Saint Petersburg - Canal cruise pg 1

	Because of its many rivers and canals, Saint Petersburg is often called the "Venice of the North." Everyone kept telling me that no trip to Saint Petersburg is complete without a canal cruise. So I decided to give it a try. The cruise began on the Griboyedov Canal at Nevsky Prospekt, directly across from the Cathedral of Our Lady of Kazan. Click on any photo to see the full-size image. Need help?
	Waiting for the cruise to begin. The cruise took about an hour, covering the Griboyedov Canal, Fontanka River, Kryukov Canal, and Moyka River. I've made a map of the cruise route for your reference.
	Starting down the Griboyedov Canal, looking toward the Church on Spilled Blood.
	The building of the First Mutual Credit Society on the bank of the Griboyedov Canal.
	On the Griboyedov Canal, looking back toward Nevsky Prospekt. You can see the globe of the Singer Building to the right. Many of these views look a little like Venice, while some are reminiscent of Amsterdam. This is no coincidence. Peter the Great was inspired by Venice, Amsterdam and Paris in creating his model European city in Russia.
	The Church of the Resurrection of Christ (Savior on the Spilled Blood) is known by numerous variations on its actual name. It gets its rather gruesome moniker from the fact that it is built on the spot where Tsar Aleksandr I was blown up in 1881 by the People's Will terrorist group. The church was built between 1883 and 1907 in a mock-traditional Russian style reminiscent of Moscow's St Basil's Cathedral. The Church on Spilled Blood is the only cathedral in the world to be decorated inside and out exclusively with mosaics. The Church on Spilled Blood is the only prominent building in Saint Petersburg to be built in the Russian style—the rest of the city's architecture is baroque or classical. As a result, many people in Saint Petersburg dislike this building because it disrupts the city's harmony. I think it provides a much-needed splash of color to an otherwise homogenous city. That's probably why I ended up taking so many pictures of it. A larger version of the lower picture is available in the wallpaper gallery.

	On the Griboyedov Canal, approaching the New Stable Bridge.
	Approaching the New Stable Bridge. We'll be turning right onto the Moyka River.
	Looking back on the Moyka River. We came from the Griboyedov Canal, under the bridge to the left. Next page

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