Steve's Genealogy Blog

St. Isaac's Square in St. Petersburg, Russia

Posted on August 5, 2010 by Steve

In St. Isaac’s Square in St. Petersburg, Russia stand two impressive structures: St. Isaac’s Cathedral and the statue of Nicholas I. The cathedral took 40 years to build and was completed in 1858. The design of the cathedral and the dome in particular influenced the design of the United States Capitol in Washington, DC. Note especially the details of the angels surrounding the dome. The statue of Nicholas I was remarkable for its time. It was the first equestrian statue using only two points of support – the horse’s two rear legs. The statue was unveiled in 1859.

St. Isaac’s Cathedral

SOURCE: St. Isaac’s Cathedral (St. Petersburg, Russia). Photographed by Stephen J. Danko onÂ 01Â AugÂ 2010.

Detail of the Dome of St. Isaac’s Cathedral

SOURCE: Detail of the Dome of St. Isaac’s Cathedral (St. Petersburg, Russia). Photographed by Stephen J. Danko on 01Â AugÂ 2010.

Nicholas I

SOURCE: Nicholas I (St. Petersburg, Russia). Photographed by Stephen J. Danko on 01Â AugÂ 2010.

Detail of Nicholas I

SOURCE: Detail of Nicholas I (St. Petersburg, Russia). Photographed by Stephen J. Danko on 01Â AugÂ 2010.

Posted in Daily Journal | Tagged Baltic Vacation, St. Petersburg | 3 Comments

Wind Vanes of Tallinn

Posted on August 4, 2010 by Steve

One delightful aspect of TallinnÂ is the relative abundance of wind vanes (or weather vanes) atop the buildings in the city. One traditional wind vane is that of Vana Toomas (Old Thomas), based on a legend of a medieval archery tournament in which members of the aristocracy would compete to see who could shoot a wooden parrot off the top of a pole. All those who triedÂ failed this endeavor until finally a young boy named Thomas succeeded. Thomas was from a poor family but, because of his skills, he was made an apprentice guard and later became a soldier and guard loved by all. When he died, a metal statue of Thomas was placed atop city hall so he could watch over Tallinn for all time.

Old Thomas Wind Vane

SOURCE: Old Thomas Wind Vane (Tallinn, Estonia). Photographed by Stephen J. Danko on 31 Jul 2010.

Rooster Wind Vane

SOURCE: Rooster Wind Vane (Tallinn, Estonia). Photographed by Stephen J. Danko on 31 Jul 2010.

Wind Vane #3

SOURCE: Wind Vane #3Â (Tallinn, Estonia). Photographed by Stephen J. Danko on 31 Jul 2010.

Wind Vane #4

SOURCE: Wind Vane #4Â (Tallinn, Estonia). Photographed by Stephen J. Danko on 31 Jul 2010.

Posted in Daily Journal | Tagged Baltic Vacation, Tallinn | Comments Off

Toompea Castle and Tallinn Fortifications

Posted on August 3, 2010 by Steve

Toompea Castle is the seat of the Parliament of the Republic of Estonia (the Riigikogu) . Immediately to the south and adjacent toToompea Castle is the Kuberneriaed (Governor’s Garden). Toompea Castle includes both older and newer construction. The older structureÂ on the west side wasÂ part of the medieval fortress of the Order of the Brothers of the Sword and includesÂ the Tall Hermann TowerÂ (Pikka Hermanni Torn). The Estonian flag flies above the Tall Hermann Tower, with blue for the sky, black for the soil, and white for hard work and a bright future. Newer additions to Toompea CastleÂ include the east wing which was built on order of Russian Empress Catherine the Great and completed in 1773 . The south wing wasÂ completed in 1935. Other fortifications, 60% of them original, can also be seen in Tallinn.

The South Wing of Toompea Castle and the Tall Hermann Tower

SOURCE: The South Wing of Toompea Castle and the Tall Hermann Tower (Tallinn, Estonia). Photographed by Stephen J. Danko on 30 Jul 2010.

The East Wing of Toompea Castle

SOURCE: TheÂ East Wing of Toompea Castle (Tallinn, Estonia). Photographed by Stephen J. Danko on 30 Jul 2010.

Tallinn Fortifications

SOURCE: Tallinn FortificationsÂ (Tallinn, Estonia). Photographed by Stephen J. Danko on 30 Jul 2010.

Kiek in de Koek

SOURCE: Kiek in de KoekÂ (Tallinn, Estonia). Photographed by Stephen J. Danko on 30 Jul 2010.

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Monuments and Public Art in Tallinn

Posted on August 2, 2010 by Steve

Like any reasonably large city, Tallinn, Estonia has a wealth of monuments and public art. Among the most beloved figures is Gustav Ernesaks, one of the founders of the Singing Revolution and the Tallinn Music Festival. Voldemar Panso was the first leader of the drama school of the Estonian Academy of Music and Theater. The Rusalka monument commemorates the sinking of a Russian battleship of the same name in 1893. Finally, some Estonian graffiti: art in art itself, professing “Retro-Futurism“.

