short distance from our hotel. The menu had some of St. Petersburg favorites with other must-have Russian cuisine. Each dish we ordered was plated and prepared with exquisite detail. You can tell the chef put effort into both the planning and preparation of each dish. We had a waitress that spoke English and served us politely and efficiently.

Day 9 – July 23, 2018

St. Petersburg

Julia showed up at 9:30 and we drove to our first attraction of the day: Peter and Paul Cathedral, part of a huge fortress.

      

This Russian Orthodox cathedral is the first and oldest landmark in St. Petersburg, built between 1712 and 1733. The cathedral's bell tower is the world's tallest Orthodox bell tower. Julia informed us that since the belfry is not standalone, but an integral part of the main building, the cathedral is sometimes considered the highest Orthodox Church in the world and also the second-tallest building in the city (after the television tower), being visible from all around the city center.  It is intimately linked to both the history of the city and to the Romanov dynasty, as it is home to the graves of nearly all the rulers of Russia since Peter the Great.

  

Once again we skipped the long lines and entered this magnificent Cathedral.  The baroque interior reminded me of an imperial palace, gold being the dominant color. Especially the tombs of Tsar Peter the Great and the chapel of St Catherine, where the remains of the last Tsar, Nicholas II, and his family have been buried, drew our attention.

Our next stop was Rasputin Museum at Yusupov Palace.  A new guide was assigned to us, as Julia was not authorized to show us the museum.  The new guide was a pleasant young lady, who spoke English fluently and had a lot of knowledge, answering all of our questions and provided a lot of insights regarding the mysterious man Grigory Rasputin:

   

Rasputin was a Siberian religious mystic who had become attached to the Tsar’s family as a healer to their young hemophiliac son, Alexei. His particularly close relationship with the Tsarina Alexandra coupled with his eccentric appearance and reputation for lewd and lascivious behavior in public fueled scandalous rumors. As World War I dragged on, the country and government teetered on the brink of collapse. To make matters worse, it appeared that Tsar Nicholas II, already in trouble for botched and brutal responses to internal turmoil and general incompetency on the battlefield, was taking advice from Rasputin.

By the end of 1916, a group of nobles led by Prince Yusupov decided to take matters into their own hands. Yusupov, along with other conspirators invited Rasputin to the Palace (It was called then Moika Palace) on the pretense of meeting his lovely young wife Irena, who was conveniently out of town. Once at the palace, Rasputin was left in a room (which we visited) laid out with a spread of cyanide-laced baked treats, tea, and wine. The conspirators were relieved to see Rasputin down several glasses of the poisoned wine. They became increasingly concerned, however, when the poison seemed to have no effect on the man.

In the end it took four bullets, a sound beating, and a final drop into the icy River Neva to kill Rasputin. His autopsy showed that his death was ultimately caused from drowning or hypothermia, indicating that he survived all but the final dunking.

Yusupov and his conspirators never faced charges for the murder that so many knew they had committed, but just three months later the February Revolution forced the abdication of Nicholas II, and Prince Yusupov fled the country. He later published several, sometimes conflicting, memoirs detailing the death of Grigory Rasputin, including a book titled “Lost Splendor.” Rasputin’s surviving daughter Maria unsuccessfully attempted to sue the prince for damages related to the murder, but her claim, filed in Paris, was dismissed.

The tour at the museum was educating as well as fascinating!

Julia was waiting outside, along with Sergei, for the duration of the tour (about 2 hours) and as we walked out we drove to the bank of River Neva for our next excursion: Cruising the river and the many complex webs of canals, connected with it.

  

We traveled  through the urban landscape of the 18th and 19th centuries, seeing many of the city's most famous palaces (including the Shuvalov, Sheremetev, and Yusupov Palaces), the estate of Gavrila Romanovich Derzhavin, the greatest Russian poet of the Classical period, numerous beautiful and unusual bridges, and several of the city's most famous "postcard" panoramas, including the Strelka ("spit") of Vasilyevsky Island.

  

One of the canals, Kryukov Canal, had excellent views of the St. Nicholas Cathedral and the Mariinsky Theatre, the Stroganov and Mariinsky Palaces, St. Isaac's Cathedral, and the General Staff Building on Palace Square, and under the famous "colored" bridges, including the widest (about 300 feet) bridge in the city, Blue Bridge.

  

At the end of the tour we understood the meaning of the nickname given to the city as "Venice of the North".

We returned to the hotel for a couple of hours break, and then were taken to see Swan Lake, performed by one the famous Russian Ballet Company, in the Palace Theater.

