Visit to Russia, September 2000 |
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Visit to Russia, September 2000 |
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We left on Monday morning by swissair flight from Geneva to Sheremetyevo airport. Here we were met by Vladimir and introduced to Irina who was to be our interpreter. We drove to Serednikovo, passing on the way through Selenograd where microelectronic industries are located. We nearly got lost, but found Serednikovo anyway. We met Mikhael and Yelena Lermontov (whom I knew from my previous visit). After moving into our rooms and taking a light lunch, we took a walk around the manor grounds, saw Mikhael's chapel he had built on river, passed by a church with much national history, and returned to dinner where we met Father Kyrill from the Spiritual Academy of St Petersburg.
The philosophical seminar started fairly early and lasted the whole day. Yelena took Susan to Moscow for a visit of the Kremlin. The Seminar closed with a classical music vocal concert followed by dinner with everyone and entertainment by a local duet. The food was lavish, vodka flowed before each toast, and there were about twenty of those. Of course I did not escape, and I pleaded to transform Serednikovo into a center of excellence. Given its structure and location, it seems this is a very realistic role: and intellectual retreat place, where one can find the peace and quiet needed for profound reflection.
I had a short meeting with the team from MSU who are working on the web interactives, while Susan went for a visit to the university's main building and even went to the formerly secret rooms in the top tower. We had lunch with the Lermontovs in an excellent Caucasian restaurant. After lunch we walked around in the neighbourhood of Red Square, on the square itself, and in the GUM.
it was foreseen that I give a "masterclass" to a selected group of talented young people at Serednikovo. There was much participation (Slava interpreted). I demonstrated how to make QTVR scenes to an interested person who wants to make a site of Serednikovo. We also took some shots outside the main building. After dinner, we took the train to St Petersburg.
We arrived as foreseen at about 08:30. We walked to the hotel which was very close to the station. After moving into our rooms, we went for a walk along Nevsky Prospekt, around the Winter Palace (Hermitage), the Summer Gardens, and passed by the Cathedral of Our Saviour on the Spilt Blood. Then is was time to go to the Spiritual Academy, where I was to deliver a talk. We were welcomed by father Kyrill and shown around. To our great surprise, there were many young girls at the Academy and the atmosphere was relaxed. We were offered the daily lunch with everyone. This was simple, but excellent. Then I gave my Lecture in the large seminar room. The knowledge and interest of the Seminarists was very high, even though their access to computers and the net was evidently restricted. Father Kyrill then showed us around the monastery and also the graveyard where famous Russian composers and other artists are buried. In the evening we went to what looked from the outside as a rather weird restaurant, but the food and drink was very good (we had several servings of meat dumplings in cream sauce).
We visited the Hermitage museum in the morning. This gives easily an indigestion by its enormous collection. I found an eighteenth century painting of the square in front of Antwerp City Hall already showing the still existing café where I used to go. For lunch we tried to find a bistro-type place that Vladimir knew to be good, but it was not serving any food, so we had to go next door to an expensive and posh restaurant called the "Ambassador". We visited an art gallery and bought two pieces of ceramics. We then had dinner in the hotel (not brilliant but OK; we were tired). Irina showed some family photos she had with her, and we chatted about family life.
We left by taxi for Peterhof. This was about the third or fourth time we rode in a taxi that smelled of fuel and in which the seat belts did not work, but it was at Russian rates. On one such previous ride, the driver let go of the wheel and crossed himself when we passed a church. It took about 35 minutes to get to Peterhof. We arrived in time to see the fountains being switched on. We toured the buildings of the main palace, which were almost entirely destryed during the second world war. The trip back was by hydrofoil and took less time. Dinner took place in the "Literary café" where Father Kyrill also came for a last meeting with us. After dinner we strolled along Nevsky Prospekt, and on a terrace outside, in a side street, we had a drink which lasted until midnight (it was about 18°).
We visited the Peter & Paul fortress in the morning. The Romanov tsars are buried in the Peter & Paul cathedral. We visited the imperial prison for political prisoners which was converted to a museum in 1920. On top of the walls is a walkway from where the view on the city is very good. There is also a cannon which is fired ervey lunch time. In a nearby building is also a small but very interesting Space Museum which has a copy of Sputnik and a real space capsule. Then we rushed to the airport and flew back to Geneva in the early afternoon.