Russia and the Baltic States September 7-October 17, 2017
A journal kept by Susan Hanes during a trip through Russia and the Baltics from September 7—October 17, 2017. Volume 3. Photos by Susan Hanes and George Leonard, c. 2017 Cover: Spires at Tsarskoe Selo
Russia and the Baltic States September 7-October 17, 2017
After arriving in St. Petersburg by fast train with members of the Fellowship of American Bibliophilic Societies, we spent three days as part of the book tour, visiting libraries and museums. The tour culminated with a farewell dinner at a literary-themed restaurant. We then spent an additional nine days absorbing the art and culture of the Imperial City.
Volume 3: St. Petersburg
Thursday, September 21
St. Petersburg
We woke to a sunny morning in Saint Petersburg, Russia's magnificent 18th century Imperial Capital. Today it is Russia’s second-largest city, with a population of over five million. Situated on the Neva River, at the head of the Gulf of Finland on the Baltic Sea, the city was founded by Peter the Great in 1703. In 1914, it was known as Petrograd, in 1924 as Leningrad, and in 1991 the city again regained its original name, St. Petersburg. We are staying at the Renaissance Hotel, located near St. Isaac’s Cathedral in the historic center of the city.
At 9:30 am, we departed by coach to the staff entrance of the National Library of Russia where we met Daria, our guide to the Rare Books Division. The Imperial Public Library was established in 1795 by Catherine the Great. A plan for a Russian public library was submitted to Catherine in 1766 but the Empress did not approve the project for the Imperial Library until 1795, eighteen months before her death. Today, strong collections illustrate Russian and Slavonic book history. Daria led us through several reading rooms and stacks, many of which are not open to the public. She showed us the vault containing a large collection of incunabula, providing a rich picture of the history of printing, culture, and art in Western Europe. “Faust’s Cabinet,” beautifully restored after it was bombed during WWII, houses many of the library's rarest holdings, including chained books.
Faust’s Cabinet
National Library of Russia
In 1778, shortly after his death, Voltaire's private library was purchased by Catherine II. In 1852, the collection was transferred from the Hermitage Palace to the Imperial Public Library. Voltaire’s Library contains almost 7,000 books, 2,000 of which feature handwritten notes made by the philosopher himself. Conservateur de la Bibliothéque, Natalia Speranskaya, gave us an overview of this historic collection. The highlight of her presentation came when, at the request of one of our tour members, she retrieved a remarkable book from the vault. The red morocco volume contained Voltaire’s collection of notes and letters from Émilie du Châtelet, the French mathematician and physicist with whom Voltaire shared a close relationship.
Voltare’s Library
Natalia Speranskaya
Before we departed from the library, we learned that it was possible to apply for a reader’s card. After filling out a form, submitting my passport for inspection, and posing for a photo, I was issued my official card. I was pleased to have such an excellent souvenir. We walked down Nevsky Prospekt, St. Petersburg’s main street. At the intersection of Nevsky and the Griboyedov Canal, we stopped to admire the Singer Building, an Art Nouveau masterpiece that is now home to a large bookstore. We had lunch at a nearby restaurant, sitting outside and enjoying the sunny afternoon. Jake ordered kvass, a traditional Slavic fermented drink made from rye bread. After tasting it for the first time, he declared that it was his favorite kvass and always would be.
Singer Building “House of Books”
At 3:45, we arrived at the General Staff Building of the Hermitage, dating from
including Chagall, Picasso, and Calder. As we crossed the vast adjacent Palace
1830. In 2014, the building was totally restored; following the restoration, the
Square, we were surprised by the absence of vehicles and flag-bearing tour
collections of Russian and European decorative art, paintings, and sculptures
guides. Small groups of young people were gathered around the 1834
from the 19th and 20th centuries were moved to the building. We came to
Alexander Column listening to music. Someone had carved an ice sculpture in
see the Bashmakov Collection of 20 livres d’artiste that Mark Bashmakov had
Cyrillic that said, “Winter is coming!” As we headed back to the hotel, we
recently given to the Museum. The French term livre d’artiste (“artist’s book”)
paused to admire St. Isaac’s Cathedral, its golden tower gleaming in the late
is customarily used to denote rare publications illustrated with prints made by
afternoon sun. Jake and I had a relaxed evening in the hotel bar, sipping vodka
prominent 20th century artists. It was a treat that Mr. Bashmakov was our
and nibbling surprisingly tasty quesadillas. When we mentioned how delicious
guide. With obvious delight, he explained the characteristics and particular
they were to our waiter, he told us that Mexican food has become very
qualities of each work on display. We saw remarkable books by artists
popular in Russia.
