As luck would have it, St. Petersburg has not gotten this much snow in over 100 years. To put that in perspective the Romanov family was still in power at that time, lets just say it has been awhile. Not that I am complaining, if I came to Russia and there was no snow I would be rather disappointed. But recently the weather has started to brighten up and all that snow is beginning to melt. Literally muddles up to my knees. There could be flood warning out, not that I would ever know it.

It is so bad that downtown, hopping from the sidewalk onto the street trying to cross is a nightmare. The city has done their best, setting out pieces of styrofoam to act as stepping stones through the slush trenches. Sorry about the sarcasm.

I am really looking forward to spring. If a city can be this beautiful when covered in snow and mud, I can't imagine how majestic it will look in the spring. They city has been dubbed "the Venice of the north," due to the hundreds of canals that run through the city. As of now, the small rivers are frozen but hopefully soon they will begin to melt. Even frozen however, they are a unique addition to the city.

We have become very comfortable in certain parts of town thus far into the semester. Nevsky Prospect, the main street pictured earlier has become a main hub for all of us students. On the corner right outside the metro is Дом книги, The house of Books, that is a weekly stop. The three story book store has everything one could imagine. I have been stocking up on Russian books in hopes of one day being able to read Tolstoy in his native tongue. We have been just wandering around the city more now that the weather has improved. It really is a vast city with so much to see.

Yesterday was our weekly cultural excursion. Today was focused on the siege of Leningrad from 1941-1944. During this time, the Nazis invaded the city and cut Leningrad from any land connections. An estimated 1.5 million people died during the siege. Majority caused by famine. The amount of bread given to a civilian daily was 125 grams. Most of this was made with sawdust, glue and other inedible ingredients. The civilians were then plagued by destroyed homes, dirty water and disease. This siege in history is the biggest single loss to a city in the modern world.

Many monuments are dedicated to those who gave their lives fighting for Russia and the civilians who suffered. The first we visited was the Piskariovskoye Memorial Cemetery. There is an eternal flame lit at the entrance and along the right are buried, in unmarked graves, civilians. And on the left are soldiers and sailors. The statue in the middle dubbed "Mother Motherland" symbolizes Peace. The entire experience was extremely moving. They have opera music playing at all times and the places made chills run up my spine. It captured so much tragic history.

The second monument is called Victory Square. In the middle of the square is a monument with various statues, symbolizing the soldiers, volunteers and civilians who gave their lives to their country. Underneath the square is the museum. This was probably the most beautiful museum I have ever seen. The wall were covered in mosaics dedicated on one side to the fall to the Nazis and victory day on the other. Because the museum is underground there are no windows. They light the museum with 900 candles, symbolizing the 900 days and nights they were occupied. The entire museum was lit by these candles. This was by far the most exquisite place I have visited in Russia.