Today we went on a tour of the St. Peter and Paul fortress. We started off by going into the final resting place of the Romanov family (rulers of Russia for at least 300 years) which is the Saint Peter and Paul Cathedral. The cathedral itself was beautiful. The intricate painting on the walls and ceiling of this building was far beyond anything to be seen in the United States. The gold work throughout this cathedral was amazing!!! (Picture above) The Romanov tombs that drew the most attention today were those of Peter the Great and Catherine the Great.
Next we entered the Commandant's house that retold the history of St.Petersburg, Russia. Several things were present in this museum like old furniture, dishes and the general history of the city. There were models of the first cars in St. Petersburg as well as the city's general layout at its beginning. It is amazing how much this city has developed since its formation.
The next museum we visited was a children's art museum that contains art from local students. There was art from student of all ages, more popularly those from 13-16 years of age. (see above) The general theme of the art was space. The were amazing paintings, sketches and 3D constructions of spaceships, astronauts and outer space. The level of talent seen in these pieces of art is beyond any that I have seen and far beyond what I can create myself. These artworks were of great interest to the Student Teachers in the group and to those that appreciate art in general. After the art museum the Student Teachers split from the larger group to go on a special invitation tour of the Yesleev apartment and as a student teacher I will give you that experience.
When arriving at this apartment we were surprised to hear that it was the apartment of a previous head businessman in Russia. This apartment was under severe reconstruction because it was taken over in the time of the Soviets and turned into housing for several families rather than that of Gregory Yesleev. The painting and woodwork alone in this apartment are masterpieces. The most memorable areas of this apartment were the marble pillars and the fireplace made of what seemed to be hand carved wood. Overall this tour was a truly amazing experience and we are extremely grateful to the Anglo American School for allowing us to attend this special invitation tour.

Tamra Cooper '10