I had wanted to go to Russia for at least 12 years, basically since I studied the country in Grade 9 social studies, and became fascinated with its history. I took a much more intensive course in Russian history in university, and absolutely adored it, which only fueled my desire to go see these places for myself. (I also developed a bit of a fascination with Tsar Paul I, which you may notice with some of the pictures.) So when it was announced that the 2005 World Figure Skating Championships were going to be in Moscow, I knew I had found my excuse.

I arrived in Russia a week before the skating started so I could spend eight full days in the St. Petersburg area before going to Moscow. Most of my sightseeing (and thus most of my pictures) are from the St. Petersburg part of the trip.

Overall it was a really great experience, though I wouldn't be rushing back to Moscow any time soon. Modern Russia is naturally much different from the historical Russia that I have studied, but I am so glad to have seen it all first hand.

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