The magnificent 19th century

26.07.2016

St. Petersburg has long been considered one of the most beautiful cities in the world. Many different museums, stunning palaces and castles – all that attracts crowds of tourists from all over the world. NucKids participants also decided to go to St. Petersburg to see all this beauty themselves.

First, they visited the Yusupov Palace on the Moika River. The history of this estate goes back to the recent past (18-19th centuries). The first owner of the palace was Praskovya Ivanovna the niece of Peter The Great. In 1830 it was purchased by Boris Yusupov. Since then the palace has been owned by five generations of Yusupovs. There is a prevailing feeling of innocence and ordinariness in the palace, as if the owners left their house for a couple of minutes. The nineteenth-century atmosphere that reigned in the palace-museum was most memorable for the kids.

“I enjoyed the tour of the Yusupov Palace. The overall layout, both exterior and interior, was, of course, more modest than in the same Catherine Palace. It was very interesting to learn how rich people lived in the 19th century. There were so many rooms, but each one was pleasant and charming in its own way. I especially liked the Blue Living Room. Delicate wallpaper, miniature sofas and tables create a very cozy atmosphere.”

Polina Baranova, 14 years old from Angarsk.

“I really liked the appearance of the Palace; it amazed me with its beauty. The large number of living rooms surprised me. I liked the Red Living Room most of all. It differed in its luxury from the others. I also really liked the bedroom. In the room, I noticed an optical illusion: the bed seemed to be less than half a meter, but in fact, it reached almost two meters. I was able to feel this atmosphere of the 19th century and was delighted with the tour!”

Polzunova Sofya, 12 years old from Petrozavodsk.

After a tour of the Yusupov Palace, we continued our acquaintance with the sights of St. Petersburg. The project participants visited Yelagin Island. It is located between the Bolshaya and Srednaya Nevka. The fifth owner of the island in 1777 was the oberhofmeister I.P. Yelagin, his duties included supervising the staff and finances of the imperial court and the Island still bears his name. There is a very unusual museum on the island, which allows everyone to reincarnate into a socialite of that time. Lavish dresses with crinolines, strict suits and cylinders – all this created an unforgettable atmosphere.

“We felt familiar to the high society of the 19th century. I would love to bring a piece of that wonderful time into our 21st century. I was delighted by the elegance of the ball, how the gentlemen invited the ladies to dance and showered them with compliments, and they in turn twirled gracefully and adorned the ball with their smile!”

Oleg Petrov, 14 years old from St. Petersburg.

Next, our bus headed towards the Summer Garden. It is considered the pearl of St. Petersburg, for its sophistication and extravagance. The first thing that catches your eye is the abundance of plants. The garden is literally covered with trees, shrubs and flowers. In addition, we could not ignore the graceful fountains. There were a lot of them on the territory of the garden, and each was marvelous in its own way.

“The arches wrapped with vining plants caught my attention. We were told that one could easily take shelter from the rain by passing under them. After walking through the flowery corridors, we came to the fountains; I especially liked the main fountain. It had gilded ornaments and was encrusted with stones. It was all very matching.”

Julia Kuptsova, 14 years old from Angarsk.

All the sights of St. Petersburg that we managed to visit that day were extremely beautiful. Each had its own distinctive feature. We were all delighted with the trip, despite some fatigue. Now it is time to start daily rehearsals and trainings, because the PREMIERE is coming soon!

 Arina Skomorokha,

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