the Tombstones for Nicholas II and his family in St. Catherine's Chapel
part of the iconostasis, The wooden structure is goldplated
the fine frescos inside the cathedral
the Boathouse, used to display a small sailing boat used by Peter the Great
the golden dome of St Isaac's Cathedral looms behind the Hermitage
the small floating platform
the Neva gate seen from the outside
the Neva gate
here rests Peter the Great.
Peter and Paul Fortress
The Peter and Paul fortress was build in 1703 on the small Zayachy Island in the Neva River. Its function was to protect the planned city of Saint Petersburg against the Swedes. They never came...
 
Within the walls of the fortress are the St Petersburg Mint and the  Russian Orthodox Peter and Paul Cathedral.
The cathedral is 123 meters high and sports on top of its gilted spire a cross bearing angel, the symbol of St Petersburg.
 
The original Hemony carillion was lost when lightning struck the belltower in 1756.
The present carillion dates from 2001 and is a gift from Flanders, but the bells are made in the Netherlands.
 
Inside the richly decorated Cathedral are the marble tombs of most of the Russian emperors, starting with the founder Peter the Great and ending with Alexander II who was murdered by the Bolshiviks in July 1918.
 
We visited the fortress and the Cathedral in August 2016.
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the Peter and Paul Cathedral with its gilted spire
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the angel with the cross is the symbol of Saint Petersburg
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the coffins of Alexander II and his wife
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a view from the other side of the Neva
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the Mint
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the Grand Ducal Mausoleum
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