    

       

As it turned out, our driver (and bodyguard) Sergei knew the theater’s manager through his father and the manager came out to greet us and upgraded our tickets.  We were now seated in a private balcony with excellent views of the outstanding show.  At intermission we were treated with Russian delicacies, including Caviar and excellent wine.  It was a great experience!

The day was not over yet. We were about to take the same cruise we have taken during the day, but now we would see the highlights at night!

     

The sights, we have seen earlier on the “Day Cruise”, were now so much more beautiful as they reflected in the river and the skies glowed with their many colors.  

  

The highlights of the cruise were the bridges and exactly at midnight, some of them opened up to let the bigger ships cross.  It was magnificent to watch!

We decided to walk back to the hotel, as the weather was perfect and the city was still alive at 1:00 am, and had a hard time convincing Sergei, who reluctantly agreed to our request.  We walked along the Neva River, watching the many cruises and their passengers viewing St. Petersburg at night. 

Day 10 – July 24, 2018

St. Petersburg

We had breakfast at the hotel and met Julia at 10:00.  Sergei came along with her and hugged us warmly.  Julia told us that he was restless last night and now is relieved to see us in one piece!

Our main destination of today was Peterhof, one of St. Petersburg's most famous and popular visitor attractions, drawing millions of visitors every year.

     

Once we arrived we could not ignore the beauty of this palace. A huge garden led us to the main entrance. The garden had many statues, fountains, flower beds and trees.  It was a sign for things to come.

A brief description was provided by our guide:

The palace and park at Peterhof are often referred to as "the Russian Versailles", although many visitors conclude that the comparison does a disservice to the grandeur and scope of this majestic estate.

   

Versailles was, however, the inspiration for Peter the Great desire to build an imperial palace in the suburbs of his new city, Peterhof - which means "Peter's Court" in German - became the site for the Tsar's Monplaisir Palace, and then of the original Grand Palace. The estate was equally popular with Peter's daughter, Empress Elizabeth, who ordered the expansion of the Grand Palace and greatly extended the park and the famous system of fountains, including the truly spectacular Grand Cascade.

Improvements to the park continued throughout the 18th and 19th centuries. Catherine the Great, after leaving her own mark on the park, moved the court to Pushkin, but Peterhof once again became the official Imperial Residence in the reign of Nicholas I, who ordered the building of the modest Cottage Palace in 1826.

Like almost all St. Petersburg's suburban estates, Peterhof was ravaged by German troops during the Second World War. It was, however, one of the first to be resurrected and, thanks to the work of military engineers as well as over 1,000 volunteers, the Lower Park opened to the public in 1945 and the facades of the Grand Palace were restored in 1952. The name was also de-Germanicized in 1944, becoming Petrodvorets, the name under which the surrounding town is still known. The palace and park are once again known as Peterhof.

Julia once again whisked us through the long queues and we were inside this most beautiful palace we have ever seen.

  

We entered the Grand Palace, and confronted by an incredibly ornate Ceremonial Staircase, which sets the tone for what is to come with a magnificent fresco of Aurora and Genius and multitude of gilded statues. Highlights included the richly gilded Ballroom and a splendid white-and-turquoise Throne Room, which has a particularly fine parquet floor. The Western Chinese Study is heavily Oriental, with jewel red and green walls and a beautiful Chinese tea-set. The Drawing Room of the Imperial Suite is equally influenced by the imitation of Chinese motifs and techniques in Western art, with particularly fine silk wall hangings. The rest of the Imperial Suite, the royal family's private quarters, is furnished in grand 19th century style. Also of interest is Peter the Great's charmingly simple Oak Study, and the adjacent Crown Room, which was in fact the Imperial bedchamber.

We entered to this magnificent, out-of-this-world Peterhof Park and Gardens.

    

The spectacular parkland at Peterhof is remarkable for the sheer variety of styles encompassed in its layout and features. Representing nearly two centuries of European aristocratic fashion executed to the highest standards, Peterhof is like an encyclopedia of park design through the age of empire. Particularly impressive is the fact that the master landscapers and garden designers who worked on the estate at Peterhof managed to overcome the extremely inclement conditions of the northern climate to create a wonderland of greenery and flowers, sweeping vistas and ornate architectural decorations.