Mark Bashmakov
photo by A. Gromov
Friday, September 22
St. Petersburg
This morning’s walk to the State Hermitage Research Library was chilly, with a damp St. Petersburg breeze blowing in our faces. We skirted the main entrance to the library, entering at the side, where we were escorted along a basement corridor and though a doorway with bars to a small elevator. Reaching the third floor, we stepped into the exquisite rooms of the State Hermitage Research Library, believed to have been created in 1762 when Catherine the Great established the position of Librarian for her book collections. Special Collections holdings include 10,000 rare books, European and Russian manuscripts, early printed books, and a collection of decorative bindings and “presentation” items gifted to her by foreign states and leaders. A curator met us as we entered and ushered is into the study of Grand Duke Maximilian. He provided an historical overview of the development of Catherine’s library and the evolution of the rooms themselves, which today look much as they did in 1830 when they were renovated for Maria, the daughter of Nicholas I. He explained that Catherine had her own particular preferences in books and was not influenced by others; there is no indication that she ever consulted anyone as to what to add to her library, but collected what she loved. He told us of the difficulty in determining what books were actually a part of Catherine’s personal library, as she kept no inventory and used no ex libris plates. An inventory made at the end of the 18th century was vague and incomplete. She regularly added to her collection by acquiring the private libraries of notables such as Diderot and Voltaire. What is known is that her books were characteristically bound in crimson morocco with gold edges and embossing, that her librarians assigned identifying numbers to the volumes, and that she often added her own notes in French or Russian. The curator showed us numerous highlights of the collection, which we were allowed to examine and photograph, but not to touch.
Hermitage Research Library
The Winter Palace a UNESCO site
A short distance from the Hermitage, we visited the offices and workshops of Rare Books from St. Petersburg, a printing house founded by Petr Suspitsyn more than 25 years ago. The company publishes handmade books in very limited editions. All are printed using 19th century presses on handmade paper. Calling himself “the conductor of the orchestra,” Petr took us through the workshop, showing us how the metal type is organized in hand labeled “catalog card” drawers and demonstrating the hand printing of a broadside. At a large table, he brought out examples of his imaginative creations, constructed with wood, metal, leather or cloth and illustrated with lithographs, etchings or original paintings by some of the best-known contemporary artists in Russia. He explained that each project has a sponsor and it may take as many as twelve years to complete an edition; the usual time from initial concept to completion of a single copy is a year or more. Probably the most intriguing piece he showed us was The Ten Commandments, an edition of 86 that was published in 2008. The work, representing Moses’s clay tablets, used papyrus as well as paper molded to look like matzo. It was constructed with special silver hinges and decorated with silver relief and carved stone. Its case resembled the Ark of the Covenant and was made with oak and jute, employing two dowels to close the lid. Before we left, Petr gave each of us a copy of The Book as Art, the exhibition catalog from the firm’s 20th anniversary show at the Hermitage Museum.
Petr Suspitsyn
The Ten Commandments
At 6:30, we met in the hotel lobby and walked to Gogol Restaurant on nearby Malaya Morskaya for the FABS farewell dinner. When we entered the pleasant restaurant, we sensed the literary atmosphere in tribute to the 19th century Russian author for whom it is named. We were shown to a lowceilinged room with a U-shaped table. Joining the FABS participants for this festive banquet were our three hosts who had assisted Bill in making the arrangements for our tour: Alexander Doroshin, who joined us in St. Petersburg, and Elena Shelepchikova and Alexander Gromov, who have been with us for the duration of our tour. Also joining us for the evening was Mikhail Lepekhin, author of Zdobnov and His History of Russian Bibliography, a copy of which was sent to each of us before we left the US, and Valery Manukian of the Miniature Book Society. As soon as plates of cold appetizers were passed and wine and vodka were poured, the toasts began. After each, glasses were clinked and warm smiles exchanged. Toasts and conversation continued through the main course. At the end, gifts were given and photos taken. We all felt the warmth that has developed among us during these past photos by A. Gromov
days in Russia as we’ve shared each other’s interests and our love of books.
