"Although I had imagined Petersburg to be splendid, I felt enormous admiration for its marvellous palaces, buildings and broad streets. The Beauty-Neva River, so clear and serene, flows through the whole of the city carrying ships and boats which scurry up and down and brighten this beautiful capital. The Neva River banks are enclosed in granite, as are the embankments of the largest canals... Splendid edifices - the Academy of Fine Arts, the Academy of Sciences and others are reflected in the river. You could hardly find a better sight than these grand buildings..."

    "St. Petersburg is a truly unique city, both for its well planned organization and for the great variety of cathedrals, museums, literary history, theatre, parks and architectural curiosities (from splendid palaces to intriguing bridges across the interconnecting canals, each with its own history and purpose).
    "I particularly enjoyed the cathedrals, especially experiencing actual services where the spirit of faith and the spirit of the people became a blended unity amid magical music from the choir, which demonstrated the unique and mesmerizing acoustics of these shrines of the soul.
    "The Pavlovsk parklands and palace also holds special memories for me and, of course, there is no museum (except perhaps the Louvre) that can match the Hermitage. As a writer, I was touched by the presence of Dostoyevsky and Pushkin both in visiting their museums (housed in apartments where they had lived), the places where they walked, the cafes where they drank coffee with friends, and even the place where Pushkin conducted his fatal duel. Finally, I must say the Mariinsky is an experience not to be missed.

James V.Stewart, P.A.
Counsellor at Law, Author
USA, Florida
1999