Peterhof (Петерго́ф), St. Petersburg, Russia
In July 2019 my wife and I spent an afternoon at Peterhof outside of St. Petersburg. This stop was a part of our Volga Dream cruise tour. We took a hydrofoil across the Gulf...
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Saint Petersburg Horse Statues (and others)
Based on the number and quality of horse statues in Saint Petersburg Russia, there must be a historical fascination and linkage between Russians and horses. The obvious link would be the Cossacks, who reputedly...
Waterloo Greenway Creek Show 2019 – Austin, Texas
The 2019 Waterloo Greenway Creek Show was held November 7-17, 2019 along Waller Creek between 9th and 12th Streets in Austin Texas. This was the sixth annual Creek Show. There were six light installations...
Piskaryovskoye Memorial Cemetery, Saint Petersburg and other monuments to the Siege of Leningrad
During the Siege of Leningrad September 1941 through January 1944, more that 600,000 people died, most from starvation. For comparison, the total casualties for the United States in World War II were approximately 419,000....
World War I Roster Book – my Grandfather’s from the 132nd Machine Gun Battalion
My grandfather was in Company B of the 132nd Machine Gun Battalion in World War I. I wrote an article about letters he sent back previously. I also had a roster book for his...
Volga River Cruise – Moscow to St. Petersburg
After five nights and the better part of six days in Moscow, we took a tour of Moscow subway stations on our way to board our home for the next six days, the Volga...
VDNKh (ВДНХ) – Exhibition of Achievements of National Economy (Выставка достижений народного хозяйства), Moscow
While in Moscow we (ok maybe just me, but Audrey humored me) wanted to visit the Cosmonaut museum. The Cosmonaut museum is very recognizable from quite a distance with its tall swooping tower with...
War Remains presented by Dan Carlin – World War I VR experience
My grandfather was in World War I. Luckily as an American, trench warfare was mostly complete by the time he got into action. I’ve listened to Dan Carlin’s riveting podcast on World War I,...
Novodevichy Cemetery (Новоде́вичье кла́дбище), Moscow
Novodevichy Cemetery was the second most prominent place to be buried during the Soviet era, the first being the Kremlin Necropolis. It was opened in 1898 adjacent to the Novodevichy Convent off the Third...
Lenin’s Mausoleum – Moscow, Russia
On the 4th of July, 2019, we joined the line to go into Lenin’s Mausoleum in Red Square, Moscow. The line was long but moved along at a good pace. The area one can...