Books make a person better. This is one of the main conditions for art, as well as its main and almost sole objective. –Ivan Goncharov
St. Isaac’s Cathedral a UNESCO site
Saturday, September 23
St. Petersburg
FABS members gathered this morning for the final event of our tour, a visit to the Pushkin Library and Museum, located two blocks from Nevsky Prospekt in a stone mansion on the Moika River. The museum is housed in the apartment where Alexander Pushkin lived from 1836 until his tragic death in a duel in 1837. As the home of one of Russia’s greatest literary figures, the house has been carefully preserved and is a place of pilgrimage for many Russians.
Director Victoria Kozlovsky took us through the Pushkin Library, founded in 1953 and located in the former Biron Stables within the complex. She described the library’s collection. In addition to portraits of the poet and his contemporaries, there is a substantial collection of Pushkin materials, many of which were gifts from generous bibliophiles. She and an associate showed us materials that they seldom bring out, including a rare 1825 periodical number of Pushkin’s Eugene Onegin in paper wrappers. Following her presentation, Valery Manukian gave a history of the bibliographic organizations in St. Petersburg, including the Biron Stables Bibliophile Club, whose members have supported the Pushkin Library over the years.
Victoria Kozlovsky
Nevsky Prospect by N. Gogol
Valery Manukian
Across the courtyard, we entered the Pushkin Museum, featuring the apartment where he and his family lived from 1836 until his death. Victoria had arranged to give us a personal tour although as Director of the Library, this is not something that she normally has time to do. She guided us through the rooms of the Pushkin family home, recounting the details of the poet’s final days leading up to his duel with Georges-Charles d'Anthès on January 27, 1837. We were captivated as she described the night when his wife Natalia learned that he was wounded; how she remained outside the door of his room to be near him; and how he tried not to cry out in pain for fear of disturbing her. She told us of his final good-byes to his young children, as he touched each on the head before gesturing them away from the sight of his agony. She told us of the friends and admirers who flocked to the Pushkin home to pay their respects, and the notes that they left for each other sharing news of his condition. In his study, she discussed the simple, practical desk where he wrote his last stories, and pointed out the walking sticks that he loved to use. She told us of his painful death from peritonitis on January 29, at the age of 37. And last, she showed us the hall where his body was laid. At each significant part of her story, she quoted the words of the poet himself. On several occasions she paused, and we could see that it was an effort for her to keep her composure. She told us that every year, at precisely 2:45 pm on January 29, all who work at the museum gather in the courtyard for a moment of silence. I had
scans of museum postcards
wondered about the effect that Pushkin has on the Russian soul. Today, I began to understand.
The sun of our poetry has set! Pushkin has died, died in the flower of his years, in the middle of his great career! We have not the strength to say more of this, but it is not necessary; every Russian heart knows the whole value of this irrevocable loss and every Russian heart will be lacerated! Pushkin! Our joy, our national glory! Can it be that Pushkin is no longer with us! It is impossible to get used to this thought! Necrologue written by Vladimir Odoevsky published on Jan, 30, 1837
Bill concluded the tour in the Pushkin courtyard and the group parted. Jake and I walked towards The Church of the Savior on Spilled Blood, completed in 1907 and located on the Griboyedov Channel at the site where Alexander II was fatally wounded in 1881. We walked along Griboedova Canal, where souvenir stalls line the sidewalk, all offering similar wares: “I heart SPB” tee shirts, Matryoshka dolls featuring political figures, tote bags and umbrellas. At Nevsky Prospekt, we walked east to Yeliseevsky Gastronom, the opulent (and expensive) food emporium constructed in 1903 for the Elisseeff Brothers. Today it remains a striking example of St. Petersburg Art Nouveau architecture.
