St. Petersburg, evening

I’ve just had dinner in an internet cafe.  Salad and a meat pie in a delicious cream sauce.  I walked around a bit today.  We’re flying to Ulyanovsk early tomorrow.  This was previously know as Simbirsk and was the birthplace of Lennin.  Barrett has family and friends there.  I’m going along for the ride.  On my own I would have only gone to Moscow and St. Petersburg.  It's all an adventure.
After the Peter and Paul Fortress Barrett headed off to be with friends. I ended back in the Kazan Cathedral. I bought an icon there. Mother and Child.  I’d meant to go the Russian Art Museum but found it closed when I got there. It was closed the other day we tried to go there too.  I found another icon, St. George. These icons come with official certificates . I found a silk scarf as well. The wind has been chilly.  I think it will work well as a motorcycling scarf too.  I stopped for coffee a couple of times. I blogged. It’s been raining cats and dogs and hippopotamus.  I am thankful for my umbrella and jacket.  I’m tired out from walking.  I got over by the Admirality Building searching for St. Peter on his horse.  I found him. I also found St. Isaac's Cathedral but passed on climbing the 262 steps of the Colonnade. The cathedral itself was closed.  On the way back I passed the Church of the Spilled Blood again.  I suspect the building I saw a clinic or hospital building too.
 

Church of the Spilled Blood, St. Petersburg

The Church of the Spilled Blood, was built on the site where Tsar Alexander II was assassinated. Construction was begun in 1883.  At the time churches were built in neoclassical and baroque style. This wonder of architecture differed, intentionally following along the lines of the 17th Century Yaroslavi Churches like St. Basil’s in Moscow.
Barrett’s brother in law, Vlad, Orthodox himself, was able to join us.  Barrett and he had much to say about family and friends and old times in Russian. Every now and then Vlad or Barrett would turn to me and indicate something in English.  Either one answered my questions as well. That’s how I learned that if a church had a particular icon of a favoured saint of note,  it was placed to the right of the main shrine. This was not so here because the whole church was dedicated to Alexaander II’s death.
It was a beautiful church.  I was moved by the story of Jesus told in the many icons on the walls.  These were the ‘movies’ for the people, the ‘comic strip’ version of the Bible which the illiterate could appreciate. Even in Soviet times the 'story' of Christ was told in part, by icons on the outside of the church.  The church is a DVD. It’s living Christ.  I was so grateful to be there, to see the celebration and talented skill that went into this labour of love.