Gustav Ernesaks

SOURCE: Gustav Ernesaks (Tallinn, Estonia). Photographed by Stephen J. Danko on 30 Jul 2010.

Voldemar Panso

SOURCE: Voldemar Panso (Tallinn, Estonia). Photographed by Stephen J. Danko on 30 Jul 2010.

Rusalka

SOURCE: Rusalka (Tallinn, Estonia). Photographed by Stephen J. Danko on 30 Jul 2010.

Retro-Futurism

SOURCE: Retro-FuturismÂ (Tallinn, Estonia). Photographed by Stephen J. Danko on 30 Jul 2010.

Posted in Daily Journal | Tagged Baltic Vacation, Tallinn | Comments Off

The Churches of Old Tallinn

Posted on August 1, 2010 by Steve

When approaching Tallinn, Estonia, one cannot help but be awed by the sight of this oldÂ fortified city, with church steeples towering overhead. The Alexander Nevsky Cathedral is Tallinn’s Russian Orthodox Cathedral. St. Nicholas’s Church was built by merchants from the island of GotlandÂ in the 13th century and is used today as a museum and concert hall. St. Olav’s Church was, from 1549 to 1625, the tallest building in the world and is currently used as a Baptist church.

Approaching Tallinn

SOURCE: Approaching Tallinn (Tallinn, Estonia). Photographed by Stephen J. Danko on 30 Jul 2010.

Alexander Nevsky Cathedral

SOURCE: Alexander Nevsky Cathedral (Tallinn, Estonia). Photographed by Stephen J. Danko on 30 Jul 2010.

St. Nicholas’s Church

SOURCE: St. Nicholas’s Church (Tallinn, Estonia). Photographed by Stephen J. Danko on 30 Jul 2010.

St. Olav’s Church

SOURCE: St . Olav’s Church (Tallinn, Estonia). Photographed by Stephen J. Danko on 30 Jul 2010.

Posted in Daily Journal | Tagged Baltic Vacation, Tallinn | Comments Off

The Nimb Complex – Day and Night

Posted on July 31, 2010 by Steve

The Nimb Complex at Tivoli in Copenhagen is an impressive Moorish structure housing a number of restaurants and a hotel. It has been described as a cross between a Moorish Taj Mahal and a Christmas tree. In front of the structure is an unusual fountain. Instead of spraying jets of water skyward, these fountains sendbubbles upward through translucent tubes. Seeing the sights at Tivoli during the day is not enough. At night, the lights and music transform the park into a different world.

The Nimb Complex in Daylight

SOURCE: The Nimb Complex in Daylight (Tivoli, Copenhagen, Denmark). Photographed by Stephen J. Danko on 28 Jul 2010.

The Nimb Complex at Night

SOURCE: The Nimb ComplexÂ at NightÂ (Tivoli, Copenhagen, Denmark). Photographed by Stephen J. Danko on 28 Jul 2010.

Posted in Daily Journal | Tagged Baltic Vacation, Copenhagen | Comments Off

At Tivoli Gardens

Posted on July 30, 2010 by Steve

One of the most popular tourist attractions in Copenhagen is Tivoli, the second oldest amusement park in Europe. Tivoli (or Tivoli Gardens) is much more than an amusement park, however. There are gardens, concerts, and restaurants; there are wonderful sights to see and sounds to hear. Before going to Tivoli I was told that daytime in Tivoli is for children. Nighttime is for adults.

Himmelskibet (Sky Ship) and Japanese Pagoda

SOURCE: Himmelskibet (Sky Ship) and Japanese Pagoda (Tivoli, Copenhagen, Denmark). Photographed by Stephen J. Danko on 28 Jul 2010.

Tivoli Fountains and Gardens

SOURCE: Tivoli Fountains and GardensÂ (Tivoli, Copenhagen, Denmark). Photographed by Stephen J. Danko on 28 Jul 2010.

The Evening Lights of Tivoli

SOURCE: The Evening Lights of Tivoli (Tivoli, Copenhagen, Denmark). Photographed by Stephen J. Danko on 28 Jul 2010.

Posted in Daily Journal | Tagged Baltic Vacation, Copenhagen | Comments Off

The Little Mermaid in Tivoli

Posted on July 29, 2010 by Steve

While in Copenhagen I wanted to see the sculpture of The Little Mermaid, based onÂ Hans Christian Andersen’s famous character . Â The sculpture was created by Edvard Eriksen (who used his wife Elaine as a model) and placed in the harbor at Copenhagen. However, the original sculpture has been removed from the harbor and is currently in China for World Expo 2010. Edvard Eriksen’s family, however, possesses a second copy of the sculpture and has loaned the copyÂ to Tivoli Gardens, where I was able to see it. Notice that this representation of the Little Mermaid has both legs and fins, a bit of poetic license on the part of the sculptor.