Church of the Savior on Spilled Blood a UNESCO site
Yeliseevsky Gastronom
At the Fontanke Canal, we crossed the Anichkov Bridge, built in 1841-42 and reconstructed in 1906-08, noting its striking black horses. A half-kilometer north, we looked for the Anna Akhmatova Museum. After searching around the back alleys of an apartment block, we located a way out to Liteyuy Prospect where we found the museum entrance. On the second floor in the south wing of Sheremetyev Palace, this literary museum celebrates the life and work of Anna Akhmatova, St. Petersburg’s beloved 20th century poet. She lived there from 1926 until 1952, sharing the apartment with art scholar Nikolai Punin, who lived there with his family. The simple apartment is filled with mementos of the poet and examples of her correspondence with other writers, as well as elements from the life of Punin, who would die in a gulag in 1953. The walls leading to the apartment are filled with graffiti in tribute to Akhmatova. Our walk back to the hotel was significantly extended by a futile attempt to buy rail tickets at an outlet where the concierge had referred us. We dragged in at 6:00, having walked more than 14 km. Dinner somewhat revived us, as we joined FABS friends Sharon and Greg for dinner at the nearby Stroganoff Steak House.
Memory of sun ebbs from the heart. Grass fades early. Wind blows the first snowflakes Barely, barely. Freezing water can’t flow Along these narrow channels. Nothing happens here, oh Nothing can happen. A willow against the sky Spreads its transparent fan. Better perhaps, if I Hadn’t accepted your hand. Memory of sunlight ebbs from the heart. What’s this? Darkness? Perhaps! ...In the night Winter has overcome us. —Anna Akhmatova, 1912
Sunday, September 24
St. Petersburg
It was a perfect fall day for our trip to Peterhof Palace. Joining Marie and Richard from our FABS trip who are staying in St. Petersburg for several more days, we took a hydrofoil for a scenic half-hour ride along the Neva River to Peterhof. This series of palaces and gardens was laid out on the orders of Peter the Great, who was inspired by Versailles to build an imperial palace in the suburbs of his new city. The palace and buildings are surrounded by perfectly manicured gardens where we strolled together, enjoying beautiful weather and a slower pace. We reached Monplaisir, donning the first of many pairs of booties we would wear today. Completed in 1723, Monplaisir was Peter's preferred retreat and where he loved to entertain close friends and advisors. It displays an intriguing mixture of grandeur and homely comfort, with its pretty Dutch-tiled pantry, where Peter's wife Catherine would herself cook for guests, and his comfortable study with views across the Gulf of Finland. We were virtually alone there and enjoyed going through the rooms at our leisure. A particular treat was the bath wing, where the attendant marshaled the four of us into a corner of the large bathroom before starting up an impressive assembly of fountains and sprays that filled the room with water. We continued along the pathways to the Grand Cascade and up the stairs to the Grand Palace, largely reconstructed following its destruction in WWII. We caught up with the tour groups at that point, finding it difficult to maneuver along the narrow roped-off areas. Before taking the hydrofoil back to the city, we found a table outside Restaurant Shtandart and chatted over a light lunch and Russian beer.
Monplaisir at Peterhof
Peterhof a UNESCO site
Grand Cascade at Peterhof
We visited St. Isaac’s before returning to the hotel. The cathedral was completed in 1858 and is St. Petersburg’s largest Russian Orthodox cathedral. During Soviet times, it was converted into a museum, as were most churches. However, with the Church’s growing influence under President Putin, St. Isaac’s has been consecrated once again.
St. Isaac’s Cathedral
Monday, September 25
St. Petersburg
It was a glorious day in St. Petersburg, and we took full advantage of it, starting with a canal boat trip—at least, that is what we thought we were getting. We boarded the boat on Moyka Canal for a Russian-speaking tour, but soon discovered that most of the trip took us out on the Neva, duplicating our route to Peterhof yesterday.
