Weekend update!

1. HAPPY BIRTHDAY, SHOSTAKOVITCH! 

In honor of Dmitriy Shostakovitch's birthday on Saturday (Sept 25), the St. Petersburg Philharmonic Orchestra performed two of his works (From Jewish Folk Poetry; 11th Symphony). I like Shostakovitch already, and (fun fact) he was a native of St. Petersburg - so naturally getting to see his work performed on his birthday by a Russian symphony in St. Petersburg was A-mazing. It was performed in the beautiful Bolshoy Zal (see Bolshoy picture below). Our seats were not bad, especially considering we paid  $18!

I actually almost overslept it because my alarm did not go off to wake me up from my nap. I woke up at 6:40, and the concert started at 7! However the Bolshoy Zal is (apparently) a 20 minute jog away from my apartment! We were seated before the orchestra even came out and we didn't even have to wait; perfect timing.

2. HEY THERE, LENIN
Sunday afternoon, I went with Heather, Andy Huemmer and the rest of the Huemmers to the Russian Political Museum. First impression - this museum gave me the creeps. Second impression - there was a child having a birthday party in the basement there. Really, the Political Museum? Why?!
However, the building is pretty historical and there was some pretty neat stuff.

The building: was originally the mansion of Tsar Nicholas II's mistress, a prima ballerina. THEN it was the Bolshevik headquarters after they seized it in 1917 (see Lenin's office pic). It became the Museum of the Revolution in 1957, then renamed in the 1990s and filled with the true secret history of the Soviet Union, they say.

The goods:
Lenin's Office                                                                           Balcony where he gave speeches

The sign said this was Rasputin's bed frame, but
I am skeptical of pretty much anything with
Rasputin's name on it.

                                                                          Favorite. This portrait of Tsar Nicholas Romanov II was
                                                                          hanging in the Winter Palace when it was overtaken. The
                                                                         disfiguring scratches? Bayonet destruction from the rebels.

Quite a good weekend, if I do say so myself! It is getting rather cold here, so I need to buy a pretty serious winter jacket pronto. Hope everyone is enjoying seasonably-cool autumn weather in the States!
до скорого!
Emily