Now on air
07:00
The View from on High - Dominant features of St. Petersburg
In the 19th century, among the common folk, there was a legend that Petersburg wasn't built, it was lowered down to Earth from the Heavens – such was the tsarist awe the city inspired. Now it almost seems as if the city was entirely planned out from the very beginning. But did Peter the Great have a detailed plan for the construction? From a bird's eye view, the magnificent harmony of the buildings, squares, prospects and canals is particularly evident. This wasn't easy to achieve. The most famous palaces, churches and cathedrals were reconstructed on several occasions in order to fit in with new ears and in order that they occupy their dominant positions. Each dominant feature bears a sacral meaning. More often than not, they are signs of triumph. For example, the Alexander Column on Palace Square was put up in honor of victory in the War of 1812. Learn how the main architectural feat...
THE ALEXANDER PALACE. THE EMPEROR'S LAST HOME
The Alexander Palace, located in the St. Petersburg suburb of Tsarskoye Selo, was a regular residence of Emperor Nicholas II and a home that was beloved by his family. It was here that they lived the happiest moments of their lives, as well as the most tragic. The history of the palace is also rather complex. The museum that was established here in 1918 was never refurbished after the war. The palace fell into the hands of various organizations. And it was only in the 21st century that the palace returned to the Tsarskoe Selo Museum and Reserve. Restoring the interiors based on photographs and documents, pieces of fabric and fragments of walls, took enormous effort, And today it is much easier for us to imagine how the family of the last Russian emperor lived during their time here.
Now on air
07:00
THE ALEXANDER PALACE. THE EMPEROR'S LAST HOME
The national presidential library
In the 21st century, many book collections are digital archives that are not susceptible to the wear and tear their paper brothers once feared. St. Petersburg’s Presidential Library is home to the largest virtual collection in Russia — one of more than 250,000 books on history and law in addition to rare documents and editions. A large part of these resources are available online to whoever wants them, but there are also some that can only be used in the library’s own reading room in the historic Synod building. A 3-D model of the publication appears on the computer screen so that readers can thoroughly examine the cover, text and illustrations. There they can also find all of the hand-written notes made hundreds of years ago by people such as the author or other readers, including Emperor Peter the First.
Now on air
07:00