The boat docked an hour later and we walked to the corner where we toured Stroganov Palace. The Baroque building, completed in 1753, has been beautifully restored under the auspices of the Russian Museum. It was built for one of the city’s great aristocratic families (although their chef may be credited with the most famous association of the name as creator of Beef Stroganoff). As we walked through the impressive staterooms, we saw displays of Russian Empire-style decorative art during the reign of Alexander I (1801-1825). In the lower level of the museum, an exhibition honoring what would have been the 85th birthday of famed film director Andrei Tarkovsky consisted of archival and documentary photographs and other materials related to his films. We continued down Nevsky Prospekt to Gostiny Dvor, one of the first shopping arcades in the world. When I visited Leningrad in 1985, I wrote, “We walked through the Gostiny Dvor, which must have been quite a market in its time, but now is hot and dingy and crowded.” Today, we found it cold and sterile and empty. We climbed the stairs to the second floor, finding the central section securely locked. One end contained a disorganized wax museum affair, with dinosaurs and cartoon figures stacked on top of each other and requiring an admission to “onely” take pictures. At the other, a “high fashion” section featured unknown labels; many of the glass storefronts were empty.
Stroganov Palace
Gostiny Dvor
Just before 2:00, we picked up tickets for our pre-arranged tour to Tsarskoe
interest to all visitors, the Amber Room was a highlight, even though it is a
Selo, the imperial estate created under Empress Elizabeth and Catherine the
reconstruction. The fate of the original Amber Room still remains a mystery.
Great between 1744 and 1796. It is located in the town of Pushkin, 25 km
Normally, a visit to the Agate Rooms is not a part of his tour, but since we
south of St. Petersburg. There were only three others on this English-speaking
were a small and interested group, we bought additional tickets to see these
tour: a couple from New Zealand and a woman from Peru. Our guide,
rooms on the upper floor of the Cold Bath building. The staircase leading up to
Alexander, began his prepared speech as we drove out of town in a small
them was in itself a marvel, as were the rooms, richly decorated with marble,
Mercedes bus, pointing out sites and monuments along the way. We arrived at
patterned parquets, and colored jasper that were worked with exceptional
Catherine’s Palace about an hour later, and quickly realized how fortunate we
mastery. Alexander led us outside to the colonnade for views of Catherine
were as he guided us around numerous large and noisy Chinese tour groups
Park. I could see that it was quite the place for photos, as every twenty feet or
and told us just the right amount about each room. As he talked, he showed us
so, pairs of young women took turns posing self-consciously and taking each
photographs of the palace that showed its devastation in WWII. Of particular
other’s pictures. We saw several bridal parties as well.
Tsarskoe Selo a UNESCO site
But once we left the formal gardens and walked out though the park, the crowds faded away and we savored the cool shade of the ancient trees and arbors, with views of small follies and pavilions reflected in curving ponds. Conversation drifted to Russian poetry, which seemed particularly fitting to our surroundings. We talked about Russian poets including Anna Akhmatova and Marina Tsvetaeva. Of course, the omnipresent Pushkin was never far from our discussion. It was after six when we met our driver again and headed back to the city, as Alexander read a translation of a poem by Anna Akhmatova that she wrote in 1916 about the Milkmaid Fountain, the only sculpture created especially for the park. The maple leaves already crash Onto the swan pond as they wane, And bushes of the mountain ash, Mature exquisitely, blood-stained, And lavishly slender, she, alone, Tucked legs indifferent to the chill, Sits tall atop the northern stone, Observing roads beyond the hill. I felt a sense of troubled fright Before this celebrated maid, Across her shoulders, rays of light, Before diminishing, would play. And how could I forgive when you Gave loving praise to her, beguiled. Look, - she, so fashionably nude, Is blissful grieving all the while. Akhmatova wrote those lines in response to a poem that Pushkin wrote in 1830: The maiden dropped the urn against a rock and smashed it, The maiden sits sadly, holding the useless remains. Behold a miracle! The water, Which is pouring from the broken vase, does not stop, And the maiden forever sad, Sits over the everlasting stream. I would never have thought that a group tour would have had such a satisfying conclusion.
Jake and I walked back to the hotel along busy Nevsky Prospekt, stopping to listen to street musicians whose genres ranged from rap to classical violin. We had a late dinner at Vodka Room No. 1, near our hotel. Sitting in a white vault-ceilinged room, we started with Moscovskaya Zakuska (bone marrow on Borodinskiy bread with Kostroma black salt) that is a specialty mentioned in Mikhail Bulgakov’s Heart of a Dog and only served there. Pike perch followed, accompanied by charkas of vodka and a singing duo whose repertoire ranged from Russian folk songs to Frank Sinatra.