   

The first areas of land to be developed at Peterhof were the formal gardens around the Lower Park. The earth excavated to create the Marly Ponds was used to build a rampart against the sea winds that, along with a 3-meter-high stone wall, surrounds the Garden of Venus and Peter's Orchard, with cherry and apple trees, and several charming statues. The garden was completed in 1724. Adjoining the Garden of Venus, the Garden of Bacchus was also begun during Peter's reign, although additions were made to its statuary and fountains throughout the 18th century.

   

 Also during Peter's reign, and then under Empress Elizabeth, who continued her father's work at Peterhof after over a decade of neglect, the Upper Gardens south of the Grand Palace.

Catherine the Great oversaw the creation of the first landscape garden at Peterhof, the English Park.

Throughout the parks (The one in the front of the palace and the one in the back) there are many fountains.  Fountains were intrinsic to Peter the Great's original plans for Peterhof.  The most famous ensemble of fountains, the Grand Cascade, which runs from the northern facade of the Grand Palace to the Marine Canal, comprises 64 different fountains, and over 200 bronze statues, bas-reliefs, and other decorations. At the center stands Rastrelli's spectacular statue of Samson wrestling the jaws of a lion. 

The vista of the Grand Cascade with the Grand Palace behind it, the first sight to great visitors who arrive in Peterhof by sea, is truly breathtaking. The Grotto behind the Grand Cascade, which was once used for small parties, contains the enormous pipes, originally wooden, that feed the fountains.

Elsewhere in the park, the range and diversity of fountains is astounding, from further monumental ensembles like the Chess Cascade and the Pyramid Fountain, to the ever-popular Joke Fountains, including one which sprays unwary passers-by who step on a particular paving stone.

After about 4 hours of enjoying ourselves it was time all this behind us and sail back to the city with a ferry on the Marine Canal.

As we arrived to the city, I received a call from the Indigo hotel.  They claimed that our stay ended today and that we must vacate the room at once.  I assured them that this is their mistake but nevertheless, they insisted that I should come immediately to vacate the room as other guests are waiting to check in. I called and made arrangements for another hotel in the city, just in case.  When we arrived at the Indigo, and the manager apologized and told us how sorry she was and that we could stay there for one more night, but it was already too late for that as I made an advance payment to the new hotel.  We packed and left.  Few minutes later we arrived to the 5 star Corinthia Hotel on the main boulevard of the city.  We checked in to our luxurious room and continued our tour.

We drove to the Grand Choral Synagogue, which is the third largest synagogue in Europe. It was built between 1880 and 1888, and consecrated in December 1893.  We enjoyed it very much and loved the beautiful Moorish style building.  

Tears came to my eyes thinking of the Jewish experience in Russia over the last century!




Once we arrived to the hotel we went to dinner in a nearby restaurant and then strolled the main boulevard of the city for the last time.

Day 11 – July 25, 2018

Warsaw, Poland

We woke up at 6:00 and after breakfast we met with Julia and Sergei, who transferred us to the airport.  We said our goodbyes and after going through tough security stations where our passports were checked with magnifying glasses and different security officers looked at every page of the passport, trying to see if any of them is loose and looking for who knows what, we boarded the plane to Minsk.  Once again we had to go through the security checkup points and experienced the same routine and finally we were free to proceed.  After a layover of about 2 hours we boarded the plane to Warsaw, a one hour flight.

We took a taxi from the airport to our next hotel: Novotel, in Central Warsaw.

  
  

  

After the check-in we walked along Jerozolimskie Boulevard, the main street and found a hair salon for Tova and then had a great typical Polish dinner at Zapiecek.  It was delicious!

Exhausted, from a day full of events, we returned to the hotel.

Day 12 – July 26, 2018

Warsaw, Poland

We woke up at 7:00 and found the beautiful Gallery Bakery on the main street, where sat down for a Polish breakfast (eggs, meat, salad, juices and coffee).  We loved it!!

   

   

We found our way and arrived to our first destination.  We had a scheduled a tour of the Old Town.  The tour was fantastic and we were given a history lesson and visited amazing sites like the Royal Palace, King Zsigmond Column, Churches, City Walls, a Fortress, the Mary Curie Museum and many more.  We walked the narrow streets and arrive to a big square with many restaurants.

    

    

  
On our way back to the meeting point we passed a statue of a little boy, dressed like a soldier, which represented the contribution of children to the battles that this city had to go through in order to survive.

Our next destination on our agenda was the Monument of the Fallen in the East.  We walked for about 30 minutes and found the monument (Thank you Google Maps!), which commemorates the victims of the Soviet invasion of Poland during World War II and subsequent repressions. It was unveiled on 17 September 1995, on the 56th anniversary of the Soviet invasion of 1939.

