Chapter 2 : St Peterhorf and Spilled Blood Church
A Summer That Never Slept in Russia
Chapter 2:
That morning, at seven, we went down for breakfast. The tables were full, and in one corner, a group of tourists from mainland China moved fast, scooping up food as if it would vanish within the hour. We just smiled — that's the nature of traveling in large groups.
We had one extra day ahead of schedule, and the summer weather welcomed us with clear skies, almost as if it had cleared the way on purpose for our first destination. The weather was windy but hot, calm, and just right.
Peterhof Palace, nearly an hour's drive from the city. Malaysians rarely stop by here since it's far from the city, but when we arrived, all the fatigue of the journey disappeared in an instant. The palace stood magnificent, wrapped in gold, gleaming under a sun that never quite set.
Ticket Entrance: RM100 adult
To enter the palace: RM140 adult
What's the history behind this palace?
It turns out it was built by Peter the Great, and now stands as one of the most beautiful palaces, comparable to Versailles in France. This palace is also filled with fountains — around 150 of them in total. And the most unique part — each one runs not on modern pumps, but on gravity alone, using the natural elevation difference between the gardens and nearby water sources to create water pressure. Something built hundreds of years ago, yet still working to this day.
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| The palace sits on the shores of the Gulf of Finland. |
Most famous of all, the Grand Cascade, with the Samson Fountain as its centerpiece. Every day at 10 a.m., there's an opening show — the lion's jaws burst open, water shooting out forcefully. The lion is symbolic of Sweden, carrying the story of Russia's victory over them long ago.
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| The shows start around 10 am |
The palace sits right beside the Gulf of Finland, gazing far out to sea. But behind its beauty lies a bitter history — this palace was once destroyed during World War II, occupied by German forces. Yet it was rebuilt, and is now most beautiful to visit in summer, when the flowers in the garden bloom in full.
After an hour of wandering around, our legs began to tire. But it wasn't too bad — there's a buggy available for those who want to rest, for just RM30.
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| One of the prettiest garden that I've ever been |
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| With golden statues |
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| The palace |
After one hour, we headed to the Church of the Spilled Blood — a name that carries a dark story. Built on the exact spot where Emperor Alexander II was assassinated in 1881, this church holds 7,500 square meters of mosaics, covering every inch of the walls with breathtaking religious artwork. From the outside, its onion domes make it look like it stepped straight out of a fairy tale.
The church survived through the Soviet era and World War II, though it suffered serious damage and was once used for various non-religious purposes — understandably so, since during Soviet times, religion wasn't allowed to flourish. Now it has been turned into a museum, preserving its history for generations to come.
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| The art |
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| Admiring the art |
By evening, our stomachs began to growl, and we stopped to eat at an Uzbek restaurant — I honestly don't know how to pronounce the name because of the language. Sitting there, one thing I noticed — I swear, this city really needs Google Translate to survive.
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| Lunch time |
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| Halal time |
The Russians themselves don't seem to mind outsiders much, and they just mind their own business. No soldiers, no police hovering around, and strangely enough, it felt safe just walking around. There aren't many immigrants here either, as many have returned home because of the war, so most of the people who remain are locals.
This trip itself wasn't for everyone; it was selective, and anyone who wanted to join had to pay extra because of the early flight. But whoever wanted to come, came along. And for that reason, I convinced my mom to join too. And to this day, I haven't regretted that decision one bit. This city is suited not just for ordinary travelers, but a paradise for influencers, or anyone who loves capturing every moment in a photo.
Then around 2 pm, we went back to the hotel and continued resting. Funny thing until 7 pm, the sun was still bright, and we just slept and woke up to wait for asr later.
See ya for the next episode!
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