For 200 years, gastronomes have tried to invent the best accompaniment with vodka, but they could not find anything better than salted cucumber. —A. Chekov
Tuesday, September 26
St. Petersburg
I relished our slow start this morning. After joining Marie and Richard for breakfast, we relaxed at the hotel until 3:00 when we walked along the Moika Canal to Yusupov Palace. Dating from 1770, it was the home of one of the richest families in Russia. The last owner of the palace was Prince Felix Yusupov who was born there in 1887 and who was famously responsible for the assassination of Grigory Rasputin in 1916, fearing that he exerted too much influence in the court of Nicholas II. The palace rooms are sumptuously preserved and filled with 19th century chandeliers and furniture. We followed a number of groups through galleries and drawing rooms, a ballroom, concert hall, and theater. Maybe it was the grey day that darkened the rooms, but we found the frivolous extravagance to be cold and depressing.
Yusupov Palace
We walked to the Mariinsky Theater where we picked up our tickets for this evening’s ballet, La Sylphide. The Mariinsky opened in 1860 and was the preeminent music theatre of the late 19th century. It was there where many of Russia’s greatest composers premiered their works. Since we had a couple of hours before the performance, we had a light supper of piroshki (perogies) and vodka at nearby Sadko’s Restaurant. A few minutes before curtain time, we returned to the theater and found our seats: front row center. I don’t think we were more than six feet from the conductor. It was a beautiful performance and the male lead, David Zaleyev, was phenomenal.
Mariinsky Theater
Wednesday, September 27
St. Petersburg
It was a chilly morning as we walked to the Hermitage to use the first of our
showcase of the decorative arts. Its formal state rooms are filled with furniture
two-day passes. On the way, we stopped at a small art and ephemera shop
and sculpture, gilded ceilings, and marquetry floors. Jake said that we should be
located in a courtyard down an alley off Nevsky Prospekt. Several FABS
sure and watch Alexander Sokurov’s film, Russian Ark, again when we get home.
members had found interesting bookplates there and although the selection
We were disappointed, however, that many of the paintings were difficult to
was picked over, we did find one that we liked. Arriving at the museum just
see because they were covered with glass or heavily varnished and the palace’s
before noon, we located the ticket booth and the cloakroom (checking coats is
large windows created a problem of glare. We noted that many items
mandatory everywhere, we’ve found) and started making our way through the
throughout the Hermitage had been taken from private Russian collections in
great halls of the largest art museum in the world. What makes the Hermitage
1917 or from the Germans in 1945. We went through the seemingly endless
unique is that it is not only a collection of the world’s finest paintings, but a
second level galleries of Western European paintings.
Hermitage Museum
Paolo di Giovanni Fei Madonna with Child and Angels Siena School 14th c. Madonna and Child Enthroned fra Beato Angelico Madonna and Child with Four Đ?ngels Unknown Madonna and Child
Some favorites among the treasures: Van Der Weyden St. Luke Drawing the Virgin Goya Portrait of Antonia Zarate Velazquez Luncheon Da Vinci Madonna Litta Pieter Brueghel II Adoration of the Magi Fair with Theatrical Presentation
As it was nearing 3:00 pm, we determined that we were at a good stopping place and would return tomorrow. I texted our FABS friends Greg and Sharon and we met them at the entrance of the Winter Palace and walked to Craft Brew CafĂŠ for drinks followed by a return to Gogol for dinner. Once again, we were relegated to a room with other tourists rather than the main dining area. However, the meal was enjoyable and enlivened by banter with Anna, our good-natured server. We ordered traditional Russian dishes and homemade horseradish vodka (which I did not care for), with apple tart topped with high-fat Russian ice cream for dessert.
A journal kept by Susan Hanes during a trip through Russia and the Baltics from September 7 —October 17, 2017. Volume 3. Photos by Susan Hanes and George Leonard, c. 2017
V. 3