 |
| DR. IVAN SAUTOV
AND GENNADY OPARIN SHOW PHOTOGRAPHS OF VARIOUS PALACE PARK
BUILDINGS. GENNADY HAS TAKEN THEM FROM AIRSHIP. THEY WERE
SPLENDID. BIGGER IMAGE |
We hear that museum's annual budget is 30 million dollars, of which the federal government provides 10 million. The museum has to scrape together 20 million dollars by its own means. We hear how the museum has been able to get financing from abroad for rebuilding the Amber Room and the Chinese Village. We hear the exorbitant rents that people like Elton John and Steven Spielberg have paid for use of the Ball Room. We sip tea and coffee and down two small tumblers of vodka from a square Tsarskoye Selo bottle. Dr. Sautov says that he would very much like to see the airships take off from the palace square on Thursday evening. Martin Harris and Gennady Oparin have known each other for long time and both go way back with Don Cameron and Ivan Sautov. That's why we had not been overly surprised when Gennady relayed Dr. Sautov's invitation that summoned us to the palace almost at a moment's notice. We are already glad that we had abandoned our other plans without much hesitation. TOUR IN THE PALACE. Catherine Palace is closed on every Tuesday. It means that we are the only ones guided through the splendid rooms. And we have the best guide one could imagine. Dr. Filimonova knows everything and it is clear that she enjoys what she is doing. Guiding visitors is not what she does normally as the Deputy Director of International Contacts. I bet that is the reason why her enthusiasm is contagious. |
 |
| TAPESTRY IN ONE OF CATHERINE PALACE ROOMS, WATERCOLOR ON
SILK. PRESIDENT PUTIN HAD SHOWN THIS TO JIANG ZEMING, PRESIDENT OF
CHINA, AND REFERRED TO THE SCENE AS CHINESE. PESIDENT ZEMIN HAD
CORRECTED HIM IMMEDIATELY: "THEY ARE DEFINITELY MONGOLIAN." |
 |
| IT WAS RAINING HEAWILY WHILE WE WERE GUIDED IN THE
PALACE. A PAIR OF HORSES IN FRONT OF A CARRIAGE, AND A DRIVER,
WERE WAITING. FOR WHOM? FOR US, WE HEARD. BIGGER |
 |
 |
MARTIN HAS PROPOSED AND DR.
FILIMONOVA CONSIDERS. NOT MARRYING HIM BUT DOING THE LEADING ROLE IN A TELEVISION PROGRAMME ABOUT CATHERINE PALACE THAT MARTIN WOULD LIKE TO PRODUCE. |
| WHY
THE RED CARPET? Was it an example
of the famous Russian hospitality? Definitely. But under that
camouflage it was also a diplomatic move that had a praiseworthy
motivation and aim. That we realized only afterwards. Russian Balloon Federation had so far failed to deliver what it had promised in its bid to International Ballooning Commission, the body that grants rights to organise balloon and airship world championships. The Federation had promised that the opening and closing ceremonies will take place in Catherine Palace and that at least some of the competition launches will happen from Catherine Palace square. That was done at the test-event in 2007 but now the opening ceremony was on the shore of Peter and Paul's fortress and both take-offs had so far taken place in countryside. The competitors had counted on being able to fly above the magnificent Tsarskoye Selo palace and park complex. They were now disappointed, and rightly so. Rumour had it that palace grounds and parks could not be used because the parties had been unable to reach agreement about compensation to Tsarskoye Selo State Museum. Gennady Oparin is a competitor, not organiser, but it was his idea to have the Airship World Championship in Tsarskoye Selo. I imagine that the impromptu invitation from Dr. Sautov was Gennady's private effort to remedy a situation that had gone haywire. Our group would provide innocent messengers between the parties. Nobody would loose face in case the idea to launch from palace grounds on Thursday will be rebuffed. Have I gone beyond proper limits with my speculation? I think not. The matter of not delivering according to essential promises made in a sanction bid is not to be ignored or taken lightly, it must be recorded. And discussing goings-on in Russia is bound to be more or less enlightened speculation for the simple reason that reliable information is seldom available. TOUR IN THE PARKS. I ended up on the best seat next to the young lady driver. We crisscrossed in Catherine Park and Alexander Park past many decorative and architectural monuments, including my favourite, Alexander Palace, that I had walked around on Monday. The parks themselves are beautiful examples of landscape architecture. |
 |
| RAIN HAD STOPPED, BUT IN THE END OF TOUR IT STARTED AGAIN.
SO WHAT! CHESME COLUMN IN UPPER RIGHT CORNER.
IT IS ONE OF THE FOUR MONUMENTS WHICH CATHERINE THE GREAT COMMISSIONED
FOR NAVAL VICTORY
OF CHESMA. BIGGER IMAGE |
 |
| CROSS BRIDGE OVER A CANAL IS ONE OF THE MANY ATTRACTIONS IN
TSARSKOYE SELO PARK COMPLEX. IT IS MADE OF CONCRETE AND WAS
OPENED FOR TRAFFIC
IN 1779. |
 |
| GATE TO CATHERINE PALACE . SAME BUT BIGGER |
It was a memorable day. Thank you Gennady, thank you Olga Feodorovna. Rest in peace, Ivan Petrovich. |
