Part Four of Caroline's Adventure in Russia

The next day, we went to a classic, quintessential Russian church, The Church of Our Savior on Spilled Blood. It was built on the exact spot where Tsar Alexander II was mortally wounded in 1881. This church was probably the highlight of my trip. It’s situated on a canal directly off of the main prospekt (street). There are over 7500 square meters of spectacular mosaics covering the walls and ceiling. An extravagant shrine surrounded by violet jasper columns and stone carvings can be found where Alexander II was attacked. The mosaics around this spot draw a similarity between the crucifixion and the terrorist attack on Alexander. It was amazing!

An interesting tidbit....The churches in Russia are no longer sacred, religious places for worship. They are buildings where the locals engage in price-gouging.  It’s strange.  Here you are, standing in a beautiful church, surrounded by religious icons, and yet it doesn’t have the atmosphere of a church.  Religion was outlawed during the communist era, and that generation ran the country for decades, hence the lack of organized religion.

We had a few choices of events that evening… hockey on the other side of the city or dinner nearby. Yes, hockey. The Hurricanes played Russia’s NHL equivalent, the Kontinental Hockey League, in St. Petersburg before opening their regular season in Helsinki. Our concierge was able to get tickets, but the game was in a bad part of town.  We opted to go to The Shamrock Irish Bar Pub where the game would be broadcasted. It was a smart move not to go to the game. We had lunch with the team in Helsinki and the coach told us how nervous the boys were in that area. Imagine that, 30 men, 200 pounds/over 6” feet, and they were nervous. Cox family: 2, trip: 0.

During dinner, we were seated in a private area where we watched the game without interruption. A few times, the bartender hushed locals who were being too loud.  We cheered as we scored, the bar cheered as they scored. We got louder with each goal. We didn’t win the game but we won the battle.

TIP:  It is important to carry roubles at all times. Shamrock’s credit card machine was broken and we only had enough roubles for a few drinks.  American credit cards don’t fit into Russian machines. Imagine putting on your baby clothes as an adult. Some things just aren’t meant to be. The pub was understanding and worked it out so we could pay in roubles, euros and dollars.

TIP:  Be safe.  Don’t walk down dark streets. It can get creepy!