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The next stop was the amazing Museum of Jewish Poles (Polin Museum). The museum opened its doors in 2005.  In eight sprawling galleries, packed with multimedia exhibitions and artifacts, the museum traces the 1,000 year history of Jews from their first appearance in Poland from the Middle Ages to the present day. The Holocaust, the part of the story that is most often remembered, fills only one of the eight galleries, which has been the reason of the controversy surrounding this museum and the Poles and their government in regards of what they have done to help the Germans murder millions of Polish Jews during the Holocaust.

We learned the following shocking fact: For most of its history, Poland was the most diverse country in Europe. In 1939, there were 3.5 million Jews here. In many towns, they were a majority. In Warsaw, they accounted for more than 30 percent of the population.  About 300,000 Polish Jews survived the war, but more than 90 percent of those emigrated, largely to America and Israel. Now, the number of Jews living in Poland, with a population of 38 million, is believed to be around 25,000.

When we asked an official why the museum has so little about the darkest days of this country we were told that the Ghetto Museum is due to open in 2023 and it will dedicated solely to the Holocaust.

The museum is also a place for meetings and conversations for all of those eager to learn more about the past and present Jewish culture, to confront the stereotypes, and to face the perils of today’s world such as xenophobia and nationalistic prejudices. By promoting openness, tolerance, and truth, the museum tries to contribute to the mutual understanding and respect amongst Poles and Jews.

   

We toured the place for 3 hours and when we walked out we stopped at the Monument to the Ghetto Heroes, located in the area which was formerly a part of the Warsaw Ghetto, at the monument spot was the first armed clash of the uprising, which took place in 1943.

We took a taxi back to the hotel and napped for a couple of hours and then returned to Zapiecek for a delicious dinner.

 

Day 13 – July 27, 2018

Warsaw, Poland

We woke up at 7:00 and went down to the bakery we had found yesterday.

Matilda, our guide for today, who we met through our son-in-law Gary, met us at the hotel’s lobby at 10:00 and we started our tour with her.

   

The historic Jewish Cemetery on Okopowa Street was our first stop.  Matilda was very familiar with the cemetery and its history (Her grandfather is buried here).  She told us that the cemetery is one of the largest Jewish cemeteries in Europe and in the world. 

It was established in 1806 and occupies 83 acres (!) of land. The cemetery contains over 250,000 marked graves (!), as well as mass graves of victims of the Warsaw Ghetto. Although the cemetery was closed down during World War II, after the war it was reopened and a small portion of it remains active, serving Warsaw's existing Jewish population.

  

As the cemetery was established to replace many smaller cemeteries closer to the city centre, it was designed to serve all Jewish communities of Warsaw, regardless of their affiliation. Hence, it is subdivided into several districts dubbed quarters, historically reserved for various groups. Among them are three Orthodox (for men, women and one for Holy Scriptures), Reform Judaism, children, military and Warsaw Ghetto Uprising victims.

      

The cemetery, which has become a dense forest in the post-war period, is filled with monuments dedicated to notable personas such as politicians, spiritual leaders, inventors, economists and others. Many of the markers are simple; others are elaborately carved and richly decorated.

   

The most remarkable monument was the one of Janusz Korczak, who was a Polish-Jewish educator, children's author, and pedagogue.  After spending many years working as director of an orphanage in Warsaw, he refused sanctuary repeatedly and stayed with his orphans when the entire population of the institution was sent from the Ghetto to the Treblinka extermination camp where he perished, after leading a large group of children into the gas chambers.

Another notable site was a mass grave of children, murdered by the Nazis.  Pictures of the children were laid out on the grave site.

  

We continued our tour and arrived to the Umschlagplatz, erected in 1988 and commemorates the holding area set up by Nazi Germany adjacent to a railway station in the city, where Jews from the Ghetto were assembled for deportation to death camps during the ghetto liquidation. The largest such collection point consisted of a city square in occupied Warsaw next to the Warsaw Ghetto, used for several months during daily deportations. Total transfer to the Treblinka extermination camp is estimated between 254,000 – 265,000 Jews . 

  

We walked to the next monument, Mordechai Anielewicz Burial site dedicated to the leader of the Jewish Fighting Organization, who led the Warsaw Ghetto Uprising; the largest Jewish insurrection during the Second World War, which inspired further rebellions in both ghettos and extermination camps. His character was engraved as a symbol of courage and sacrifice, and to this day his image represents Jewish resistance during the Holocaust.

