This picture is taken by smartphone’s camera
Come and get your best shot of St.Petersburg!
This place
This small classical pavillion in the Catherine park looks like a Tea-house but actually was used for a different purpose. The Upper Bathhouse (Royal Sauna) contained 6 rooms including entry hall, steam-bath and a drawing room for relaxation. According to the Russian tradition the bathhouses have always been placed in a separate structure because of stoves and firewood used for heating and steam. During the WWII the pavillion was destroyed and completely restored after.
Interesting fact: One day Austrian Emperor Joseph II who loved travelling incognito came to Russia and decided to stay in a hotel rather than being an official guest. He was very happy when he found an inn next to the Imperial palace where he could watch the Court`s life from. Both the police and the courtier knew about the VIP status of the guest but continued to play the game. The Upper Bathhouse became the main venue of the show because the pavillion was turned into a small private hotel.
This day
On December 4th, 1711 the inhabitants of St.Petersburg saw the fireworks for the first time. It was commisioned by Peter I in honor of the name-day of his friend, the first Governor of the city Alexander Danilovich Menshikov. The Tsar brought a “recipe of shining lights” from Germany; the idea was not only to entertain people but also to accustom them to the western mode of life. First spectators were more scared than happy and it took several years for people to get used to the new amusement.
