Six things to do

1. Admire:TheChurchoftheResurrection(Savior
   ontheSpilledBlood)in StPetersburg.Thecentury-old
   cathedralis locatedin oneoftheoldestareasofSt
   Petersburg,makingit a must-visitsiteforhistorybuffs.
   Thechurchstandsoutbecauseofitsmagnificentarchi-
   tecture,whichis relativelyostentatiousamongthe
   surroundingbuildings.Visitorsmuststayontheir
   guard,though,aspickpocketsabound.Manytour
   guidesrecommendleavingvaluablesonthebus,
   tobeguardedbytourstaff.
   2.Cruise:ByhydrofoiltothePalacesandGardensof
   Peterhof.JourneyalongtheBalticshoretoa placebetter
   knownastheRussianVersailles.Formorethan 200
   years,theGrandPalaceofPeterhofwasthesummer
   residenceofRussiantsars.Linescangetlongsodo
   yourresearchonlineforthebesttimetovisitorto
   findentryticketswhenavailableonline.
   3.Visit:TheHermitageMuseum.A visittoStPeters-
   burgis notcompletewithouta dayortwoattheHermit-

age,thesecondlargestmuseumin theworld.Three

millionartitemsarespreadacrosssixbuildings,fiveof

whichareopentothepublic.HeadtotheWinterPalace

first,if you’repressedfortime.Foundedin 1764,theHer-

mitageboastsmanyoftheearlyworksoftheworld’s

mostcelebratedartists,includingMatisseandPicasso.

4. Buy:Matryoshkadollsforfamilyandfriendsback
   home.StPetersburgis a betterplacetobuythefamous
   Russiannestingdolls.BythetimeyougettoMoscow,the
   dollseitherdoublein priceorarenotofthesamequality.


5. Catch:TheSapsantraintoMoscow.Thishigh-
   speedtrainreachesMoscowfromStPetersburgin a
   fewhours.Enjoyviewsofthecountrysidefromthe
   comfortofthisluxuriousmodeofpublictransport.
   6.Capture: Photos of the Russian capital. Visit Red
   Square, the famous onion-shaped domes of St Basil’s
   Cathedral, Lenin’s Mausoleum and, finally, the Kremlin.
   After seeing all of that, you’ll understand how the song
   From Russia With Love came to be. MICHELLE BALTAZAR

Destination Russia

THIS MONTH

SMART SPENDING

From Russia with love ... clockwise from above, Church of the Savior on the

Spilled Blood in St Petersburg; Matryoshka dolls; Grand Palace of Peterhof;

Aphrodite in the Hermitage Museum of St Petersburg.