  

Not far from here we found the Pawiak Prison, which During the World War II German occupation of Poland it became part of the Nazi concentration-death camp system in Warsaw.

  

We took the metro to our next destination: The Emanuel Ringelblum Jewish Historical Institute (JHI).  Matilda told us that this institute commemorates the founder of a group, in occupied Europe, the Underground Archive of the Warsaw Ghetto, which gathered all of the important information and documents about the fate of the Polish Jews.

Mr. Ringelblum accompanied his people and refused to go to the East after the outbreak of the war. He did not want to leave the Warsaw Ghetto until his project was done.

Matilda was very proud to be part of JHI, where she is a volunteer, and after our visit we clearly agreed with her enthusiasm.  What we saw in our tour were the collections of letters written by many victims of the Holocaust,  painting and graphics, sculpture and metalwork, historical memorabilia, and Judaica.  The collection of paintings and drawings is one of the largest collections of works of Jewish artists of the interwar period. The largest collection of works of ritual art in Poland gave us a good idea of all the types of liturgical articles used in the synagogue, in private prayer, and in the celebration of religious festivals in the home.

The gold artifacts in the collection are generally of high artistic quality, originating in the leading centers of the goldsmith’s craft, such as Warsaw, Berlin, Breslau, Vienna, Moscow, Kiev, and Jerusalem. They include a considerable number of spice boxes and an impressive set of Torah shields.

The third sub-set in the JHI Museum’s collection consists of historical artifacts, most of which date from the Second World War and the Nazi occupation.

After a short lunch break we walked to the next attraction: We arrived to Krasiński Square and found the Warsaw Uprising Monument, dedicated to the Warsaw Uprising of 1944.  The monument has been described as "the most important monument of post-war Warsaw."

Matilda described the events: In August of 1944, an uprising broke out in Warsaw, which had been occupied by Nazi forces for five years. It was meant to be both an act of Polish sovereignty and a way to oppose the German occupiers. Though it was one of Warsaw’s most devastating events, its significance was buried for many years.

    

The Polish Resistance Movement fought an uphill battle against the German forces occupying the city. Around 16,000 resistance fighters and somewhere between 150,000 and 200,000 civilians perished. People and information were smuggled into the sewers in an attempt to reach freedom.

   

The uprising was planned to coincide with the Allied forces approaching Poland. However, the Soviet troops that were meant to arrive never did in a matter of fact, Stalin's forces were waiting at the outskirts of the city waiting for the uprising to end), leaving the Poles to fight alone. The people faced food and water shortages, as they had planned on receiving relief from the Soviets who failed to show.

After 63 days of fighting, the German forces finally put an end to it all. They expelled the population from the city and wrecked and looted its vacant buildings, all while the nearby Red Army did nothing. It’s estimated that 90 percent of the city was destroyed.

  

The Unknown Soldier Tomb was our next stop.  The tomb is dedicated to the unknown soldiers, who have given their lives for Poland. It is one of many such national tombs of unknowns that were erected after World War I, and the most important such monument in Poland.

The monument, located at Piłsudski Square, is the only surviving part of the Saxon Palace that occupied the spot until World War II. Since 1925 the tomb houses the unidentified body of a young soldier who fell during the Defense of Lwów. Since then, earth from numerous battlefields where Polish soldiers have fought has been added to the urns housed in the surviving pillars of the Saxon Palace.

  

The Tomb is constantly lit by an eternal flame and assisted by a guard post of the Polish Army. It is there that most official military commemorations take place in Poland and where foreign representatives lay wreaths when visiting Poland.

The changing of the guard takes place on the hour of every hour daily and this happens 365 days a year.

  

We crossed the park and arrived to Nozyk Synagogue, the only Warsaw Synagogue to survive WWII.  It was built between 1898 and 1902 and was fully restored between 1977 and 1983. It is still operational and currently houses the Warsaw Jewish Commune, as well as other Jewish organizations. 

   

Not far from the park we found the monument of the Jewish Ghetto, it is located on the site of the only remaining wall of the Warsaw Ghetto that was the largest Ghetto in occupied Poland.  It was estimated that more than 250,000 people lived inside the walls of the Ghetto.

  

The Ghetto was the last site we visited and Matilda took us to the hotel for a rest.  We met again a couple of hours later, and headed to Matilda’s favorite restaurant in the city: Strefa. The five starts restaurant featured a variety of Polish, European, Central European, Fusion, and Vegetarian dishes.  We found it to be friendly, great food presentation and delicious selection of food.