Peter Paul Fortress with a little more attention to detail

Peter Paul Fortress is the oldest compound/series of buildings in Saint Petersburg. Saint Petersburg only became the city it is because of Peter the Great (June 1622-February 1725). Before most of the Russian people and royalty lived and hid in Moscow. Most Europeans didn't go to Moscow, and most Muscovites didn't leave Russia. All that changed with the creation of Saint Petersburg. 

This was a tourist booth, that had two black cats sitting outside of it. The black/red/white stripes signify something. This was the second set of cats that I saw at the fortress. 

The photos are out of order for some reason. I thought this was the first image I took. This is the entrance to the fortress somewhere. That's the Russian symbol, and some images of a religious experience or something. 

]

So here is a longer shot of the cats. So the snow is starting to melt a little, but then it would freeze at night. So it was a bit slippery. A lady fell and she was older and okay.  

So here is the symbol and the wall thing. 

I would like to think that these sculptures (larger than life, my life at least) I would like to assume is of the goddess of wisdom and plenty. Athena and Hera probably. They were huge and impressive. Also I couldn't climb up to get my picture with them. 

Athena, Hera, or something like that. 

This is like a panorama from the Fortress. We were freezing, and I was trying to get some nice pictures. I had to shuffle out there and not slip and break my leg. 

So there you can see, some of the fortress, the bridge and the frozen Neva. The river is pretty darn frozen. 

This is a another shot. Apparently in the 1850s the river flooded into the fortress. Though you would think something like that would happen more frequently. Especially since it floods in Oregon constantly. The flag is of some significance because it is to honor both Naval and Land soldiers. 

Here is where I kind of almost peed my pants. I don't know if you can see the gun to the left of the photo, maybe you can't but I am telling you it's there. Well apparently they shoot the gun off frequently. In the history of the fortress the cannon(s) have gone off at noon regularly. Then they would shoot off on arrival of dignitary, death, birth and whatever else they thought was a good reason to fire it off. Then around 1936 they stopped the daily noon time boom, long enough to stop before WWII. 

Okay, here it is the giant gun. It's a land to air missile launcher, and it was so loud I clutched the stroller that Loki was sitting in and cried out because I didn't think it was as loud as it was going to be. Because I thought fourth of July boom shell, and they bring it. Also I remember there being a huge kick back and people being up along the ramparts(?). 

I will conclude the post with a video of the gun being shot off : Peter Paul fortress Gun please enjoy the car alarms.