Greetings, friends! Wednesday is here again, which means that it's time for another walk with the virtual fellow travellers of the Wednesday Walk challenge! This time I decided once again to go to one of the nearest suburbs of St. Petersburg, but not in a westerly direction like last time, but in a southerly direction. To do this I went to Vitebsky Railway Station to get on a local commuter train.
The commuter train was already waiting on the platform with the doors open, and I hurried to take a seat by the window. The seats in the carriages are not numbered, so you can take any empty seat you like. There are signs on the windscreen announcing the destination station and type of train. I got a "comfort" train, which is an electric train with padded, comfortable seats.
I was going to get off at the station in the town of Pushkin, then I had to walk to the small town of Sofia. The county town of Sofia was founded by Empress Catherine II. The layout of the town was designed by the court architect Charles Cameron so that the rays of the streets would seem to continue the alleys of the imperial park and provide beautiful views from the viewing platforms. Sofia is now considered one of the districts of Pushkin (Tsarskoye Selo), but the town is geographically isolated: Pushkin is to the north-east of the parks, while Sofia is to the south.
The first part of my walk was through the town of Pushkin. The centre of Pushkin is built up with low houses, mostly two or three storeys. At first glance, an ordinary town - asphalt, apartment buildings - but suddenly a distinctly rustic sound reached my ears. Suddenly I remembered the hot summer, the smell of cut hay, milk in a jug on the veranda... I listened more closely, looked around - those were geese! Yes, you can't meet such a group in the city!
A bicycle was parked in the street by the fence. The text on the red-lettered sign consists of the single word "Advocate". What is this, an advertisement? But then where is the phone number? Or does the bike belong to a lawyer? Mysteriously...
I passed a one-storey stable and approached the Evangelical Lutheran Church of the Resurrection. The church was built in 1865 by architect A. Vidov on the place of an old Lutheran church. In 1930s the church was closed like many other churches. The building was used for various purposes: dormitory, canteen, chauffeurs' school, etc. The church was handed over to the Finnish Evangelical community in 1977. The building has been restored and regular worship services have started. At the entrance to the church, I saw a glassed-in sign with the schedule of services and announcements about the life of the parish. Parishioners were invited to the patchwork sewing school, the graphic arts and painting studio, family gatherings and other events.
I had already walked most of the way and was approaching Sofia, but the weather began to deteriorate noticeably. The sky was overcast, it was getting darker, the wind was blowing hard... I didn't want to leave before I reached my destination, so I made a compromise. I boarded the bus to get to the main attraction, St. Sophia Cathedral, and to see at least that cathedral during my walk.
St Sophia Cathedral was built in 1782-1788, designed by architect Charles Cameron. It is a simple, even laconic, architecture, but the cathedral looks surprisingly organic against the background of the surrounding park landscape on the one hand, and the modest county town on the other. The church was closed in 1933, the building was used as a storehouse and garages were built on the adjoining square. It was not until 1989 that the church was returned to the faithful.
In the meantime the weather was getting worse - the clouds were getting closer and the wind was getting colder. I had to end my walk and take a bus back to the railway station. It soon became clear that the decision to return had been made in good time. Through the window of the train, I watched the snow cloud catch up with the train.
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| Smartphone | Google Pixel 3a |
| Location | Saint Petersburg, Russia |
This is my entry for the #WednesdayWalk challenge by 