Peter and Paul Fortress, St. Petersburg, Russia

The Peter and Paul Fortress was the first structure to be built in St. Petersburg. It has never needed to be used for defence however it’s had a varied and sometimes sinister past.  Military base, political jail, burial place of the Imperial family. Unfortunately most of the sites were closed because it was Wednesday. However , Peter and Paul Cathedral and Trubetskoy Bastion Prison were open.
An ugly Russian woman barged ahead of Barrett and I then harangued the poor woman at the ticket counter demanding she be given a group rate.  She was obese but not so obese that the delightfully tolerant ticket woman was willing to cave to her bullying.
Peter and Paul Cathedral was impressive.  A lot of tourists. Perhaps too few worshipper and too many  gawkers.  Large groups with historians leading.  I'd rather monks brought groups through specifically for 'spiritual' practices.  Maybe if we all prostated ourselves on the floor we'd hear the tune of the celestial vibrations more.  I'd like to see angels coming down from the glorious domes.   Beautiful icons.
The Trubetskoy Bastion Prison interested me more.  I am touched by the suffering. I was thinking too of Doystoyevski who spent time here. It was a place for awaiting trial. Max Gorky was here. They have the names of famous Revolutionaries and others beside rooms where they had records of occupancy.   I liked the Prison Alphabet ‘tapping diagram’ for communication among prisoners.  I identify more with prisoners than rulers.
Jesus was a servant king not the Neitzhe Superman sort.
The statue to Peter the Great is noteworthy for it’s ‘tiny head’. It was made from a cast of the death mask but most peculiar considering the body size.  I wonder if the artist would make his head so disproportionately small.